New Delhi (IANS): India is willing to help set up a fertiliser plant in Kazakhstan, a government statement Wednesday said.

Power minister Sushilkumar Shinde made the offer Wednesday during a meeting with Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov in Astana, the capital of the CIS nation.

Shinde is in Kazakhstan as India's representative at the heads of government's meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), of which Kazakhstan is a member. India is an SCO observer.

According to a government statement, Shinde said Indian expertise could be used to set up fertiliser plants, which will then export their products to India.

The minister said the Indian government was looking forward to the visit of the Kazakhstan president, "which would further strengthen the friendly political ties as well as economic and commercial relations".