The “Investing in Central Asia: Opportunities and Partnerships” session dedicated to attracting capital from the Gulf countries and China was held on the second day of the Eurasian Development Bank’s (EDB) Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Almaty last week. Ruslan Dalenov, Deputy Chairman of the EDB Management Board, noted that the Bank envisages five
The new Constitution of Kazakhstan has come into force on July 1, and the country’s bicameral Parliament will now be replaced by a unicameral Kurultai. “The entry into force of the new Constitution is a historic event that will have a direct impact on the future of our nation. Our Basic Law opens the way
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and AKASHI DATA CENTER PLC have agreed on key terms for financing the first phase of construction of a Tier IV data center in Kazakhstan in the amount of US $90 million. The agreement was signed last week in Almaty on the sidelines of the EDB’s Annual Meeting and Business
The Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan Business Forum, which brought together representatives of government agencies, business circles, and industry organizations from both countries, was held in Astana as part of the 14th meeting of the Intergovernmental Kazakh-Turkmen Commission. Participants discussed prospects for expanding trade, economic, and investment cooperation, as well as specific measures to increase mutual trade, according to
One of the most moving and symbolic moments of the Issyk-Kul Forum earlier this month was the unveiling of a memorial bust dedicated to Murat Auezov, an Honorary Member of the Eurasian Creative Guild, in the garden of the House-Museum and Library of his great father, Mukhtar Auezov, in Cholpon-Ata. For me, this was far
Kazakhstan has officially joined the international Pax Silica initiative, becoming the first country from the region to do so. The Declaration of Accession of Kazakhstan to Pax Silica, as well as the joint statement on the AI Opportunity Partnership, were signed on behalf of Kazakhstan by Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence
The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development has initiated efforts to establish lasting conditions for the growth of technology entrepreneurship in Kazakhstan. As part of its digital economic transformation strategy, the Ministry is developing a post-2028 support framework for Astana Hub participants, with a planning horizon extending to 2045. The initiative aims to create
During his working visit to China on June 23, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov held a meeting with Premier of the State Council of China Li Qiang. The parties discussed the implementation of agreements reached at the highest level, as well as prospects for further strengthening Kazakh-Chinese cooperation, including trade development, expansion of investment
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid an official visit to Brussels on 23 June and met with António Costa, President of the European Council and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. The leaders welcomed Tokayev’s visit as a strong signal of the growing strategic partnership between the European Union and Kazakhstan at a
On June 23, the European Commission launched the Connectivity Agenda Platform and concluded agreements with international financial institutions expected to mobilise up to €2 billion for strategic connectivity investments in the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus, the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Kazakhstan reported. The Platform was unveiled at a high-level
The relevant Memorandum of Intent on cooperation in the field of water resources and irrigation management, as well as the development of sustainable agriculture in the context of climate change, was signed by the Kazakh National University of Water Management and Irrigation, the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University, and Kabul University. The document was signed
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is facilitating more fluid cargo and passenger traffic flows along the Trans-Caspian Corridor, the EU’s Global Gateway flagship initiative, and supporting the establishment of sustainable transport connections in Central Asia by helping to finance the completion of upgrades to a key transport route in western Kazakhstan. The
On June 21, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin held talks in Kabul with Afghan Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund and Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar. The parties discussed issues of humanitarian, trade, economic, and investment cooperation. Particular attention was paid to cooperation in the mining and metallurgy sector.
Over the past three decades, the post-Soviet space has embraced megaprojects with a fervour reminiscent of Soviet-era “gigantomania”. A new terminal, a new city, a new tech hub, a new railway – each presented as a leap into the future. Too many of these projects have turned out not to be engines of growth, but
Arman Issetov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, and Diego Martínez, State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain took part in the first Kazakhstan-Spain Forum held on June 17 in Astana, according to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry. Deputy Minister Issetov noted the active
Kazakhstan and Iran have agreed to accelerate the development of the North-South international transport corridor and jointly use Kazakh and Iranian sea ports, according to the Kazakh Ministry of National Economy. The issue was on the agenda of a meeting between Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy, Serik Zhumangarin and an Iranian
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $500 million equivalent policy-based loan to support Kazakhstan in strengthening fiscal sustainability and enhancing financial sector resilience. The loan supports subprogram 2 of the Fiscal Governance and Financial Sector Reforms Program, which builds on progress made under subprogram 1 and focuses on two areas: strengthening fiscal sustainability, management, transparency,
Kazakhstan’s Agriculture Minister Aidarbek Saparov and Gholam Ali Soleimani, president of the Iranian food company Solico Group, have signed an investment agreement for a major project in deep milk processing. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the cheese production project, with a capacity of 155,000 tons per year, will be implemented in the Almaty region.
Demand for labor force in Kazakhstan remains quite mixed: on the one hand, employers are actively seeking workers for low-skilled jobs, while on the other, there remains a significant need for teachers, healthcare and social workers, according to an analysis of finprom.kz. Forecasts show that the greatest demand in the labor market in 2026 will
Central Asia is often defined by its oilfields, mountain ranges, and the revival of the Silk Road trade routes. Yet its most valuable resource, above all, is its people. Since the 1990s, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and their neighbours have undergone profound demographic shifts. Fertility rates, once among the highest in the world, have declined; life