ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest covers Singapore-Kazakhstan relations, political and economic developments, energy expansion, cultural cooperation with Vietnam and more.
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Singapore keen to build on goodwill, deepen ties with Kazakhstan: SM Lee
Singapore wants to build on the goodwill it enjoys in Kazakhstan and deepen ties in areas ranging from business to connectivity, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said as he wrapped up his first visit to the Central Asian country, reported The Straits Times on Aug. 28.
Lee said on Aug. 27 that Singapore’s relationship with Kazakhstan was “an account well worth cultivating”, with Singapore companies showing growing interest in the country and trade and investments increasing significantly in recent years
“We enjoy a lot of goodwill,” he told Singapore media in a doorstop interview at the St. Regis Astana Hotel, noting that Kazakhstan remembers warmly founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s first visit in September 1991, three months before the country became an independent republic.
The Goethe of the Steppe: How Kazakhstan’s national philosopher shapes the bridge to the global economy
News Mark released an article on Aug. 10 exploring how Abai Kunanbayev’s philosophy, literary legacy and emphasis on education, honest work and openness to other cultures can help international investors understand Kazakhstan’s modern business culture and economic ambitions.
“Anyone wanting to invest in Central Asia’s dynamic market today cannot ignore one name: Abai Kunanbayev. What Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is to Germans, Abai (1845-1904) is to Kazakhs. He is not only the undisputed national poet, but also the ethical foundation of a country rapidly transforming from a former nomadic state into a global economic player. For international decision-makers, his work offers the key to understanding the mentality, business culture, and economic ambitions of modern Kazakhstan,” reads the article.
Kazakhstan after Kurultai elections: Expanding opportunities for co-operation with the European Union
EU Reporter published an article on Aug. 25 about parliamentary elections on Aug. 23 that completed the formation of Kazakhstan’s new legislature – the Kurultai – the central element of the country’s renewed political system following constitutional reform. Seven political parties took part in the vote. Turnout stood at 74%.
“The first convocation of the Kurultai has cemented the completion of the institutional transition and marked the country’s entry into a new political cycle.
The Aug. 23 elections have concluded the phase of institutional renewal in Kazakhstan and opened the period of practical implementation of reforms. For the European Union, this means a more predictable foundation for cooperation with Kazakhstan in the key spheres of energy, raw materials, and transport infrastructure. Kazakhstan enters a new political cycle with an updated institutional system, reinforcing its position as a strategic partner of the EU in Eurasia,” reads the article.
Astana Finance Days 2026 to bring global investors and financial leaders to Kazakhstan
More than 5,500 participants from over 80 countries are expected to gather in Kazakhstan’s capital on Sept. 9-10 for the ninth Astana Finance Days (AFD) 2026 forum, hosted by the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC), reads an EU Reporter article on Aug. 24.
The forum will bring together investors, representatives of the financial and technology sectors, regulators, government and quasi-state institutions, and international businesses.
Since its launch in 2018, Astana Finance Days has developed into one of the region’s major financial forums, providing a platform for discussions on capital markets, investment and financial cooperation. The 2026 program will focus on capital markets and investment products, regulation and market confidence, institutional innovation, financing the real economy, and regional and cross-border capital cooperation.
After ending power shortages, Kazakhstan can become electricity exporter
An EU Reporter article published on Aug. 25 covered Kazakhstan’s planned expansion of electricity generation in 2026-2027, the growing role of gas and renewable energy, and the government’s goal of moving from an electricity deficit to a surplus while building a reserve for the national grid.
“The expected 1.3 billion kilowatt-hour surplus by the end of 2027 marks an important shift in the government’s projections. The objective is no longer limited to covering immediate electricity consumption but also includes creating a reserve that could strengthen the reliability of the national grid. However, installed generation capacity and actual electricity output are not identical. The amount of electricity ultimately available to the system will depend on factors including the operating performance of new plants, fuel supply, grid infrastructure and, in the case of wind and solar projects, weather conditions,” reads the article.
Vietnam, Kazakhstan boost experience sharing in cultural industry development
Vietnam Pictorial released an article on Aug. 27 about Vietnam and Kazakhstan strengthening cooperation in cultural industries, tourism, education and other sectors while using cultural exchange as a tool to deepen bilateral ties and diversify economic relations.
During the meeting with Aida Balayeva, deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra called for stronger people-to-people exchanges, local cooperation and tourism, noting that nearly 200,000 Kazakh tourists visited Vietnam in 2025 following the visa exemption policy for ordinary passport holders, according to the article.
Kazakhstan’s expanded Korea: A cultural legacy
The Chosun Daily published an article on Aug. 26 about Kazakhstan’s large Koryoin community and how Korea’s historical diaspora, cultural influence and growing popularity among Kazakh youth connect the two countries across generations.
“The ties between Kazakhstan and Korea date back much further than these cultural interactions. In 1937, the Stalinist regime forcibly relocated approximately 170,000 Koryoin from the Primorsky Krai region to Central Asia, citing fears they could become Japanese spies. Many of those transported by cargo trains settled in Kazakhstan, where around 120,000 of their descendants still live today. Kazakhstan is the country with the second-largest Koryoin population in the world, following Uzbekistan,” reads the article.
