Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov took part in the joint meeting of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin with the heads of delegations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member states, as well as in the meetings of the Council of Heads of Government of SCO member states in restricted and expanded formats, held in Moscow (Russian Federation).

During the joint meeting with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, issues of trade and economic cooperation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member states were discussed. The contribution of the SCO countries to the global economy has more than doubled over the years of the Organisation’s activity and today exceeds 30%. Kazakhstan’s trade turnover with SCO member states alone exceeded USD 67 billion last year.

The work of the Council of Heads of Government of SCO member states was attended by Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Turchin, First Vice President of Iran Mohammad Reza Aref, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Li Qiang, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers – Chief of Staff of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Adylbek Kasymaliev, Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation – Chairman of the Council of Heads of Government of SCO member states Mikhail Mishustin, Prime Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan Kokhir Rasulzoda, Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. From the SCO observer states — Prime Minister of Mongolia Gombojavyn Zandanshatar. Also participating were representatives of dialogue partner states, including the State of Qatar represented by Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, as well as heads of international organisations — CICA, CIS, EAEU, and others.

In the restricted format, participants exchanged views on current agenda issues. Attention was given to further improving the Organisation’s activities, taking into account the agreements reached by the heads of state following the Tianjin SCO Summit (31 August – 1 September of this year).

In the expanded format, issues of trade and economic cooperation, interaction in the financial sector, transport and logistics, the digital sphere and artificial intelligence, water resources, ecology, and others were discussed.

“President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Tianjin Summit supported practical actions of the SCO aimed at developing free and fair international trade. Today SCO countries already form one-third of global GDP, our internal trade is close to USD 1 trillion. Possessing significant economic potential, the Organisation strives for comprehensive economic growth based on equal partnership. In this context, it is important to develop and pragmatically use the available resources to stimulate predictable trade,” Olzhas Bektenov emphasized.

Attention was paid to the development of transit and transport cooperation. Kazakhstan, as one of the key hubs of Eurasia, is actively increasing its transit capacities through the modernization of railway, road, aviation, and port infrastructure. Five railway corridors pass through the country. Overall, over the past 5 years, the volume of transit transportation through Kazakhstan has almost doubled and reached 27.5 million tons last year.

Synchronizing the “One Belt, One Road” project implemented by SCO countries with Kazakhstan’s key transport corridors will provide a multiplier effect and create a sustainable foundation for the development of industrial cooperation and strengthening integration processes across the region. According to the World Bank, successful implementation of projects under this initiative will ensure global trade growth of up to 6% annually.

In the context of global digitalization, the SCO is becoming a flagship in the development of artificial intelligence. In this regard, issues of cooperation in the effective use of artificial intelligence technologies were discussed, which aligns with Kazakhstan’s goal of becoming a digital nation.

Within the framework of industrial cooperation, an important step will be the creation of the SCO Development Bank and the introduction of a mechanism for supporting investment projects. In this area, Kazakhstan is ready to utilize the capabilities of the Astana International Financial Centre.

Attention was also given to joint measures in the fields of ecology, water resources, and cultural and humanitarian cooperation, among others.

The heads of delegations reaffirmed their commitment to developing multifaceted cooperation to strengthen regional stability and ensure global economic growth.

Following the meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government, a number of documents were signed in the areas of multilateral trade and economic cooperation, transport connectivity, social development and protection, and others.

#Olzhas Bektenov #SCO

• 
• 
• 
•