Kazakhstan is engaging in discussions with Abu Dhabi Ports to establish a joint venture that will facilitate the shipment of Kazakh agricultural exports via Iran and Gulf ports. As a major exporter of agricultural commodities like grains and oilseeds, Kazakhstan aims to utilise the Caspian Sea route to transport cargoes to Iranian Gulf ports such as Amirabad and Bandar Abbas, enabling further distribution to other destinations in the Gulf, Asia, and Africa.
The Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister, Serik Zhumangarin, held talks with Davood Tafti, the CEO of Simatech Shipping and Forwarding, a subsidiary of AD Ports Group, to explore the potential of the project. By forging this partnership, landlocked Kazakhstan seeks to diversify its export avenues beyond neighboring Central Asian countries and China, while also providing an alternative to Black Sea ports via Russia for international trade.
