Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation during a high-level meeting between Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov and Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov in Baku on March 3.

The meeting began with one-on-one discussions between the prime ministers, followed by an expanded session with both countries’ delegations. The leaders emphasized the importance of strengthening their strategic partnership and expanding mutually beneficial cooperation.

Prime Minister Asadov expressed gratitude to Kazakhstan for its swift response in assisting with search and rescue operations following the crash of an Azerbaijani AZAL aircraft near Aktau. He also acknowledged Kazakhstan’s role in investigating the causes of the incident.

The leaders highlighted the ongoing growth of Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan strategic relations, facilitated by the efforts of Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. They emphasized the significance of high-level visits and engagements in fostering effective collaboration across all sectors.

Asadov thanked Kazakhstan for its initiative in establishing the Kurmangazy Children’s Creativity Center in the liberated city of Fuzuli, which was inaugurated last March with the participation of both presidents. He reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s commitment to advancing its strategic partnership with Kazakhstan.

The meeting also underscored the solid legal and contractual foundation of bilateral relations, with 165 agreements governing cooperation between the two nations. Economic and trade relations were a key focus, with both sides welcoming the fact that mutual trade volume reached approximately $500 million last year. Given the economic potential of both nations, they expressed their intent to further increase trade volumes, in line with the 2022-2026 Comprehensive Cooperation Program.

Both countries reiterated the importance of investment cooperation and welcomed the establishment of a joint investment fund to support mutually beneficial projects. They also discussed enhancing trade in agricultural products and increasing transportation and logistics connectivity.

One of the priority areas of cooperation is transportation and logistics, with transit cargo volumes between the two countries rising by 21% by the end of 2024 and railway transit increasing by 33%. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to fulfilling their presidents’ directives regarding the development of the Middle Corridor.

The Azerbaijani side provided an update on efforts to enhance international transport corridors passing through its territory. In this context, Asadov emphasized the importance of launching the Zangezur Corridor, which could significantly contribute to the expansion of the Middle Corridor.

The potential for cooperation in shipbuilding was also highlighted, with Azerbaijan offering its shipbuilding capabilities to Kazakhstan. Both sides supported continued efforts to develop the Digital Silk Road, a strategic telecommunications initiative linking Europe and Asia.

Energy cooperation was another key topic, with the prime ministers welcoming the ongoing transit of Kazakh oil through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. They also stressed the importance of green energy collaboration, with Azerbaijan prioritizing climate action, exemplified by hosting COP29.

Addressing cooperation in the Caspian Sea, the two leaders welcomed the outcomes of the 3rd Caspian Economic Forum, held in Iran in February. Asadov voiced concerns over the Caspian Sea’s decreasing water levels and appreciated Kazakhstan’s support for President Aliyev’s initiative to establish an expert group to study and address the issue.

The discussion also covered the laying of a deep-sea energy cable along the Caspian seabed. In this regard, the leaders highlighted the significance of the agreement signed during COP29 by the presidents of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan on strategic cooperation in green energy development and transmission.

Cultural and humanitarian cooperation was another focus, with both sides supporting the revival of joint cultural exchange programs. They also welcomed successful exchanges in education, science, healthcare, and sports, with Asadov wishing Kazakh athletes success in the 3rd CIS Games, set to be held in Ganja and other Azerbaijani cities in September-October 2024.

The leaders assessed the positive growth in mutual tourism and discussed further expanding people-to-people ties.

Following the discussions, agreements were signed on cooperation in compulsory health insurance, the development of joint scientific publications, and the construction of fiber-optic communication lines along the Caspian seabed.