Islam Kuraev: "Everyone will benefit from the development of Kazakhstan's relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan"

This week, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid a visit to Turkey, where he held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Following the meeting, it was decided to move the two countries to the expanded strategic partnership's level. Plans to develop international transport corridors, including the East-West corridor, the fundamental part of which is the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, figured prominently in their joint statement. Vestnik Kavkaza talked to apolitical scientist Islam Kuraev about Kazakhstan's interest in Trans-Caspian logistics.

- In your opinion, what stimulates Kazakhstan to develop economic relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan today?

Over the past few years, there have been a number of significant events that in one way or another influenced the potential for expanding ties between Kazakhstan and Turkey in culture, politics and economics. Speaking directly about the factors, then there are three of them.

First of all, it is the end of the Karabakh war, which resulted in Azerbaijan's return of its original territory. The second factor is the deterioration of Russia's relations with the world community because of Ukraine. The third, which is also important, is the development of allied relations between the Turkic states in general and the transformation of the Turkic Council into the Organization of Turkic States.

All of them, in one way or another, contributed to the fact that Kazakhstan began to search for new ways of cargo transportation. This led to natural attention to the "East-West" corridor, the route through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia to Turkey.

- How do Western anti-Russian sanctions affect the interests of Kazakhstan?

- The fact is that about 75% of all Kazakh exports are tied to the transit line of Russia and Belarus. Accordingly, if it becomes difficult to supply goods via this route, Kazakh suppliers have to look for alternative options.

It is important to understand that Russia will have some kind of difficulties not only in the economy, but also in the technical support of cargo transportation. Due to a certain budget deficit, there will be difficulties with both logistics and product quality. So Kazakhstan will look for an alternative in any case.

The economy's reorientation towards the Turkish vector of deliveries through Azerbaijan and Georgia will play an important role both in the trade balance and in Kazakhstan's economic security ensuring. Therefore, the past meeting between Erdoğan and Tokayev in Turkey is of great importance for the future of Kazakhstan.

- In your opinion, what is the interest of Turkey?

- Turkey is striving to become a macro-regional hub of cargo transportation now. This goal is at the center of the republic's economic strategy. In Turkey itself, we are seeing the construction of large interchanges, new roads and alternative communication routes. The relations that are being built between Kazakhstan and Turkey today can be called a small part of the global infrastructure project, which also involves Azerbaijan, Georgia, the countries of Central Asia, China and other states. A logistical alternative is being built.

Among trade alternatives, Kazakhstan has China, but the European market is more promising. In this case, it is important for Kazakhstan that it has good relations with Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, since these countries can provide favorable conditions for the goods supply to Kazakhstan within the framework of bilateral and multilateral relations. Each of the countries will only benefit from this.