Kazakhstan is interested in increasing exports to Vietnam

On May 15-17, 2024, the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) Nguyen Hong Dien paid a working visit to Kazakhstan. The delegation included representatives of a number of Vietnamese government agencies, organizations and companies.

During the visit, the Minister of Industry and Trade of the SRV was received by Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan S.Zhumangarin.

Bilateral meetings were also organized between Mr. Dien and the Minister of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.Sharlapaev and the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan A.Saparov.

At the same time, the main purpose of the visit was to hold the 11th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical cooperation between the Kazakhstan and Vietnam.

In accordance with the decision taken by the leadership of the two countries, reached during the official visit of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Vietnam in August 2023, the IGC meeting between Kazakhstan and Vietnam was held for the first time at the ministerial level (previously, similar meetings were held at the level of vice ministers). The Kazakh side was chaired by the Minister of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan Arman Shakkaliev, and the Vietnamese side was chaired by the Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam Nguyen Hong Dien. During the meeting, the parties stressed the positive dynamics of mutual trade between the countries (an increase of 84.4% by the end of 2023) and the importance of the effective work of the IGC in building a constructive dialogue.

A.Shakkaliyev noted the potential of Kazakhstan in increasing exports to Vietnam for 35 commodity items, totaling over $96.9 million. We are talking about such industries as metallurgy, petrochemistry, food industry, chemical industry and mechanical engineering. To achieve this goal, work is underway to create a Kazakh-Vietnamese Business Council in the foreseeable future.

At the end of the meeting, the parties signed the Final Protocol and agreed: to exchange lists of potential export goods; to consider the establishment of the Kazakh-Vietnamese Business Council in Kazakhstan and the Vietnamese-Kazakh Business Council in Vietnam; and also to facilitate the opening of a trade representative office of Vietnam in Kazakhstan.

The 11th meeting of the IGS was also timed to coincide with: an international conference on trade and investment cooperation between Kazakhstan and Vietnam, held with the participation of companies from the two countries; as well as the opening of a showroom in the capital of Kazakhstan of the Vietnamese company VinFast, specializing in the production of electric vehicles.

The next 12th meeting of the Commission will be held in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (approximately in 2026).