ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest covers President Donald Trump’s tariff on Kazakhstan, water management, the country’s natural beauty and more.
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The mystery of Trump’s 25% tariff threat on Kazakhstan
The New York Times published an article on July 11 discussing the Trump administration’s unexpected tariff threats against Kazakhstan, a country with minimal U.S. trade ties, highlighting the potential strain on bilateral relations and the strategic dilemma Kazakhstan faces as it balances economic interests between the U.S., China, and Russia.
“Kazakhstan is a potential hotbed for the critical minerals and rare earth metals that are essential in making electric vehicles and other cutting-edge products. The world’s supply of these materials, which the United States desperately needs, is dominated by Chinese companies,” the article reads.
Kazakhstan is investing to tackle Central Asia water crisis
Climate change is accelerating glacial retreat, and water-intensive agriculture is dominant. Kazakhstan is investing in 42 new reservoirs and overhauling 14,000 kilometers of irrigation canals, reported Euractiv on July 14.
Kazakhstan, the region’s largest country by landmass and a key downstream player, has moved to the forefront of efforts to address the mounting environmental and geopolitical pressures.
More than 44% of Kazakhstan’s river water originates from outside its borders, flowing in from upstream neighbours like China, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan.
With climate change accelerating glacial retreat in the Tian Shan and Altai ranges, and water-intensive agriculture still dominant, the country faces complex challenges in balancing domestic needs with fragile transboundary relations, the article notes.
Kazakh Grand Canyon and sacred caves – explore the raw beauty of Mangystau
Euronews published an article on July 9, exploring Kazakhstan’s region of Mangystau, a home to Martian-like landscapes, sacred caves, cliffs shaped like frozen waves and ancient routes of the Great Silk Road.
“Mangystau is a region known for its industrial strength, vast oil and gas reserves, and strategic position on the Caspian Sea. Yet the region holds far more than its industrial identity suggests.
Today, the region continues a centuries-old tradition of east–west trade. As part of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, it plays a key role in the modern Maritime Silk Road, while offering some of the most remote and untouched natural scenery in Central Asia.
At its heart is Bozjyra – a fossil-covered canyon formed by the long-vanished Tethys Ocean. Its jagged limestone peaks have become a symbol of the region’s dramatic beauty. Nearby stands Beket Ata, an 18th-century underground mosque carved directly into the rock. One of Kazakhstan’s most important pilgrimage sites, it draws visitors from across Central Asia,” the article reads.
A new energy bridge: Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan unite for a Green Corridor to Europe
In a move aiming to reshape the regional energy landscape and bring Central Asia closer to Europe, the three countries have launched a joint venture, seeking to develop a new transcontinental green energy corridor, reported Euronews on July 15.
Officially registered in Baku, the Green Corridor Union will coordinate efforts to export surplus renewable electricity from Central Asia to Europe via high-voltage transmission infrastructure.
More than a strategic partnership, this initiative signals a geopolitical and economic shift toward interregional cooperation, sustainability and energy diversification – themes high on the agenda for European institutions and markets increasingly turning toward cleaner alternatives.
Transit volumes on Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor surge sixfold in five years
Transit volumes along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, have increased sixfold over the past five years, marking a dramatic shift in regional trade dynamics, according to Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Azernews reported on July 16.
