Kazakhstan Pushes for Unified Pan-Turkic Brand to Boost Trade and Culture

Kazakh First Vice Minister of Trade and Integration Aizhan Bizhanova has announced Kazakhstan's proposal to create a unified Pan-Turkic brand to strengthen economic cooperation, cultural ties, and international trade among Turkic countries.

Bizhanova made these remarks at the Eurasian Franchising Forum in Baku, The Caspian Post reports via local media.

She highlighted the high potential for franchising partnerships under a single brand, noting that the initiative builds on President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s 2024 proposal to establish a Pan-Turkic patent organization, which has already received support from other Turkic nations.

“Once the organization is established, registering the unified Pan-Turkic brand will be largely symbolic but a powerful tool to promote the economic and cultural potential of Turkic countries internationally. It could open doors to markets in China, Europe, India, and Africa,” Bizhanova said.

The vice minister also underscored the importance of sustainable trade and logistics networks, pointing to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route as a critical corridor for Eurasian commerce.

“Over the past five years, cargo turnover along this route has increased sixfold, reaching 4.5 million tons last year. This year, it continues growing, and we aim for 5 million tons by year-end,” she added.

Bizhanova noted that Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are discussing opportunities to establish joint ventures and private investment funds. Both countries see strong potential in this area.

“We are impressed by how Azerbaijan’s investment fund supports young entrepreneurs in the field of franchising. In Kazakhstan, we also have an organization that helps develop entrepreneurial ideas-from small-scale startups to major enterprises-and assists them in entering foreign markets. By combining these two mechanisms, we can build a powerful joint project,” Bizhanova said.

The vice minister also noted that Azerbaijan’s digital monitoring systems for state programs and video evaluation tools could be effectively applied in Kazakhstan.

“We see promising opportunities for cooperation in this field as well and are ready to work together,” she added.