Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan continue to strengthen their partnership through high-level dialogue and cooperation in the areas of logistics, investment, and green energy development, the expert for international relations, Tair Nigmanov told Trend.

"The heads of state maintain regular high-level dialogue. Cooperation within the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) also shows positive dynamics - an official summit is held annually, usually in the fall, as well as informal meetings in the spring or summer. The presidents communicate regularly during these events, as well as during bilateral visits, telephone conversations, and on the sidelines of other platforms, including the CIS," Nigmanov said.

He noted that Kazakhstan supports a peaceful settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the signing of a peace declaration. An important factor, he said, is that Kazakhstan has also contributed to the peace process.

“In particular, in 2024, a meeting of foreign ministers was held in Almaty as part of the preparation of a peace agreement. Overall, I would describe the dynamics as very positive,” the expert said.

According to him, key achievements in bilateral cooperation can be identified in several areas.

"Firstly, there is a trilateral agreement between Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan on the development of green energy. Over the past two years, a number of agreements have been signed between banks and investment funds, in particular, a strategic partnership agreement between Samruk-Kazyna and Azerbaijan Investment Holding. Active negotiations and agreements in the economic and investment spheres are continuing. It is worth noting the agreement on the phased increase in the volume of Kazakh oil transit through the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in which the Kazakh company KazMunayGas and the Azerbaijani state oil company SOCAR participated," Nigmanov noted.

According to him, the positive dynamics of relations are actively filled with concrete economic content.

"As for the Middle Corridor, Kazakhstan is seeking to diversify its logistics flows. When it comes to oil, more than 90 percent of Kazakhstan's oil is transported through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which runs through Russia, and is then shipped from the port of Novorossiysk. However, geopolitical and economic instability is increasing, and uncertainty remains regarding the pressure of sanctions on Russia," the expert noted.

Nigmanov added that there have also been cases of oil shipments being suspended due to natural causes, such as storms and other force majeure events. In this regard, Kazakhstan is interested in reducing its unilateral dependence and developing alternative supply routes.

"In addition, when it comes to non-oil commodities, economic and geopolitical instability also have a negative impact. Sanctions, restrictions, and embargoes imposed between the Russian Federation and the countries of the EU and the U.S. force us to constantly look for alternative supply routes for a wide variety of goods, from food to consumer goods. In this context, the Middle Corridor plays an important role," he noted.

According to him, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan undoubtedly play a central role in realizing the potential of the Middle Corridor.