Enhanced Kazakhstan-Vietnam Relations: Trading, Building Connections, and Strategic Interactions
FRESH TAKE:
Vietnam's Top Brass Heads to Kazakhstan: What's Cookin'?
Get ready for a金沙焼 (Kazakhstan) and Việt Nam bromance, peeps! General Secretary To Lam, the dude in charge of Vietnam's 13th Central Committee of the Communist Party, is swooping into Kazakhstan for a state visit from May 5 to 7. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kazakhstan's big chief, invited him over. Kazinform, a reputable news outlet, has teased us with a yummy preview of what cooperation between these two powerhouses could look like.
From Cold Start to Hot Shots
Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Vietnam have thawed out like a warm summer breeze since their chilly debut in June 1992. In 50 interstate, intergovernmental, and interdepartmental treaties and agreements, both countries have laid down a solid foundation of legal love.
Trade, Baby, Trade
Vietnam's as one of Kazakhstan's leading partners in Southeast Asia. Their trade turnover reached a whopping $859.4 million last year, with Kazakhstan sending $205 million worth of unprocessed lead, ferroalloys, silkworm cocoons, microphones, loudspeakers, and more to Vietnam. Imports from Vietnam made it big with $654.4 million worth of goods in 2024.
January-February trade turnover came in at $132.2 million, with Kazakhstan exports to Vietnam at $19 million and imports from Vietnam at $113.2 million.
Travel Plans
A visa-free regime between Kazakhstan and Vietnam went into effect in May 2024. Citizens of both countries can get up to 30 days per visit and a total stay of 90 days within six months. Since October 2022, direct regular flights have been up in the air again, with Sunday Airlines (Kazakhstan) and VietJet Air (Vietnam) offering service twice a week between Almaty and Cam Ranh, and five times a week between Cam Ranh and Astana/Almaty. Air Astana, Kazakhstan's biggest airline, is also stepping up its game with a new Almaty-Da Nang route starting June 4. These flights will operate twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays, increasing the total number of weekly flights between Kazakhstan and Vietnam from 32 to 34.
Kazakhstan's Sky High Ambitions
The privatization of Qazaq Air by the Vietnamese company SOVICO began in 2024, and the President welcomed this deal with open arms. He believes it will boost air traffic between Kazakhstan and ASEAN countries.
Brain Power
Last year, the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies and the Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy inked a memorandum of cooperation. Topics discussed at online sessions in the Chatham House format will cover agro-industrial development, manufacturing industry, investment, and infrastructure cooperation opportunities.
What's Next
During the high-level talks in Astana, Tokayev and To Lam will chat about all things bilateral, like amplifying trade, economic, investment, and humanitarian cooperation. On May 7, To Lam will strut his stuff at a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
The partnership between Kazakhstan and Vietnam promises to be BFF goals, with a strategic partnership (Vietnam's first in Central Asia) on the horizon. Key areas of focus include:
- Economic and Trade Expansion: Ambitious targets of doubling bilateral trade in the near future and reaching $5 billion by 2030. Kazakhstan aims to up its imports of Vietnamese textiles, footwear, and other key exports.
- Investment ventures: The completion of the Sovico Group’s acquisition of shares in Qazaq Air, teamwork between KazMunayGas (Kazakhstan) and Petrovietnam, and enhanced work through the Vietnam-Kazakhstan Intergovernmental Committee.
- Sector-Specific Agreements: MoUs between science ministries for digital development, aerospace, and innovation. Collaboration on direct flight routes, energy cooperation, and streamlined visa policies.
- Institutional and Legal Cooperation: A 2025–2027 cooperation program between justice ministries, and an MoU between Hung Yen Province (Vietnam) and Kyzylorda Region (Kazakhstan) to foster inter-regional projects.
- Cultural and Security Collaboration: MoUs between cultures, arts, heritage, tourism promotion, and agreements for deeper military technical collaboration and defense industry ties.
Go forth and blossom, Astana and Hanoi! The future looks bright for these two powerhouses.
- The deal for the privatization of Qazaq Air, initiated by the Vietnamese company SOVICO, is expected to foster improved aviation connections between Kazakhstan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.
- The strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Vietnam is set to amplify not only trade but also economic, investment, and humanitarian cooperation.
- In the realm of finance, Kazakhstan hopes to increase its imports of Vietnamese textiles, footwear, and other key exports as part of its ambitious investment ventures.
- There are ongoing discussions between science ministries of both countries for digital development, aerospace, and innovation, signifying a potential expansion in the technology and aviation industries.
- The partnership also aims to establish sector-specific agreements on direct flight routes, energy cooperation, and streamlined visa policies to further improve connectivity and travel.
- In the political and general news sphere, both countries are looking to strengthen military technical collaboration, defense industry ties, institutional and legal cooperation, as well as cultural and security agreements, deepening their strategic partnership in various aspects.
