The new agreement between Vietnam and the EAEU countries (Eurasian regions) is set to encourage import-exports between the countries. As an integral part of the new economic policy (Nurly Zhol), Nursultan Nazarbayev (President of Kazakh) determined that effective transport and logistics chains need to be built between Europe and Asia through Kazakhstan.
As well as supplying cargo to Vietnam, finding out how successful delivering goods from China to Southeast Asia, will be helpful. As such Kazakhstan – as well as exporting its own materials – needs to offer goods from EAEC countries to Southeast Asian regions via the Kazakhstan-Lianyungang (PRC) – Vietnam Transport Corridor.
The first consignment had 32 containers filled with 700 MT of Kazakh grain. It left at the end of January.
This sentiment was echoed last month at a meeting addressed by Beketzhan Zhumakhanov (Kazakh Ambassador) spoke. He said:
“Today, we have the first meeting in Vietnam and representatives of Kazakhstan, Vietnam and China gathered at a negotiating table to discuss the prospects of transporting goods along the Kazakhstan-Lianyungang Port-Vietnam corridor and further to other countries of Southeast Asia.”
And now they are looking toward additional methods of increasing trade (within the agreement), while testing options via the Kazakhstan-Lianyungang Port-Port of Ho Chi Minh City route. Zhumakhanov explained:
“A railway route from Kazakhstan to the port of Lianyungang was constructed where we established a joint venture. China is interested in the exploitation of railways for the delivery of goods to Russia and the European countries. China sent its first freight train to London through Kazakhstan in early January. It took 18 days, which is two times less than by the sea route and much cheaper than air transportation.”
To date, around 40 countries are interested in establishing trade and economic relations with the EAEU and right now, the EAEU is working on FTZ agreements with: China, Iran, India, Israel, and Singapore.