GAC, a Swedish provider of shipping, logistics and marine services, has established a new operation in Kazakhstan. GAC Kazakhstan LLP was registered in Almaty, the country's capital and commercial center. GAC's initial goal was to secure logistics business conducted with GAC China, which has seen significant growth over the past two to three years, the company said. That business consists primarily of movements from China to Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, much of which is pipes and castings for the local oil and gas sector. General manager Matthew Towse called the move a logical step in line with the GAC Group's focus on the energy sector. Central Asia and the Caspian Sea are now essential bases for companies serving the oil and gas industry, he said. Expansion of GAC's marine operations into Kazakh waters is a natural progression of its activities off Turkmenistan, the company said. It has plans for a second office in Kazakhstan, in the city of Aktau on the Caspian coast, which is the operational center of the country's oil and gas and marine industries.
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