‘New Synergy’ action plan includes nine agreements

ISTANBUL

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Oc.t 12 that the bilateral trade between Turkey and Kazakhstan should be incrased from $4 billion to $10 billion until 2015.

Erdoğan’s remarks came one day after the Joint Economic Program “New Synergy,” an action plan for 2012-2015 including nine separate cooperation agreements, was signed by the presidents of Kazakhstan and Turkey. Speaking at the Turkey-Kazakhstan business forum in Istanbul, Erdoğan said he was happy with the increasing Kazakh investments in Turkey in oil and tourism sectors, but it was not enough. “We must diversify the bilateral trade,” he said.

The “New Synergy” plan will strive to increase the number of commercial agencies. The activities of the Turkish-Kazakh Council will be enhanced, and both sides expressed their willingness to decrease issues in the commercial arena work on problem solving. In terms of industrial relations the two sides expressed their willingness to improve relations in the metallurgy, chemistry, petroleum chemicals, machines, food and construction materials sectors, as well as in metrology and standardization. The agreement addresses transportation with a plan to connect the Baku, Tbilisi and Kars railway with Kazakhstan, and to improve international transportation corridors such as TRACECA and SILKWIND, as well to build logistic centers in the region. Science, innovation and new technologies were also addressed, with the Turkish government’s main goal being to improve current cooperation in these fields with the support of the government-run Turkish Scientific and Technology Institution (TUBİTAK). The agreement will also improve the relationship between Turkey’s Mineral Research and Exploration Institution and Kazakhstan’s KazGeologia Corp. in the field of mining and energy. Under the agreement Turkey will share its experience in the banking and finance sectors with Kazakhstan, and regional cooperation will improve technical parks and industrial zones, establishing a Turkish-Kazakh Joint Industrial Zone in South Kazakhstan. Private economic zones such as Morport Aktau, Kurik Village, Ontustik and Ondiris will also be improved, with projects and study visits.