Baku, March 3, AZERTAC

On March 3, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Olzhas Bektenov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The head of state hailed the dynamic development of relations covering many areas and recalled his regular meetings with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev both in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. President Ilham Aliyev once again thanked the Kazakh leader for participating in COP29 held in Azerbaijan last year, emphasizing that this demonstrated Kazakhstan’s solidarity with Azerbaijan and contributed to the successful conclusion of the conference.

The Azerbaijani President highlighted that several important issues were agreed upon at COP29 and that projects fostering closer ties between the two countries were formulated. He expressed hope that the Kazakh Prime Minister’s visit would lead to detailed discussions on crucial projects and the implementation of agreements, ensuring continued close cooperation in all areas.

President Ilham Aliyev noted that the peoples of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are brotherly nations, a fact proven repeatedly throughout history.

He stressed that both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are demonstrating strong socio-economic development and play a significant role in the international arena, the region, and beyond.

Expressing gratitude for the meeting, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov conveyed greetings from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to President Ilham Aliyev.

The President of Azerbaijan expressed his gratitude for the greetings and asked Olzhas Bektenov to extend his regards to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov stated that, as emphasized by President Ilham Aliyev, relations between the two countries are developing, highlighting the role of the trust-based relationship between the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in this process.

Touching upon the potential of bilateral relations, Olzhas Bektenov mentioned that the governments of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are making efforts to implement the agreements reached between the two countries' presidents. He noted that, in line with the directives of the heads of state, significant progress has been made in the development of the Trans-Caspian multimodal transport route, with cargo flow along this route increasing by 60 percent last year.

During the conversation, both sides hailed the progress of comprehensive cooperation, emphasizing that the annual trade turnover between the two countries has nearly tripled over the past three years. It was noted that there has been continued growth in the transportation of cargo, including transit cargo, along transport corridors. The sides discussed support for investment projects through the joint investment fund established in both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, as well as the implementation of joint projects in the oil and gas sector, including prospects for increasing the transportation volume of Kazakh oil via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. Furthermore, discussions were held on the integration of the energy systems of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan through the underwater cable line signed under COP29, along with the development of cooperation in the green energy sector.