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 … [Read more...]
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 … [Read more...]
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 chief diplomats of Japan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, … [Read more...]
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 for the association, which, against all odds, continues … [Read more...]
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, this time gathered for a … [Read more...]
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 CEO Alexei … [Read more...]
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 time is allotted for the implementation of … [Read more...]
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 management of the … [Read more...]
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 inflation by the end of this year will be … [Read more...]
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 and … [Read more...]
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 … [Read more...]
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 … [Read more...]
North-South corridor gains traction, but faces bottlenecks and needs investments
Elvira Kadyrova The International North-South Transit corridor (INSTC) actively promoted by Russia connects the Eurasian Economic Union, Central Asia, the Caucasus, South Asia, East Africa and the Middle East by the shortest routes. Its eastern branch, overlapping with the route of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway, is one of the essential links. Kazakhstan is making … [Read more...]
In his inaugural speech, President of Kazakhstan outlines foreign and domestic policy priorities
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who was re-elected as the president of Kazakhstan in the landslide victory in the elections held on 20 November 2022, has taken oath of office. The inauguration ceremony took place at the Palace of Independence, Astana, on 26 November 2022. In his inaugural speech, President Tokayev outlined his foreign and domestic priorities. Tokayev said that … [Read more...]
Russia building nuclear power generation cooperation with Central Asia, Africa
nCa Report Russia is steadily working to build nuclear power generation cooperation with Central Asia and Africa. The Russian nuclear agency Rosatom is spearheading the drive. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in July this year between Rosenergoatom, Rosatom Training Academy and the Agency for Nuclear Power Engineering Development at the Ministry of Energy in … [Read more...]
Cargo turnover along the Middle Corridor may grow to 10 million tons per year in three years
The capacity of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TMTM) or the Middle Corridor may increase to 10 million tons per year by 2025. The agreement on this was reached during the Ministerial Meeting on Trans-Caspian Connectivity, which was attended by the foreign and transport ministers of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye. The meeting took place in Aktau … [Read more...]
Green Recovery, Food Security, and Clean Energy Cooperation Initiatives adopted by CAREC Ministers
The ministers from Azerbaijan, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan met at the 21st CAREC Ministerial Conference on 24 November. This year’s Ministerial Conference was chaired and hosted virtually by China under the theme Revitalizing Regional Cooperation for a Green, … [Read more...]
Tashkent will host high-level Central Asian Climate Dialogue
On 2 December 2022, Tashkent, Uzbekistan will host a high-level Central Asian Climate Dialogue ‘From global knowledge to local solutions: climate resilient institutions in Central Asia’. The event, initiated with the support of Uzhydromet, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan and will be organized by UNDP in Uzbekistan through EU-funded ‘Climate Change … [Read more...]
People of Kazakhstan ardently initiate metamorphosis of system – Tokayev re-elected
nCa Commentary Kazakhstan went to presidential polls on 20 November 2022 with six candidates in the race. The incumbent Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was re-elected by a landslide 81.3% of the vote, according to the results announced by the election commission on 21 November 2022. The resounding victory of Tokayev sends a clear message: The people of Kazakhstan have … [Read more...]
European Union – Central Asia Ministerial in Samarkand
On 17 November 2022, a Ministerial meeting in the format "European Union – Central Asia" was held in Samarkand. The heads and representatives of the EU and Central Asian foreign ministries discussed the current state of relations and prospects for strengthening cooperation between the two regions in the political, trade, economic, water and energy spheres, as well as … [Read more...]
The EU’s Youth Action Plan inspired a meeting of the Central Asian Youth during the Samarkand Connectivity Conference
The youth dialogue created the platform to amplify the voices of young people from five Central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to discuss on the key conference themes. In an unprecedented feat, The European Union, together with its partners UNICEF and European Training Foundation (ETF) has hosted a youth dialogue for … [Read more...]
Kazakhstan: Mutual trade on SPECA space is growing despite the pandemic shocks
Despite the pandemic shock our cooperation with SPECA continues to expand. The mutual trade between SPECA countries exceeded US $ 7 billion last year that is higher than in 2020 by 31%. The statement came from Alibek Kuantyrov, Minister of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the current Chair-country of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of … [Read more...]
Turkmenistan presented the priorities of the national climate change strategy at the SPECA Economic Forum in Almaty
Elvira Kadyrova "Our nations have a high potential for comprehensive cooperation and mutual interaсtion is very important for us. For Turkmenistan, environmental protection and environmental issues are of paramount importance and are a priority. These issues have acquired particular importance within the framework of the implementation of the SDGs and the elimination of the … [Read more...]
