December 23, 2008 - 13:08 AMT
Kazakhstan not ready to spoil relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey for Armenia's sake
Armenia has nothing to offer Kazakhstan except for brandy and stone working machines, transportation of which is rather problematic over the blockade, a Kazakh expert said.

The commodity turnover between Kazakhstan and Armenia, made $5,7 million during January-June 2008 against $199 million between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan and $47,8 million between Kazakhstan and Georgia, Marat Shibutov, member of the Association of Frontier Cooperation, told PanARMENIAN.Net.

"Kazakhstan can facilitate the Karabakh process. For example, it doesn't participate in Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku project. It can also exert pressure on Azerbaijan. But what for? What can Armenia offer Kazakhstan except for purchase of uranium for the ANPP? But it's not hard to find customers of uranium. So, Armenia is beyond Kazakhstan's interests at the moment," he said.

Kazakhstan is not ready to spoil relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey for Armenia's sake, according to him.

"The only resource Kazakhstan needs in Armenia is the NPP. If Azerbaijan holds talks with KazMunayGas, Armenia could negotiate with Kazatomprom. Serious business can start with a clever move," Shibutov said.

"As to Nabucco, Turkmenistan's gas resources are not measureless. Construction of Kazakhstan-China pipeline has already begun. So, Azerbaijan may fail to derive profit from gas transit."