Kazakhstan attracts over $30 billion in investment from CAREC nations
In 2025, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and member countries of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program grew 14.4%, reaching $8.8 billion, Qazinform News Agency cited the Government press service.
Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister — Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin announced this at the Second Tianshan Economic Cooperation Forum for Central Asia in Almaty.
As key priorities within the CAREC framework, the deputy prime minister mentioned expanding bilateral trade, developing transport and logistics links, and attracting quality investments.
"Our shared objective is not only to increase trade volumes, but also to consistently eliminate barriers, simplify trade procedures, advance e-commerce, and expand access for businesses to neighboring markets," Serik Zhumangarin said.
He highlighted transport infrastructure development as another priority. Kazakhstan is expanding transit corridors' capacity, modernizing rail and road infrastructure, and developing multimodal logistics. To accelerate cross-border transport, it is also necessary to harmonize transport systems, digitize border procedures, and reduce cargo transit times.
Kazakhstan's foreign direct investment in CAREC member nations has exceeded $4 billion. More than 28,000 companies from the region's countries and over 2,500 joint ventures are registered in Kazakhstan.
According to Zhumangarin, beyond boosting overall investment volumes, it is important to channel it into establishing new production facilities, adopting advanced technologies, raising labor productivity, and manufacturing high-value-added goods. He added that Kazakhstan seeks to expand cooperation with international financial institutions in transport, logistics, manufacturing, agriculture, energy, and digital infrastructure.
Other key topics on the regional agenda include trade and logistics digitalization, climate change adaptation, and sustainable water management.
The second Tianshan Forum, themed "Strengthening Resilient Connectivity and Quality Investment in Central Asia," is taking place in Almaty on November 2 and 3. The event is co-organized by the CAREC Institute and the Kazakh Ministry of National Economy, with the Asian Development Bank participating as a strategic partner.
The forum brought together around 400 participants, including government delegations from CAREC nations, representatives of international financial institutions, development organizations, businesses, and industry experts.
Earlier, it was reported that Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan discussed boosting bilateral trade.
