ASTANA — Addressing the grand opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games on Sept. 8, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stressed that nomads are “born courageous” (quote ‘тумысынан қайсар, ‘tumysynan qaisar’ in Kazakh) referring to Kazakh people’s inherent ability to face challenging circumstances with strength and resilience.
Roman Vassilenko (in the middle) addresses the group of foreign journalists on Sept. 11. Photo credit: The Astana Times/ Assel Satubaldina
This sentiment resonates deeply with and is at the core of Kazakhstan’s approach to modern international challenges, explained Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko during a Sept. 11 press briefing for foreign journalists in Astana.
Development rooted in tradition
Vassilenko began his remarks by highlighting the significance of the World Nomad Games in the Kazakh capital. The event attracted more than 2,500 athletes from 89 countries.
“This unique sports competition showcases the vibrant cultures of the global nomadic community, which we are committed to preserving. As the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, mentioned at the opening ceremony, Kazakhs are nomads by mentality — born bold and courageous by nature,” said Vassilenko.
The World Nomad Games began with a grand opening ceremony on Sept. 8. Photo credit: akorda.kz
He went on to present Kazakhstan’s role as both a preserver of ancient traditions and a modern bridge between nations, emphasizing the country’s bold, forward-looking foreign policy approaches.
When asked to elaborate on the meaning of being “born courageous” (or, as it is said in Kazakh, “тумысынан қайсар”), Vassilenko spoke about the deep-rooted boldness and resilience that characterize the Kazakh people, tying it also to the nation’s achievements over the past 30 years of independence.
“For nomads, it is very significant and characteristic. It is in our veins. (…) If you tell a Kazakh they are bold, we become a head taller, our shoulders go back, we breathe in and step forward to meet the challenge. This ‘can-do’ mentality has been driving the development of our country for the past 30 years,” he said.
He reflected on the boldness of Kazakh ancestors, who fought to protect their lands and, through perseverance coupled with diplomacy and ingenuity, preserved them for future generations.
Journalists visit Kazakhstan as part of the World Nomad Games. Photo credit: The Astana Times/ Assel Satubaldina
“Drawing from that legacy, Kazakhstan continues to build a country that not only values peace internally but also seeks to promote peace and cooperation on the global stage,” he said.
Kazakhstan supports global cooperation through “bold initiatives” such as the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), the diplomat said. He noted the evolution of CICA, which now includes 28 member countries and is in the process of becoming a full-fledged organization that works for peace and cooperation across the vast region.
“We are bold, but we invite everybody to be bold in their ambitions,” he added.
Cooperation and dialogue
He credited Kazakhstan’s growing global engagement to its effective foreign policy, which is based on “the principles of peace, balanced, pragmatic and bold forward-thinking diplomacy.”
“Kazakhstan firmly believes that cooperation and dialogue are key to global prosperity. This approach is reflected in our efforts to foster constructive relations with all major global players, including both our Eastern and Western partners. It also emphasizes Kazakhstan’s dynamic role in the global economy as we seek to collaborate with international investors and innovators to capitalize on new bold opportunities for sustainable development and shared progress,” said Vassilenko.
Kazakhstan’s growing outreach
Vassilenko highlighted the growing cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union, particularly in areas such as energy and critical raw materials.
Regarding energy, Kazakhstan is a major producer of traditional energy sources, such as oil and uranium. “One is energy—traditional energy, meaning oil and gas, but primarily oil, but also uranium. There are plans to expand uranium supplies to the EU, not just to France but also to countries like Slovakia and the Czech Republic that use nuclear power,” he said.
He also highlighted Kazakhstan’s efforts to diversify into green energy, referencing a large-scale green hydrogen project led by a German company. It is a 50 billion euro (US$55 billion) project implemented by Svevind company, which, as Vassilenko said, envisions the construction of solar and wind power stations with a cumulative output of 30 gigawatts of electricity.
“This will be mostly used to produce up to two million tons of green hydrogen a year, which will be exported mostly to Europe beginning in 2032,” he added.
