Recently, Uzbek economist Behzod Khoshimov stated that it will take Uzbekistan 30 years to catch up with Kazakhstan in terms of economic development. In the article below, Ulysmedia.kz tried to understand whether Khoshimov is right and why this old rivalry still determines the region’s development. The rivalry between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan began during the Soviet
A Kazakh company, Kazakhmys Barlau, has begun exploration operations in Afghanistan’s mining sector, TOLOnews reported. The company has described Afghanistan as a promising location for mineral extraction and stated that the country possesses high-purity reserves of lead and zinc. At the same time, the Afghan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, referring to the close ties
Kazakhstan’s National Atomic Company Kazatomprom JSC has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Slovenské elektrárne a.s. (SEAS), Slovakia’s largest electricity producer, reflecting the mutual interest of both parties in developing long-term cooperation in nuclear energy sector. SEAS generates over 70% of Slovakia’s total electricity supply and operates two nuclear power plants
To expand access to finance for micro and small enterprises, including women entrepreneurs across Kazakhstan, IFC (a member of the World Bank Group) and Arnur Credit have signed a local currency loan agreement of $10 million-equivalent. With 40 percent of the funding earmarked for women-run businesses, the financing includes a $5 million-equivalent local currency loan
Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu paid a working visit to Afghanistan. On July 10 in Kabul, the Kazakh Foreign Minister held a meeting with the Acting Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar. The parties discussed prospects for cooperation in trade, transit, and agriculture,
Kazakhstan and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) have signed a Protocol of Intent providing for financing of up to USD 1.1 billion for the implementation of priority infrastructure projects. The document was signed following a meeting between Advisor to the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Nurlan Baibazarov and President of the Islamic Development Bank, Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser.
On July 11, the EU and the countries of Central Asia — Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — held the 12th meeting of the annual High-Level Political and Security Dialogue, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The Dialogue took place in the context of increased engagement between Central Asia and the European Union, following up
Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana lags behind Almaty, the country’s largest city in terms of key development aspects, Energyprom.kz reports with reference to the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2025. Astana is on the 276th position among a thousand cities in the ranking, and Almaty ranks 258th. Astana is behind Almaty in such categories as the quality
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, the Akimat of Kyzylorda Region, and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) organized the First National Urban Forum of Kazakhstan (NUF2025) in Kyzylorda on July 8. The event brought together representatives of central and local government bodies, international organizations, the expert community, and the private sector. Held
Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu represented for the first time Kazakhstan as a partner country at the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6. The opening day of the Summit was attended by heads of state and government, high-level representatives of BRICS member and partner
In the first quarter of 2025, there were 160,400 households in Kazakhstan with incomes below the subsistence level, 0.1% less than a year earlier. These households included 924,400 people, compared to 928,100 a year earlier, according to an analysis of finprom.kz. In terms of regions, the largest number of families with incomes below the subsistence
Kazakhstan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Erlan Nysanbayev, has announced the government’s decision to begin controlling the rapidly expanding population of the saiga antelope in the country. The announcement was made following a June 28 meeting of the minister with farmers in the West Kazakhstan region, who complained about the catastrophic damage to agricultural
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), a supranational financial institution headquartered in Almaty, Kazakhstan, issued a private placement bond, denominated in dirham, in the local UAE capital markets. This pioneering issuance of AED 200 million (equivalent to c. US$54 million), was arranged by First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the largest bank in the UAE, in partnership with
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Azamat Kozhanov, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Kazakh Invest national company, and Maria Perez, Kazakhstan Project Director of the international business publication The Business Year. The agreement outlines cooperation on the upcoming edition The Business Year: Kazakhstan 2026, focused on Kazakhstan’s investment potential. In line with the
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group and Asian Credit Fund (ACF), one of the leading microfinance institutions in Kazakhstan, announced a new strategic partnership aimed at expanding access to finance for micro enterprises in rural areas of Kazakhstan. This collaboration is expected to foster financial inclusion, create jobs, and
Construction of a plant for the collection, transshipment and fractionation of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the Kashagan oil field has begun in Kazakhstan’s Atyrau region. The project is aimed at ensuring stable supplies of LPG to the domestic market and reducing chronic shortages of this type of motor fuel. LPG is the most affordable
One of Turkey’s leading logistics companies, S Sistem Lojistik, plans to invest approximately $100 million in the construction of a network of modern logistics and warehouse terminals in Kazakhstan. Priority locations for these facilities include Almaty, Astana, Shymkent, Aktau, and other major cities. The project was discussed in Astana on June 27 by Chairman of
As a follow-up to the agreements reached during the visit of Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu to India, a meeting was held on June 26 at Kazakh Invest national company with the leadership of one of India’s leading pharmaceutical companies, MSN Group. During the negotiations, Chairman of the
Zhanseit Tuimebayev is a distinguished statesman of the Republic of Kazakhstan, an esteemed diplomat, scholar, Doctor of Philological Sciences, professor, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. In his role as Chairman of the Board – Rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University he has the responsibility of guiding this world-class research university through the challenges of modern
As part of his official visit to Mongolia, on June 26 Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu met with the country’s Minister of Roads and Transport, Borkhuu Delgersaikhan. The parties emphasized the importance of deepening Kazakh-Mongolian cooperation in the field of transport and logistics. The close geographical interconnectedness of
