ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 4. Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries need to develop trade on electronic platforms, senior analyst of the Department of Asian Studies of the Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of Kazakhstan Bauyrzhan Auken told Trend.
He made the remark on the sidelines of the meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State (SCO Summit).
"Kazakhstan's presidency has been focused on developing the economic interconnectedness of SCO members, as well as on developing the transport and logistics sectors. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan see special relevance in stimulating and transforming Central Asia and the Caucasus into a trade and logistics hub for Eurasia.
This is because the transport connectivity of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan gives our countries an additional impetus for the development of not only economic but also cultural and humanitarian ties against the backdrop of current geopolitical turbulence and economic instability," he pointed out.
Auken expressed confidence that today the heads of state will give it their all to go the extra mile in developing connectivity.
"Economic relations should be strengthened through joint projects and joint efforts by both sides, particularly business representatives. This also applies to cooperation in higher education and in the political sphere, as all vectors of cooperation are interconnected, and the development of one area directly influences the increase in trade turnover.
Besides, trade on electronic platforms should be developed, as today, in the age of digitalization, it is of particular importance, and it will be very convenient for our citizens to export, or rather sell, their goods through online trading platforms. In this regard, new logistics centers should be opened, and cooperation in digital trade should be established," the analyst added.
To note, the SCO Summit is being held in Astana, under the presidency of Kazakhstan.
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