Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin held a meeting with Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam Nguyen Hong Zien. 

"Vietnam is one of the important partners in Asia for Kazakhstan. Based on the results of the official visit of the President of Kazakhstan last August, we note the high activity of our bilateral relations: trade turnover has increased by 85%, reaching almost $1 billion. 13 flights a week are operated between our countries. There is a willingness to expand the geography of flights," Serik Zhumangarin said at the meeting.

The Deputy Prime Minister also suggested Vietnamese companies explore the opportunities of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which will allow Vietnamese exports to move from east to west 3-4 times faster than sea routes, significantly reducing costs. 

"We believe the TMTM is the most optimal route between Asia and Europe. We also propose to utilise the capacities of the Kazakh-Chinese terminal in Lianyungang sea port and the dry port in Xi'an," he stressed. 

During the meeting, the parties discussed the possibility of co-operation in the mining and processing of rare-earth metals.  The Vietnamese delegation was asked to pay attention to large lithium deposits in Kazakhstan to produce lithium-ion batteries for electric cars. This will contribute to the growth of Kazakhstan's high-tech sector and allow Vietnamese carmakers to maintain their competitive advantages. 

For reference: in 2023, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Vietnam totalled $979.2m - an increase of 85.4% compared to 2022 ($528.3m). Exports totalled $180.2m (+44.1%), imports - $799m (+98%).

#International Cooperation #Serik Zhumangarin