BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 9. Kazakhstan and
Tajikistan intend to expand energy cooperation, focusing on
petroleum product supplies, electricity sector development, and the
exchange of experience in digital technologies. The agreements
reached during Tajik President Emomali Rahmon’s official visit to
Astana on November 5-7, 2026, open up additional opportunities for
Kazakh producers in the Tajik market.
Following talks between Rahmon and Kazakh President
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the two countries signed a number of
cooperation documents. One of the key agreements was a framework
agreement between the relevant ministries of the two countries on
petroleum product supplies.
According to Tajikistan’s Ministry of Energy and Water
Resources, the document provides for cooperation in supplying
Kazakh automotive gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel, liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG), bitumen, fuel oil and other products. The
parties intend to agree annually on indicative supply balances for
the following calendar year, taking into account the needs of the
Tajik market. This will make it possible to determine expected
volumes in advance and establish a more systematic framework for
cooperation.
The agreement also provides for consideration of the possibility
of building new oil refineries or expanding existing refining
capacity in Kazakhstan, taking Tajikistan’s needs into account.
For Kazakhstan, the agreements offer prospects for expanding the
geographical reach of its petroleum product exports and accessing
an additional market in Central Asia. For Tajikistan, they create
an opportunity to diversify import sources and strengthen energy
security through closer cooperation with Kazakh suppliers.
However, the agreement’s potential will depend not only on
production capacity but also on logistics. Kazakhstan and
Tajikistan do not share a border, meaning that the competitiveness
of Kazakh petroleum products in the Tajik market will depend on
transit costs, transportation expenses, and delivery times.
During the talks, Tokayev particularly highlighted the
importance of expanding cooperation in the transit and
transportation sector.
“The parties agreed to pay special attention to the
digitalization of transport, which will ensure the seamless
movement of cargo. To further develop this area, the prospects for
implementing priority transport and logistics projects will be
explored. To this end, a bilateral Working Group comprising the
national railway companies is operating and has been tasked with
putting forward specific proposals for cooperation,” Tokayev
said.
Transport connectivity will therefore be an important factor in
ensuring the feasibility and competitiveness of petroleum product
supplies. Beyond this area, the talks also covered cooperation in
the electricity sector, with the two countries signing an
intergovernmental agreement to strengthen collaboration in this
field.
In addition, Tajikistan’s Minister of Energy and Water Resources
Daler Juma visited Kazakh company KEGOC, where he was briefed on
the development of Kazakhstan’s Unified Power System, strategic
investment projects, and the use of digital solutions and
artificial intelligence in power system management. The parties
agreed to continue exchanging experience in these areas.
Cooperation in the electricity sector complements the agreements
on petroleum product supplies, extending the bilateral energy
agenda to power system development, infrastructure modernization,
and the exchange of experience in digital solutions and artificial
intelligence.
The energy agreements formed part of a broader economic agenda.
Kazakhstan and Tajikistan intend to increase bilateral trade to $2
billion by 2030. A roadmap was signed to achieve this goal. The
parties also signed documents on long-term cooperation in the
mining and metallurgical sector, agricultural development,
artificial intelligence, and e-commerce.
“Through joint efforts, bilateral trade is steadily approaching
the $2 billion mark. This has made Kazakhstan one of Tajikistan’s
top three trading partners. My esteemed counterpart, Emomali
Sharipovich, and I have agreed to take the necessary steps to
further increase mutual trade. To achieve this goal, a Roadmap to
increase trade turnover through 2030 was adopted today. The
governments have been instructed to ensure its effective
implementation,” Tokayev said at a press briefing following talks
with Rahmon.
The agreements reached by Astana and Dushanbe reflect the two
countries’ intention to move beyond expanding trade turnover
towards deeper economic interdependence. For Kazakhstan,
cooperation with Tajikistan offers prospects for diversifying
export destinations and strengthening its position in Central Asian
markets. However, the absence of a shared border makes
transportation no less important than production capacity itself:
without competitive logistics, new markets may remain merely
potential export destinations.
For Tajikistan, cooperation with Kazakhstan means broader
opportunities to import petroleum products, diversify energy supply
sources and benefit from Kazakhstan’s experience in modernizing
energy infrastructure. In a wider regional context, the agreements
show that energy partnerships among Central Asian countries
increasingly depend not only on resource availability but also on
their ability to establish efficient transport links, integrate
infrastructure and introduce modern technologies.
