AKIPRESS.COM - Kazakhstan will launch an online system that will track all goods crossing its borders from April 1. With this innovation, Kazakhstan wants to demonstrate that the country is complying with the restrictions imposed by Western countries against Russia, Eurasianet.org reports, citing a senior Kazakh official.

"Our government has repeatedly stated that Kazakhstan does not impose any sanctions or restrictions on trade with Russia. However, it will not allow circumvention of Western sanctions and will not become a platform for such circumvention. We understand all the risks associated with secondary sanctions, so we are closely monitoring our mutual trade with all partners," the source said.

Kazakhstan, together with Russia, is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, within which goods move without customs control. A Financial Times  source in the government of Kazakhstan said that the new system will allow tracking the entire chain of movement of goods across the border in real time.

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Joomart Tokayev said in June 2022 that Astana was not going to violate Western sanctions against Russia. The Kazakh Foreign Ministry acknowledged the negative impact of sanctions against Russia on the country's economy in last December.

Russia remains the largest trading partner of Kazakhstan. Its exports in 2022 rose by a quarter, to $8.8 billion, according to Reuters. The growth in trade is so strong that Kazakh customs is overwhelmed, the sources said. According to the agency, in recent weeks, Russian companies have been more actively asking their Kazakh partners to help them bypass Western sanctions and import goods.