On June 22, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Alikhan Smailov, paid an official visit to Georgia. Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili received the delegation from the Republic of Kazakhstan and organized an official dinner in their honor. As part of the visit, the Prime Ministers held a one-on-one meeting and an extended format discussion on 23 June. This was followed by a joint statement to the media.
In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia and the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as an agreement between Georgian and Kazakh companies.
Joint statement of the Prime Ministers
The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili noted that during the one-on-one meeting the parties discussed the planned projects that will further strengthen the existing strategic cooperation between the two countries.
“We had very fruitful discussions. We discussed current issues related to Kazakhstan and Georgia. We also mentioned that we are pleased with the recent trend, I mean the growth of exports and trade turnover in general. I would also like to note with pleasure that the number of tourists from Kazakhstan to Georgia is increasing every year. We are always happy to see more Kazakh tourists and investors in Georgia,” – said Garibashvili.
As mentioned during the press point, the Prime Ministers also discussed various projects aimed at strengthening strategic cooperation between their countries. In particular, they emphasized the importance of the “Middle Corridor” initiative involving Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan. The aim is to increase the attractiveness of this route for freight transport, linking Central Asia, China and other Asian countries to Europe. Garibashvili said a five-year roadmap had been drawn up, outlining each country’s responsibilities until 2027. In addition, significant investments are being made to modernize the railways and increase capacity, with plans to build a new port, specifically the deep-water port of Anaklia.
Garibashvili highlighted the significant increase in trade volumes, noting a 136% increase over last year, which he described as a “positive development”. He noted that this upward trend has continued this year, with trade turnover from January to April reaching $188 million, an increase of 283% over the same period last year. He emphasised the importance of the existing cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the fields of culture, education, science and sport. He also expressed his readiness to continue cooperation with Kazakhstan, in particular in the exchange of experience on reforms.
For his part, Alikhan Smailov said that Georgia was of great political and economic importance to Kazakhstan as a partner in the South Caucasus region. He stressed the development of systematic relations based on friendship and trust, and noted that bilateral cooperation between the two countries is extensive within international organizations, reflecting their close ties.
The Kazakh Prime Minister said that during the meeting, discussions covered various issues related to bilateral cooperation and explored new and promising projects. In particular, Smailov highlighted the growing trade turnover and the potential for expanding the range of products. Last year, the volume of trade increased sevenfold to more than $600 million, indicating a positive trend. To further facilitate growth, both parties agreed to maximize the use of the intergovernmental commission framework.
Smailov expressed his readiness to develop cooperation with Georgia, particularly in the use of the Caspian and Black Sea basins as transport routes. He stressed the importance of using the port infrastructure of both countries for cargo transport. The negotiations highlighted the potential for Georgia and Kazakhstan to play a crucial role in facilitating transport between Europe and Asia. The Trans-Caspian international transport route received particular attention in his statement.
Smailov also highlighted the launch of direct flights between the two countries’ capitals on 1 June and urged Georgian airlines to establish regular flights to Kazakhstan. He stressed that such initiatives would have a positive impact on business relations, people-to-people contacts and the tourism sector.
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