Baku, Astana discuss strategic partnership, uranium transit PHOTO

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu have discussed issues of strategic partnership of the two countries, as well as prospects of bilateral and multilateral cooperation during extended talks in Astana on March 11.

“During the expanded meeting between Foreign Minister Bayramov Jeyhun of Azerbaijan and Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu of Kazakhstan, matters stemming from strategic partnership between the two countries, prospects of bilateral and multilateral cooperation were discussed,” Caliber.Az quotes the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry as saying on its X page.

The ministry said the meeting also saw the sides share thoughts “over political, economic, trade, transport-communication, and humanitarian dimensions of the Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan strategic partnership.”

“Cooperation within the framework of regional and international organizations, including the UN, OIC, OTS, and CICA was also high on the agenda,” the ministry added.

Following talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu said that Kazakhstan, together with Azerbaijani partners, continues the transit of uranium abroad.

Nurtleu also highly assessed the level of energy cooperation with Azerbaijan, particularly within the framework of the deep-water energy cable project across the Caspian Sea.

“We are always ready to intensify work in this direction. Agreements on the transportation of Kazakh energy resources through Azerbaijan to global markets are being successfully implemented. Last year, 1.4 million tons of oil were transported to foreign markets via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. In the near future, the volume of Kazakh oil transit is planned to increase to 2.2 million tons per year,” he emphasized.

The Kazakh minister noted that his country is actively involved in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor – TITR).

“We plan to increase the volume of cargo transit via TITR to 10 million tons. Kazakhstan sees the development of fiber-optic communication as an important step toward creating modern digital corridors and is ready for active cooperation at all stages of the project's implementation,” he said.

Nurtleu expressed satisfaction with the results of today's negotiations with Jeyhun Bayramov. The minister is confident that the countries will continue their joint efforts for the prosperity and well-being of the peoples of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

By Khagan Isayev