ARMENIAN-KAZAKH RELATIONS ENHANCING

ARKA News Agency
Dec 11 2007
Armenia

YEREVAN, December 11. /ARKA/. Armenian-Kazakh relations make a great
leap forward, said Charge d’Affaires of Kazakhstan to Armenia Yerlan
Kubashev.

The testimony of Armenian-Kazakh friendly relations is bilateral
visits and dialogues between both country leaders, as well as CSTO
cooperation, according to him.

Kubashev believes Armenia and Kazakhstan should develop bilateral
economic relations. A number of negative factors impede bilateral
cooperation, particularly, absence of borders, problems with transport
communications, lack of competence in marketing, Kubashev said.

"In this connection, we meet with Armenian entrepreneurs to improve
the situation," the Charge d’Affaires said.

He pointed out that an expo of Armenian goods will be held in
Kazakhstan in 2008.

Kubashev attached importance to the role of the Armenian-Kazakh
intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation. He pointed
out that the members of the commission are to meet in Kazakhstan in
April 2008.

The Charge d’Affaires believes the Armenian Disapora in Kazakhstan
(which numbers about 30,000) can greatly contribute to the development
of bilateral economic relations. Armenians in Kazakhstan are actively
involved in the country’s economy, particularly in such spheres as
construction and hotel business.

45,000 small Armenian enterprises were registered in Kazakhstan in
late 2006 with 21 joint corporations. Their main directivities are
trade, production and sales of construction materials.

Armenian-Kazakh trade turnover totaled $191.3mln in January-October
2007 – 62.4% increase. Armenian exports to Kazakhstan totaled $6.6mln –
80.4% increase as compared to January-October 2006.

Kazakh imports to Armenia totaled $184.7mln – 61.8% increase in
the reporting period. Imports from Kazakhstan totaled $4.2mln by
increasing thrice.

The share of Kazakhstan in Armenia’s foreign trade turnover was 5.5%
in January-October 2007.