In Astana, on the sidelines of the summit of the heads of state of Central Asia, a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings were held at the level of deputy prime ministers, ministers and other leaders.

Thus, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Batyr Atdayev and Baymyrat Annamammedov held a meeting with First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Roman Sklyar.

During the meeting, an exchange of current economic information about Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan took place, the current status of joint projects and prospects for trade and economic cooperation, as well as interaction in the field of energy, were reviewed.

It was noted that over 5 years the volume of mutual trade between the two countries has increased 4 times, and in the last year alone it has grown by 28%. Trade turnover for 6 months of 2024 amounted to $237.2 million.

The parties expressed confidence that the decisions made will give additional impetus to the development of bilateral relations in all areas of Kazakh-Turkmen interaction.

Also, on the eve of the VI Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia, the 2nd meeting of the ministers of transport of the countries of the region - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - took place in Astana.

The main topic of discussion is transit corridors and increasing transport connectivity through the construction of roads and railways, opening new routes and expanding the international air service network. As a result of the event, the Astana Communiqué was signed, cementing the intentions of the parties regarding further cooperation.

In addition, the ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the development of transport and logistics centers in the Central Asian states, aimed at interaction between countries in the framework of creating a favorable environment for attracting investments, developing infrastructure and improving the legal framework governing the activities of transport and logistics centers.

The signing of the Memorandum was a logical continuation of the Agreement on Strengthening the Interconnectedness of Land Transport in Central Asia signed in 2023 in Dushanbe, at the first meeting of ministers.

The delegation visited the Electric Locomotive Assembly Plant in Astana, where the production capabilities of locomotive building were demonstrated.

On August 9, on the eve of the sixth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia, a Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Central Asian countries was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

During the meeting, the parties noted the importance of systemic political dialogue at the highest level. A constructive exchange of views took place on the results of joint activities within this format, as well as on current issues of the regional and international agenda.

ORIENT news