ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest covers the Middle Corridor, Kazakhstan’s tourism sector and more.
Big Almaty Lake. Photo credit: Pavel Oparin/Shutterstock
Officials report 29 survivors and 38 killed as plane crashes in Kazakhstan
This week, the world mourns the 38 killed in an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash near Aktau.
Twenty-nine people have survived after a passenger plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines burst into flames as it crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after veering hundreds of miles off its planned route on Dec. 25, reported The Guardian.
The flight was carrying 62 passengers and five crew members with 38 killed in the crash, according to Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev.
The plane was en route from Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, to the Russian city of Grozny in Chechnya.
Kazakhstan sees record-breaking 11.5 million foreign tourists in 2024, doubling arrivals compared to the previous year: new updates you need to know
Travel and tour world published an article on Dec. 24 about Kazakhstan’s tourism industry.
“Kazakhstan has witnessed a remarkable surge in its tourism sector in 2024, with 11.5 million foreign tourists visiting the country, marking a 100% increase compared to 2023.
The country’s tourism landscape has seen impressive growth across several key metrics, and officials are optimistic about continued development in the sector moving forward.
Kazakhstan has set new records in visitor spending, with accommodation revenues soaring by 27% to 224 billion tenge (US$433 million) in 2024. This growth is a reflection of Kazakhstan’s concerted efforts to position itself as a prominent player in the global tourism market,” the article reads.
Kazakhstan opens new consulate in Georgia
The Honorary Consulate of Kazakhstan was opened in Georgia’s Guria region, reported Trend on Dec. 24.
To note, currently, Kazakhstan operates a total of five honorary consulates in various regions of Georgia.
Kazakhstan eyes to build terminal in Azerbaijan’s Alat port
Kazakhstan plans to build a new terminal at the Alat port in Azerbaijan in 2025, Kazakh Minister of Transport Marat Karabayev said at the country parliament’s meeting, reported Trend on Dec. 24.
According to him, Kazakhstan is additionally working on the construction of terminals at the Alat port, in the settlement of Selyatino near Moscow, at the Svisloch station in Belarus, and in Tashkent.
He explained that construction of these facilities is scheduled to begin next year, and the total capacity of the new terminals will be 1.2 million containers per year.
“In the future, it is planned to create joint terminals in Constanța, Romania; Budapest, Hungary; and Urumqi, China. As a result, the capacity of external terminals will increase fivefold, allowing for the attraction of cargo from the main countries forming cargo flows to Kazakhstan’s transport corridors,” he said.
Two pivotal events by Kazakhstan at Raw Materials Week 2024: Strengthening EU ties
The European Commission organized the Raw Materials Week 2024 on Dec. 9-13 in Brussels, reported EU Reporter on Dec. 20. In this context, Kazakhstan hosted two meetings, given its crucial role in raw materials exploitation. The Diplomatic World team (CEO Barbara Dietrich; The Project Manager Alberto Turkstra and the Expert on Central Asia Derya Soysal) was invited to these two major events organized by the Embassy of Kazakhstan, writes Derya Soysal.
The energy transition is driving an increase in demand for minerals for clean energy technologies, raising concerns about the sources and security of critical material supplies. Central Asia (including Kazakhstan) is one of the world’s main sources of industrial metals and minerals. This makes the region important for the mineral economy, supply security, and geopolitical perspectives.
Kazakhstan’s transport renaissance paved way for global trade connectivity
Kazakhstan is evolving its role as a strategic transport hub amid shifting global trade and geopolitical dynamics, further developing infrastructure along key trade routes, reported Euractiv on Dec. 23.
Cargo transportation through the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, increased by 63% from January to November, reaching 4.1 million tons.
Container traffic rose 2.6 times during the same period, amounting to 50,500 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). The route’s annual capacity has expanded to 6 million tons, including 100,000 TEUs of container shipments.
To enhance its competitiveness and reduce delivery times between Europe and Asia to 15 days, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route Coordination Centre was launched during the year, involving Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, and China.
