For Kazakhstan, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is primarily of practical importance: through it, the country engages with Eurasia's largest economies, expands trade ties, promotes investment cooperation and transport projects. Kazakhstan has been one of the founding members of the SCO since the organization was established in 2001. The member states are directly important to Kazakhstan as trading partners and participants in major regional projects.
This is well reflected in Kazakhstan's foreign trade statistics. In January-June 2026, China accounted for 18.6% of Kazakhstan's exports, while Russia accounted for 8.6%. In the structure of imports, Russia accounted for 30.9%, while China accounted for 29.1%.
Thus, a significant share of Kazakhstan's foreign trade turnover is accounted for by SCO member states. According to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the country's trade turnover with the organization's member states approached $70 billion in 2024. For Astana, the SCO serves both as a platform for political dialogue and as a mechanism for promoting economic ties with the major markets of its member states.
The composition of the organization is also important. China and India are among the world's largest economies, while Russia remains one of Kazakhstan's key trading partners. As a result, Kazakhstan has an opportunity to develop relations simultaneously with several major economic centers without focusing exclusively on a single partner.
This directly corresponds to Astana's multi-vector approach to foreign policy. The SCO's transport potential is particularly important for Kazakhstan. The country is located between China and European markets and also has access to the Caspian Sea.
According to available estimates, Kazakhstan accounts for about 85% of overland freight traffic between China and Europe. This makes the development of rail and other transport infrastructure one of the key tools for strengthening the country's economic role in the region. For Kazakhstan, the growth of transit traffic is important not only in itself.
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