BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. The Caspian region has a special role in ensuring energy security and transportation accessibility on the Eurasian continent, Kazakh Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu said, Trend reports.
He spoke at the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral states in Moscow.
"Today, the Caspian region is rapidly developing and has enormous potential. Our mutually beneficial partnership is built on trusting political dialogue, robust trade and economic links, and cultural and humanitarian ties. Over the past three decades, a robust legal framework has been established, the legal status of the Caspian Sea has been defined, and effective mechanisms of interaction are in place at all levels. The Caspian region has a unique role in guaranteeing Eurasian energy security and transit accessibility," the minister said.
According to him, Kazakhstan continues to improve its transportation infrastructure, including the ports of Aktau and Kuryk.
"In 2022, the volume of cargo transiting through the aforementioned ports increased 2.5 times, reaching 1.5 billion tons. This operation will help to enhance the corridor's capacity to 500,000 containers by 2030," stated the minister.
Murat Nurtleu expressed satisfaction with Kazakhstan's good growth dynamics in mutual commerce with coastal states.
"It reached $19 billion in the first 8 months of this year," he told reporters.
As the Foreign Minister stated, enormous opportunities exist for the continued growth of investment partnerships in agriculture, petrochemicals, health care, tourism, and engineering.
"Taking this opportunity, I want to assure you once again that Kazakhstan is always in favor of strengthening and deepening the five-party cooperation," the minister concluded.