Deputy minister: Kazakhstan eyes $1 billion trade with Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is Kazakhstan’s main partner, and the trade and economic relations between the two countries continue to show steady positive growth, Deputy Minister of Trade Aijan Bijanova said during her speech at the Eurasian Franchising Forum held in Baku.

Bijanova noted that the mutual trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan reached approximately $350 million in the first eight months of 2025.

“The heads of state have set an ambitious goal — to bring mutual trade turnover to 1 billion dollars. I am confident that these goals are achievable. There is great potential for development under a single brand of Turkic-speaking countries within the framework of franchise partnership,” she said.

The Deputy Minister recalled that in June last year, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed the creation of a pan-Turkic patent organisation, supported by allied countries.

Organisational work is currently underway to finalise the concepts of the relevant documents. 

“After the completion of the organisation, it would be symbolic to develop and register a pan-Turkist unified brand as the first strategic project. This will be a powerful incentive to promote the economic and cultural potential of Turkic-speaking countries internationally and open access to the markets of China, Europe, India, and Africa. But this is only the first step,” Bijanova emphasised.

She also highlighted the significance of sustainable trade and logistics connections. “In this regard, the Trans-Caspian International Route has great potential and today has become the main artery of Eurasian trade. Over the past five years, the trade turnover along this route has increased about six times. Last year it amounted to $4.5 million, and this year it is planned to grow further, with expectations to reach $5 million by year-end,” she said.

In addition, Kazakhstan is focusing on the development of digital cooperation and innovation.

“The development of IT technologies, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms today is one of the key factors in increasing competitiveness. During my working trip, I got acquainted with very interesting digital products, which we plan to introduce into our national legislation. The combination of digital solutions and franchising models opens up great prospects, making trade more accessible, transparent, and faster,” Bijanova added.

By Tamilla Hasanova