In 2025, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan celebrated the 20th anniversary of signing the Treaty on Strategic Partnership and Allied Relations. In the fall of this year, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, made a state visit to Kazakhstan, during which the parties signed 15 documents aimed at developing cooperation in the spheres of economy, transport, energy, and other areas. Today, the two countries actively cooperate both at the bilateral and multilateral levels.
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan, Aghalar Atamoglanov, spoke to the Kazakhstan bureau of Report about the development of the countries' strategic partnership in 2025, priorities for 2026, prospects, and plans for cooperation in the economy, energy, transport, as well as in other areas.
- Mr. Ambassador, how do you assess the year 2025 in the context of developing Azerbaijani-Kazakh relations?
- The year 2025 was marked by the further strengthening of the strategic partnership and allied relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. This year, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of signing the Treaty on Strategic Partnership and Allied Relations, which became an important milestone in the history of our relationship. A strong and comprehensive partnership has developed, covering virtually all areas of development.
An extensive legal framework consisting of more than 189 documents has been established between the two countries. In 2025, the leaders of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan continued their active and productive high-level dialogue. During the year, the heads of state carried out mutual visits. Meetings were also held within international events and regional formats.
On October 6-7, 2025, the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, participated in the Summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Gabala. The summit primarily focused on issues such as the modernization of transport and logistics corridors, the development of cooperation in the energy and digital sectors, as well as the coordination of efforts of Turkic countries in the international arena. The state visit of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the Republic of Kazakhstan on October 20-21 was an important historical event in the history of bilateral relations.
During the visit, the second meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council was held, important decisions were made, a Joint Statement of the heads of state was signed on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of signing the Treaty on Strategic Partnership and Allied Relations, and other documents were exchanged. Throughout the year, the development of cooperation was also facilitated by the holding of the 21st meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, a business forum, and other events, numerous mutual visits and contacts at the level of government structures.
The relations were not limited to bilateral ties. Cooperation also developed within the UN, the Organization of Turkic States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), and other international formats. Azerbaijan is successfully chairing CICA, which is a unique platform for addressing important issues: from security to economy and cultural exchange. Our country has put forward a number of initiatives to further promote full-format cooperation. In the fall of 2026, under the chairmanship of Azerbaijan, a CICA Summit is also planned.
Thus, 2025 was characterized by the expansion of cooperation in political, economic and trade, transport and logistics, energy, cultural and humanitarian, and tourism spheres. In 2025, relations in culture and media also actively developed: joint projects were implemented, interaction between media outlets was strengthened, and visits by representatives of our media created new opportunities for exchanging experience and becoming familiar with each other's activities.
For me, it is especially important and joyful to see the progressive development of these areas in particular. As can be seen, today the relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are a model of brotherhood, strategic partnership, and alliance based on common history, culture, and vision of the future.
- What goals were set for 2025, and which of the planned tasks were successfully implemented?
- As I have already noted, relations developed quite dynamically and were filled with new content. Thanks to the friendship and mutual support of our peoples, intensive political dialogue at the highest level, and the work of governments, multilateral Kazakh-Azerbaijani cooperation developed along an upward trajectory and was enriched with new content.
This year, the parties paid special attention to expanding economic and trade ties. According to the agreements reached, it is planned to double bilateral trade in the near future and bring it to $1 billion. Great opportunities have opened up in agriculture, energy, the processing industry, construction, and digitalization. Both sides expressed interest in creating joint ventures, and significant progress has been made in this direction. Infrastructure facilities are being built, and joint projects in the field of shipbuilding are being developed. Also, the legal framework has been expanded, and the implementation of regional projects in transport, energy, information, and communication technologies has continued successfully.
Practical steps were taken within such cooperation mechanisms as the Supreme Interstate Council, the Joint Intergovernmental Commission, the Joint Investment Fund, the Business Council, and the International Association of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. All of this, together with the existing unified position on most international issues, coinciding economic interests in the region, and most importantly, the political will of the heads of state, made it possible to fulfill almost all the tasks set.
