The Kazakh government has planned to build 50 border offices on the border with Russia, said Serik Akhmetkaliev, first deputy head of the Department of the Border Service of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Construction of the first 20 border complexes has already begun.
According to another deputy head of the department, Gani Agadilov, the reconstruction of automobile checkpoints on the Russian border will take place in the next two years. “The government has decided to rebuild 46 checkpoints along the entire perimeter of the border. Even in 2024-2025, the main checkpoints on the Kazakhstan-Russia border are subject to reconstruction. These are the expansion of traffic lanes to checkpoints, the construction of new buildings and structures for the service of border guards, the comfortable passage of people and vehicles,” Agadilov explained. He added that contactless detection devices will work at the new border offices.
double performance
Not so long ago, Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev spoke about Russia’s reciprocal steps in this direction at a meeting of the country’s government. He, in particular, spoke about the new equipment at the Mashtakov checkpoint in the Orenburg region, on the border with Kazakhstan. The minister said that last year the ministry installed portal systems that allow the driver to stay in the taxi. “In 2022 and 2023, we will complete the equipping of two checkpoints Mashtakovo and Tagirkent-Kazmalyar with four complexes, and by the end of the third quarter of this year we will equip another 5 checkpoints with seven gate complexes,” Vitaly Savelyev said.
According to him, in April this year, the Russian government signed a plan with the Kazakh side, which provides for a comprehensive reconstruction of 10 priority car points. The work will be completed in 2027.
Tyumen Region Governor Alexander Moor also announced plans to modernize the Kazanskoye checkpoint in the south of the region.
“We proceed from the fact that today our relations to the south with the countries of Central Asia are intensifying. Even though there are more powerful checkpoints in terms of performance in other regions, we also raised the question in the Federation Council about modernizing our checkpoint. In addition, there are symmetrical plans on the part of Kazakhstan, they will expand their checkpoint, it is logical that we will do the same,” said the head of the Russian region adjacent to Kazakhstan.
Alexander Moor told reporters that the Federation Council recommended that 500 million rubles be allocated for the overhaul of Kazansky, the production capacity of which was to be doubled.
“We are forming a new transport framework for Eurasia”
The modern era is marked by the growth of the geopolitical influence of the Central Asian states. This was discussed on the sidelines of the Central Asia Forum on Security and Cooperation “Asia in a Changing World: Agenda for the Future” held in the capital of Kazakhstan in July. Thus, the director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KISS), Yerkin Tukumov, highlighted Asia’s rapid economic and technological progress. “Central Asia and Asia in general are on the rise. The future of Asia will affect the future of the world, the scientist said. “Kazakhstan sees its task as building bridges between countries.”
For his part, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Murat Nurtleu, proposed creating a regional hub for the sustainable development of Central Asia in Almaty. And UN Deputy Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov said Central Asia has made “tremendous progress” over 20 years in strengthening regional cooperation and interaction with international partners to develop its economy.
One can also recall the words of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, delivered at the end of May at the 2nd EAEU Eurasian Economic Forum in Moscow. Tokayev noted that during the 9 years of the EAEU’s existence, Kazakhstan’s trade turnover with other member countries has grown by 74%, while exports have grown by 98%.
“It can be said without exaggeration that we are now, in fact, forming a new transport framework for Eurasia, which has never existed before. If we address this issue thoroughly and together, we can reap significant economic and even political dividends,” said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The President of Kazakhstan assured that his country was ready to act as the logistics center of the EAEU and offered to launch high-speed freight trains along the railway from Russia to Iran through Kazakhstan. “Here we expect fruitful cooperation with Russia, as the project significantly reduces the distance and delivery time of goods to China not only from Kazakhstan, but also from Western Siberia,” Tokayev said.
Member of the Russian-Kazakhstan Business Council, Doctor of Political Science Mikhail Smirnov points out that the idea of effective use of the Eurasian North-South logistics chain is an old dream of the countries of the region.
“The political dividends that Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke about is the growth of the influence of the countries in which the economy is developing, so they are interested in developing the transport corridor. I repeat, these are the countries of Central Asia and Russia. Politics remains an “expression” of the economy, so the transport corridor will help increase the political weight of the Central Asian states, increase the degree of their independence,” concludes the Russian expert.
