ASTANA, June 13 (RIA Novosti) - Energy-rich Kazakhstan expects to boost its foreign trade to $200 billion by 2015 from $62 billion in 2006, the republic's minister of industry and trade said Wednesday.
"Considering that Kazakhstan has set a goal of exceeding the $300 bln figure of GDP growth by 2015, we project foreign trade to reach $200 billion," Galym Orazbakov said.
Kazakhstan's GDP expanded 11% in 2006, year-on-year, to $76 billion in 2006.
At the same time, the minister said that raw materials accounted for 80% of Kazakhstan's exports and urged measures to diversify its export structure.
Orazbakov said his ministry would focus on breakthrough investment projects in value added sectors, such as petrochemicals, chemicals, metallurgy, textiles and bio-energy.