- What priorities and goals do you see for the development of Azerbaijani-Kazakh cooperation in 2026, and in which areas, in your opinion, can we expect further strengthening of the partnership between our countries?
- Of course, the economic track will be a priority direction in our interaction. Mutual trade and investments, organization of joint industrial production, expansion of multimodal transport links, development of cooperation in energy, tourism, and agriculture - I believe these areas should be given an important place. Recent high-level meetings have shown that in the coming years, Azerbaijani-Kazakh cooperation will enter a new stage in the fields of information and communication technologies, innovation, digital communications, renewable energy sources and green energy transition, environmental protection, etc.
As part of the Digital Silk Road project, which provides for the creation of a reliable digital telecommunications corridor between Europe and Asia, the laying of a fiber-optic communication line along the bottom of the Caspian Sea will be completed by the end of 2026. In this regard, I consider it necessary to accelerate the implementation of regional projects and consider possibilities for launching new projects and initiatives. A serious boost to increasing cooperation in the future will be given by the joint Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan Investment Fund, which will allow us to implement mutually beneficial investment projects.
In my opinion, in 2026, one of the key priorities of Azerbaijani-Kazakh cooperation should remain the development of relations between our peoples. It is strong humanitarian and human ties that create a reliable foundation for any partnership - economic, political, or cultural. Of particular importance is the expansion of cooperation in culture, education, science, and youth exchanges. In addition to this, serious attention should be paid to cooperation in the political sphere, consultations on processes taking place in the region and the world, and continuation of the tradition of mutual support within international organizations. An important part of the agenda should be continuous interaction between government agencies and business circles, as well as mutual participation in international events held in the territories of both countries.
- What plans do Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have for increasing the number of flights in 2026 and expanding the geography of flights to the regions?
- It is gratifying to note that mutual visits of our citizens have become more frequent. We see growing interest from Kazakhstani tourists in our country, with a noticeable annual increase in the number of tourists, as evidenced by statistics. In 2024, the number of Kazakhstani citizens who visited Azerbaijan was about 90,000 people, which is 49% more compared to 2023. In the first eight months of 2025, approximately 70,000 citizens of Kazakhstan visited Azerbaijan.
The growth in tourist flows is largely facilitated by direct flights from airlines AZAL, Air Astana, and FlyArystan on routes Baku-Astana, Baku-Almaty, and Baku-Aktau. For the future, we are considering the possibilities of opening direct flights by national air carriers on routes Atyrau-Baku, Shymkent-Baku. Also, during my recent visit to Aktobe, the akim and I discussed opening flights between Aktobe and Baku. We are actively working in this direction. Increasing direct flights will strengthen people-to-people contacts: cultural and educational exchanges, tourism, and personal connections will expand, which will contribute to the rapprochement and mutual understanding of our peoples.
- Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan aim to bring mutual trade turnover to $1 billion per year. What steps do the parties plan to take to achieve this goal?
- As I mentioned above, in recent years, there has been significant growth in mutual trade turnover indicators. Speaking about the economy, I think it would be better to refer to figures. Thus, in 2024, the volume of mutual trade exceeded $500 million. And for January-September 2025, it amounted to $568 million, which is 3.8 times more than the same period last year. As you can see, trade is increasing. And this is far from the limit; there is enormous potential for further growth. Certain work is being done in this direction.
The Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation is functioning successfully; its latest meeting was held in Baku on October 13-14. Important agreements were reached following the meeting. Now they are being implemented step by step. Work within the framework of the Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan Business Forum is equally successful. The latest such forum was held on October 21, 2025, in Astana. As part of the event, documents were signed between government agencies and companies of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, covering digitalization, water resource management, industrial production, promotion of mutual investments, urban infrastructure development, trade, healthcare, and education. Meetings were also held in B2B and B2C formats.
