At the plenary session of the XIX Forum of Interregional Cooperation of Kazakhstan and Russia, Deputy Heads of government of the two countries Serik Zhumangarin and Alexey Overchuk announced the results of cooperation achieved in recent years.

At the plenary session of the XIX Forum of Interregional Cooperation of Kazakhstan and Russia, Deputy Heads of government of the two countries Serik Zhumangarin and Alexey Overchuk announced the results of cooperation achieved in recent years.

This year, the forum participants focused their attention on the development of agriculture, touched upon the topics of mutual trade, transit routes and the implementation of cooperation projects.

The Russian Federation, due to its geographical location and the long common border with our country, is one of the main trading partners of Kazakhstan. For 8 months of 2023, the mutual trade turnover amounted to $ 17 billion. At the same time, more than a third of Kazakhstan's trade with Russia falls on the border regions. Almaty and Astana are the leaders in terms of foreign economic activity – 7.3 billion tenge. The five active trade partners with Russia include Karaganda, Kostanay, Pavlodar, West Kazakhstan and East Kazakhstan regions, their trade turnover with Russia amounted to 5.7 billion dollars.

As Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin noted, trade and economic relations between the two countries are developing dynamically. Effective platforms for cooperation and decision-making are the Eurasian Economic Commission and the Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation between the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan.  

Today, Kazakhstan, in its relations with Russia, relies on the development of cooperation and the creation of transport and logistics arteries to strengthen the transit potential of the EAEU.

"To ensure the "seamless" movement of goods through the territories of the Union countries, tracking of shipments using navigation seals is being introduced, the use of a general transit certificate is provided, a traceability system for imported goods from third countries is being implemented, a draft Agreement on a unified transit system of the EAEU is at a high stage of readiness. All these measures are aimed at a comprehensive solution to the issues of accelerating transit," Serik Zhumangarin said, speaking at the plenary session of the interregional cooperation forum.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a list has already been defined and a digital project has been launched to form an ecosystem of digital transport corridors of the EAEU. In the future, the countries of the Union will act as a link between Europe and Asia, the global South and North. Kazakhstan, in cooperation with the EAEU partner states, is ready to become a logistics hub of the integration association.

Next year, within the framework of the Eurasian Union, the implementation of a new mechanism for financial assistance to industrial cooperation projects will begin.

"For these purposes, about $ 20 million will be allocated annually from the EAEU budget. This will allow us to support joint projects worth about $ 200 million a year. The rules for selecting cooperative projects and providing them with financial assistance were approved by the heads of government on October 26, 2023," Serik Zhumangarin said.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, in December it is planned to submit to the Head of State for approval a Declaration on the further development of economic processes within the EAEU until 2030 and for the period up to 2045 "The Eurasian Economic Way".

"The adoption of the Declaration is a strategic vision for the development of integration for the next 5 years. First of all, it is the provision of our countries with food products and necessary resources, the dynamic development of industrial cooperation, assistance to the development of transit and transport potential," Serik Zhumangarin said.

In the future, the parties will develop a step-by-step plan to achieve the tasks set.

The Deputy Prime Minister paid special attention to the issues of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia in the field of agriculture. Speaking about the prospects of cooperation, Serik Zhumangarin noted the interest of the Kazakh side in the development of projects in the field of agricultural processing and food production. In particular, Kazakhstan has significant opportunities to increase its export potential for beef.

"In this context, it is very important to develop cooperation between the veterinary services of our countries, as well as cooperation on the integration of information systems in the field of veterinary and phytosanitary control," he stressed.

Also at the plenary session were Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aidarbek Saparov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation Maxim Uvaydov, Akim of Kostanay region Kumar Aksakalov, Governor of Altai Krai Viktor Tomenko, Akim of East Kazakhstan region Ermek Kosherbayev, Governor of Samara region Dmitry Azarov, Chairman of the Kazakh-Russian Business Council - Deputy Chairman of the Board of NCE RK "Atameken" Timur Zharkenov and Chairman of the Russian-Kazakh Business Council, CEO of Bashkir Soda Company JSC Eduard Davydov.