Kazakhstan offers Hong Kong its airports as cargo hubs for China-Europe tradeKazakhstan offered its airports as transit hubs for Chinese and Hong Kong cargo bound for Europe during talks Tuesday between Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who also discussed trade, investment, digitalization, education and tourism, prime minster's press service said.Bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and Hong Kong rose 40% to $180 million in 2025, while overall trade between Kazakhstan and China reached $48.7 billion.Bektenov proposed using Kazakh airport infrastructure to move cargo from Hong Kong and China onward to European Union countries, the statement said. The two sides also explored a "Kazakhstan–Xinjiang–Hong Kong" format as a model for economic cooperation and a permanent platform for joint projects.Lee said a Hong Kong airline plans to launch direct flights to Almaty next year, with routes and frequencies set to grow.Hong Kong and mainland Chinese businesses see Kazakhstan as a key partner for entering Central Asian markets, he said."The results of this visit have further strengthened our confidence in the significant potential for continued cooperation and the favorable prospects for developing a hub-to-hub partnership model. Your country occupies a strategic position in Central Asia, at the crossroads of key transport and logistics routes between Asia and Europe. I am confident we have many areas for effective joint work," Lee said.Kazakhstan aims to boost transit cargo traffic and turn its airports into regional aviation hubs. Jet fuel prices have been cut from $1,200 to $940 per tonne on the president's orders, with a further drop to $890 planned.KazMunayGas-Aero, a unit of state energy company KazMunayGas, has signed in-wing refueling deals with major international cargo carriers including Turkish Airlines, Turkish Cargo, FlyDubai, Red Sea, Air Cairo, Somon Air, FlyMeta and Silk Way West Airlines. European cargo carrier Cargolux Airlines International has also resumed flights to Kazakhstan.The lower, unified fuel price is expected to draw major airlines such as Lufthansa, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Air China, along with leading global cargo operators. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX