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Nazrin Abdul

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Kazakhstan plans to boost oil exports through Azerbaijan, with a strong focus on environmental responsibility, Azernews reports that Baurzhan Umirzakov, senior expert at the Global Economy and Sustainable Development Department of the Kazakh Institute for Strategic Studies, as he said at the IV meeting of the Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan Expert Council.

He emphasized that the energy sector, particularly oil exports via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan route, remains a key area of cooperation between the two countries. Despite existing challenges, Kazakhstan is exploring opportunities to increase supply volumes and is actively working to expand exports.

In 2024, Kazakhstan is set to produce 93 million tons of oil, 4 million tons more than last year. Of this, approximately 70 million tons will be exported. While most of the exports are traditionally routed through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, there is growing interest in alternative routes, including those through Azerbaijan.

Umirzakov noted that Kazakhstan is modernizing its tanker fleet and infrastructure and continuing work on the Tengiz and Kashagan oil fields, which are central to the country's long-term export growth plans until 2030.

He also stressed the importance of environmental responsibility: “Our goal is not only to increase supply volumes but to do so with environmental sustainability in mind. We must consider the long-term impact, especially in the face of climate change and growing infrastructure challenges."

Umirzakov concluded that expanding the export corridor can only be achieved through close coordination with Azerbaijan, which is well-versed in the technical capabilities of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.