ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest covers a sharp increase in freight traffic along the Middle Corridor, the Regional Ecological Summit and more.
Photo credit: The Astana Times
Interview: China’s planning, development model deliver “exceptionally successful” results, says Kazakh expert
China’s achievements over the past decade can be described as “exceptionally successful,” reflecting the strength of a governance model that combines long-term strategic planning with market mechanisms, said Rakhim Oshakbayev, director of Kazakhstan’s TALAP Center for Applied Research.
Many international experts view China’s approach as an effective blend of efficient state governance and market-economy elements, including support for entrepreneurship and protection of investors’ and private property rights, Oshakbayev said in an interview with Xinhua on March 11.
“This has produced impressive results,” he said, citing not only industrial development and China’s position as one of the world’s leading manufacturing and exporting economies, but also rapid improvements in people’s well-being.
Freight volumes on Middle Corridor through Kazakhstan rise fivefold in seven years
Freight volumes transported along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) through Kazakhstan have increased more than fivefold over the past seven years, highlighting the growing importance of the corridor as companies seek alternatives to routes passing through Russia, reported The Times of Central Asia on March 11.
According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, volumes have risen from 0.8 million tons to 4.5 million tons annually.
Also known as the Middle Corridor, the TITR is a multimodal transport route linking China and Europe via Central Asia and the South Caucasus.
Astana to host Regional Ecological Summit
Astana will hold the Regional Ecological Summit (RES) on April 22-24, aiming to reinforce Kazakhstan’s regional leadership by promoting coordinated environmental policies and launching a 2026-2030 program addressing shared ecological challenges across Eurasia, reported Jamestown Foundation on March 10.
The summit will focus on urgent regional environmental crises, particularly the deterioration of the Caspian and Aral seas, where declining water levels, biodiversity loss, and desertification threaten ecosystems, fisheries, navigation, and food security across multiple states.
Kazakhstan seeks to use the RES to strengthen regional cooperation and align environmental protection with geopolitical and economic priorities, including safeguarding the Caspian Sea’s role in trade corridors such as the Middle Corridor.
Kazakhstan reduces number of overseas polling stations for referendum
Kazakhstan has reduced the number of overseas polling stations for the nationwide referendum scheduled for March 15 due to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East. The announcement was made by Yerlan Alimbayev, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported The Times of Central Asia on March 11.
Among the most notable proposed changes are a transition from a bicameral parliament to a unicameral body known as the Kurultai; the restoration of the position of vice president; and the enshrinement in the basic law of commitments to digital transformation, economic modernization, and the strengthening of sovereignty.
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan strengthen transboundary water cooperation
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan engaged in detailed discussions on key aspects of their bilateral cooperation concerning water resources, reported Trend on March 13.
The meeting was held between Uzbekistan’s Minister of Water Management, Shavkat Khamraev, and Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Beybut Atamkulov. Topics included preparations for the Regional Environmental Summit and the upcoming session of the Heads of State of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea.
The participants commended the signing of the agreement on the joint management and rational use of transboundary water bodies, stressing its significance for regional cooperation. Additionally, they underscored the importance of launching the task force on forecasting the flows of transboundary rivers, which was established following the second meeting of the High Intergovernmental Council of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in November 2025.
