ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected key articles from international media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest highlights the adoption of a new Constitution following a nationwide referendum, regional logistics cooperation along the Middle Corridor, the expansion of cultural ties through Nauryz initiatives, and more.
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Kazakhstan approves new constitution: 87.15% vote in favour, election commission says
Kazakhstan voted 87.15% in favour of adopting a new constitution, the Central Election Commission said on Monday, as reported by Reuters on March 16.
Voter turnout for the referendum stood at 73.12%.
The new constitution streamlines the country’s Parliament and re-establishes the office of vice president, which was abolished in 1996. It gives the president the right to appoint the vice president, as well as a host of other key officials.
Referendum in Kazakhstan
EU Reporter published an article on March 15 about Kazakhstan’s constitutional referendum, highlighting it as a historic reform process shaped by public participation, aimed at strengthening democratic institutions, expanding human rights, and advancing the country’s long-term political and economic development.
At the core of the proposed constitution is a strong emphasis on human rights, with authorities declaring that “the individual, their life, rights and freedoms are the highest value,” and framing the reform around the principle that “the state exists for the individual, not the individual for the state,” positioning the referendum as a transformative step toward a more democratic, inclusive, and citizen-centered system of governance, the article reads.
Kazakhstan, Georgia discuss logistics projects within the Middle Corridor
Kazakhstan and Georgia have discussed projects to develop logistics infrastructure along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor), Trend reported on March 19.
The discussions took place during a meeting between the Chairman of the Investment Committee of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gabidulla Ospankulov, and Georgia’s Ambassador, Levan Diasamidze.
Particular attention was paid to strengthening trade, economic, and investment ties, including opportunities to deepen cooperation through mutual participation in projects. In addition the parties discussed prospects for advancing agro-industrial cooperation.
Ahead of the September summit, Korea and Central Asia strengthen cultural heritage solidarity through Nowruz
The National Heritage Administration held a Korea-Central Asia Cultural Heritage Cooperation Roundtable and a commemorative event for the publication of the Nowruz book on the 18th at the Korea Foundation Global Center in Seoul, in partnership with the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Intangible Cultural Heritage Center, the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Korea, and others, reported The Asia Business Daily on March 19.
This event was organized to lay the foundation for cultural heritage cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the five Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Nowruz is a traditional spring festival celebrated in the Eurasian region. It is a shared intangible heritage of the Silk Road, jointly inscribed by 13 countries on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
EBRD announces $200 million financing package for MSMEs in Kazakhstan through Bank CenterCredit
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced a major financing initiative to support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Kazakhstan, reported Solar Quarter on March 18.
The funding package, worth up to $200 million (€172.4 million) in local currency equivalent, will be provided to Bank CenterCredit (BCC), the country’s third-largest commercial bank. This marks the largest bilateral financing package the EBRD has ever extended to a bank in Kazakhstan.
