The Republic of Kazakhstan in the New Silk Road Economic Belt system

Abstract

The New Silk Road Economic Belt (NSREB) is a regional project, a land branch of the large-scale "One Belt, One Road" initiative proposed by China in 2013, which could have a significant impact on the realization of Kazakhstan's transit potential and even on economic development in general. The article examines the processes of Kazakhstan's economy functioning in the New Silk Road Economic Belt system. The global and Kazakh scientific literature does not sufficiently cover the economic consequences of NSREB in the territory of Kazakhstan and Central Asian countries. The author's interest in the topic of the article lies in the fact that with the introduction of the New Silk Road Economic Belt the logistics and transport system in Asia and Europe is becoming increasingly complex and this system plays an important economic significance. And Kazakhstan plays an indispensable role in this system. The article examines the striking areas of economic trade, investment and transport (Kazakhstan's economic relations with China and Europe) to show that Kazakhstan's indispensable role in the New Silk Road Economic Belt has greatly contributed to Kazakhstan's overall development. Chinese investments in Kazakhstan's transport and logistics infrastructure are mainly earmarked for the construction of pipelines, railways and motorways, as well as the setting up of transport and logistics centers. Bilateral cooperation between Kazakhstan and China in the field of logistics and transport contributes to the development of an integrated logistics and transport policy in both countries, as well as to the development of an inclusive position of both countries in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) - China model. On the other hand, thanks to the flexibility of this format, Kazakhstan is much faster than some countries (e.g., Russia) in developing infrastructure with Chinese investors. At the same time, the transit potential for the full realization of these visions is limited due to geographical and settlement factors. that is, the lack, especially in the Kazakh-Chinese border region, of industrial facilities and cities - indicators of economic convergence. However, the full realization of Kazakhstan's transit potential, including the prospects associated with the One Belt, One Road initiative, is only possible in the context of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), with the adoption of common transit standards, methods and regulatory mechanisms, as well as the construction of regionally important infrastructure.