Kazakhstan, Lithuania interested in stronger win-win partnership
"In the course of the meeting, the sides discussed issues of investment cooperation, development of the transport and logistics infrastructure, transit traffic, as well as civil aviation collaboration," the press service said.
Zhenis Kassymbek highlighted the fast-paced development of the bilateral relations over the past few years as the rail transit traffic between Kazakhstan and Lithuania has grown by 27.1%. He also invited Lithuanian companies to be actively involved in the fulfilment of the transit potential of the two countries within the framework of the One Belt, One Road Initiative.
The upward trend persists this year as well: the transit traffic doubled in January alone. In January 2018, the goods transported by rail amounted to 15,530 tons, increasing by 9,670 tons in contrast to the same period in 2017 (5,860 tons).
In turn, Ambassador Vytautas Naudužas pointed out that the countries intend to continue strengthening the trade and economic ties and expand fields of mutual cooperation.
In 2017, the trade turnover between the countries rose more than twofold (122.7%) as compared to 2016 ($324.4 million), reaching $722.3 million. Kazakhstan's exports to Lithuania have increased almost 2.5 times (130%) year-on-year and amounted to $554.3 million ($240.9 million in 2016). Since May 27, 2018, Kazakhstan's SCAT airline plans to launch a new air service Astana-Vilnius (the flights will be operated twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays by Boeing 737).