Kazakhstan plans to boost exports to Turkmenistan by nearly $120 million across 80 commodity items, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced during expanded-format talks with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov on Oct. 10.
The Presidents adopt a Declaration on Strengthening Friendship and Deepening Multifaceted Strategic Partnership. Photo credit: Akorda
Tokayev highlighted the importance of supporting business contacts and emphasized the high investment potential of small and medium-sized enterprises. He encouraged the development of entrepreneurial activity through the Kazakh-Turkmen Business Council, stating that businesses “should act as the main driving force.”
He also stressed the need for large commercial and national companies to focus on launching real projects in industry, construction, logistics, communications, and other sectors of the economy. Tokayev expressed confidence that the signing of the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Promotion and Mutual Protection of Investments will provide an additional boost to these efforts.
Berdimuhamedov underscored the significance of Tokayev’s visit, which aims to further strengthen good-neighborly relations and close cooperation between the countries, expand areas of partnership, and explore new promising opportunities.
Tokayev noted the steady development of cultural and humanitarian ties, as well as the potential for cooperation in higher education. The Presidents also discussed joint initiatives in the gas sector, the systematic increase in the volume of mutual trade and cargo transportation, and the intensification of interregional cooperation.
Following the talks, both leaders adopted a Declaration on Strengthening Friendship and Deepening Multifaceted Strategic Partnership between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. The countries also signed several key agreements, including a comprehensive program for strengthening friendship and deepening multifaceted strategic partnership for 2025-2027, an agreement on the promotion and mutual protection of investments, an agreement on strategic cooperation in transport, logistics and transit, and a protocol amending and supplementing the 1997 agreement on international automobile transport of passengers and cargo.
Additionally, the parties reached agreements on cooperation in combating crime, plant quarantine, tourism, archival affairs, gas sector development, international postal delivery, oilfield services in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea, and a plan for trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation for 2025.
The signed documents also include seven memoranda of understanding between the financial, transport, sports, digital, aviation, media and international relations departments of both countries, as well as a memorandum of cooperation in maritime transport.
“Samruk Kazyna Group of Companies has signed four agreements,” said Nurlan Zhakupov, Chairman of the Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund. “These agreements will elevate and enhance the efficiency of our bilateral cooperation in the mentioned areas [maritime, gas, postal], and will strengthen the friendly and allied relations between the countries.”