ASTANA : 21 Oct 2025 – The heads of the states of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan agreed to take necessary measures to double the bilateral trade to one billion dollar in the near future. The talks between the two Presidents , H.E Kassym Jomart Tokayev and visiting H.E Ilham Aliyev reviewed the implementation of major infrastructure project, including the strategically important Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) also known as the Middle Corridor.
Following bilateral talks and the meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, H. E. Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and H. E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev held a press briefing for representatives of the media.
In his remarks, the Head of State expressed his gratitude to the President of Azerbaijan for accepting the invitation and visiting Astana on a state visit.
“I attach special importance to this visit. It is a great honor for us to welcome the leader of the brotherly Azerbaijani people, an outstanding statesman, President Ilham Aliyev, on Kazakh soil. Our countries share common roots and a common history. Azerbaijan is an important and reliable strategic partner of Kazakhstan. Today, our relations are developing steadily. We are paying particular attention to expanding our cooperation. The main goal is to strengthen our friendship and give new momentum to cooperation in various fields. This serves the interests of both nations. I am confident that this visit will help bring Kazakh-Azerbaijani cooperation to a qualitatively new level,” said H. E. Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The President of Kazakhstan described the state visit of the President of Azerbaijan as a critically important event and a step towards strengthening strategic partnership and allied relations between the two countries.
“Ilham Aliyev is a prominent statesman of historic stature. He has made a decisive contribution to defending and strengthening Azerbaijan’s independence and territorial integrity. Thanks to President Aliyev’s tireless efforts, Azerbaijan’s authority and influence on the world stage have grown manifold. Under his strong leadership, Azerbaijan has achieved impressive success in many areas, especially in socio-economic development.
The results of large-scale reforms are reflected in the steady growth of the economy, the improvement of citizens’ well-being, and the dynamic transformation of your country. The macroeconomic indicators of Azerbaijan demonstrate resilience and clearly attest to the country’s progress and the solid state of its economy. In Kazakhstan, we sincerely rejoice at the achievements of brotherly Azerbaijan,” the Head of State emphasized.
President K.Tokayev highlighted the symbolism of the visit, taking place in the year marking the 20th anniversary of the Treaty on Strategic Partnership and Allied Relations between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
“During this period, we have achieved great success in our bilateral cooperation. Thanks to the friendship and mutual support of our peoples, the intensive high-level political dialogue, and the diligent work of our governments, multifaceted Kazakh-Azerbaijani cooperation has been developing upward and gaining new substance.
The results of today’s negotiations are clear proof of this. In an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect, we discussed a wide range of issues on the bilateral agenda and identified priorities for further multifaceted interaction. The meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council was productive, resulting in the signing of several important documents. It is gratifying that the Comprehensive Program for the Development of Bilateral Cooperation is being implemented in a consistent manner,” the President continued.
“Governments have been instructed to keep these areas under close control and, in the shortest possible time, adopt a Plan or a Roadmap, as is now customary to say, for developing cooperation in the industrial sector,” noted President K.Tokayev.
The Heads of State paid particular attention to the expansion of trade and economic ties during the talks. They agreed to take necessary measures to double the bilateral trade turnover to one billion dollars in the near future.
“There are great opportunities in agriculture, energy, manufacturing, construction, and digitalization. Both sides expressed interest in creating joint ventures, and significant progress has already been made in this regard. For example, the launch of a joint transformer production facility is planned; housing and infrastructure projects are underway; and joint shipbuilding projects are being explored.
The governments have been instructed to monitor these areas and promptly adopt a Plan or Roadmap for developing cooperation in the industrial sector. To finance promising and mutually beneficial projects, we agreed to intensify the activities of the Kazakh-Azerbaijani Direct Investment Fund. We also emphasized the need to expand contacts between the business communities of our two countries. In this regard, the Kazakh-Azerbaijani Business Forum held as part of the visit is of great significance,” said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
President Tokayev: “Last year, cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route increased by 62%, reaching 4.5 million tons.”
The President further reported that the talks reviewed the implementation of major infrastructure projects, including the strategically important Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR).
“Last year, freight traffic along this route increased by 62% to 4.5 million tons. This year’s figures are also encouraging, showing a 2% increase. Together with our foreign partners, we are working on synchronously eliminating so-called ‘bottlenecks’ and establishing a unified long-term tariff along the corridor. This will certainly enhance efficiency, ensure the uninterrupted flow of supplies along the entire route, and, as we plan, increase cargo volumes to 10 million tons. In addition, we noted the importance of developing the terminal capacities of our ports. Kazakhstan is building a container hub in Aktau. Promising prospects are also opened by the construction of a cargo terminal in the port of Alat with the participation of foreign, including Chinese, partners. During the talks, we discussed the possibility of creating a new Trans-Caspian ferry system for cargo exports,” said the Head of State.
President Tokayev: “Last year, the transit of oil through Azerbaijan amounted to almost 1.5 million tons.”
Energy cooperation, an area in which both countries have great potential, was another major topic of discussion.
“I am pleased to note the joint work on transporting Kazakh oil along the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan route. Last year, the transit of this strategic raw material through Azerbaijan amounted to almost 1.5 million tons, and we plan to significantly increase this volume. A project to lay a deep-water electric cable will give new impetus to the development of our national energy systems and strengthen our positions in exporting ‘green’ energy.
Large-scale work is also underway on the supply of Kazakh uranium products to foreign markets through Azerbaijani territory. In this regard, I would like to express my gratitude to the esteemed President of Azerbaijan for his support of all key initiatives and projects,” the President emphasized.
Taking into account the rapid development of artificial intelligence, the Heads of State noted the broad opportunities opening up in the IT sector.
“Kazakhstan has gained experience in digitalizing public services and developing IT technologies. We are ready to implement joint projects in this field. During the talks, we emphasized the importance of accelerating the project to lay a fiber-optic communication line along the bottom of the Caspian Sea. The governments have been instructed to ensure its completion as soon as possible,” said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
H. E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev emphasized the high level of bilateral relations“Our peoples are bound by centuries-old friendship and brotherhood based on spiritual and cultural commonality. This is the solid foundation on which we are building our intergovernmental relations.
If we look at the dynamics of mutual visits, more than ten in the past three years, we can clearly see how intensive our relations are. Each meeting, each discussion is aimed at tangible results. Today we heard reports from line ministers and discussed future plans.
What we heard gives us satisfaction because everything that was planned is being implemented. The results achieved within the framework of the Interstate Council benefit our countries and peoples,” said the President of Azerbaijan.
