Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze arrived in Kazakhstan with a high-level government delegation, marking the ruling party government’s third official visit to Central Asia in less than a month. The trip follows earlier top-level visits to Kyrgyzstan on June 11-12 and Tajikistan on June 19-20, reflecting Tbilisi’s intensified diplomatic outreach toward the region.

During the Kazakhstan visit, Kobakhidze and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement, according to the Georgian government administration. The agreement was accompanied by several memorandums of cooperation covering culture, information, technology and tourism, signed between the relevant state agencies of the two countries.

Kobakhidze’s delegation includes Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili, Agriculture Minister Davit Songhulashvili and Government Administration Head Levan Zhorzholiani. The delegation landed at Astana airport on June 29, where it was received by Kazakhstan’s Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev.

The Georgian Prime Minister first held a one-on-one meeting with President Tokayev. According to the Georgian government administration, the two sides reviewed the current state of bilateral relations and highlighted what they described as positive momentum in cooperation across multiple fields. They said the newly signed Strategic Partnership Agreement would provide an additional framework for deepening ties.

Trade, economic cooperation, transport and logistics featured prominently in the discussions. Both sides emphasized the importance of connectivity and underlined the growing strategic role of the Middle Corridor, the trans-Caspian route linking China and Central Asia with the South Caucasus, Turkey and Europe.

The one-on-one meeting was followed by expanded talks involving members of both governments. These discussions focused on political dialogue, trade and investment, transport and logistics, agriculture, tourism and other areas of practical cooperation.

Kobakhidze described the launch of a strategic partnership with Kazakhstan as an important milestone in bilateral relations. He praised Tokayev’s leadership, invited the Kazakh president to visit Georgia, and expressed gratitude for Kazakhstan’s support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also stressed the importance of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation as a mechanism for advancing joint projects.

Tokayev, for his part, called Georgia a “trusted” and “utterly reliable” partner for Kazakhstan. He described the decision to elevate relations to the level of strategic partnership as historic, saying it reflected the fundamental interests of both peoples and created a stronger basis for future cooperation. He also praised what he called Georgia’s progress in democratic development, economic growth and its international positioning.

The Kazakhstan visit comes amid Georgia’s broader effort to strengthen relations with Central Asian states at a time when transport connectivity, regional trade routes and alternative east-west corridors have gained growing geopolitical and economic significance. For Tbilisi, closer engagement with Kazakhstan is particularly relevant because of Astana’s role in the Middle Corridor and its position as one of the key Central Asian actors seeking diversified access to European and Black Sea markets.