BP has started drilling two new deep exploration wells in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea. One of the wells will reach a depth of 7000 meters in order to open gas layers located below the deposits of the existing Shah Deniz gas field, which currently provides the bulk of gas exports from Azerbaijan. […]
Kazakhstan mints 3D coins using ultra-high relief technology
The National Bank of Kazakhstan has issued a set of collection coins depicting BALQASH ALABUGASY (Balkhash perch). The coins are 3D and the ultra-high relief technology has been used for their production. According to the information available at the website of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, these are the only 3D coins in the world […]
Kazakhstan to host EU-Central Asia Economic Forum
In 2023, the next EU-Central Asia Economic Forum will be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, mentions a joint statement by Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tleuberdi and EU High Representative Josep Borrel on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The text of the Statement can be found […]
Kazakh specialists develop speech recognition technology for 10 Turkic languages
The experts and researchers at the Nazarbayev University of Kazakhstan have developed a new technology for speech recognition. According QazMonitor, it can convert 10 Turkic languages with 95% accuracy. QazMonitor https://qazmonitor.com/news/1364/new-speech-technology-recognizes-kazakh-and-9-turkic-languages This automatic module can automatically recognize and convert human speech into text the Azerbaijani, Bashkir, Chuvash, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Sakha, Tatar, Turkish, Uyghur, and Uzbek, […]
Kazakhstan hosts regional seminar on transboundary rivers and lakes
Representatives of Turkmenistan participate in the Regional Workshop on Monitoring, Assessment and Information Sharing in Transboundary Basins in Central Asia, held in Astana (Kazakhstan) on 1-2 February, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reports. The meeting brought together experts in the field of water resources, environment, foreign affairs, hydrometeorological services from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Experts […]
The Fate of the Caspian – Is the Fate of Aral Lake waiting for the Caspian Sea?
Prof. Dr. Abdulvahap Kara Experts warn of the possibility of a new ecological disaster on the Caspian Sea in recent years, similar to the drying up of the Aral Sea. One of the important reasons for this is that the water of the Ural River is decreasing from year to year. The Ural River reaches […]
Kazakhstan – Basic Indicators
Here are some basic indicators about Kazakhstan. The detailed information can be found from the link given at the end of this story. /// nCa, 31 January 2023 [Images are screenshots from Agency for Strategic planning and reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Bureau of National statistics – https://stat.gov.kz/]
Roundtable in Almaty discusses women’s entrepreneurship development in Afghanistan
In a pioneering event, the first of its kind, a roundtable was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to discuss the development of women’s entrepreneurship in Afghanistan. It was organized jointly by the Kazakhstan Agency for International Development (KazAID) together with the UNESCO Chair at the Kazakh-German University (DKU) and the United Nations Development Program in Kazakhstan […]
Kazakhstan to host First Inter-Parliamentary Forum of Central Asian Countries
On 9-10 February 2023, the First Inter-Parliamentary Forum of Central Asian states will be held in Turkestan, which will be attended by the heads of the parliaments of the regional countries, the foreign ministry of Kazakhstan reports. A meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Forum will be held on 10 February, which will discuss issues of strengthening […]
The EDB to channel most of its investment in Kazakhstan’s projects in 2023
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan, met with the head of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Nikolai Podguzov. In 2023, the Bank plans to invest over US $1.1 billion in Kazakhstan and promote international investment in Kazakhstan’s projects. The priority sectors are transport infrastructure and logistics, manufacturing, agriculture, green energy and water resources. Nikolai Podguzov said […]
Kazakhstan Railway cargo turnover in 2022 was 252 billion ton-kilometers
The operational cargo turnover of Kazakhstan Railway was 252 billion ton-kilometers in 2022. This is 5.3% higher than the previous year. Karel Novak, in an article for the publication Rail Market writes, “This is the highest indicator for the years of independence of Kazakhstan. Also, the historical maximum volume of traffic between Kazakhstan and China […]
Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Energy revealed some details of the gas deal with Gazprom
On 24 January 2023, negotiations on cooperation in the gas sector were held between the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Russian company Gazprom, which considered technical possibilities of natural gas supplies from Russia to Uzbekistan. “In accordance with the signed Roadmap, the bilateral working group agreed on the technical measures […]
ECO Holds 26th Meeting of the Council of Ministers
The 26th Meeting of the ECO Council of Ministers (COM) was held in Tashkent on 24 January 2023 under the chairmanship of the Acting Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov. The event was attended by: Foreign minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov Foreign minister of Iran Hossein Amir Abdollahiyan Foreign minister of Kazakhstan – Mukhtar Tleuberdi […]
Institute of Forecasting and Macroeconomic Research of Uzbekistan assessed the intraregional cooperation in Central Asia
Today, more and more countries are paying attention to deepening integration processes with their neighbors. This is especially evident within the regions. There is an increase in the so-called regionalization. Regionalization is a response of countries to external conditions, a potential to strengthen their positions on the global market and address existing intraregional challenges collaboratively. […]
Kazinform: The future of Central Asia discussed in Kazakhstan
Today (20 January), the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KISS) under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan hosted an expert meeting “Central Asia-2030: Images of the Future”, Kazinform reports. The event discussed topical issues of the development of cooperation between the Central Asian countries in […]
Kazakhstan-China trade turnover in 2022 exceeded USD 31 billion
The trade turnover between Kazakhstan and China in 2022 reached USD 31.2 billion, report several media outlets. Kazinform news service of Kazakhstan reports that the high dynamics of mutual trade growth of 23.6% year on year was mainly achieved due to an increase in Kazakhstan’s supplies to China of agricultural products by 133.7%, raw energy […]
Caspian Sea is shrinking fast. Littoral countries are trying to find a solution but it is a global responsibility.
