The first Business-Forum Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan: Perspectives of Cooperation has been held in Kazakhstan Capital, Astana last week. The main subject of the Forum was to increase the commodity turnover between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, as well as measures to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
In the post-Soviet area Kazakhstan is an only closest partner of Azerbaijan in the post-Soviet area.
For recent years, the commodity turnover between the two countries has significantly decreased. This year, the turnover exceeded $147 mln. According to experts, the main reason of the decrease was reduction of Kazakhstan corn and gas to Azerbaijan.
Unfortunately, the current situation is as follows: disappearing of just one product from the commodity turnover will trigger the reduction by 50-60%, Heydar Babayev, Azerbaijan Economic development Minister said.
Kazakhstan exports to Azerbaijan oil and hydrocarbons, natural chemical compositions, grains, barley, tobacco products, rolled carbonaceous steel and electric devices.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan imports from Azerbaijan oil products made of bituminous materials, ethylene polymers, spare parts for cars and mechanisms, pumps and liquid elevators, prefabricated construction elements.
Azerbaijan could offer its oil industry specialists and oil and gas equipment to Kazakhstan. Everybody is well aware that Kazakhstan is about to tremendous development of the Caspian shelf.
РљСЂРѕРјРµ СЌС'РѕРіРѕ, есС'СЊ Р±РѕР"ьшие возможносС'Рё РґР"СЏ СЃРѕС'рудничесС'РІР° РІ С"инансовой СЃС"ере. Our investors have interests in a possible activity in Almaty, Kazakhstan financial centre. We are interested in your (Kazakhstan's) investing into our economy.
Azerbaijani investors have interests in a possible activity in Almaty, Kazakhstan financial centre and Azerbaijan is interested in Kazakhstan's investing into its economy. Particularly, Kazakhstan's TuranAlemBank could put its capital to Azerbaijan as well as it is doing it in Georgia, he said.
The Kazakhstan capital might become a place on the mutual cooperation. Glancing at the tempo of its development, Azerbaijan construction companies see good perspectives for themselves. One Azerbaijani company engaged in this field has already entered this market, and the construction of a new housing complex named Caspian Palace will be completed in the western bank of Astana the next year.
There are also many possibilities to develop trade on a mutual advantageous basis in the agriculture. And the matter concerns not only corn but also delivering fresh fruits and vegetables from Azerbaijan. So, there are a lot of mutual interests, conditions for the development of trade as well.
Up to date, 36 small-scale entrepreneurs with the participation of Azerbaijani entrepreneurs have been registered in Kazakhstan. Thirteen out of them are joint-stock enterprises.
Successful cooperation has been set up indifferent sphere o economy, including oil machinery, agriculture and tourism.