BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 13. Romania pledges
continued assist for Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan of their
contributions to the EU’s power safety, Ana Cristina Tinca,
State Secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Affairs of Romania, mentioned
in an unique interview with Development.
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan as garants of EU power
safety
“With a commerce quantity of round $42
billion in 2023 and an general funding inventory (over the previous 20
years) of $180 billion, the European Union is the principle financial
associate of Kazakhstan. The EU-Kazakhstani Enhanced Partnership and
Cooperation Settlement and the EU World Gateway, backed by
constant, common political dialogue on the highest ranges, have
opened new venues of cooperation in transport and logistics,
power, essential uncooked supplies, agriculture, digitalization, and
many different fields,” she mentioned.
Because the state secretary famous, the Southern Caucasus area and
Azerbaijan, as a riparian Caspian nation, are essentially the most pure
bridge connecting the European Union and Kazakhstan and bringing
them nearer politically and economically.
“Equally vital, each Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are key
companions for the European Union within the power subject. Thus, the
European Union and Romania particularly (as an EU Member State at
the Black Sea) will proceed to assist all tasks aiming to
improve power safety. We’re notably concerned with
diversifying provide sources and transport routes, selling
sustainable growth of latest power sources, and inspiring a
balanced transition to inexperienced economies. Naturally, rising the
volumes of hydrocarbons shipped through the Caspian and Black Seas,
constructing new infrastructure capacities or increasing current ones,
in addition to growing inexperienced power, stay key matters of curiosity
for us,” Ana Cristina Tinca mentioned.
As she famous, in terms of connectivity, Romania believes
that policymakers in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and the European Union
(together with Romania) share the identical views in regards to the significance of
growing transport and logistics, power, and digital
connectivity.
“Romania is straight concerned in key tasks such because the
common ferry strains within the Black Sea, the event of the
electrical cable beneath the Black Sea (the “Inexperienced Electrical energy
Hall”), the underwater fiber optic cable in the direction of the South
Caucasus, and the Black Sea-Caspian Sea Freight Transport Hall.
All these tasks additionally assist strengthen the hyperlinks between Europe
and Kazakhstan and the broader Central Asian area,” she mentioned.
Trans-Caspian Worldwide Transport Route
The state secretary famous that the EBRD Examine on Sustainable
Transport Connections between Europe and Central Asia introduced its
first preliminary outcomes on the second EU-Central Asia Financial
Discussion board in Might 2023.
“Since then, the Center Hall (or the Trans-Caspian
Worldwide Transport Route) has acquired unprecedented consideration
and benefited from renewed, convergent political and sensible
efforts. The EU World Gateway Discussion board, the Traders Discussion board for
EU-Central Asia Transport Connectivity, and the Coordination
Platform for the Trans-Caspian Corridors have been the principle
platforms for exchanges and cooperation on growing the Hall,
together with discovering sustainable options to overcoming current
bottlenecks and boosting transit capacities,” she famous.
Ana Cristina Tinca highlighted that transport and logistics,
particularly contemplating the significance of the Constanta Port, have
at all times featured prominently in high-level Romanian-Kazakhstani
contacts.
“Our presidents and ministers of international affairs have not too long ago
mentioned these matters. Discussions have continued extensively
between the road ministries within the first half of 2024, for instance
throughout the go to to Romania of the Minister of Transport of
Kazakhstan, then on the seventeenth plenary session of the
Intergovernmental Fee on Financial Cooperation, and most
not too long ago throughout the go to to Astana of the State Counsellor of the
Prime Minister of Romania – the nationwide senior official in cost
of EU World Gateway,” she mentioned.
Inexperienced power between Romania and Kazakhstan
The state secretary emphasised Kazakhstan’s unwavering
dedication to the shift in the direction of inexperienced economies and
decarbonization, highlighting its vital worth.
“We’re totally conscious of Kazakhstan’s main positions in phrases
of fossil gasoline output and exports, inexperienced power potential (wind,
photo voltaic, hydrogen), and uncommon earth reserves which might be essential to
shaping the transition in the direction of zero emissions economies. These
matters have been excessive on the bilateral agenda, notably inside
the framework of the Romanian-Kazakhstani Intergovernmental
Fee for Financial Cooperation, which meets frequently each
two years, most not too long ago on February 14th–fifteenth, 2024, in Bucharest.
The power ministers on either side chair the fee,” she
mentioned.
In response to her, Romania stays a dependable associate for
Kazakhstan, together with by sharing its expertise in inexperienced power
market growth.
“At the moment, Romania bases 40 p.c of its home consumption
on inexperienced power, with inexperienced power manufacturing, together with renewable
sources, accounting for greater than 50 p.c of the overall power
output. As an example, Romania inaugurated the most important photovoltaic
park in Southeast Europe in October 2023. Equally vital, the
transition to inexperienced economies requires sustainable,
environment-friendly applied sciences for oil and fuel drilling, coal
mining, and in petrochemical industries. Romania additionally has an extended
and wealthy manufacturing custom,” she famous.
Commerce turnover dynamics
She highlighted that Romania and Kazakhstan share strong, robust
ties of partnership, extending greater than 32 years.
“Kazakhstan is Romania’s most vital financial associate in
Central Asia; moreover, Romania is a key gateway for Kazakhstan
to the European Union and its Single Market, at present rating fifth
amongst EU international locations and twelfth worldwide as a commerce and funding
associate for Kazakhstan. Regardless of the numerous geopolitical
challenges now we have confronted in recent times, now we have continued to
construct on our long-standing custom of trustful dialogue in any respect
ranges. Final 12 months, President Klaus Iohannis and President
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had substantial discussions on the margins of
the UN Basic Meeting, specializing in concrete steps to spice up our
commerce, connectivity, and power cooperation,” she mentioned.
Following the assembly, Ana Cristina Tinca famous that
Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Overseas Affairs,
Murat Nurtleu, made his first-ever official go to to Romania.
“2023 set new information of bilateral commerce, reaching $3.07 billion
(a two-fold improve in contrast with the pre-pandemic interval), with
essentially the most vital share going to hydrocarbon imports from
Kazakhstan, particularly oil. For the primary quarter of 2024, the
general pattern stays dynamic, with Romanian imports reaching $740
million and Romanian exports rising by 115 p.c to $36 million.
Nevertheless, now we have but to completely faucet into the potential. Consequently,
the duties forward of us might be resumed as follows: diversification
– extra concentrate on manufactured merchandise; extra enter from the brand new
applied sciences; growth of the round financial system,” she mentioned.
Potential areas for partnership growth
“Bringing our international locations and areas nearer in all respects
stays the strategic guiding line of our relationship. There may be
spectacular potential throughout the Romanian-Kazakhstani cooperation
ready to be developed by joint efforts, notably in commerce,
investments, power, and connectivity. So far as commerce and
investments are involved, we have to transfer as much as a brand new stage and
attain the mutually agreed diversification objectives, notably in
fields as chemical, pharmaceutical, plastics industries,
electronics and electrotechnics industries, electrical equipment and
supplies, agriculture, agricultural equipment and meals trade,
rolling inventory and freight infrastructure, and significant uncooked
supplies,” the state secretary concluded.
