ASTANA – The Astana Times has curated a selection of articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest includes topics such as Kazakhstan’s cooperation with the United Nations, the Middle Corridor, the Uzbek President’s visit to Kazakhstan and more.
Photo credit: The Astana Times
Kazakhstan, UN agree to strengthen Central Asian peace, security
We News published an article on Aug. 8 about a meeting between the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Murat Nurtleu, and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), Kakha Imnadze. The two leaders agreed to strengthen peace and security in Central Asia.
Imnadze visited Kazakhstan to participate in the sixth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asian countries.
During their meeting, both sides highlighted Central Asia’s growing significance and the region’s challenges. They underscored the importance of strengthening and developing preventive diplomacy tools to ensure peace and security in the region.
Nurtleu reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to the UN’s leading role in addressing security and sustainable development challenges. He emphasized Kazakhstan’s priority in cooperating with the UN.
Presidents of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan sign 10-year strategic partnership program
Gazeta.uz published an article on Aug. 8 on Kazakh-Uzbek relations and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s state visit to Kazakhstan.
The Presidents of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan held the first session of the High-level Interstate Council in Astana, where they signed a 10-year Program of Strategic Partnership and Alliance. They also inaugurated a monument to the Uzbek poet Alisher Navoi in Kazakhstan’s capital.
During his state visit, Shavkat Mirziyoyev described the meeting as “a historic event in the development of relations of strategic partnership and alliance between our countries.”
He emphasized the importance of coordinating positions and effectively promoting mutual interests within international framework.
Earlier, during bilateral talks, the presidents directed their governments to adopt a separate program aimed at increasing trade turnover to $10 billion.
Kazakhstan deepens Caspian ports to boost Middle Corridor potential
To further enhance the potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), the Kazakh Ministry of Transport has begun dredging the port of Kuryk to provide sufficient depth for ships to enter the harbor, reported the Times of Central Asia on Aug. 7.
Specialized equipment to deepen the port by approximately 1.5-2 meters has been provided by Jan de Nul, a European company contracted to complete dredging works on a turnkey basis.
Dredging Kuryk’s port will allow for the further expansion of its terminal capacity, which currently supports 6 million tons of cargo (4 million tons via the railway terminal and 2 million tons via the automobile terminal). The port can also simultaneously accommodate 250 trucks.
Similar dredging works are also planned for the port of Aktau.
Trade association discusses new prospects for cooperation between Italy and Kazakhstan
New prospects for cooperation between Italy and Kazakhstan include expanding collaboration in creative industries, tourism and environmental sustainability, according to Marco Beretta, President of the Italo-Kazakh Trade Association (ACIK), in an exclusive interview with Trend on Aug. 3.
“Additionally, sectors such as healthcare, technology and education offer significant opportunities for partnership. Italy’s interest in these sectors is driven by the potential for mutual growth and the opportunity to leverage Italy’s technological and industrial strengths to support Kazakhstan’s development goals,” he said.
According to Beretta, ACIK brings together companies from all sectors and facilitates discussions with Italian companies about potential investment opportunities in Kazakhstan.
Central Asia Plus Japan Summit aims to pioneer sustainability, connectivity, and human development
The Diplomat published an expert article on Aug. 8 about the Central Asia plus Japan Dialogue, taking place on Aug. 9.
According to the author, Central Asia is becoming increasingly significant on the global stage as major players compete for influence in this resource-rich and strategic region. In 2023, Central Asian leaders held a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in May, engaged with President of the European Council Charles Michel in June, and participated in a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in September.
Japan is also keen to enhance its ties with Central Asia. During the 16th Senior Officials Meeting of the Central Asia + Japan Dialogue on May 14, three key themes were highlighted: sustainability, interconnectivity, and the development of human resources.
The article notes that the Central Asia plus Japan Dialogue, launched in 2004, has traditionally involved regular ministerial-level meetings to discuss current and future prospects of inter-regional cooperation. Although the forum has long been a central platform for constructive engagement between Japan and the Central Asian states, this year’s event is generating particular attention, as it will be the first summit at the top leader level.
Japan’s PM cancels Central Asia trip after earthquake risk warning
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida canceled his planned visit to Central Asia on Aug. 9 to focus on precautionary measures following an unprecedented warning that the risk of a major earthquake along the Pacific coast was higher than usual, according to Reuters.
The government may seek to hold the meetings with regional leaders online instead, public broadcaster NHK said. The visit to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia was originally set to run from Friday to Monday.
