Kazakhstan Eyes Georgia’s Transit Capabilities

Visiting Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said on October 3 in Tbilisi that Kazakhstan’s major interest in relationship with Georgia is the latter’s transit capabilities to transport Kazakh oil and other freight to Europe. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili hailed relations with Kazakhstan as “free from any problems.”

The two Presidents were speaking at a joint news conference after talks in Tbilisi.

“Economic cooperation [with Georgia] is of major interest for Kazakhstan. On the shores of the Caspian Sea we have built the largest port in the Caspian Sea – Aktau – which is currently capable of handling 15 million tons of oil [per year]… Another port of this kind is being constructed, designed to obtain access from Kazakhstan via the Caucasus and Black Sea to Europe. This was the reason for my trip to Adjara and my visit to port of Batumi there. To become acquainted with the [port’s] capacity was very important in this regard and I want to thank Mikheil Saakashvili and the Adjarian leadership for giving us opportunity to see the capabilities [of the Batumi port],” Nursultan Nazarbayev said.

“Secondly, the railway link between Baku [Azerbaijan] and the Black Sea [in Batumi] is also very important and interesting for us in respect of transportation of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and other freight,” the Kazakh President added.

“We have the most pleasant experience of relations with Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan never creates any problems to anyone… And Kazakhstan’s participation in international processes is welcomed and we count on them [the Kazakh side],” Georgian President Saakashvili said at the joint news conference.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)