Vassilenko further stressed Kazakhstan’s wealth in critical raw materials, which are essential for green and digital transitions. “Kazakhstan has already explored and produces 18 of the 34 critical raw materials identified as such by the European Union. Kazakhstan has also joined the Mineral Security Partnership Forum,” he said.
The Kazakh diplomat expressed optimism that cooperation in this area will continue to grow.
He mentioned expanding ties with Germany, pointing out the commercial contracts signed between Germany’s HMS Bergbau and a Kazakh company during President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s visit to Kazakhstan in June 2023. These contracts are aimed at exploring Kazakhstan’s lithium fields.
This cooperation is set to continue and expand, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz scheduled to visit Astana next week, accompanied by a large delegation of business leaders.
Foreign direct investments growing
The Kazakh official emphasized the nation’s track record in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and its steady progress in creating a favorable investment climate as another sign of the effectiveness of its efforts.
“Since 1993, Kazakhstan has attracted a total of $441 billion in foreign direct investments. The top 10 investors in the country since 2005 include the Netherlands, the United States, Switzerland, China, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Republic of Korea, and Japan,” he said.
He noted that in 2023, the gross FDI inflow into Kazakhstan reached $23.4 billion; and in the first quarter of 2024, the figure stood at $5.7 billion.
“Just this week, the international rating agency Moody’s upgraded Kazakhstan’s long-term local and foreign currency issuer ratings to Baa1, the highest rating Moody’s has ever assigned to Kazakhstan,” said the official, attributing this achievement to the country’s ongoing reforms, which focus on enhancing transparency, responsible governance, and anti-corruption measures.
Middle Corridor
When asked about the potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), Vassilenko emphasized the importance of regional connectivity in overcoming its geographical disadvantage of being landlocked.
He highlighted how Kazakhstan and its regional partners are working to turn this into an advantage by facilitating trade routes that go North-South but also East-West to reconnect Central Asia with Europe.
“That is why we try to work with partners like the European Union and China and others to develop north-south and east-west links,” he says.
The Kazakh diplomat emphasized the TITR, also known as the Middle Corridor, as a critical route linking China with Europe through Central Asia and the South Caucasus.
Since Kazakhstan’s independence in 1991, the country has focused on developing these connections, particularly across the Caspian Sea and the South Caucasus.
However, Vassilenko acknowledged that progress was “limited” until 2022 when geopolitical shifts renewed global attention on Central Asia’s strategic importance.
“In 2022, the West ‘rediscovered’ with greater clarity the importance of Central Asia and of Kazakhstan, not only for geopolitical reasons but also for economic reasons, as a source of traditional and non-traditional energy resources, such as green hydrogen, and as a source of critical raw materials needed for the double transition that the West is trying to implement meaning green transition and digital transition,” said Vassilenko.
The Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd., a joint venture between the state railway companies of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, aims to streamline shipping company services and offer more efficient transport solutions.
Vassilenko said the volume of cargo transported along the Middle Corridor has increased threefold in the recent two years.
“If the transportation volume along the Middle Corridor in 2021 was 860,000 tonnes, in 2022, that volume was 1.7 million tonnes. In 2023, that volume was 2.7 million tons,” said the Deputy Minister. “Yet, this growth isn’t stopping there. In the first six months of this year, we already had 2.6 million tonnes transported, and we expect that by the end of the year, 4.2 million tonnes will be transported,” said Vassilenko, outlining Kazakhstan’s and its partners’ goal to transport up to 10 million tons along this route annually by 2030.
The official also emphasized the complementary nature of initiatives such as China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the European Union’s Global Gateway.
“For us, there are no contradictions. These grand visions are all ‘rowing’ in the same direction [as viewed from Astana] in ending this disadvantage of being landlocked and reconnecting China and Europe,” said Vassilenko, adding that Kazakhstan seeks quicker action from European financial institutions to ensure the region’s infrastructure projects progress at the necessary pace.
