ASTANA – The Astana Times has curated a selection of articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest includes topics such as the Kazakh President’s official visits to Serbia and Hungary, the Middle Corridor, Amur tigers and more.
Amur tiger. Photo credit: Theo Allofs
Prime Minister Orbán hails Kazakhstan as key partner in energy and economic growth
Hungary Today reported on Nov. 21 about Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to Budapest, where he met with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Head of State Tamás Sulyok to discuss strengthening bilateral ties.
“The talks focused on economic cooperation, energy security, cultural connections and the EU-Kazakhstan relations, marking a significant step in their partnership.
During the meeting with Prime Minister Orbán, both leaders emphasized Kazakhstan’s strategic importance as a key player in Central Asia, particularly in energy and global economic development over the next 15–20 years. They agreed on deepening cooperation in sectors like pharmaceuticals, agriculture, water management and air connectivity between Budapest and Astana,” the article stated.
Kazakhstan’s last tigers disappeared decades ago. Now, they are coming back
CNN Science reported on Nov. 12 about two tigers reintroduced to Kazakhstan’s Ile-Balkhash Reserve in September, marking the first presence of tigers in the region in over 70 years.
“The apex predators once roamed across Central Asia, part of their historic range — an area that once extended from Türkiye in the west to the Korean peninsula in the east, and from the northern Siberian territories of Russia to the equatorial tropical islands of Indonesia. Tigers now occupy less than 7% of the range they used to, and in Kazakhstan, systematic hunting and a reduction of tiger prey saw the big cats declared extinct in the Caspian region in the 1950s.
In September, two captive Amur tigers were translocated from Stichting Leeuw, a big cat sanctuary in the Netherlands, and are now settling into a semi-natural three-hectare enclosure within the reserve — with the hope that their offspring will be among the first wild tigers in the country in decades.
The two tigers, called Bodhana and Kuma, were transported on land from the Netherlands to Germany, from where they took a six-hour flight in the hold of a commercial plane to Kazakhstan, and then a 20-minute helicopter ride to the reserve,” the article stated.
Middle Corridor: A pillar of stability and security in Central Asia and the Caucasus
News.az International published an article on Nov. 19 highlighting the Middle Corridor as a critical element of Kazakhstan’s economic and strategic agenda.
“Diversifying transport routes is not just a matter of convenience but a national priority for reducing economic vulnerabilities. This focus on transport connectivity underscores Kazakhstan’s commitment to mitigating economic turbulence and ensuring stability.
This initiative, connecting Central Asia and the South Caucasus, has laid the groundwork for deeper cooperation between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. By fostering economic interdependence, the Middle Corridor holds the potential to evolve into what scholars refer to as a ‘security community’ – a framework where mutual trust and shared interests reduce the likelihood of conflict,” the article stated.
COP29: Caspian and Central Asian states make progress in promoting green trade plan
Caspian Basin and Central Asian states discussed ways to boost green trade on the sidelines of the COP29 climate summit in Baku, reported Eurasianet on Nov. 20.
“The Middle Corridor, an emerging trade route linking China and Europe via the Caucasus and Central Asia, has been a major topic of discussion on the fringes of COP29. In the spirit of the climate gathering, participants say they are intent on developing a sustainable green energy corridor, involving the construction of new infrastructure and the digitization of trade systems,” the article stated.
Kazakhstan, Serbia strengthen dual ties with fresh batch of deals
Kazakhstan and Serbia are strengthening and expanding their bilateral relations through the signing of a series of new agreements,Trend reported on Nov. 19.
“The two Presidents, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan and Aleksandar Vučić of Serbia, sat down for a heart-to-heart, engaging in both narrow and expanded format talks in Belgrade.
After the talks wrapped up, a ceremony took place to swap signed documents, with both heads of state in attendance, making it a real show of unity,” the article stated.
