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 contribution to energy security, growing importance of Kazakhstan as a strategic partner for ASEAN and more.
Big Almaty Lake. Photo credit: Pavel Oparin/Shutterstock
Expanding Southeast Asia-Kazakhstan dialogue: strategic imperatives
In an article published on Jan. 17, Fulcrum explores the growing importance of Kazakhstan as a strategic partner for ASEAN, highlighting economic, political and security opportunities.
“Kazakhstan’s rise as a middle power has gone hand in hand with Central Asian economies growing in importance as trade partners, sources of resources such as critical minerals and sources of tourists. The U.S., Russia, Japan, South Korea, the EU, India, and since 2023, China and Germany have been competing in this resource-rich and strategic region. To keep pace, ASEAN should follow suit.
Kazakhstan is the largest country in Central Asia. It has been proactively seeking to establish itself as the leader in the Central Asian region by proposing several multilateral initiatives. Last year, Kazakhstan saw frequent high-level visits and numerous new bilateral initiatives between Southeast Asian countries and Kazakhstan. Similarly, ASEAN should consider engaging with Kazakhstan. While such broader collaboration faces challenges, these can be overcome to provide mutual benefits in several areas,” the article notes.
How Kazakhstan is contributing to global energy security and supply chains
The European Financial Review published an article on Jan. 21 discussing Kazakhstan’s growing role in global energy markets, highlighting its strategic diversification of oil exports and commitment to transitioning to cleaner energy sources, positioning the country as a key player in both traditional and green energy sectors.
“The world is increasingly seeking alternatives to traditional energy sources and suppliers due to a combination of factors, including the volatility of global oil markets, geopolitical conflicts, and the need to address climate change. Supply disruptions can have ripple effects across the global economy. As a result, many countries are diversifying their energy imports to reduce dependence on a limited number of suppliers and mitigate risks associated with political tensions or supply chain disruptions. Kazakhstan can fill this gap in secure and stable oil supplies. Following the launch of the Kazakhstan Export Blend Crude Oil (KEBCO), which entered into active trading in 2023, Kazakhstan produced just under 88 million tons of oil in 2024. Most of it was exported through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which carries oil from Kazakhstan to Europe. Last year, it transported approximately 64.4 million tons of oil, a slight increase from 63.5 million tons in 2023,” the article reads.
Kazakhstan showcases its potential as regional academic hub at Bett Show in UK
Kazakhstan presented a national pavilion for the first time at one of the world’s largest international education exhibitions—the Bett Show—which began on Jan. 22 and will continue until Jan. 24 in London, The Tribune reported on Jan. 23.
The Bett Show (British Education Training and Technology Show) is a leading global event in the field of education.
The central theme of Kazakhstan’s pavilion is to showcase the country’s development as a regional academic hub. Kazakhstan’s evolving educational ecosystem has sparked growing interest in its learning opportunities, with around 30,000 international students currently studying in the country.
Central Asia should be West’s strategic focus
An article published by The Interpreter on Jan. 22 argues that Central Asia, especially Kazakhstan, should become a strategic focus for the West due to its growing importance in global geopolitics and economics. The piece explores Kazakhstan’s supply of energy and critical minerals and highlights the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route as a viable alternative to traditional routes.
“Kazakhstan, the most economically developed country in Central Asia and newly recognised as a “middle power”, is a key partner for Europe in energy security and critical minerals,” the article notes.
The article concludes that both sides would benefit from greater Western engagement with this historically overlooked region, which now holds strategic value at the crossroads of East and West.
Kazakhstan modernizes civil aviation infrastructure to boost tourism and investment
In 2024, Kazakhstan made significant strides in modernizing its air transport infrastructure, opening three new passenger terminals at the airports of Almaty, Shymkent and Kyzylorda, The Times of Central Asia reported on Jan. 24.
The upgrades are expected to expand the capacity of these airports, increase the number of air routes and stimulate growth in passenger traffic. According to the Ministry of Transport, these developments will enhance domestic and international tourism while boosting the investment appeal of Kazakhstan’s regions.
