ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest highlights Kazakhstan’s perspectives on energy security, a major $300 million investment to upgrade the Middle Corridor rail route, developments in culture, history, and industry, and more.
Almaty. Photo credit: Visit Almaty.
Kazakhstan raises alarm over Black Sea tanker attacks, warning of risks to European energy security
Kazakhstan has expressed concern over a series of drone attacks on oil tankers in the Black Sea, warning that the incidents pose growing risks to maritime safety and European energy security, according to a Jan. 15 EU Reporter article.
In a statement issued this week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan said that three tankers en route to the marine terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) were attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles on Jan. 13. The ministry stressed that Kazakhstan is not a party to any armed conflict and underlined its role as a reliable supplier of energy to international markets.
Kazakhstan to upgrade Middle Corridor rail line with $300 million investment
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and Standard Chartered have jointly allocated $300 million (denominated in Swiss franc equivalent) to Kazakhstan’s national railway operator, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), to support the development of the Middle Corridor.
As reported by Azernews on Jan. 14, IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop announced the move in a social media post.
The funding will be used to construct a 130-kilometer electrified railway bypass line around Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city. The project is designed to reroute freight traffic away from the urban area, eliminate long-standing infrastructure bottlenecks, and significantly enhance the capacity and reliability of rail transport along the Middle Corridor connecting East Asia and Europe.
Gobeklitepe’s 12,000-year legacy finds new voice in Kazakh contemporary art
Ancient Gobeklitepe, widely described as the world’s oldest known ritual site with a history of around 12,000 years, has inspired a new generation of Kazakh contemporary artists, bringing the cultural heritage of southeastern Türkiye to the capital of Kazakhstan, reported Türkiye Today on Jan. 16.
An exhibition titled “SHAFT. Unearthing Hidden Threads” has opened at the National Museum of Kazakhstan in Astana, featuring works by young Kazakh artists who drew inspiration from the historical and cultural landscape of Türkiye’s Southeastern Anatolia region. The exhibition, organized by the Turkish Embassy in Astana, has attracted strong interest from diplomatic, academic, and cultural circles.
Family album of 20th century Kazakh leader Mustafa Shokay added to National Museum
The National Museum in Astana has acquired a rare and historically significant family photo album belonging to Mustafa Shokay, a leader of the Alash Orda political movement of the 1920s that strove for Kazakh autonomy, and his wife, Maria Shokay, The Times of Central Asia reported on Jan 9.
The original album was formally donated to the museum by Shokay’s relative, Gulbarshyn Zairova.
For decades, the album was safeguarded by the distinguished violinist Alim Almat (born Galymzhan Absalyamov), who survived wartime imprisonment with the help of Mustafa Shokay and later became a spiritual son to Maria Shokay. Almat eventually entrusted this valuable heirloom to Shokay scholar Bakyt Sadykova, who, in turn, passed it to Zairova in 2022.
Kazakhstan unveils launch date for PepsiCo’s snack plant in Almaty
PepsiCo’s snack manufacturing facility in Kazakhstan’s Almaty region is slated for a technical launch in March, with full-scale operations expected to commence in June, reported Trend on Jan. 15.
The project is being implemented in two phases to establish new value chains, promote agro-industrial cooperation, and introduce modern technologies for the storage and processing of agricultural products. The plant is being built on an area of 50,000 square meters.
