Omsk Governor Proposes Boosting Trade with Kazakhstan via Irtysh River

Vitaly Khotsenko, Governor of Russia’s Omsk Region, has proposed developing river transport along the Irtysh to strengthen trade ties with Kazakhstan, Orda.kz reports.

On July 1, a delegation from the Omsk region visited Pavlodar. Following the visit, Khotsenko published several posts on Telegram promoting the Irtysh River as a strategic transport link.

The transboundary river has significant potential, including for developing navigation. We are interested in cargo transport by water, including deliveries of agricultural products. This would allow us to expand production in the region,” Khotsenko wrote. “We also see long-term potential for passenger routes, which would benefit tourism.

According to him, Kazakhstan is currently Omsk’s primary foreign trade partner, but most cargo still moves by road or rail.

He believes river shipping would speed up delivery times and reduce costs.

I’m confident the Irtysh must return to the economic agenda as a key logistics route — not just regionally, but internationally. The river could fully connect Russia’s northern and Siberian regions with Kazakhstan, the governor added.

Notably, the Omsk delegation arrived in Pavlodar by water — aboard a small riverboat via the Irtysh.

Original Author: Igor Ulitin