Kazakhstan and Russia are deepening their economic partnership with a shared goal of boosting bilateral trade to $30 billion. During a visit to Moscow on April 22, Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov met Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to discuss enhanced cooperation across key sectors.
Talks focused on trade expansion, transport and transit infrastructure, agriculture, energy, environmental protection, space, and cultural exchange. Bilateral trade reached $27.8 billion in 2024, up nearly 3%, with 171 joint projects creating over 45,000 jobs.
Agriculture remains a central pillar, with trade in this sector growing 4.5% to $3.8 billion, thanks to lifted restrictions. Leaders also emphasized the strategic importance of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which saw 2.4 million metric tons of freight moved in 2023 via its Eastern Branch.
The INSTC aims to link Russian ports to the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean via Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran enhancing regional trade routes and reinforcing Kazakhstan-Russia connectivity.
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