Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan take cooperation to new heights, says expert

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have long enjoyed friendly ties, and recent years have witnessed an extraordinary deepening of their cooperation.

Erkin Tukumov, Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, made this observation during the 4th meeting of the Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan Expert Council in Baku, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

According to Tukumov, the relationship between the two nations is rooted in trust, and he expressed confidence in the continued expansion of their economic collaboration.

"Trade turnover between our countries continues to grow. We have tremendous potential to broaden our cooperation," he remarked, highlighting the positive trend in bilateral trade.

One of the key areas of progress is in transportation. Tukumov emphasised that the volume of cargo along the Trans-Caspian transport route had surged by 62% in the past year, reaching a significant 4.5 million tons annually. He further stressed the importance of enhancing infrastructure to support this growth. "Kazakhstan has already invested over $35 billion in modernising railways, ports, and tourist hubs," he noted.

In addition to economic cooperation, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are actively advancing their inter-parliamentary collaboration, both bilaterally and in multilateral formats. Nizami Safarov, a member of Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis and head of the working group on inter-parliamentary relations with Kazakhstan, highlighted this at the same meeting.

"This work is ongoing, and I am very hopeful that in the future, we will be able to effectively collaborate in a bilateral format with our Kazakh colleagues," he said, underscoring the potential for further growth in diplomatic engagement.

Safarov also reminded attendees that over 40 international legal documents have been signed between Baku and Astana, including a declaration of friendly relations and strategic partnership, which lays a solid foundation for their continued cooperation.

The parliamentarian emphasised the need for both countries to develop a unified strategy to address crime. "It is essential to exchange experiences and strengthen inter-parliamentary cooperation to confront modern threats," Safarov concluded, stressing the importance of collaboration to tackle contemporary challenges.