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 the Middle Corridor, Kazakh language, digitalization of the agriculture sector in Kazakhstan and more.
Baiterek Monument in Astana. Photo credit: shutterstock.com
Digitalisation in Kazakhstan’s agriculture sector can support global food security efforts
An expert article published in Emerging Europe on Dec. 13 argues that Kazakhstan’s strategic location, vast arable land and increasing investment in technology position the country as a valuable contributor to supporting the international community’s efforts to ensure food stability.
“One of the world’s top ten grain exporters, its expansive arable land, favourable climate for cereal crops, and strategic location along key trade routes enable it to supply grain to regions experiencing shortages, such as Central Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa.
Combining traditional agriculture with innovative digital solutions, Kazakhstan is now boosting efficiency, productivity, and sustainability,” the article states.
According to the article, by integrating technologies such as GPS-guided equipment, soil moisture monitoring systems, and digital platforms, the country aims to create a more efficient, resilient, and sustainable agricultural system. Pilot projects in regions such as North Kazakhstan, Akmola, Karaganda, and Kostanay have demonstrated how precision agriculture optimises water, fertilisers, and seeds, boosting yields, reducing costs, and minimising environmental impact.
Why China is taking on more responsibility in Central Asia
The South China Morning Post published an expert article on Dec. 11 arguing that amid increasing investments and a greater emphasis on security, China’s presence in Central Asia differs from its outreach to other regions.
The article notes that Kazakhstan is China’s primary partner in the region, achieving a historic high of $41 billion in trade in 2023 and contributing nearly $24 billion to the Kazakh economy over the past 15 years.
“China has prioritized its economic cooperation with Kazakhstan, becoming the fourth-largest investor in Kazakhstan’s economy in 2023, with a gross inflow of $1.7 billion. Last month, Kazakhstan signed eight commercial agreements worth $2.5 billion with Chinese companies during Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov’s visit to Shanghai,” the article states.
The article concludes that Central Asia will remain a priority for Beijing not only because of its proximity but also because fostering a stable and integrated Central Asia ensures stability on China’s western flank.
EU and China seek influence expansion in vital Middle Corridor trade route
Euractiv released an article on Dec. 9 about the European Union-Kazakhstan relations.
The article points out that Middle Corridor transportation surged 68% in the first 10 months, while container traffic rose 2.7 times, with shipments from China increasing 25-fold.
“Kazakhstan is expanding its terminal network along the Middle Corridor to enhance trade connectivity and logistics. As geopolitics shift, this trade route is of utmost importance to several key global players.
The Middle Corridor, also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) – a multimodal trade route connecting China and Europe through Central Asia and the South Caucasus,” the article states.
Kazakh Transport Minister Marat Karabayev made the statement during a government meeting in late November, announcing the country’s plans to build a terminal in the European part of the route.
Terminals have already been launched in Xian (China) and the port of Poti (Georgia), while construction is underway for container hubs in Aktau in collaboration with a Chinese company and the Sarzha multifunctional terminal in the Kuryk port.
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and China accelerate efforts to expand the Middle Corridor
Bne Intellinews also published an article about the Middle Corridor on Dec. 11.
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and China have embarked on a significant project in the Caspian region, to establish an intermodal cargo terminal at the Baku International Sea Trade Port in Alat. The terminal is expected to significantly increase container train volumes along the China-Europe-China route via the TITR. It will reduce transportation costs and streamline cargo handling times.
The article notes that the project is both timely and overdue, given the rapidly growing freight traffic along the TITR. On Dec. 3, the 300th container block train from China to Azerbaijan via Kazakhstan was dispatched along this route. According to Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, the volume of cargo transported along the TITR from China has exceeded 27,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers this year, a 25-fold increase compared to the same period last year.
Plans for 2025-2026 include tripling the number of block trains from China to Europe, with a goal of reaching 1,000 trains by 2027. Furthermore, freight shipments in the opposite direction have begun; on Nov. 24, the first export block train from Baku to Xian, consisting of 62 forty-foot containers, was dispatched. By year’s end, 600 containers carrying 15,000 tons of export cargo are expected to be shipped.
Kazakhstan and China digitalize customs procedures on Middle Corridor
Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), Kazakhstan’s national railway company, has announced the digitalization of customs declaration procedures for transit cargo along the TITR at the border between Kazakhstan and China, reported the Times of Central Asia on Dec. 9.
In collaboration with Global DTC, KTZ Express – a subsidiary of KTZ – has launched the Tez Customs digital platform. This system transitions customs operations to a paperless format, reducing processing time to just 30 minutes after a train’s arrival at the border station.
The platform enables preliminary preparation of documents, automatic registration, and issuance of transit declarations. These capabilities optimize logistics processes, enhance transparency at all stages of customs clearance, and significantly reduce the time required for customs operations.
Since May, Tez Customs has fully automated customs clearance processes for transit cargo along the China–Central Asia route via Kazakhstan, specifically along the Altynkol-Saryagash section. In October, its scope was expanded to include cargo transported along the Middle Corridor.
Middle Corridor looks to insulate global supply chains from geopolitical risk
Geopolitical Monitor, a Canadian medi outlet, published an expert article on Dec. 12, arguing that the Middle Corridor offers a solution for stabilizing global trade.
The article notes that Kazakhstan has been a longtime backer of the project, and announced recently its intention to increase the number of container trains to 600 annually to meet rising demand. It adds that Kazakhstan is expanding the Middle Corridor with port developments along the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea at Aktau and Kuryk.
“At Aktau, plans are underway to create a 300,000 TEU container hub in collaboration with China’s Lianyungang Port Group, enhancing container capacity and international trade links. Meanwhile, Kuryk is constructing the multifunctional Sarja terminal to accommodate diverse cargo, such as grain and oil, further diversifying the country’s logistics capabilities and strengthening its global connectivity,” the article states.
Kazakh Language gets its national LLM with a groundbreaking partnership of Kazakh research institutions and VEON’s QazCode
VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator, reported on the launch of an open-source Kazakh-language large language model (Kaz-LLM), developed by a consortium coordinated by the Kazakh Ministry of Digital, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry. The development of Kaz-LLM was led by the Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence at the Nazarbayev University (ISSAI NU) of Kazakhstan, in partnership with VEON’s QazCode, Beeline Kazakhstan and the Astana Hub.
With over 150 billion tokens collected, curated, synthesized and translated, the Kaz-LLM is capable of interacting in Kazakh language as well as in Turkish, English and Russian. With an 8-billion and a 70-billion parameter versions, the Kaz-LLM, developed in Kazakhstan, will help accelerate the creation and adoption of AI-powered products and services in the country. The model has been published on the Hugging Face platform for developers, ahead of its full launch.
Kazakh activists launch global movement to save Caspian Sea
Kazakh environmental activists, scientists and thought leaders are calling on the international community to address the unfolding ecological crisis of the Caspian Sea with the launch of a new global movement, Save the Caspian Sea, reported Trend on Dec. 12.
Once the largest enclosed inland body of water, supporting over 270 million people across Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea is now in peril. Water levels are dropping at an alarming rate of 70 centimeters per year, with parts of Kazakhstan already witnessing shoreline retreats of up to 18 kilometers. By the end of the century, the sea could shrink by another 18 meters, bringing catastrophic consequences to coastal communities, local economies, and ecosystems dependent on this vital resource. The crisis is already evident in the mass die-off of rare Caspian seals, with over 4,000 carcasses discovered in just the past two years, a grim indicator of the environmental disaster unfolding.
