ArmInfo. Today, the previously unused potential is revealed in the Armenian-Kazakh trade relations, Timur Urazaev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Armenia, told ArmInfo correspondent at the fields of the business forum of the Armenian Nuclear Energy Cooperation (Armenia-Co-operation).
He explained that following the results of 2017, the structure of export-import transactions between Kazakhstan and Armenia remained traditional in its commodity positions, but at the same time the growth of trade turnover was ensured at the level of 59% against 45.9% a year earlier. In the Q1 of the current year, trade turnover increased by 29%, while the winter-autumn period is not so active from the point of view of trade. In this vein, the Ambassador added that in the first three months of this year, there was a new position in mutual trade between the two countries - steel bars. "We must assume that Armenian and Kazakh entrepreneurs have established a good contract. And it pleases, "he remarked.
But in general, there is practically no investment cooperation between Kazakhstan and Armenia. Although in Kazakhstan, according to the Ambassador, the investment environment is quite favorable, conditions have also been created in Armenia that promote investment. "In the case of Kazakhstan, investments will be related to trade and transport logistics. And with this just the problem, because the issue is not only in the absence of common land borders, but also in the absence of the shortest economic path. And this issue has more to do with politics, geopolitics than economics. In this regard, Urazaev stressed, it is necessary that officials listen to business and work to expand logistics opportunities. The ambassador also noted that the establishment of an optimal path is not capable of solving the problem, since, in any case, this path is not competitive in comparison, for example, with the Russian Federation. "Therefore, we are talking about building favorable conditions for investment and trade business," the Ambassador concluded.
According to the Armenian National Statistics Service data, the foreign trade turnover between Armenia and Kazakhstan in 2017 increased by 59% to $ 8.9 million. In particular, exports showed a decrease of 2.1% to $ 4.9 million, with imports up 6 times to $ 4 million.
