Prime Minister Askar Mamin held a meeting with the Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze, who arrived in Nur-Sultan for an official visit, during which he will take part in the XXII Astana Economic Forum.

During the meeting, issues of further progressive development of trade and economic cooperation were discussed. The results of the tenth meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation were reviewed. In 2018, the foreign trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Georgia increased by 34.6% and amounted to about $100 million.

The prime ministers noted the significant potential for the further expansion of mutual trade. The structure of country economies makes it possible to expand the spectrum of mutually beneficial cooperation in tourism, agriculture, industrialization, transport and energy.

The parties expressed their intention to make substantive decisions on ensuring the growth of volumes and expanding the range of commodity turnover in individual sectors of the economy and specific investment projects. As a result, the volume of mutual trade in the short term is planned to double and reach $300 million.

Special attention was paid to cooperation in transit and transport, including in the framework of the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. Transit traffic on this route for the period from 2015 to 2018 increased by more than 13 times. This year it is planned to increase the volume to 120 thousand containers.

Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze noted that Kazakhstan and Georgia have historically been good partners, and expressed interest in deepening the development of cooperation.

Askar Mamin, in turn, noted that the visit of the prime minister of Georgia would give a serious impetus to the further development of mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation.

“Our common task is to implement all the projects and opportunities that can increase the trade volumes and give a new impetus to the trade interaction of countries,” said A. Mamin.

Following the government negotiations, a number of documents were signed:

1. Roadmap on expanding the range of mutual commodity turnover for 2019-2022 between Kazakhstan and Georgia;

2. Protocol on amendments and additions to the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of Georgia on International Motor Traffic of March 6, 2007;

3. Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia on Cooperation in Agriculture;

4. Memorandum between the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Protection of Georgia on Cooperation in Social Protection and Labor.