On March 3, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, received the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Olzhas Bektenov.

The head of state praised the dynamic development of bilateral relations across multiple areas and recalled his regular meetings with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. President Ilham Aliyev once again expressed his gratitude to the Kazakh leader for participating in COP29, held in Azerbaijan last year, emphasizing that his presence demonstrated Kazakhstan’s solidarity with Azerbaijan and contributed to the conference's successful outcome.

The Azerbaijani President highlighted that several important agreements were reached at COP29 and that projects aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries had been formulated. He expressed hope that the Kazakh Prime Minister’s visit would facilitate in-depth discussions on key initiatives and the implementation of agreements, ensuring continued close cooperation across all sectors.

President Ilham Aliyev noted that the peoples of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan share a deep historical bond as brotherly nations, a fact reaffirmed throughout history.

He emphasized that both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are experiencing strong socio-economic growth and play significant roles in the international arena, the region, and beyond.

Expressing gratitude for the meeting, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov conveyed warm greetings from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to President Ilham Aliyev.

President Ilham Aliyev thanked him for the message and asked Olzhas Bektenov to convey his regards to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov acknowledged the positive trajectory of bilateral relations, as highlighted by President Ilham Aliyev, and stressed the importance of the trust-based relationship between the two leaders in fostering this progress.

Discussing the potential for further collaboration, Olzhas Bektenov noted that the governments of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are actively working to implement the agreements reached between their respective presidents. He pointed out that, following the directives of the heads of state, significant progress has been made in developing the Trans-Caspian multimodal transport route, with cargo traffic along this route increasing by 60 percent last year.

During the conversation, both sides commended the expansion of comprehensive cooperation, highlighting that the annual trade turnover between the two countries has nearly tripled over the past three years. They also noted continued growth in cargo transportation, including transit shipments along key transport corridors.

Discussions included support for investment projects through the joint investment fund established in both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, as well as the implementation of joint initiatives in the oil and gas sector. In particular, they explored opportunities to increase the transportation volume of Kazakh oil via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. Additionally, they reviewed the integration of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan’s energy systems through the underwater cable line agreement signed under COP29 and discussed further cooperation in the green energy sector.