Azerbaijani President Due In Kazakhstan

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev (right) and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is scheduled on October 19 to start a two-day visit to Kazakhstan that will focus on energy ties between the two hydrocarbon-rich countries.

Kazakhstan's Ambassador to Azerbaijan Serik Primbetov confirmed Aliyev and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev would discuss shipments of Kazakh oil through Azerbaijan.

The two leaders are also expected to talk about renewing shipments of Kazakh oil through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline.

Kazakhstan was exporting oil via that pipeline but suspended the deal in February 2010 citing Azerbaijan's hike in tariffs.

The BTC pipeline is vital to Kazakhstan's plans to export oil from its massive Kashagan field, which is expected to start operation in 2013.

Aliyev will also take part in a summit of Turkic-speaking states in Astana.

compiled from agency reports