Astana ready to supply oil, gas, uranium to Bratislava - Kazakh president

ASTANA. June 11 (Interfax) - Astana is interested in exporting oil, gas and uranium to Slovakia and sees prospects for cooperation in the energy and machine building sectors, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.

"Kazakhstan is ready to export oil, gas, uranium, food and other products to Slovakia. We also see prospects for implementing joint projects in energy, machine building, agriculture, digitalization and tourism," Tokayev said at a press briefing on Wednesday, following negotiations with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

More than 30 Slovak companies are working in Kazakhstan, Tokayev said, adding that the Slovak delegation visiting Kazakhstan included big business representatives.

"I am sure that the business forum scheduled for today will give an additional impetus to our interaction. [...] Slovakia is a dynamic state with sustainable economic growth. Therefore, Kazakhstan seeks to expand bilateral relations. An increase in bilateral trade has been discussed. We give much attention to the deepening of investment cooperation," Tokayev said.

He proposed raising the level of the Kazakh-Slovak intergovernmental commission to the ministerial one.

In turn, Fico said that Slovakia was ready for cooperation in the nuclear energy and oil sectors.

"We have five reactors and will connect the sixth one shortly. [...] If our Kazakh colleagues show interest in the joint work, we will be ready to do it, as well. The president and I have discussed the use of the Druzhba corridor through Russia, Belarus and Slovakia. We can discuss oil imports with experts," Fico said earlier at negotiations in the expanded format.

He also invited Slovakia to join the Trans-Caspian international transport corridor project.

"In the course of the negotiations, we discussed the possible joint use of the potential of a strategic trade route, the Trans-Caspian international transport corridor. I invited Slovak partners to the project, which may unlock new horizons for bilateral grade," Tokayev told the press after negotiations with Fico.

The Trans-Caspian international transport route is an international transport corridor that goes through China, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Europe.