ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from international media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest highlights Kazakhstan’s efforts to deepen cooperation with the European Union, growing international interest in the country’s critical minerals sector, and the continued expansion of its tourism industry.
Astana. Photo credit: The Astana Times.
Kazakhstan seeks a deeper EU partnership in science, education and innovation
Kazakhstan is seeking to place science, higher education and innovation at the center of its growing partnership with the European Union, according to the EU Reporter article published on June 5.
That was the key message from a roundtable held in Brussels under the “Shanyraq Dialogue” platform, hosted by the Embassy of Kazakhstan to Belgium and attended by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Science and Higher Education, Sayasat Nurbek.
The discussion reflected Kazakhstan’s ambition to move beyond traditional areas of cooperation and develop a more knowledge-based partnership with Europe, focused on research, innovation, academic mobility and the training of specialists for the economy of the future.
US convenes critical minerals dialogue with Central Asian officials in Kazakhstan
ASTANA — The United States opened a new round of high-level critical minerals talks with Central Asian governments in Astana on June 10, with U.S. Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs Sergio Gor saying Washington is placing new emphasis on a region it sees as central to global commerce, connectivity, and secure supply chains, reported The Times of Central Asia on June 10.
Speaking at the C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue, Gor said Central Asia “has not gotten the attention it deserves from the United States,” and that the Trump administration had decided to change that.
“We care about this region, we want to be involved with this region, we want to identify win-win situations for the United States and your nations,” Gor said.
Kazakhstan eyes critical minerals as cornerstone of future industry, PM says
Critical minerals are becoming one of the key resources of the new industrial era, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said, as Trend reported on June 11.
Bektenov made the remarks during a plenary session of the 16th International Astana Mining & Metallurgy Congress. According to him, the mining and metallurgical sector is emerging as one of the key drivers of global competitiveness.
“The world is entering a new industrial era in which the development of energy, the digital economy, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, microelectronics, and the aerospace industry directly depends on reliable access to metals and mineral resources,” he said.
Saudi Industry Minister says Kazakhstan is a trusted partner in critical minerals
Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef said Kazakhstan is a trusted partner in the critical minerals sector, which is essential for the energy transition, electricity, and advanced manufacturing industries, reported the Saudi Press Agency on June 12.
He noted that mining partnerships between the two countries help accelerate investment, strengthen supply chains, and create sustainable industrial value.
The remarks were made during a high-level panel discussion on global partnerships and the future of the mining and minerals sector, held as part of the Astana Mining and Metallurgy Congress in Kazakhstan, and attended by government officials and industry leaders from around the world.
Kazakhstan’s tourism industry generated more than $1.3 billion in tax revenue in 2025
Kazakhstan’s tourism sector generated more than $1.3 billion in tax revenue in 2025, an 18% increase from the previous year, as foreign visitor spending and investment in the industry continued to grow, Tourism and Sports Minister Yerbol Myrzabosynov said, reported The Times of Central Asia on June 9.
Speaking at a government meeting, Myrzabosynov said foreign tourists spent approximately $2.9 billion in Kazakhstan last year, while investment in the tourism sector rose by 33% to reach $2.74 billion.
The figures highlight the growing importance of tourism to Kazakhstan’s economy as authorities seek to diversify sources of growth beyond the country’s traditional resource sectors.
