Astana, May 11 (EFE).- Kazakhstan, the world’s ninth-largest country and the largest in Central Asia, with its long history of nomadic life and vast grazing lands for livestock farming, is ready to join efforts with Brazil, the world’s largest meat producer.
“Brazil is the world’s leading meat exporter, ranking first in beef supplies (approximately 28% of the market), with nearly 4 million tons annually. We see enormous potential for cooperation in this area and the possibility of significantly expanding our export product line to the Kazakh market,” Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said during a meeting with his Kazakh counterpart, Yermek Kosherbayev, on Monday as part of his official visit to Astana.
The Brazilian minister noted that “Kazakhstan’s strategic location, combined with its political stability, makes the Central Asian republic a very attractive partner, given the growing risks and new challenges facing maritime transportation of goods.”
“Kazakhstan and Brazil play a key role in their respective regions and possess significant transportation and transit potential with access to international markets,” the Kazakh minister said in turn.
According to Kosherbayev, both countries can act as gateways in their respective regions.
“Kazakhstan toward Eurasia and Brazil toward Latin America,” he explained.
In addition, given that China, Kazakhstan’s neighbor, is the main buyer of Brazilian meat, the establishment in the Asian country of meat production companies using Brazilian technology has become increasingly relevant.
Land bridge between Asia and Europe
“Kazakhstan, located at the crossroads of key routes between China and Russia, is steadily strengthening its role as a land bridge between Asia and Europe, opening new logistical opportunities for Brazilian partners in Eurasian markets,” Kosherbayev stressed.
According to the Kazakh minister, Brazil ranks first among Latin American and Caribbean countries in terms of bilateral trade volume with Kazakhstan.
Another issue discussed during Vieira’s visit was the exploration of new oil fields in Kazakhstan.
Brazil’s Petrobras is a world leader in deep and ultra-deep drilling (more than 7,000 meters), especially offshore, which is currently of particular importance for Kazakhstan’s national company KazMunayGas.
Beyond purely economic matters, the ministers also discussed cooperation in sport.
The Kazakh side stated that 15 Brazilian players had come to Kazakhstan to help local footballers be successful.
“I was surprised that so many Brazilian footballers were and still are working in Kazakhstan. I certainly consider this important for expanding cooperation and strengthening ties between our countries,” Vieira replied. EFE
