The Minister of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan Bakhyt Sultanov and the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers — Minister of Economy and Finance of Kyrgyzstan signed a Concept for creation and operation of joint industrial trade and logistics complexes at the border between the countries. Press service of the Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan reported.
The agreement was reached following the results of mutual visits of the heads of state and a meeting of the Kazakh-Kyrgyz Intergovernmental Council in early April 2021. Centers for cross-border cooperation are considered as a new growth point for increasing mutual trade and bilateral projects in the real sector of economies.
The most favorable conditions will be created on the territory of the centers for local and foreign business, development of joint ventures through the provision of preferences.
At the first stage, the Kazakh side considers the territory of checkpoints located between Zhambyl region of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Chui region of the Kyrgyz Republic.
At the same time, the Kazakh side has the opportunity to expand the proposed territory chosen for the industrial and logistics complex. It is planned to improve the work of the existing Karasu checkpoint, modernize the adjacent infrastructure and include the center in regional distribution networks.
The project is also included in the orbit of Almaty — Bishkek international economic corridor.
The priorities in the center’s activities are production cooperation, creation of new industries and jobs. In addition, it is being created to increase the output of consumer goods with a high competitive advantage, including food and agricultural products, and improve logistics and infrastructure. The center will attract new technologies, create joint ventures for the production of consumer goods.
«Creation of joint Kazakh-Kyrgyz industrial trade and logistics complexes will make it possible to implement profitable export-oriented projects and increase the competitiveness of certain sectors of the economy. Creation of the complexes will provide an opportunity to locate production lines in an economically attractive region with significant volumes of raw materials and a developed infrastructure,» the statement says.
