ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from international media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest highlights the country’s plans to launch Central Asia’s first air taxi service, developments in energy security, transport connectivity and regional diplomacy.
Photo credit: Fatima Kemelova/ The Astana Times
Speaking alongside Putin, Kazakh President calls for freeze of Ukraine war
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Saturday that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine might be reached if the sides froze the conflict and resumed negotiations, reported Reuters on July 25.
Speaking alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin at a Russia-Kazakhstan forum in the Siberian city of Omsk, Tokayev praised Putin’s “utmost diplomatic flexibility.”
“If I may offer my humble opinion, since I have been asked, perhaps it is time to freeze this conflict and return to the Istanbul formula 2.0,” he said.
Moscow and Kyiv participated in talks in Istanbul soon after Russia’s full-scale invasion in early 2022 and again in 2025, though the discussions failed to produce a breakthrough.
Tokayev proposes launching digital transport corridor between Kazakhstan and Russia
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has proposed launching a pilot digital transport corridor between Kazakhstan and Russia to further develop logistics and boost bilateral trade, reported Trend on July 25.
According to the press service of the President of Kazakhstan, Tokayev made the proposal while addressing the 22nd Kazakhstan-Russia Interregional Cooperation Forum in Omsk.
The president said Kazakhstan and Russia have unique opportunities to shape Eurasia’s transport and logistics architecture.
“Kazakhstan and Russia, which share the world’s longest continuous land border, are destined to play a leading role in developing the transport and logistics architecture of the Eurasian continent,” Tokayev said.
US, Kazakhstan discuss energy security, Caspian oil exports
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev held high-level talks Wednesday on regional energy security and the stability of global oil supply chains, reported ED News on July 29.
“The two officials discussed the importance of energy security, including the reliable and uninterrupted export of Kazakhstan-origin oil via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), for regional stability and prosperity,” said State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
Rubio expressed gratitude for Kazakhstan’s support of US President Donald Trump’s peace initiatives and signaled interest in deeper economic ties, he added.
The Kazakh Foreign Ministry confirmed the conversation covered the “Enhanced Strategic Partnership” and preparations for Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s upcoming trip to the US for the G20 Summit in December.
Middle Corridor opens new route for Kazakh exports
Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) has organized the first-ever multimodal shipment of mineral fertilizers from the city of Ekibastuz to the United Kingdom, AzerNEWS reported on July 28.
The shipment is being carried via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, using both rail and maritime transport. The cargo will travel through Kazakhstan, across the Caspian Sea, and onward through Azerbaijan and Georgia before being transported by sea from the ports of Poti and Batumi to the Port of Felixstowe in the United Kingdom.
The new route will enable Kazakhstan’s fertilizer producers to increase exports to the UK market. The use of the Middle Corridor will also help diversify logistics routes and ensure more reliable cargo deliveries.
Kazakhstan set to become first Central Asian country to launch air taxi service
Kazakhstan is preparing to become the first country in Central Asia to introduce electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis into its transport system, reported Reuters Connect on July 24.
“The Prosperity eVTOL aircraft, developed by Chinese manufacturer AutoFlight, was unveiled during a demonstration flight at the Kazanat Hippodrome in Astana. The event was organized by Kazakhstan’s Alatau Advanced Air Group (AAAG) in cooperation with AutoFlight.
The aircraft can carry one pilot and five passengers, reach speeds of up to 200 kilometers (124 miles) per hour, and travel about 200 kilometers (124 miles) on a single charge.
The air taxi service is expected to launch in Alatau, a new city being built from the ground up under Kazakhstan’s digital city concept,” reads the article.
