DUSHANBE, July 6, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Representatives from business communities of Tajikistan and Kazakhstan met here yesterday to discuss cooperation issues.

Senior representatives from sixteen Kazakh companies as well as the Ministry of Industries and New Technologies of Kazakhstan and Kazakhstan’s Export/Credit Insurance Corporation KazExportGarant participated in the forum that aims to promote establishment of contacts between the business communities of the two countries and further expansion of mutually beneficial economic cooperation.

Senior representatives from more than 100 Tajik enterprises and companies participated in the forum.

The forum participants discussed issues related to attraction of Kazakh investments for development of Tajikistan’s economy, expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Kazakhstan in sectors like transportation, logistics, petrochemistry, mechanical engineering, construction, pharmaceutics, and food industry.

A ceremony for the presentation of two Kazakhstan’s companies – Hyundai Auto Truck & Bus Kazakhstan and the South Kazakhstan Machine Building Plant – was held on the sidelines of the forum.

In 2011, a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Kazakhstan was estimated at 357.4 million U.S. dollars, which is 49 percent more than in 2009.