Azerbaijan, East Kazakhstan Region aim to boost trade, tourism

Azerbaijan and the East Kazakhstan Region (EKR) plan to develop cooperation in the fields of trade, tourism, industry and agriculture, Report informs referring to the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Azerbaijan.

Ambassador Alim Bayel noted at a meeting with the Akim of the East Kazakhstan Region Nurymbet Saktaganov that Altai, as the "golden cradle of the entire Turkic world", has great potential appeal for Azerbaijani tourists.

"Also, the East Kazakhstan Region is of interest to Azerbaijan in terms of developing mutual trade, industrial cooperation and agriculture," the diplomat said, whose words are quoted in the press release. According to him, this year Kazakhstan has also become the main supplier of wheat to Azerbaijan, providing 85% of Azerbaijan's grain imports.

The diplomat proposed to establish the export of sunflower oil from the region to Azerbaijan and create a joint venture for processing sunflower seeds. In addition, the ambassador reported that a number of East Kazakhstan entrepreneurs will soon begin supplying honey to Azerbaijani supermarket chains. Akim of the region Saktaganov, for his part, pointed out the good prospects for joint projects between East Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan in the above areas: "East Kazakhstan entrepreneurs have something to offer the Azerbaijani market."

According to him, East Kazakhstan is ready to offer Azerbaijani tourists health and wellness vacations, and the region also has high potential in the mining industry. The parties agreed to continue working on the implementation of specific projects.