Kazakhstan and Tajikistan Expand Cooperation in Trade and Investment Sectors

Astana, August 8, 2025 – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov held a meeting with Chairman of the State Committee on Investment and State Property Management of the Republic of Tajikistan Sulton Rahimzoda. The meeting took place as part of the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, held in Astana.

The parties discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade and investment, as well as the implementation of joint projects. Kazakhstan remains one of Tajikistan’s key trade and economic partners: in 2024, bilateral trade turnover reached 1.3 billion US dollars, marking a 7.4% increase. The Heads of State have set the goal of increasing this figure to 2 billion US dollars.

During the meeting, Deputy Minister Kuantyrov emphasized Kazakhstan’s commitment to deepening mutually beneficial ties with Tajikistan in the areas of trade and investment. He noted Kazakhstan’s readiness to increase exports across 85 product categories worth up to 200 million US dollars. The Deputy Minister also invited the Tajik side to participate in the Kazakhstan Global Investment Roundtable (KGIR), which will be held on October 31 this year.

“We have everything needed to elevate our economic cooperation to a new level – growing trade turnover, readiness of businesses to cooperate, and mutual understanding at the leadership level. I’m confident we will see growth not only in trade but also in joint investment projects in the coming years,” he said.

He also noted a steady positive trend in railway transport. In 2024, cargo traffic between Kazakhstan and Tajikistan increased by 8% to 5.1 million tons. In the first half of 2025, volumes reached 2.7 million tons – 12.1% more than during the same period last year. Road freight traffic also rose by 45%, reaching 494,000 tons. In addition, opportunities are opening up for the supply of Kazakh railway equipment to Tajikistan.

Chairman Rahimzoda, in turn, emphasized that strengthening investment and trade ties with Kazakhstan is of strategic importance for Tajikistan, given the high level of mutual trust and stable economic dynamics between the two countries. He invited the Kazakh side to participate in the upcoming investment forum scheduled for October in Dushanbe.

“Kazakhstan remains one of Tajikistan’s leading economic partners. We are interested in expanding cooperation across all key sectors – from trade to the establishment of joint manufacturing. I believe that the planned initiatives will give new momentum to the development of our bilateral relations,” he stated.

The sides noted particular interest in joint investment projects within the special and free economic zones of both countries – including the production of flour, confectionery products, vegetable oil, livestock processing, and the manufacturing of natural juices and concentrates with Tajik partners. Kazakhstan ranks among the top four foreign investors in Tajikistan’s economy, with cumulative investments exceeding 146 million US dollars to date.

Both parties reaffirmed their intent to strengthen cooperation in priority sectors including industry, logistics, agroprocessing, and energy.