- What plans do the parties have for developing cooperation in the energy sector?
- Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, being traditional exporters of energy resources, have established successful cooperation in this area as well. Today, there is a tendency to increase interaction and closer cooperation between the parties, including participation in joint projects. According to the agreements reached, a gradual increase in the transit volumes of Kazakhstani oil through Azerbaijan is expected. For this purpose, certain work is being carried out on both sides – infrastructure capabilities are being expanded in accordance with international standards, and new vessels, tankers, etc., are being acquired.
The export of electricity from Central Asia to European markets across the Caspian Sea occupies an important place on the cooperation agenda. For this purpose, on the sidelines of the Global Climate Summit COP29, the presidents of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan signed an Agreement on Strategic Partnership in the field of production and transmission of green energy. The project will create a reliable corridor for supplying environmentally clean energy to European markets.
- Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are participants in the Middle Corridor. What actions do Baku and Astana plan to take in 2026 to increase the volume of bilateral cargo flow and increase the volume of transit cargo, particularly from China?
- Today, as new transport routes open and projects related to the wider Eurasian region are implemented, the South Caucasus and Central Asia are becoming increasingly interconnected and in many cases find themselves within the same geographical space.
Thanks to the advantageous location of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan on important transcontinental transport and communication corridors, we are increasing cooperation in the transport sector. In recent years, much work has been done in our countries to develop the Middle Corridor, with modern seaports, railways, highways, airports, and other necessary infrastructure being built. In Azerbaijan, the current modern transport and logistics infrastructure enables the full functioning of the Middle Corridor.
Work in this direction continues; for example, the capacity of the Baku International Sea Port is gradually developing. The reception and transshipment of the 100,000th container this year indicates the port's upward development and that, in the future, cargo transshipment, especially by rail, will be carried out in even greater volumes.
Today, the Middle Corridor is fully revealing its potential, with the volume of cargo transportation gradually increasing. In 2024, the volume of cargo transportation along the Middle Corridor increased by 62% and reached 4.5 million tons. In the first seven months of 2025, some 2.6 million tons of cargo were transported along this corridor, which is 2% more compared to the same period last year.
This figure is expected to reach 10 million tons by 2027. Container traffic has especially increased: its volume has almost doubled and reached 40,200 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units). To increase container transportation, Kazakhstan has expressed its intention to purchase two vessels from Azerbaijan by 2027, each with a capacity of 700 containers.
The Middle Corridor, the Zangazur Corridor, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, and seaports form the infrastructural foundation for integration between the two states and increase the efficiency of mutual trade. Taking into account the importance of this sphere in our relations, we try to keep this direction under close attention. Last year, I visited the seaports of Aktau and Kuryk, and in May, I visited the International Center for Cross-Border Cooperation Khorgos, and saw firsthand the work and planned increases in transport and logistics capabilities of these important transport hubs of the Middle Corridor.
Recently, I was on a working visit to the city of Aktobe, which is also strategically located, one might say at the junction of the main transport arteries of the Eurasian continent. During the visit, I had the opportunity to familiarize myself with the economic, investment, and tourism potential of the region, and visited several industrial enterprises. I was pleasantly surprised that Azerbaijan ordered a large batch of rails from the Aktobe Rail and Beam Plant, and most of them have already been sent to our country. Taking this opportunity, I would like to say a few words about the development of Kazakhstan.
During my diplomatic mission, which has lasted for more than four years, I have clearly seen the positive changes and development taking place in Kazakhstan under the wise leadership of President Kassym-Jomart Kemelovich Tokayev. The reforms carried out by the president in the field of modernization and development of modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, demonstrate that Kazakhstan has been confidently moving along the path of development and modernization in recent years.
Kazakhstan's international reputation is also strengthening. Today, Kazakhstan is a reliable partner throughout the world, a state that conducts an independent policy within the framework of national interests and moves on its own course.