Saigon Newport keen on transit through Kazakhstan.

Port officials meet with Kazakhstan's National Railways Corporation to discuss possibilities of creating an effective logistics chain between Southeast Asia and the EU.

The Saigon Newport Corporation (SNP), the owner of Vietnam’s largest seaport, Saigon Newport, and Kazakhstan’s National Railways Corporation have met to discuss plans for developing an effective logistics chain between Southeast Asia and the EU via Kazakhstan.

SNP CEO Mr. Nguyen Dang Nghiem led a delegation on May 26-31 to Lianyungang seaport, Kazakhstan’s largest investment project in China, with the aim of boosting cooperation between SNP and Kazakhstan’s National Railways Corporation and researching the potential of transit through the country.

The two sides introduced development plans for infrastructure of the two seaports. They also proposed establishing a group to research bilateral cooperation within the framework of China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative.

Mr. Nghiem said that SNP is willing to support goods shipments from Vietnam to countries in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Kavkaz (the Caucasus region), and the EU.

Wrapping up the meeting, the two sides agreed to establish the research group and for the Kazakhstan side to soon provide goods shipment fees and hold a business forum in Ho Chi Minh City attended by Vietnamese exporters.

A delegation from the Vietnam Railway Corporation (VRC) led by Deputy General Director Phan Quoc Anh visited Kazakhstan, the Khorgos economic free zone, and Altynkol train station on the Kazakh-Chinese border in March.

Mr. Anh said he highly regarded the important role of Khorgos and the railway station at the border. “This trade route has great potential and is a connection between Southeast Asia and Europe,” he said.

The Vietnam-EAEU FTA, which took effect on October 5, 2016, is expected to expand trade between Vietnam and the five EAEU countries of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan.

Under the agreement, 90 per cent of tariff lines have been cut or reduced. Of those, 59 per cent were removed immediately after the agreement took effect, offering great advantages for Vietnam to compete with other countries in exporting to the region.

by Quynh Nguyen / VET