SPECA Economic Forum 2022 started in Kazakhstan
Today, on 16 November, a two-day Economic Forum of the UN Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) kicked off in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The 2022 forum will discuss and present an integrated approach to a more environmentally friendly, secure and prosperous future of the subregion. The purpose of the Forum, held under the theme "Greener and Safer Future", is … [Read more...]
Deep Restructuring of System Triggers Metamorphosis in Kazakhstan
nCa Analysis Kazakhstan will go to extraordinary presidential elections on 20 November 2022. This will be the start of an integrated process of deep reforms, amounting to metamorphosis – well-planned and carefully designed metamorphosis. Spearheaded by President Tokayev, the new formula of the political system is the product of open debate at all levels, the feedback from … [Read more...]
Economic integration and transport connectivity under the spotlight of the summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Samarkand
Elvira Kadyrova On 11 November 2022, the ninth summit of the Organization of Turkic States took place in Samarkand, the capital of the Turkic civilization. The summit was attended by: President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan President … [Read more...]
TAPI may provide transit of Kazakhstani gas to Pakistan
Prospects of cooperation in the energy sector between Pakistan and Kazakhstan were discussed at the meeting of Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin with the Federal Minister for Industries and Production of Pakistan Syed Murtaza Mahmud. In particular, the matter is the possible transit of gas using the capacities of the … [Read more...]
President of Kazakhstan proposed to create a Caspian Research institute
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed to create a national research institute to study the Caspian Sea. He stated this during a visit to the Mangystau region, reports "Kazinform". "The problem of lowering the water level in the Caspian Sea is acute. Since 2005, the decrease has already been over one meter. The causes and consequences of this phenomenon need … [Read more...]
Logistics companies of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia will jointly develop the North-South corridor
Russian Railways Logistics, Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ Express), and the Transport and Logistics Center of Turkmenistan (TULM) signed a memorandum of cooperation in international and transit freight transportation. The document provides for the following areas of cooperation: organization of regular cargo freight in trilateral and transit traffic increase in the volume … [Read more...]
Astana hosted the First EU-Central Asia Summit
On Thursday, 27 October, Astana hosted the first EU-Central Asia summit. The President of the European Council Charles Michel and the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan took part in its work. Turkmenistan was represented by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, in charge of economic and financial issues Hojamurat … [Read more...]
CICA: Formation of the Asian Counterweight
Asia is getting traction. The time has come to launch international mechanisms that had previously been constructed and governed for nearly 30 years, in order to consolidate them into a single structure - clear, stable and running smoothly. Considering the fact that the world situation is now in dire need of this. These meetings on the sidelines… Kazakhstan, an active … [Read more...]
Senate of Kazakhstan discusses the Agreement on the delimitation of the Kazakh-Turkmen border
The Committee on International Relations, Defense and Security of the Senate of Kazakhstan discussed the draft law "On ratification of the Agreement between the Republic of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan on the delimitation of the Kazakh-Turkmen state border and the delimitation of adjacent sections of fishing zones in the Caspian Sea," the Senate’s press service of the Senate … [Read more...]
First Summit of the Central Asian countries and Russia held in Astana
nCa Report On 14 October 2022, Astana hosted the first summit with the participation of the leaders of Russia and Central Asian countries. The meeting, initiated by Moscow, coincided with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and the five Central Asian states. The agenda of the summit included such issues as ensuring common trade … [Read more...]
The CICA Summit in Astana – emerging political force in Eurasia
On 13 October 2022, the 6th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) was held in Astana under the chairmanship of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The key outcome of the summit was the adoption of the Astana Declaration, which laid the foundation for a full-scale transformation of the CICA from a platform into a powerful … [Read more...]
Kazakhstan hosted meeting of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers
A meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States was held in Astana on Wednesday, 12 October. The meeting, chaired by the minister of foreign affairs, Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tleuberdi, was attended by the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, as … [Read more...]
Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan – on the state visit of the President of Turkmenistan
At the invitation of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the first state visit of the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov to Kazakhstan will take place on 15 October 2022, the spokesman of the Kazakhstan Foreign Ministry said during Monday briefing. The visit takes place in the year of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic … [Read more...]
Second Caspian Economic Forum in Moscow – Outcomes
From 5 to 6 October, 2022, Moscow hosted the second Caspian Economic Forum, which became the most important platform in the post-pandemic period for discussing topical issues of cooperation between the countries of the Caspian region. The two-day forum was attended by over a thousand delegates and not only from the Caspian countries, but also from Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and … [Read more...]
