President Tokayev: Central Asia-Russia rail freight transit up 50% in three years

"For Kazakhstan, cooperation with Russia is strategically vital. In view of the geographic factor, Kazakhstan can ensure a stable connection between East and West, North and South, serving as the central link in the Eurasian transport and logistics network. Russia, in turn, is a key gateway for regional countries to global markets. Therefore, cooperation with Russia in transport and logistics is of paramount strategic importance. 11 international transport corridors pass through Kazakhstan (including 5 rail and 6 road), handling approximately 85% of overland freight traffic between Asia and Europe. Over the past 15 years, over $35 billion has been invested in the comprehensive modernization of the industry. As a result, we have achieved sustained growth in transportation volumes. Rail freight transit from Russia to Central Asia via Kazakhstan has risen by 26% over the past three years, exceeding 30 million tons. Meanwhile, transit in the opposite direction has increased by almost 50%. Furthermore, shipments from Russia to China via Kazakhstan have tripled, reaching over 5 million tons," the President stated.

Earlier, during the 2nd Central Asia – Russia summit, Kazakh leader Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the key areas of multilateral and bilateral cooperation between the Central Asian nations and Russia, naming trade and industrial cooperation as a top priority. The Kazakh President said that trade with Russia reached $28bn last year.