The International Organization of Turkic Culture (TÜRKSOY) has declared the historical city of Andijan in Uzbekistan the ‘Cultural Capital of the Turkic World’ for 2026. Andijan has taken over the prestigious title from the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, which held the title throughout 2025. TÜRKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev stated: “Aktau has brought together the
The SMART Driving Technology engineering center has been inaugurated at D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University, marking a new stage in the development of the Luban Workshop project at the university. Launched in 2023 as a key project of cooperation between Kazakhstan and China in the field of engineering education, the Luban Workshop at the
At the Government session, Minister of Energy Yerlan Akenzhenov reported on strategic development plans for oil refining. According to the minister, in 2024 the volume of oil refining amounted to 17.9 million tons. Domestic refineries demonstrate a high level of digitalization, using advanced American and Japanese automated process control systems (Honeywell and Yokogawa). In accordance with
Kazakhstan has the best education level in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), with 276 out of every 1,000 Kazakhstani citizens holding a university degree, according to an analysis of Finprom.kz based on data from the CIS Statistical Committee. The CIS unites most of the former republics of the Soviet Union. Russia is second with
The 5th meeting of the Kazakhstan–Switzerland Business Council took place in Astana on November 28 with the participation of Serik Zhumangarin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan, and Guy Parmelin, Vice President of the Swiss Confederation and Federal Councilor for Economic Affairs. The event was organized by Stadler Rail AG and Kazakhstan Temir
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are launching new air routes and developing joint tours along the Silk Road. Starting December 1, Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines will begin operating three new regular flights connecting the historical Kazakh city of Turkestan and the Uzbek cities of Bukhara, Urgench (Khiva), and Samarkand. Flights will operate three times a week. According to
Turkmenistan is an important partner of Kazakhstan in Central Asia. Over the past five years, bilateral trade has increased four times and over the last two years, mutual trade has consistently exceeded $500 million, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister–Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin said during a meeting with the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of
The 5th anniversary festival Voices of Friends: Poetry & Art will take place between November 29 and December 2 in Kazakhstan’s Burabay resort. Organized by the Eurasian Creative Guild (London), the festival annually brings together poets, artists, photographers, filmmakers, and creators from all over Eurasian continent. This year, more than 50 participants from 15 countries,
The 3rd EU–Central Asia Economic Forum demonstrated the growing momentum of the partnership between the European Union and the countries of Central Asia. Coming after the recent first-ever EU–Central Asia Summit in Samarkand and the EU–Central Asia Ministerial meeting in Ashgabat, the Forum in Tashkent on November 26 became the next major milestone in a
A side event titled “Saiga Antelope: New Challenges” was held in Samarkand, organized by the National Committee of Uzbekistan for Ecology and Climate Change together with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan. The event took place within the framework of the 20th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade
A major new environmental initiative has been launched in response to increasing pressure on Central Asia’s water and land resources, the growing impacts of climate change, land degradation, and more frequent droughts. The Central Asian Water and Land Nexus (CAWLN) Program, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the National Committee of
On November 25, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held negotiations with President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, who arrived in Kazakhstan on a state visit. The leaders discussed priority areas of trade, economic, transport, logistics, cultural and humanitarian cooperation. Particular attention was paid to joint projects in energy, industrial cooperation, agriculture, IT, education, and medicine. Over
The Alem.Cloud national supercomputer ranked 86th in the TOP500, the international ranking of the world’s most powerful computing systems. The ranking includes only those clusters that undergo independent testing based on the HPL (High-Performance Linpack) standard, the global benchmark for computing performance, according to the Kazakh ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development. The Alem.Cloud national
On November 22, a meeting of water and energy ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan was held in Almaty. The ministers agreed on further water and energy cooperation. Given the low water level in the reservoir of Kyrgyzstan’s Toktogul hydropower plant (HPP), the meeting participants decided to support each other with mutual electricity supplies and
As part of the High-Level Dialogue on enhancing the strategic impact of the 20th Conference of the Parties to CITES, a signing ceremony was held for the Samarkand Declaration and the Regional Cooperation Action Plan for 2026–2032 to support the sustainable use of wildlife and plant resources and combat illegal trade in wild animals and
Turkey’s Alarko Holding has inaugurated a large tomato greenhouse complex, ALSERA KZ, in Shymkent in south Kazakhstan. The opening ceremony on November 20 was attended by Kazakh Agriculture Minister Aidarbek Saparov and Izzet Garih, Alarko’s Chairman of the Board. Saparov emphasized that Turkey is one of Kazakhstan’s key partners in the agricultural sector, with 14
The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment of the Republic of Korea have signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation for Flood Forecasting and Prevention through the Use of Artificial Intelligence Technology. The document was signed during Korea International Water Week in Daegu, South Korea.
On November 13, London’s Shaw Theatre welcomed the Kazakh company The Arts Stage, presenting The Black Cloak, based on Georgy Khugaev’s play and directed by Askhat Mayemirov. The performance became one of the standout events of the autumn theatre season, reminding us that profound theatre does not need loud effects to feel contemporary. The play
The Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan, and the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) have signed a financial agreement on the project “Developing a Business Ecosystem for Sustainable Irrigation in Kazakhstan.” The Bank is providing a $3.5 million grant to launch an initiative aimed at modernizing and strengthening the irrigation
Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan Nurzhan Nurzhigitov and Minister of Water Resources of Uzbekistan Shavkat Khamrayev have signed an intergovernmental agreement on the joint management and rational use of transboundary rivers and canals. The agreement, signed on November 15 in Tashkent, establishes mechanisms for cooperation on transboundary rivers and canals that provide