Turkmenistan – Kazakhstan: 30 years of good neighborliness, trust and mutual respect
Askar Tazhibayev, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan is an important strategic partner of Kazakhstan in Central Asia. A constructive political dialogue has been established between our countries. Kazakhstan is interested in further expanding trade relations and developing interregional, cultural and humanitarian ties with Turkmenistan. The level of … [Read more...]
Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan will hold inter-ministerial consultations today
Today, on 4 October, regular Kazakh-Turkmen inter-ministerial consultations will be held via videoconference under the chairmanship of deputy foreign minister of Kazakhstan Ermukhambet Konuspayev and his Turkmen counterpart Vepa Hadjiev, the foreign ministry of Kazakhstan reports. The parties will discuss topical issues of further strengthening bilateral cooperation in the … [Read more...]
Astana prepares for tough schedule of high events in mid-October
The foreign ministry of Kazakhstan announced the schedule of high-level events to be held in Astana in mid-October. They include: 6th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA) - on 13 October CIS Council of Heads of State Summit - on 14 October Central Asia - Russia Summit - on 14 October. Earlier it was reported … [Read more...]
Central Asia remains resilient to global geopolitical tensions
The economies of Central Asia are showing strong resilience to the geopolitical adversities caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine, says the EBRD’s latest report on Regional Economic Prospects. The EBRD is expecting the region’s GDP to grow by 4.3% in 2022 and 4.9% in 2023, which is an upward revision of its spring forecast. The high oil and gas revenues as a result of soaring … [Read more...]
UNESCAP report highlights the energy connectivity trends in North and Central Asia
Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) targets universal access to energy, an increased share of renewable energy in the global energy mix, and doubling the rate of energy efficiency improvement. While the Asia-Pacific region has made considerable progress in meeting SDG 7 targets, much more work needs to be done if the region is to achieve the 2030 Agenda. Deployment of … [Read more...]
USA will allocate $25 million for educational and economic projects in Central Asia
The United States will allocate US$ 25 million as a new economic initiative aimed at improving the educational level and export potential in Central Asian countries. The decision was announced by the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken at the C5 + 1 meeting in New York. The meeting was attended by the foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and the … [Read more...]
Kazakhstan once again extended a helping hand to Afghanistan
Kazakhstan once again demonstrates to the world community its commitment to the ideas of the UN and its readiness to provide humanitarian assistance to nations in need of support from caring countries. In accordance with the protocol of the Commission on International Charity of the Republic of Kazakhstan to victims of natural disasters, nine wagons with humanitarian cargo … [Read more...]
The Caspian – a unique region of neighbourliness
Sergey Lavrov , Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation On June 29, 2022, Ashgabat hosted an important international event, the 6th Caspian Summit, and I believe it is important to consider the role and place of the Caspian Region in the fairer, more democratic and sustainable multi-polar system that is taking shape today. The importance of the Caspian Region … [Read more...]
Samarkand Summit – SCO is a new leader in the emerging multipolar world
nCa Report On 16 September 2022, Samarkand hosted a meeting of the SCO heads of state under the chairmanship of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. For the first time in the history of the organization, the summit was held in such a broad format. The leaders of 14 countries attended the gathering, including: Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra … [Read more...]
Spiritual leaders shared their vision of humanity’s path to peace and harmony at the congress in Kazakhstan
The VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions started Wednesday, 14 September 2022 in Nursultan, capital of Kazakhstan. The plenary session of the forum titled "The role of leaders of world and traditional religions in the spiritual and social development of mankind in the post-pandemic period" was opened by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. "Our Congress … [Read more...]
Central Asian Countries endorsed the regional Roadmap for Health and Well-being
On 11 September 2022, ministers of health care of five central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – gathered to endorse the Roadmap for Health and Well-being in Central Asia 2022–2025, WHO/Europe reports. This strategic document is aimed fostering cooperative responses to crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate … [Read more...]
Kazakhstan hosts the first Central Asian Forum on Clean Energy
On Tuesday, 13 September, the first Central Asian Clean Energy Forum (CACEF) kicked off in Almaty. The USAID-organized international event on the theme "Energy Transition and Innovation" attracted almost 300 representatives from the Central Asian region and the world to discuss key challenges and opportunities in the energy sector. Vice Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan … [Read more...]
Congress of World Religions in Kazakhstan will discuss the role of religions in spiritual and social post-pandemic recovery
On 14-15 September 2022, the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions will be held in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. More than 100 delegations from 50 countries of the world will take part in the forum. The theme of the event will be "The role of leaders of world and traditional religions in the spiritual and social development of mankind in the post-pandemic … [Read more...]