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 relations with the West, the Middle Corridor, international flights and more.
Almaty. Photo credit: Shutterstock
The West and Central Asia should deepen their engagement
Encompass-Europe published an article on July 4 by Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko highlighting Kazakhstan’s growing strategic importance amid global geopolitical and economic shifts – particularly as a key supplier of critical minerals, a major energy player, and a central hub along the Middle Corridor trade route – while emphasizing its balanced foreign policy and role as a reliable global partner.
“In this era of global transition, it is essential to build coalitions of capable and trusted partners. There is much to gain from a deeper partnership between the West and Central Asia: securing critical minerals, rethinking supply chains, advancing green energy, and bolstering global security. Kazakhstan stands ready to forge lasting, practical partnerships that serve the interests of both the region and the wider international community,” the article reads.
Why Central Asia plays a growing role in China’s strategic calculus
South China Morning Post published an expert article on July 3 on the recent China-Central Asia summit, arguing that cooperation on trade, infrastructure, energy and more shows that China sees Kazakhstan as an important trade partner.
The article points out that the fact that the summit took place in Kazakhstan rather than China highlighted Astana’s growing role as a regional anchor.
“Chinese President Xi Jinping’s participation – his sixth visit to Kazakhstan and second in the past year – underscores the high priority China places on Central Asia. That message was reinforced by the signing of a treaty of permanent good-neighbourliness and friendly cooperation, which elevated relations between the six countries to a more strategic level,” the article reads.
According to the author, closer ties with China do not mean subservience. Kazakhstan continues to pursue what it calls a “multi-vector foreign policy”. The country maintains active partnerships with the EU, the United States, Türkiye, Russia and others. It regularly hosts “Central Asia plus” summits with various power centres, positioning itself as a constructive platform for international dialogue.
Water scarcity could destabilize Central Asia
The National Interest published an expert article on July 3, arguing that Central Asia’s water crisis creates a rare opening for the U.S. to engage diplomatically and support infrastructure through sustainable, science-based cooperation.
Recognizing the stakes, Central Asian states have been taking action. Speaking at the Astana International Forum (AIF) recently, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized that Central Asia is warming twice as fast as the global average, making climate resilience a central component of sustainable development.
According to the article, Central Asia is a resource-rich region with strategic economic importance. Kazakhstan alone holds some of the world’s largest reserves of critical minerals, including rare earth elements and uranium, essential for clean energy technologies, defense applications, and digital infrastructure.
The article notes that under President Tokayev, Kazakhstan continues to pursue a balanced, multi-vector foreign policy, one that is open to deeper ties with the West, including through the C5+1 framework. Washington can respond to these signals with credible offers of cooperation. “Proactive US engagement would complement ongoing multilateral efforts and reinforce stability in this pivotal region,” the author argues.
Kazakhstan’s oil output returns to growth in June, matching record-high
Oil output in Kazakhstan, one of the world’s 10 biggest producing countries, returned to growth last month and matched an all-time high, as the Chevron-led Tengiz field ramped up, a source familiar with the data told Reuters on July 1.
Kazakhstan has persistently exceeded quotas set by OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers led by Russia.
“Its overproduction has angered some of the group’s members, sources have told Reuters, and has been one of the reasons for faster-than-expected output increases from OPEC+ as it fights for market share and seeks to punish those breaching curbs with lower international prices.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Kazakhstan’s daily crude oil output, excluding gas condensate, a type of light oil, jumped in June by 7.5% from May to 1.88 million barrels per day,” the article reads.
Kazakhstan at the crossroads: driving the future of Eurasian trade through the Trans-Caspian Corridor
Kazakhstan is rapidly emerging as a key hub for China–Europe trade by investing in and promoting the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor (TITR), attracting significant EU support and positioning itself as a modern Silk Road gateway amid shifting global supply chains, according to an EU Reporter article published on July 1.
A few days ago, a meeting was held in Kazakhstan with the participation of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the EU Delegation to Astana. The Kazakh delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko, while Luc Devigne, acting managing director for Europe and Central Asia at the EEAS, represented the European side. Kazakhstan and the European Union reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their strategic ties during the 22nd meeting of the Kazakhstan–EU Cooperation Committee in Political Configuration (CCPC) on June 17.
“Participants emphasized the strategic importance of enhancing transport connectivity, particularly through the development of the TITR. They stressed the need to move toward concrete actions to modernize infrastructure along this route, with the EU expressing its willingness to allocate €10 billion (approximately US$11.5 billion) for this purpose,” the article reads.
The World Financial Review published an article on June 30 arguing that the role of mid-sized economies – or “middle powers” – in shaping the future of foreign direct investment (FDI) is gaining renewed significance. This dynamic is especially visible in Central Asia, a region increasingly at the crossroads of global trade and energy transition. At the recent meeting of Kazakhstan’s Foreign Investors’ Council (FIC) in Astana, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev offered a compelling case for how emerging powers can remain attractive to international investors by building trust through structural credibility, legal predictability, and strategic alignment with global trends.
Accoridng to the article,
Kazakhstan pursues green energy with Chinese firm’s waste-to-energy technology
Kazakh Invest’s Deputy Chairman Azamat Kozhanov met with Dai Daogo, Chairman of China’s Hunan Junxin Environmental Protection, to discuss a $600 million project to build three waste-to-energy plants in Kazakhstan, Trend reported on July 3.
The project aims to combine advanced environmental technology, sustainable energy generation, and digital waste management.
UK Parliament roundtable underscores strategic relevance of Middle Corridor
The House of Lords hosted a high-level roundtable on July 2, titled Middle Corridor: Strategic Investment and Cooperation Opportunities, to discuss the growing role of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), widely known as the Middle Corridor, Hurriyet Daily News reported on July 3.
The overland trade route connects China to Europe via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye – providing a non-Russian alternative to traditional east-west trade paths.
The roundtable featured strong support for the corridor’s potential, particularly amid growing vulnerabilities in maritime shipping routes, according to a statement released after the event.
India plans own trade corridor to counter Chinese BRI: 4,500-km rail and sea route to connect half a dozen countries, from Kazakhstan to Ukraine and Bulgaria
India is making a bold move to reshape its global trade game, sidestepping China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by investing in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, Bhaskar English reported on July 2.
This route aligns strategically with India’s under-development International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
Anchored by Kazakhstan, this emerging trade pathway offers India a chance to bypass Beijing’s dominance and secure faster, cheaper access to Europe and beyond.
FlyArystan launches international route from Almaty to Issyk-Kul
The Kazakh low-cost airline FlyArystan operated its first flight on a new international route – from Almaty to Issyk-Kul International Airport (Tamchy) in the Kyrgyz Republic, Trend reported on July 3.
With the launch of this route, passengers now have a fast and affordable way to reach one of the most popular resorts in Central Asia – just a one-hour flight away.
Flights will operate twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, until Aug. 31.
