Articles by Ayana Birbayeva 

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s proposed new Constitution would make a political transition starting July 1, including the end of the current Parliament’s mandate, if voters endorse the reforms in a national referendum on March 15. Under the draft, the day the new Constitution is adopted would be declared a state holiday. The document also stipulates that…

ALMATY – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has congratulated the country’s special forces units on Feb. 12, following their standout performance at the UAE SWAT Challenge 2026 international competition in Dubai, where Kazakh teams secured both first and second place overall. Team Kazakhstan C was declared the absolute winner of the prestigious tournament, while Kazakhstan A…

ALMATY – Germany has described Kazakhstan as a key political and economic partner in Central Asia, as Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev held talks with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Feb. 11 in Berlin ahead of the C5+1 format talks.  Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation across political, economic, and sustainable…

ALMATY – The United States’ International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has issued letters of interest exploring up to $700 million in financing for a tungsten mining project in Kazakhstan, the U.S. Embassy’s press service reported on Feb. 11.  The potential financing would support Cove Kaz Capital Group’s investment in the Severniy Katpar Tungsten Mine, one…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s growing strategic role in the development of the Middle Corridor and broader Eurasian connectivity was highlighted during a presentation of an analytical report at the National Press Club in Washington on Feb. 10, reported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  The report focused on Eurasia’s transit potential, including the Middle Corridor and the…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan must develop a comprehensive strategy to attract new, high-quality investments to build modern, high-tech industries, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at a Feb. 10 government meeting.  “Development institutions must build effective relationships with business and the financial sector, based not on competition but on mutual partnership,” he said, adding that as inflation stabilizes,…

ALMATY – Satellite internet provider Starlink, operated by SpaceX, has officially launched operations in Tajikistan, as it was announced on Feb. 5 on the company’s X page.  The expansion represents another step in the company’s growing footprint across Central Asia and the broader CIS region. Starlink is already operational in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and several…

ALMATY – The Khorgos Gateway Dry Port in Kazakhstan’s special economic zone handled more than 372,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2025, marking a 2% increase compared to 2024, according to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ). The dry port continues to strengthen its role as a key transshipment hub linking China with Europe and Central Asia,…

ALMATY – The 2026 Winter Olympic Games officially open today, Feb. 6, in Milan-Cortina, Italy, with Kazakhstan ready to highlight its winter sports talents in front of a worldwide audience. The opening ceremony will be broadcast live at 12 a.m. Astana time on Feb. 7 on Qazsport, Qazaqstan, Jibek Joly, and Khabar channels, reported the…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev took part in the first conference on critical minerals on Feb. 4 in Washington, the United States, at the invitation of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, underscoring Kazakhstan’s growing role in strengthening global supply chains for strategically important resources. Discussions focused on enhancing international cooperation in the extraction,…

ALMATY – Air Astana has opened ticket sales for direct seasonal flights to Cyprus as part of its summer 2026 schedule. From June through September, the airline will operate regular services to Larnaca from both Astana and Almaty, reported the Civil Aviation Committee on Feb. 2.  Flights from Astana will run from June 2 to…

ALMATY – Eight OPEC+ member countries have reaffirmed their commitment to oil market stability, citing a steady global economic outlook and healthy market fundamentals reflected in relatively low inventories. Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman held a virtual meeting on Feb. 1 to review current market conditions and…

ALMATY – A Kazakh delegation, led by the Chairman of the Kazakh Agency for Atomic Energy Almasadam Satkaliyev has visited the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) and the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) international research centers in Grenoble, France. Representatives of Kazakhstan’s Institute of Nuclear Physics also took part in the trip. During the visit to ESRF,…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan does not expect to incur losses on an annual basis despite the recent production halt at the Tengiz oil field, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said while commenting on the consequences of the incident during a Jan. 28 briefing.  According to the minister, current losses amount to about 900,000 tons of oil. However,…

ALMATY – Starting March 29, Air Astana will begin operating regular flights on the Almaty–Shanghai route. Flights will be scheduled three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. With the addition of this new route, the total number of weekly flights between Kazakhstan and China will increase from 81 to 84, reported the Civil…

ALMATY – The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) is operating at full capacity, loading two tankers per day, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov announced during a Jan. 28 briefing at the Mazhilis (Parliament’s lower chamber). “On Sunday, we restarted unit No. 3, which had been under repair. Due to severe winter weather in the Black Sea, we…

ALMATY – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a meeting with Kazakh IT entrepreneurs  Erzat Dulat, technical director of the startup Higgsfield AI, and Murat Abdrakhmanov, founder of the venture platform MA7 Ventures, on Jan. 28. During the meeting, the parties discussed the introduction of artificial intelligence in the economy, public administration, and the social sphere, as…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was briefed on the progress of Kazakhstan’s constitutional reform on Jan. 27, including the development of proposed new wording for parts of the Constitution, following six months of public consultations. The update came during a meeting with Chair of the Constitutional Commission and Chair of the Constitutional Court Elvira Azimova,…

ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Jan. 27, underscoring both countries’ commitment to strengthening comprehensive cooperation. President Tokayev noted that the minister’s visit reflects Israel’s firm intention to deepen bilateral ties with Kazakhstan across a wide range of sectors. During the meeting, both sides discussed trade, economic,…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy has reported significant progress in restoring production operations at oilfields in the Atyrau region, following disruptions earlier this month. According to the ministry, the key milestone was the successful restart of the Second Generation Plant (SGP) on Jan. 26. The plant is now operating on feedstock from the Korolevskoye…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan exported 5.1 million tons of grain from the new harvest between September 2025 and Jan. 15, 2026, marking an increase compared to 4.3 million tons shipped during the same period last year, according to the data provided by the Ministry of Agriculture on Jan. 21.  The most substantial growth was recorded in…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan plans to open and resume multiple international air routes in 2026 while increasing flight frequencies on existing destinations, as part of broader efforts to strengthen the country’s role as a regional aviation hub, Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev said at a Jan. 21 government meeting. According to Sauranbayev, airlines are expected to resume…

ALMATY – Trade and economic cooperation between China and Central Asia reached a historic milestone in 2025 as bilateral trade volumes exceeded $100 billion for the first time, according to data released by China’s Ministry of Commerce on Jan. 18.  Total imports and exports between China and Central Asian countries reached $106.3 billion, representing a…

ASTANA – In the second half of 2025, Kazakhstan’s foreign policy gained particular momentum, marked by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s intensive schedule of high-level international engagements across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. Tokayev said the pace and geography of these contacts reflect Kazakhstan’s growing international standing and demand as a responsible actor…

ALMATY – Astana will host the President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian on an official visit on Dec. 10–11, marking a new stage in the strengthening of Kazakh-Iranian cooperation across key strategic sectors. According to the official announcement, the program of the visit includes negotiations,  during which the sides will discuss a wide range of issues…