ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles on Kazakhstan featured in international media worldwide this week. Today’s foreign media digest covers President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s accelerated constitutional reforms, efforts to translate economic growth into higher household incomes, expanding cultural cooperation with China, and more.
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Six months to rewrite the state: Kazakhstan accelerates its constitutional reset
The Times of Central Asia published an article on Feb. 12 examining how President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev rapidly advanced constitutional reforms in Kazakhstan, expanding an initial proposal for parliamentary restructuring into a nationwide referendum on a new Constitution, and analyzing the political, legal, and geopolitical reasoning behind this accelerated process.
“By anchoring political change in constitutional revision rather than informal arrangements, the authorities are attempting to shift the center of gravity from personalities to procedures. If institutional safeguards take hold and avenues for participation expand, the current reset could mark a structural transition rather than a tactical adjustment. The referendum will therefore serve not only as a vote on a new text, but as a test of whether Kazakhstan can strengthen the institutional processes through which political authority is exercised,” reads the article.
Kazakhstan’s constitutional reforms shift the country toward a rules-based system
Law News published an article on Feb. 9 on Kazakhstan’s constitutional reforms, arguing that the proposed changes suggest a shift away from personalized governance toward a more rules-based presidential model.
According to the article, the reform strengthens the institutional role of political parties while keeping the executive firmly presidential. The logic appears to be that a smaller, more professional legislature – elected on a party basis – can provide more consistent scrutiny and policy input than a larger body with overlapping mandates.
“By reducing ambiguity around succession, appointments, legislative authority, and executive coordination, the proposed Constitution points toward a more rules-based form of presidential governance – one that is more clearly bounded by law,” the article reads.
Kazakhstan looks to translate GDP growth into higher real incomes, Tokayev says
Kazakhstan is striving to ensure GDP growth leads to a real increase in the incomes of its citizens, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at a government meeting, Trend reported on Feb. 10.
“Our main goal is to strengthen Kazakhstan’s socio-economic and international potential amid the complex realities of the modern world,” Tokayev said.
He noted that global economic growth is expected to slow, leading to declines in international trade and reduced investment in developing countries. Rising protectionism, tariffs, financial risks, and deglobalization are reshaping the geopolitical and economic landscape.
China–Kazakhstan co-produced music show “Voice Beyond Horizon” premieres, building a bridge for civilizational exchange through music
The Silk Road youth cultural exchange and music performance program “Voice Beyond Horizon” premiered on the evening of Feb. 5 simultaneously on Hunan TV and Mango TV, China News reported on Feb. 6.
The show brings together eight young musicians from countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. Through a musical journey spanning 7,436 kilometers, it builds a vivid bridge for people-to-people and cultural exchange along the Belt and Road. The program attracted widespread attention from audiences both at home and abroad upon its debut.
“It is reported that the singers will visit four cities in Kazakhstan, where they will give eight concerts. During their journey, they will immerse themselves in local culture, visit ancient ruins, admire natural landscapes, and participate in traditional rituals. They will embody the humanistic charm and historical depth of the Silk Road in their musical works, allowing audiences to appreciate the allure of diverse cultures,” the article reads.
Tokayev’s realpolitik moment: why Kazakhstan is positioning itself as Eurasia’s pragmatic power broker
EU Reporter released an article on Feb. 5 examining how President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is positioning Kazakhstan as a pragmatic, neutral and connectivity-driven middle power – balancing relations between Russia, China, the West and the Muslim world while advancing trade corridors, cautious diplomacy on Ukraine and Gaza, institutional reforms and economic modernization to strengthen the country’s global role.
“Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is not a leader given to grand ideological statements. Instead, his political language is marked by diplomatic discipline and the careful calibration of a man who has spent decades operating inside the machinery of international power. That was evident in his recent exclusive interview in Islamabad, where Tokayev laid out Kazakhstan’s evolving worldview: one grounded in connectivity, neutrality, institutional reform, and geopolitical realism,” the article reads.
From Baikonur to Beijing: How Kazakhstan is carving out new space horizons
Kazakhstan is emerging as a regional hub for space, sharing technology, expertise, and talent, launching the Di’er-5 nanosatellite with China, and preparing to launch the Soyuz-5/Sunkar rocket, Euronews reported on Feb. 13.
Kazakhstan and China have successfully launched the joint Di’er-5 nanosatellite (Yao-8 mission) for scientific research from China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre aboard a Kuaizhou-11 rocket.
The Di’er-5 nanosatellite was developed at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in partnership with China’s Northwestern Polytechnical University.
“This nanosatellite is designed to test high-precision motion, attitude control, and elements of autonomous processing for Earth observation data,” says Lazzat Abdizhalilova, a student of Electronics and Astrophysics and participant in the satellite development program.
