ASTANA, Kazakhstan, September 29. Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov participated in the Council of CIS Heads of Government meetings in Minsk, Belarus, held in both narrow and expanded formats, Trend reports.
In his address, Bektenov emphasized that the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) remains a reliable platform for cooperation and mutually beneficial solutions. He noted that the CIS’s combined GDP grows by an average of 4.5% annually, while intra-CIS trade has increased by 40% over the past five years. Last year, Kazakhstan’s trade with CIS countries reached $37.3 billion, including a 9.4% rise in services trade to $4.3 billion.
He stressed the importance of strengthening economic ties to ensure sustainable growth and enhance competitiveness. He highlighted that ongoing efforts to improve exchange trading mechanisms across CIS states will provide additional stimulus to business activity.
The PM also underscored collaboration on digital transformation and artificial intelligence as key drivers of economic growth.
“President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has set the strategic goal of transforming Kazakhstan into a fully digital country over the next three years. Our digital agenda now covers all areas of government, helping address social issues and citizens’ daily needs. We are also focusing on exporting domestic digital solutions and sharing our experience with international partners. Kazakhstan is ready to develop further cooperation with our CIS colleagues in this area,” Bektenov said.