Toqayev and Aliyev Meet in Aqorda

Yesterday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Astana on a visit. Qasym-Jomart Toqayev welcomed his counterpart at the airport, Orda.kz reports.

Today, Aliyev was received with ceremony and warmth at Aqorda.

The presidents of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan held negotiations, according to the press service of the Kazakh president. Based on Aqorda’s statement, the talks concerned cooperation and strategic partnership, discussed global issues, and other matters.

Statements on Bilateral Relations

Toqayev emphasized that Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are not only friendly states but also brotherly nations. While this statement may seem routine, reports highlighting the good relations between the two countries appear regularly.

For instance, before Aliyev’s visit to Kazakhstan, the Azerbaijani portal Minval Politika referred to Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan as “the locomotives of Turkic unity,” citing a Kazakhstani political analyst.

The Middle Corridor 

Both presidents were presented with the Middle Corridor development project. According to Asel Zhanasova, Advisor to the President of Kazakhstan, the growth of freight traffic between China and Azerbaijan has become the main driver for the route passing through Kazakhstan.

Currently, cargo transit from the Chinese border to Georgian ports takes 15–18 days. According to forecasts, cargo flows along this route could triple by 2030.

Today, the two leaders will also participate in a meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.

Historic Significance

Following the above talks, Toqayev and Aliyev held a meeting where the leaders once again discussed key issues of cooperation.

The interlocutors discussed interaction in the fields of transport, logistics, digitalization, the fuel and energy complex, and other areas. The presidents noted the important contribution of each side to strengthening the alliance and relations between the countries.

At the meeting, Qasym-Jomart Toqayev again referred to the reconciliation between Azerbaijan and Armenia and highlighted Ilham Aliyev’s role in resolving this conflict:

Meanwhile, as reported by the Azerbaijani publication Minval, Aliyev emphasized that the role of U.S. President Donald Trump in normalizing relations between the countries deserves the highest praise.

In early August, Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan jointly proposed to nominate an American politician for the Nobel Peace Prize.