Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov took part in the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

In both narrow and expanded formats, the participants discussed issues related to trade and economic cooperation, interaction in heavy and light industries, and aviation, particularly the coordination of air traffic among CIS member states.

Attending the meeting were Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Turchin, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Head of the Presidential Administration of the Kyrgyz Republic Adylbek Kasymaliev, Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin, Prime Minister of Tajikistan and Chairman of the CIS Council of Heads of Government Kohir Rasulzoda, Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Mher Grigoryan, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Khojamyrat Geldimyradov, and CIS Secretary General Sergey Lebedev.

As part of the council’s agenda, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon held a collective meeting with the heads of CIS delegations.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov emphasized Kazakhstan’s interest in the further development of the organization and its commitment to enhancing the CIS’s potential.

“Thanks to the established cooperation mechanisms, the political will of our countries' leaders, and the efforts of our governments, the CIS space continues to see stable development and consistent economic growth. This is evidenced by the 4.5% increase in the total GDP of CIS countries last year. Mutual trade is also steadily growing — in 2023, Kazakhstan’s trade with CIS countries rose by 1.2%, reaching $37.3 billion. These figures reflect not only the resilience of our economic ties but also the high level of complementarity between our economies,” Olzhas Bektenov stated.

To further strengthen cooperation, the Kazakh Prime Minister proposed several initiatives in promising sectors of the economy.

Special attention was paid to e-commerce collaboration. Kazakhstan's e-commerce volume reached $6.2 billion in 2023. To fully realize the CIS’s e-commerce potential, a comprehensive approach is needed, including the development of infrastructure, business support, enhanced consumer rights protection, and more. These steps will strengthen economic cooperation and open new business opportunities.

Regarding transit and transport infrastructure, key projects in Kazakhstan were highlighted: the comprehensive roadmap for the development of the eastern route of the North–South corridor, aimed at doubling its capacity by 2027; expansion of the Trans-Kazakhstan railway corridor as a vital segment of the Trans-Caspian route; and construction of the Center–West highway connecting Astana with western regions and international routes. These projects are key elements of Kazakhstan's initiative to develop a Concept for integrating CIS transport networks.

Heavy engineering was emphasized as a strategic sector determining the competitiveness of countries, with prospects for collaboration between Kazakhstan and CIS partners. In light industry, deeper cooperation, support for joint production projects, and cluster development were identified as priorities.

Attention was also given to advancing cooperation in digital solutions. The international artificial intelligence center Alem AI, being developed in Kazakhstan, will accelerate AI adoption across sectors such as healthcare, education, public administration, and industry. The importance of enhanced cooperation in cybersecurity and combating transnational fraud was also underscored.

Speakers at the session included CIS Secretary General Sergey Lebedev, Minister of Industry and New Technologies of Tajikistan Sherali Kabir, Chairman of the Interstate Aviation Committee Oleg Storchevoy, and Chairman of the Eurasian Development Bank Nikolay Podguzov.

Following the meeting, several documents were signed, including the Agreement on CIS Cooperation in Developing Heavy Engineering Industries; the Concept for Cooperation in Light Industry; the Concept for Harmonizing National Air Traffic Management Systems; and the Concept for Cooperation in Public Health.

The next meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Government will be held in September 2025 in Minsk.

#The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan #International Cooperation #Trade and economic cooperation

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