Kazakhstan stands as a Crucial and Primary Ally in Central Asia, according to Bulgaria's President Radev in his remarks during his visit.
June in Astana: Exploring Opportunities with Bulgaria
ASTANA - Over a friendly chat with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on June 9, Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev recognized the exceptional relationship between the two nations. With a focus on bolstering ties and promoting trade, Tokayev welcomed Radev in Astana.
Emphasizing Bulgaria's significance as a key European partner, Tokayev highlighted the robust political and economic connections binding the two countries. "Our bilateral cooperation is making steady headway across numerous sectors," he said. "This progress is highlighted by our strong political dialogue, active interparliamentary engagement, growing trade and investment, growing people-to-people exchanges, and mutual support on the international stage."
Tokayev took note of the presence of nearly 60 Bulgarian-linked businesses operating in Kazakhstan. He especially expressed interest in expanding cooperation in mining, manufacturing, transport, construction, and energy on the heels of substantial potential in logistics, green technologies, nuclear industry, space, agriculture, healthcare, digitalization, and tourism.
President Radev applauded the "warm and fruitful" bilateral relations between the nations and showed support for Tokayev's innovative policies. He stressed Bulgaria's estimation of Kazakhstan as a top strategic ally in Central Asia. Plus, he commended Tokayev's visionary policies and reforms that propel Kazakhstan's overall development.
Radev articulated admiration for Kazakhstan's progress in science, education, and high-tech innovation, with a particular highlight of his visit to the National Space Center.
Expanding Horizons: Economic Opportunities and Transaction Priorities
During a larger meeting with delegations, Tokayev underscored the importance of Radev's visit, viewing it as a fresh chance to reinforce bonds. Tokayev highlighted the climbing trade volumes as a promising sign of a prosperous collaboration.
Between January and April 2025, bilateral trade surpassed $83 million, whereas in 2024, overall trade multiplied fourfold, reaching $375 million. Tokayev vowed Kazakhstan's intent to diversify economic initiatives and launch collaborative investment projects in energy, agriculture, healthcare, and tourism.
Tokayev reaffirmed the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation as an indispensable platform for fostering partnerships and ensuring the success of joint projects.
Radev confirmed Bulgaria's aim to deepen ties with Kazakhstan and utilize their strategic geographic locations to fortify Europe-Asia connectivity. He emphasized the potential to collaborate on various dimensions, from transport and energy to agricultural research, digitalization, and space exploration.
Reinforcing Collaborative Frameworks
Kazakhstan and Bulgaria signed multiple bilateral documents to boost cooperation across essential sectors. These agreements centered on establishing a memorandum of understanding between the Kazakh Ministry of Transport and the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport and Communications for the growth of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor. Sofia and Astana also inked a sister-city agreement, while Shymkent and Plovdiv signed a similar agreement.
Additional partnership agreements were formed between the Academy of Public Administration under the President of Kazakhstan and Bulgaria's Diplomatic Institute under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Foreign Trade Chamber of Kazakhstan and the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Enrichment Data:While exploring investment avenues and areas of cooperation during Radev's visit, key priorities mentioned by both leaders include:
Investment Priorities and Areas of Cooperation
- Transport and Logistics: Kazakhstan and Bulgaria recognized the significance of their geographic locations for forging stronger Europe-Asia links, placing emphasis on expanding the Middle Corridor—a network of modern railways, dry ports, and logistics centers—and incorporating Port Burgas as a key logistics hub [3][4].
- Energy and Green Transition: Kazakhstan highlighted the potential for collaboration in the energy sector and initiatives to drive the green transition, in line with global trends promoting sustainable development [5].
- Agriculture: The agriculture sector is earmarked as a promising area for Kazakh-Bulgarian cooperation, capitalizing on Kazakhstan's ample resources and Bulgaria's agronomic expertise [5].
- Healthcare and Tourism: Both sectors were identified as promising venues to launch joint investment projects aimed at generating mutual gains [2][5].
- Digitalization and Space: Kazakhstan's progress in the digital and space technology sectors was acknowledged, with potential for collaborative projects in these areas [5].
- Nuclear Sector: Cooperation in the nuclear sector was pinpointed as an area of interest [5].
To further fortify ties and ensure the success of bilateral initiatives, the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation was recognized as a crucial platform [3]. To further augment cooperation in the transport sector, a Kazakhstan-Bulgaria transport and logistics cooperation working group was suggested [3].
- In the broader meeting with delegations, President Tokayev emphasized the significance of Radev's visit as an opportunity to strengthen partnerships, especially focusing on energy and green transition, where Kazakhstan and Bulgaria could collaborate on driving sustainable development.
- Recognizing the strategic locations of both nations, President Radev expressed Bulgaria's intention to deepen ties with Kazakhstan, particularly by collaborating on transport and energy projects, with a goal of enhancing Europe-Asia connectivity.
- In the realm of technology, President Radev commended Kazakhstan's advancements in the digital and space technology sectors, indicating potential cooperation in these areas.
- Politics and general news: The Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation was highlighted as an essential platform for fostering partnerships and ensuring the success of joint projects across various sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and tourism.
