On June 4-5, a Georgian business delegation paid an official visit to the city of Atyrau, Kazakhstan. The visit aimed to deepen economic and investment relations between Georgia and Kazakhstan and establish new business partnerships. The delegation included representatives of various sectors: investment, trade, logistics, agriculture and tourism, including representatives of the private sector, as well as the public and diplomatic corps.
As part of the visit, a Kazakhstan-Georgian Business Forum was held, which was supported by the Atyrau Regional Administration and the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Georgia. The business forum was organized by the Kazakh-Georgian Economic Union. Also, member companies of the association were actively involved, including the airline "Air Astana", which added the Tbilisi-Atyrau route in May of this year. The event was held with the financial support of "Capitol Management" and "Halyk Bank".
25 Georgian and more than 100 Kazakh business companies participated in the forum. Among the Georgian companies were IDS Borjomi, GIG Holding, Nutrimax, Kairos Logistics, New Vision, Tourinvest Group and others. From the tourism companies Discovery, Next Travel, and the hotel management company Hotel Collection International - HCI, and from the wine-producing companies Mtevino and others.
The Georgian side had the opportunity to discuss their initiatives with representatives of local businesses and various services of the regional administration, and to explore specific areas of cooperation. Presentations and working B2B meetings were held to deepen potential economic cooperation. The focus was on such strategic directions as the development of trans-Caspian logistics routes, energy connections, diversification of the agricultural market and joint tourism programs.
For your information, Atyrau is one of the most promising economic hubs in Central Asia. The region is among the three Kazakh administrative units (Almaty, Atyrau, Astana), whose share in the country's gross domestic product exceeds 10% - in the case of Atyrau, this figure is 12.8%. In addition, Atyrau is geographically closest to Georgia among these three regions, which creates a real opportunity to reduce transport and logistics costs.
The region is not only known for its many international oil and gas projects, but also offers favorable conditions for business development in other sectors, such as logistics, infrastructure, technologies, agriculture, processing and tourism. Atyrau is developing free economic zones and transport corridors connecting China, the Caspian region and Europe — making it a transit hub.
It is important to note that these circumstances make the region particularly attractive for Georgian companies in the transport and trade sectors. The local market is experiencing a growing demand for imported products, including food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and pharmaceuticals, which creates broad opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses. The regional authorities are also actively offering tax breaks and simplified administrative procedures to foreign companies.
"The Kazakh market is attractive for Georgia and can be exploited in many directions. For this, we need to get to know each other's business environment better, what needs there are and how to use this resource. Recently, Air Astana added a direct flight from another city in Kazakhstan, Atyrau. That is, in total, there are direct flights from 5 cities in Kazakhstan to 3 large cities in Georgia. The number of existing flights has also increased, which further simplifies business operations and promotes the development of tourism. Similar business forums and B2B meetings are important for establishing new business relationships. Such platforms significantly contribute to the economic integration of the region, the exchange of innovative ideas, and the active international involvement of the private sector. They also contribute to the strengthening of trade relations between the two countries," explains Giorgi Jakhutashvili, Chairman of the Board of the Kazakh-Georgian Economic Union.
It is important that similar events are planned in the future in major cities of Georgia from which there are direct flights to Kazakhstan. All those interested in importing or exporting from Kazakhstan and Georgia, in tourism and other economic activities, will have the opportunity to participate in similar meetings, exchange information with potential partners and present their own capabilities. For this, preliminary communication with the Kazakh-Georgian Economic Union is necessary.
E-mail: info@kaz.ge
