The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Zheenbek Kulubaev paid his first official visit to Astana on January 10. During the talks, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu and Minister Kulubaev discussed priority areas of political, trade, economic, investment, water and energy, transit and transport, and cultural
In the 2025 Military Strength Ranking released by the Global Firepower, Kazakhstan ranked 57th among the 145 countries listed — the best position compared to other Central Asian countries and one position up compared to the 2024 ranking. Other Central Asian countries are ranked as follows: Uzbekistan is in 58th place, Turkmenistan in 77th place, Kyrgyzstan
The Unit for Combating Extremism and Illegal Migration of the Internal Affairs Department of Kyrgyzstan’s Chui Region says it has detained a man suspected of calling on citizens of Kyrgyzstan to participate in military conflicts in other countries. The Internal Affairs Department on December 12, 2024 received information about videos distributed on the Internet and
The government of Brazil, which holds the presidency of BRICS in 2025, on January 6 announced the formal entry of Indonesia into BRICS as a full member. The BRICS is an informal group of countries that originally consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. BRICS has recently expanded its membership to include Egypt,
In an interview with Azerbaijan Television on December 29, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude to Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kazakh rescuers and medical teams for their solidarity and assistance during and after the deadly crash of an Embraer 190 of the Azerbaijan Airlines on December 25. The plane with 62 passengers and five
Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China Zheng Shanjie, and Uzbekistan Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjayev on December 27 attended a ceremony to launch the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway in the village of Tosh-Kutchu in Kyrgyzstan’s Jalal-Abad region. Speaking at the ceremony, Japarov
A court in Moscow charged Uzbek citizen Ahmat Qurbanov on December 19 with terrorism and other charges in the high-profile killing of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who headed Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defense Forces, RFE/RL reported. In addition to terrorism, Qurbanov has been charged with murder and the illegal possession of weapons and ammunition,
Kazakhstan’s contributions to addressing global challenges and its emerging role as a growing middle power were in the focus of discussions at the 17th annual World Policy Conference (WPC), organized by the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) in Abu Dhabi on December 13-15. Thierry de Montbrial, founder and long-standing president of IFRI – one
Kyrgyzstan’s Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov resigned on December 16 without offering an explanation, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov’s office confirmed that Akylbek Japarov (no relation) had stepped down and would be moved to another position. The president named First Deputy Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev, 64, as acting prime minister. Pressure was growing on Akylbek
On December 10, the British think tank Henry Jackson Society presented a research report titled “Understanding Kazakhstan’s Strategic Importance: A Middle Power Partner for the UK in Central Asia” in the UK Parliament. The event featured speeches by the principal Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Nusrat Ghani MP, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the
On December 4 in Bishkek, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov held the 12th meeting of the Kazakh-Kyrgyz Intergovernmental Council. The meeting addressed issues of expanding trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as interaction in the field of transport and
On November 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a state visit to Kazakhstan. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called Putin’s visit a historic event that marks an important milestone in the development of Kazakh-Russian relations. “For Kazakhstan, Russia is a strategic partner and a reliable ally. We are united by unbreakable bonds of friendship, centuries-old good
Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has fired several top officials in the State Security Service (SSS) and Interior Ministry in a sweeping reshuffle following an assassination attempt last month on a close ally of his eldest daughter, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. Abdusalom Azizov, the head of the State Security Service (SSS) and Alijon Ashurov, the head
The Embassy of Kazakhstan in the U.S. on November 19 hosted an event on Capitol Hill to discuss the prospects of repealing the Jackson-Vanik Amendment in relation to Kazakhstan. The discussions involved members of Congress, U.S. State Department officials, diplomats, business and expert community, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry reported. Opening the event, Ambassador of Kazakhstan
On November 20, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid a state visit to Hungary and held talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Emphasizing that Hungary is a reliable strategic partner of Kazakhstan in the European Union, Tokayev said that the main goal of his visit was to “give new impetus to our cooperation”. Tokayev noted
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic have pledged to strengthen economic cooperation between their countries during Tokayev’s first visit to Serbia as the Central Asian country’s president, RFE/RL’s Balkan Service reported. At a joint press conference on November 19, Tokayev highlighted the commitment of both nations to expand their bilateral relations, focusing
Tajikistan may join a green corridor between Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan, Tajik Minister of Energy and Water Resources Daler Juma said during the COP29 summit in Baku. “This is a very interesting project, although our colleagues have not yet approached us with an official proposal. It is obvious that such initiatives are of great importance
On November 6, Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, hosted the 11th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). The summit was chaired by Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov and attended by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Uzbekistan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paid a state visit to Kyrgyzstan on November 4-5 and, together with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, chaired the 6th meeting of the Kyrgyzstan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council. Presidents Japarov and Erdoğan signed a Joint Declaration elevating relations between Kyrgyzstan and Turkey to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership, which Japarov
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made a state visit to France on November 4-5. In Paris, Tokayev held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on the development of trade and economic cooperation. According to Tokayev, last year, the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and France amounted to $4.2 billion, and this year this figure was achieved
