Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov of Kazakhstan met with First Deputy Premier – Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Levan Davitashvili, who arrived in Astana for the 12th meeting of the Kazakhstan-Georgia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, Kazinform News Agency cites the press service of the Kazakh government, according to Kazinform.

The interlocutors discussed the interaction in the fields of transport and logistics, agro-industrial complex, energy, tourism, aviation as well as greater cultural and humanitarian ties.

Georgia is a key and reliable partner of Kazakhstan in the South Caucasus. In the first quarter of this year, Georgian investors funneled 88.5 million US dollars in the Kazakh economy, adding to a total of 500 million US dollars worth of investments in 10 years.

The sides focused on the prospects in the transit and transport sphere, as both countries host major transcontinental transport corridors – the shortest routes from Europe to China and Southeast Asia.

Kazakhstan and Germany actively cooperate to develop the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which boasted a 65% increase in cargo turnover last year, and a 69% rise in eight months of this year, reaching 2.9 million tons. The Head of State attaches great attention to the development of the Middle Corridor and we seek to bring the cargo transport via the route to up to 10 million tons. In this context, the government adopts consistent measures to improve the transit environment, said Bektenov.

The head of the Kazah government highlighted the importance of continuing the joint work to create competitive tariff conditions, reduce delivery dates and boost transport volumes via the TITR, including along the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. Besides, the need for active digitalization of the transport corridor to increase its attractiveness for international carriers was noted.

In his turn, Levan Davitashvili expressed interest in enhancing cooperation with Kazakhstan and pointed out the special role the Intergovernmental Commission plays in it, which was established to give a new impetus to the promotion of bilateral relations. The meeting’s participants confirmed their intent to continue the extensive work to ensure dynamic development of trade and economic partnership.