nCa Commentary “ . . by 2100, water levels in the Caspian Sea could drop by another 8 to 30 meters (26 to 98 feet).” This is an alarming quote from a research paper titled, “The fate of the Caspian Sea under projected climate change and water extraction during the 21st century.” It was authored […]
President of Kazakhstan visits UAE – Nine documents signed – Joint statement issued
nCa Report In his official visit to the UAE that also combined with his participation in the opening of the ADSW Summit 2023, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan had a meeting with the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Tuesday, 17 January 2023. The talks, held in tete-a-tete led to the signing […]
Oil production in Kazakhstan in 2022: 84.2 million tons
Kazakhstan produced 84.2 million tons of oil and condensates in 2022, reports Kazinform, the prime news service of Kazakhstan. The Kazinform correspondent reports that according to the Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan Bolat Akchulakov, it amounted to 84.2 million tons, or 101.6% of the plan. According to the minister, 9.2 million tons of oil or […]
Kazakhstan will start producing Jetour X70 crossover SUV
Kazakhstan is preparing to gear to start producing Jetour X70 crossover SUV, a brand of Chery Commercial Vehicle of China. According to the media reports, it will be produced by SaryarkaAvtoProm at its plant in Kostanay city. Jetour X70, which is built on the Chery Tiggo 8 platform, comes in several configurations. The model chosen […]
In 2023, Kazakhstan will produce 4.5 bln kwh of electricity from renewables
This year Kazakhstan is planning to develop 15 renewable power source projects with total capacity of 257 megawatt. This was reported by several media sources including Kazinform and Kabar of Kazakhstan, quoting the Kazakh Energy Minister Bolat Akchulakov. In 2022, Kazakhstan brought on line 12 renewables power projects with total capacity of 385 megawatt. This […]
Kazakh, UAE companies in USD 780 million contract to provide offshore and shipping solutions to energy companies in Caspian Sea
According to a report from Reuters, the UAE company AD Ports and the Kazakh Kazmotransflot (KMTF) have signed a shareholder agreement for the establishment of a joint venture. The joint venture aims to provide energy companies in the Caspian Sea with offshore and shipping solutions. AD Ports will hold a 51% stake in the joint […]
TASS Report: Russia in Central Asia – work in five directions
2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and the countries of Central Asia (CA), which were once Soviet republics, but after the collapse of the USSR began their journey as independent states. TASS presents report about how Central Asian economies look today, as well as about the role that […]
Informal CIS summit in St. Petersburg
nCa Report An informal meeting of the leaders of the countries participating in the Commonwealth of Independent States took place at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library in St. Petersburg. The meeting was attended by Vladimir Putin, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Kazakhstan […]
CANWFZ Chairmanship passes to Tajikistan
The Chairmanship of the CANWFZ (Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone treaty) has passed to Tajikistan. The consultative meeting of the treaty member states was held through the video link on 22 December 2022. Kyrgyzstan, the current chair, handed the chairmanship to Tajikistan. During the meeting Kyrgyzstan presented information about outcomes of its activities as the chairman […]
Trade volume of Iran with Caspian states grows in recent months – Iran media
The Iranian media has reported that there has been considerable growth in the trade volume between Iran and the Caspian states in the recent months. According to the Mehr News Agency of Iran, the trade (excluding crude oil exports) with Caspian Sea littoral states reached 4.62 million tons worth $2.49 billion during the first eight […]
9th meeting of Foreign Ministers of Japan+Central Asia dialogue held in Tokyo
On 24 December 2022, the 9th meeting of Foreign Ministers under the Central Asia plus Japan dialogue took place at the Iikura House in Tokyo, chaired by Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, the Japanese Foreign Ministry reports. The agenda of the meeting included topics of cooperation between Japan and the Central Asian region, as well […]
President of Kazakhstan visited Uzbekistan, 21-22 Dec 2022. Here is our condensed report.
