ASTANA – Kazakhstan and the OSCE have expressed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in the economic and environmental sectors, with a particular focus on sustainable development, climate action, and cross-border connectivity. Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko and OSCE Coordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) Bakyt Dzhusupov discussed expanding joint efforts during the meeting in the Kazakh capital.
Roman Vassilenko and Bakyt Dzhusupov. Photo credit: Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
Vassilenko emphasized the importance of the OSCE’s Second Dimension as a platform for dialogue and confidence-building within the organization amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. He reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s readiness to continue active cooperation with the OSCE across a wide range of pressing topics, reported the ministry’s press service on May 14.
Green ports and strategic transport routes
The officials discussed a broad spectrum of collaboration within the OSCE’s economic and environmental dimension, including sustainable development, transport connectivity, environmental protection, the climate agenda, and the fight against corruption and money laundering.
Vassilenko commended the productive cooperation between the OCEEA and Kazakh government bodies, particularly with the Asset Recovery Committee of the General Prosecutor’s Office. Dzhusupov highlighted Kazakhstan’s accumulated experience in this area and the reinvestment of funds recovered by the state in social infrastructure, which is of serious interest to other OSCE participating states.
Vassilenko expressed Kazakhstan’s interest in further engaging with OSCE initiatives, including the extrabudgetary project on the development of green ports in the Caspian region. It was noted that, thanks to this initiative, Kazakhstan’s seaports of Aktau and Kuryk were granted EcoPort status by the European Sea Ports Organization (ESPO), which brings advantages in attracting investment in the development of their infrastructure.
The importance of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or the Middle Corridor) was underlined, with freight volumes increasing by 62% in 2024, reaching 4.5 million tons. Vassilenko stated that Kazakhstan is actively investing in expanding the capacity of its Caspian ports of Aktau and Kuryk to increase transit traffic via the Middle Corridor to 10 million tons by 2027.
The Kazakh side also confirmed its interest in the implementation of a new OSCE project to promote cross-border connectivity in Central Asia and the North Caucasus, which will further strengthen Kazakhstan’s role as a key transit hub in global trade routes.
Joint climate initiatives and regional environmental cooperation
Climate change and environmental matters were given particular attention during the meeting. Vassilenko reiterated the country’s commitment to its international obligations, including the 2021 Stockholm Ministerial Council Decision on strengthening OSCE cooperation in addressing climate-related challenges.
Support was also expressed for the climate agenda of Finland’s OSCE Chairpersonship, which is reflected in Kazakhstan’s high-level participation in the upcoming International Conference on Climate and Security, to be held in Finland this June.
The officials also discussed preparations for the upcoming Regional Climate Summit, scheduled to be hosted by Kazakhstan in 2026 under the auspices of the United Nations. Dzhusupov emphasized the importance of this topic for the OSCE and expressed the organization’s readiness to actively contribute to the summit.
The meeting also covered water resource areas, including the situation in the Aral Sea basin and the ecological threats facing the Caspian Sea. The meeting underscored the importance of international cooperation in preserving the region’s largest water bodies.
The officials paid special attention to early warning and response mechanisms for natural disasters, particularly earthquakes, and the importance of further collaboration with the Emergency Situations and Disaster Risk Reduction Centre based in Almaty.
In conclusion, Dzhusupov thanked Kazakhstan for its continued support of his Office and expressed readiness to deepen cooperation with the Kazakh side.
