MARITIME INVESTMENTS

Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, which led to the opening in Kazakhstan of a representative office of AZPROMO, Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation, is a fruitful example of regional partnership. Its director, Elsan Qurbanov, said that the main directions of the fund's work were decided last autumn. The promotion of Azerbaijan's industrial output and agricultural produce were given priority, as were the development of relations in culture and tourism. A thorough analysis of the markets of the closest countries - Russia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Iran, Turkey and Turkmenistan - was carried out to this end.  

The Kazakh market potential is huge, of course, but attention was focussed not on the whole of Kazakhstan but on its western part. There was good reason for the interest shown in this region. Following a meeting in December 2006 in Astana between Minister for Economic Development Heydar Babayev and officials of this friendly country, Krymbek Kusherbayev, the akim (governor) of Mangistau Region, was invited to Azerbaijan.  During this visit he met the president, prime minister and minister for economic development of Azerbaijan and forms of regional cooperation were discussed at these meetings. Also, representatives of both countries attended a business forum. AZPROMO organised a business trip for our businessmen to Aktau in May 2007. Its main aim was to familiarise Azerbaijani entrepreneurs with major investment projects in Mangistau Region, such as Aktau city, the maritime port and shipyard in the town of Kuryk, the creation of a new tourist complex in Kenderli, free economic zones at the international commercial maritime port of Aktau and many others.  Following a number of meetings with the international and Kazakh business circles implementing these projects, Azerbaijani entrepreneurs showed a great deal of interest in getting involved in them as partners or subcontractors. 

Heydar Babayev, the minister for economic development of Azerbaijan, noted that the historical, cultural and geographical proximity of the two countries makes it possible for fruitful relations to develop between the two peoples. He expressed confidence that there would soon be strong partnership relations between commercial structures too. 

Caspian Service is one of the first Azerbaijani companies to show a great interest in the market of Kazakhstan and to assess its potential. The akim of Mangistau Region, K. Kusherbayev, showed an interest in its projects during a visit to Baku business centre.  

In particular, he is acquainted with the work of this company which built a municipal apartment block with 150 flats and which has already been commissioned. Another project of the company's is building a 16-storey block (with a business centre and a restaurant complex) in the business quarter of the city. Rahim Aladdin oglu Sultanov, the chairman of the board of directors of Caspian Service, had this to say about the features of the market and the activities of its branch. 

 - We took the opportunity to tell K. Kusherbayev about the projects being carried out in Baku, the regions of the country and in Georgia, Russia and Afghanistan. We told him about a plan for improving the main boulevard in Aktau.  The governor was interested in the project and he invited us to Aktau to take part in the work of a seminar on Investment Possibilities in Western Kazakhstan. This region is a very close one to Azerbaijan, just a 50-minute flight from Baku, a very old city on the Caspian.  We have potential which they can borrow from us - thus several Azerbaijani construction companies have begun operating in Aktau. Appreciating the importance of the presence of Azerbaijani companies abroad, we timed the laying of the foundation stone of the new building to coincide with this visit so as to show once again that our cooperation does not just exist in words, models or projects but in real deeds. Heydar Babayev, the minister for economic development of Azerbaijan, Mikhail Bortnik, the deputy governor of Mangistau Region, A. Shukputov, the ambassador of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan, and L.Gandilov, the ambassador of Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan, took part in the capsule-laying ceremony which demonstrates the degree of importance of our bilateral cooperation. It is no accident that this complex is called Xazar Palace. The capsule which was laid in the foundations carried words from President Nursultan Nazarbayev saying that the Caspian does not divide us, rather, it unites us.  The presence of officials and of representatives of state and private structures shows the interest in getting commercial relations going and also the support for enterprise. The media, television, showed great interest in the event. The whole world considers the laying of a foundation stone to be worthy of note - it symbolises peace, renewal, new possibilities. 

The economic policy of the two states is aimed at developing mutually beneficial cooperation both in the realm of politics and in the sphere of business relations. Within the framework of these visits business forums are held in which business people take part, new contacts are formed, points of contact are found. The heightened interest by private companies is founded on the guarantee of protection offered by the state. Despite the fact that Azerbaijani companies representing the construction sector, the food industry, mechanical engineering for the oil industry, engineering and other sectors took part in the exhibition which was organised under the Land. Air. Sea programme, I want Azerbaijani companies, diversifying their business, to show a more active interest in Western Kazakhstan.  This is a very promising market. It is virgin land which must be ploughed. For instance, there is very great demand today for the fruit and vegetable produce of Kazakhstan. Moreover, they are turning to the experience of our specialists in implementing one programme or another - great interest has been shown in stone cutting work. Over the years of the active construction boom we revived our early-20th century traditions of overcladding building facades. Kazakhstan's builders are interested in working with Abseron stone along with granite tiling and aluminium sheeting.  That is to say, we have unlimited possibilities for cooperation.   

For its part, the Ministry for Economic Development is creating the conditions for getting commercial relations going. Further evidence of this is the opening of an AZPROMO branch office in Kazakhstan.