Tokayev Diversifies Kazakhstan’s Fuel Supply Markets as Tajikistan Is Next in Line
Kazakhstan and Tajikistan signed a framework agreement on petroleum product supplies. The document also provides for cooperation in electric power and digital technologies.
Abdulrahman Sadikhli4 min read
Kazakhstan and Tajikistan intend to expand energy cooperation, primarily in petroleum product supplies. The agreements reached during the official visit of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon to Astana on 5–7 November 2026 open additional opportunities for Kazakh producers in the Tajik market.
Following talks between Rahmon and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the parties signed a number of documents on cooperation. The key outcome was a framework agreement between the two countries' profile ministries on petroleum product supplies.
Petroleum product supplies
According to the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan, the document provides for cooperation in supplies of Kazakh motor gasoline, diesel fuel and aviation fuel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), bitumen, oils and other products. The parties intend to agree annual supply balances for the following calendar year, taking into account Tajik market needs. This will make it possible to determine expected volumes in advance and to build more systematic work.
The agreement also provides for consideration of building new refineries or expanding existing capacities in Kazakhstan, taking into account Tajikistan's needs.
For Kazakhstan, the agreements open prospects for expanding the geography of petroleum product exports and gaining access to an additional market in Central Asia. For Tajikistan, they create an opportunity to diversify import sources and strengthen energy security through closer work with Kazakh suppliers.
However, the success of the agreement will depend not only on production capacity but also on logistics. Kazakhstan and Tajikistan do not share a common border, so the competitiveness of Kazakh petroleum products on the Tajik market will depend on transit tariffs, transport costs and delivery times.
Transport and transit
During the talks, Tokayev particularly noted the importance of expanding cooperation in transport and transit.
"The parties agreed to pay special attention to the digitalisation of transport, which will ensure uninterrupted movement of cargo. For further development of this direction, the possibility of implementing priority transport and logistics projects will be studied. To this end, a bilateral working group with the participation of national railway companies is operating, which has been tasked with preparing specific proposals on cooperation." said Tokayev.
Thus, transport connectivity will be an important factor in the implementation and competitiveness of petroleum product supplies.
In addition, the talks covered cooperation in electric power: the two countries signed an intergovernmental agreement on its strengthening. Tajik Minister of Energy and Water Resources Dalerdzhon Jumma visited the Kazakh company KEGOC, where he was briefed on the development of the Unified Electric Power System of Kazakhstan, 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.
Trade and other documents
Energy agreements have become part of a broader economic agenda. Kazakhstan and Tajikistan intend to bring bilateral trade turnover to USD 2 billion by 2030. A road map for this has been signed. The parties also signed documents on long-term cooperation in the mining and metallurgical industries, agricultural development, artificial intelligence and electronic commerce.
"Thanks to joint efforts, trade turnover is steadily approaching the mark of USD 2 billion. This was made possible by Kazakhstan, one of Tajikistan's three largest trade partners. My esteemed colleague Emomali Sharipovich and I agreed to take the necessary steps for further increasing mutual trade. The Road Map for increasing trade turnover up to 2030 has now been adopted. The governments have been instructed to ensure its effective implementation," Tokayev said at a briefing for the press following talks with Rahmon.
The agreements reached in Astana and Dushanbe reflect the intention of the two countries to move from simple trade growth toward deeper economic interdependence. For Kazakhstan, cooperation with Tajikistan opens prospects for diversifying export directions and strengthening positions in Central Asian markets. Given the absence of a common border, transport is no less important than production capacity.
Source: trend.az