nCa Report President Tokayev of Kazakhstan visited Uzbekistan, 21-22 December 2022. It was a visit jam-packed with solid results. In addition to the meetings at the highest level including the summit talks with President Mirziyoyev, there was a joint business forum. Here is a summarized version of the outcomes of the visit: In all, 15 […]
Japan and Central Asia: dynamics of the current partnership
Elvira Kadyrova Japan is actively developing bilateral relations with Central Asian countries, being one of the region’s long-term partners. The spheres of interaction are quite diverse – from energy to social projects and personnel training, from major investments that drive forward the national economy to projects that improve the lives of small rural communities. The […]
Turkmenistan to enhance logistics cooperation with a number of countries
The Association “Turkmen Logistics” is going to establish partnership ties with a number of foreign countries. “Work continues on setting up mutually beneficial cooperation with relevant associations and unions of countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Romania, Germany, and other European and Asian countries”, wrote Rustam Seyidov, Deputy Chairman of the Association “Turkmen Logistics” […]
Foreign Ministers of Japan and Central Asian countries will meet next week in Tokyo
The 9th meeting of Foreign Ministers in the “Central Asia + Japan” format will be held in Tokyo on 24 December 2022 at the Iikura House, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a press release. The meeting will be chaired by Foreign Minister of Japan Hayashi Yoshimasa. The meeting, which will be attended by the […]
What will happen to the EAEU?
A meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council was held in the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The summit of the EAEU leaders took place against the backdrop of a difficult geopolitical situation and the pressure of harsh sanctions against two of the five members of the union. This context has become a serious test of strength […]
Central Asian experts discussed in Ashgabat the challenges facing the region
The V Central Asian Expert Forum was held in Ashgabat on Saturday, bringing together the heads and leading specialists of the strategic research centers of five countries of the region and not only them. The community of analysts, which has repeatedly discussed pressing issues online in bilateral and multilateral formats over the past three years, […]
Russia and Türkiye actively discuss gas hub idea on the eve of the trilateral summit in Turkmenistan
Joint energy projects and creating a gas hub in Türkiye were discussed among other issues between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during telephone talks on Sunday, 11 Dec. “The special importance of joint energy projects, primarily in the gas industry, was emphasised. Following the recent talks in Istanbul by Gazprom […]
Kazakhstan: Newly elected leader
Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev won the extraordinary presidential elections in Kazakhstan by a wide margin, receiving more than 80% of the vote in the presence of several competitors and the “against all” column on the ballot. The new president of Kazakhstan under the new Constitution can be elected only for one term of seven years – this […]
Kazakhstan company gets contract to manage a railway line in Afghanistan
A company from Kazakhstan has won the contract to manage the Hairatan-Mazar-e-Sharif railway line of Afghanistan. The company called Mansour Fatih signed the contract with Bakht Rahman Sharafat, acting head of the Afghanistan railway authority on 4 December 2022, reports TOLO News. The annual value of the contract is USD 4.1 million. It covers the […]
Kazakhstan ready to deal with economic challenges
nCa Commentary The National Bank of Kazakhstan has released some data, setting the baseline for the planners in the Tokayev administration. The Chairman of the National Bank of the country, Galymzhan Pirmatov, told the media: The GDP growth in 2022 is expected to be 2-3%, in 2023 – 3-4%, and in 2024-2025 – 3.5-4.5%. The […]
Central Asia needs to take more action on climate change risks
Central Asia is warming faster than the global average. Average annual temperatures have risen by 0.5 degrees Celsius over the last three decades and are forecast to increase by 2.0 to 5.7 degrees Celsius by 2085. Increased incidence and velocity of extreme weather events and disasters threaten physical security, critical infrastructure and access to healthcare […]
Russian railways announced a discount on freight through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan
Russian Railways “RZD” takes steps to promote the transportation of containers along the eastern branch of the international transport corridor “North – South”, according to a press release from the company. RZD will offer 20% discount throughout 2023 for export-import container transportation, passing through the Russian-Kazakh border crossings and the Bolashak–Serkhetyak border crossing between Kazakhstan […]
Europe launches railway freight service to Central Asia
Finland-based operator Nurminen Logistics, has started regular railway transport operations from Finland and Europe to Kazakhstan in co-operation with Kazakh State Railways (KTZE), the company’s press service said. The first consignment left Helsinki for Kazakhstan at the end of November and the next shipments will be in December. The route serves the import and export needs […]