ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected key international media coverage on Kazakhstan this week. Today’s foreign media digest covers the Italy-Central Asia Summit, Kazakhstan’s climate policy, the Astana International Forum (AIF) and more.
Photo credit: Astana Akimat press service
Kazakhstan’s climate vision: interview with Zulfiya Suleimenova at Astana International Forum
During the AIF, Zulfiya Suleimenova, Special Representative of the President of Kazakhstan on Climate and Environmental Issues, spoke to Eurasia Review in a June 2 exclusive interview about the country’s evolving climate policy, energy transition plans and international cooperation.
From shifting away from coal through the development of nuclear energy to building stronger ties with the European Union and proposing regional food security hubs, Suleimenova detailed how Kazakhstan is navigating the complex intersection of climate resilience, economic development and environmental justice.
“We do not really want to leave anyone behind,” she emphasized, as the country sets out to implement what it calls a just and inclusive energy transition.
“One of the very first decisions that President Tokayev made back in 2019, when he just became President, was to re-establish the Ministry of Ecology,” Suleimenova recalled. “Unfortunately, we did not have this agency for several years, and that was one of his very first decisions.”
Since then, environmental policy has become a pillar of the Tokayev administration. Kazakhstan’s leadership was on full display at COP29, where President Tokayev was the first head of state to speak at the World Leaders’ Summit.
“Because our President is very active on climate and environmental issues, he attended COP29,” said Suleimenova. “My job is to make sure that his initiatives and vision on environment and climate get implemented and become a reality for us.”
Kazakhstan looks to Gulf investment as it develops the next Silk Road
Kazakhstan is working to attract more investment from Gulf states as it develops transport routes akin to the ancient Silk Road between Europe and China, the country’s Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko told The National on June 1.
Gulf countries have poured investment into Kazakhstan, Vassilenko said in an interview at the AIF in Kazakhstan’s capital. These nations are seen as “an important source of potential investment,” he added.
Emirati transport and logistics giants, including AD Ports Group and DP World, already operate at trade and port hubs in Kazakhstan. The country is expanding capacity on the so-called Middle Corridor, a trade route following similar paths to the Silk Road, connecting China with Europe through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye.
Several agreements were signed with the UAE when Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, visited Astana last month, Vassilenko said, in sectors such as artificial intelligence, health care, renewable energy and infrastructure.
Oman and Kazakhstan strengthen economic ties with new cooperation agreement
Oman and Kazakhstan have forged stronger economic, financial and investment ties, following high-level discussions held during an official visit by an Omani delegation to Astana from May 29 to 30, reported Muscat Daily on June 1.
The delegation, led by Sultan bin Salim al Habsi, Minister of Finance, included senior representatives from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, the Tax Authority, and the Oman Investment Authority. The visit aimed to deepen bilateral cooperation and explore mutually beneficial opportunities across several strategic sectors.
Habsi met with President Tokayev and conveyed greetings from His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, along with his best wishes for continued progress and prosperity for the Kazakh leadership and people.
A key outcome of the visit was the signing of a bilateral agreement to avoid double taxation and prevent tax evasion on income and capital. The agreement is expected to enhance transparency and create a more attractive environment for investors from both nations.
Meloni champions Italy’s bridge‐building role with Central Asia
Speaking at the AIF, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni drew on Marco Polo’s legacy to highlight Italy’s pioneering European Union engagement with Central Asia. She highlighted the inaugural Italy–Central Asia Summit, the Middle Corridor project and billions in new memoranda of understanding on energy, raw materials and infrastructure, Decode39 reported on May 30.
At the forum in Kazakhstan, Meloni reaffirmed Italy’s historic mission “to create bridges and opportunities for dialogue” with Central Asia.
Drawing on the spirit of Marco Polo – “who centuries ago crossed these lands to reach the farthest borders in the then known world” – she positioned Italy as the EU’s first mover in the region, having launched a permanent format for idea-sharing.
“We have shown the way, and our example has indeed led the path, as proven by the first EU-Central Asia Summit last April, which not surprisingly elevated the relations between the region and the European Union to a strategic partnership,” Meloni said.
First Central Asia + Italy summit confirms the regional “new great game”
Special Eurasia released a report on May 31 assessing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s official visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in May, as well as her participation in the first Central Asia-Italy summit.
The study analyses how Italy is boosting its political, economic and security influence in Central Asia. Indeed, Rome’s support for regional stability, trade links and European strategic interests in a multipolar geopolitical landscape confirms the regional “New Great Game.”
This report also highlights potential obstacles, both internal and external, that could hinder future cooperation between Rome and the Central Asian republics.
AIF 2025: Kazakhstan, the pivotal power of the 21st century?
Central Asia is redrawing the international landscape. For two days, Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, welcomed more than 5,000 participants from over 70 countries, including public officials, business leaders, academics, and political leaders, for the second Astana International Forum, held on May 29 and 30, Revue Conflits reported on June 4.
This second edition of the AIF, titled “Connecting Minds, Shaping the Future,” was structured around three major themes: global security, the climate crisis, and economic transformation. At the plenary session, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered a blunt assessment of the international landscape.
“The post-war world order is fragmenting. Protectionism is on the rise. Multilateralism is faltering. In this emerging disorder, our task is clear: to preserve cooperation where it still exists, and restore it where it has collapsed… This is what we are firmly pursuing in Kazakhstan: unity in diversity,” he said.
