On June 8-10, a delegation of the Council of the European Union’s Working Party on Eastern Europe and Central Asia (COEST) paid a visit to Kazakhstan. The visit, which included the cities of Aktau and Astana, marked an important milestone in the development of the Kazakhstan–EU dialogue, reaffirming both sides commitment to deepening their strategic
On June 9 in Astana, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev, who arrived in Kazakhstan on an official visit. As emphasized by the Kazakh President, Radev’s visit with a high-level delegation opens new prospects for strengthening bilateral cooperation. Tokayev noted the steady growth in trade turnover and the potential for
On 30 May 2025, the first Central Asia + Italy Summit was held in Astana with the participation of Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic Giorgia Meloni. The leaders exchanged views on
Director for Asia and Pacific at the European Commission Directorate General for International Partnerships Mr Peteris Ustubs participated in a Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor Coordination Platform strategic roundtable for the private sector hosted by the Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan in Tashkent on May 22. Business leaders, international banks and government representatives discussed how
The Fund for Digital Initiatives of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB FDI) has issued a grant to Kompas JSC to implement traffic simulation software in Kazakhstan. The project aims to ensure the sustainable development of the urban environment in Astana, the country’s capital characterized by the steady increase in population. Traffic simulation allows using computational
Representatives of railway companies from China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Türkiye met in Tehran on May 12 to develop multilateral cooperation in establishing a transport corridor passing through their countries. According to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the country’s national railway company, in January-April 2025 container traffic along the China-Iran route via Kazakhstan increased by 2.6
The first batch of Kazakh grain has departed by rail for Morocco. The train consisting of 105 grain railcars will traverse Russia to Latvia, where in the Baltic port of Liepaja, the grain will be reloaded onto sea vessels heading to the coast of North Africa, according to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), the country’s national
More than 120 passengers went on a trip on the tourist train Jibek Joly on April 30. The tourist train was organized by Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the country’s national railway company, with the assistance of Uzbekistan Railways, the Tourism Committee and the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan, and Kazakh Tourism. The trip allows tourists to
Kazakhstan has secured its participation in the construction of a new railway line running from the Turkmenistan border through Afghanistan to the Pakistan border via the Turgundi – Herat – Kandahar – Spin-Boldak route. A protocol of intent was signed last week between Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Trade and Integration and Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Works
At the inaugural EU-Central Asia Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan last week, European Investment Bank (EIB) Vice-President Kyriacos Kakouris signed four memorandums of understanding with partners in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. With these agreements, the EIB will provide €365 million, unlocking up to €1 billion of investment in sustainable transport, water management, and climate resilience projects, the EIB
On April 4, the first-ever Central Asia-European Union Summit was held in Samarkand, chaired by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The EU was represented by the President of the European Council António Costa and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Together with President Mirziyoyev, Central Asian countries were represented by
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is contributing to the development of trade and transport routes in Tajikistan by helping to finance the upgrading and expansion of the road from Dangara to Guliston. Built in the 1930s as part of a major international highway, this road is an important link between the
During the March 13 visit of European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela, the European Union and Kazakhstan have taken important steps to deepen their cooperation under the Global Gateway strategy by signing key agreements to support sustainable economic growth and regional connectivity, the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Kazakhstan reported.
On March 12, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Síkela concluded a strategic visit to Turkmenistan, reinforcing the EU’s commitment to expanding cooperation under the Global Gateway strategy. The visit focused on the EU’s role in strengthening Turkmenistan’s integration into regional and global economic networks, particularly in transport connectivity, renewable energy, and trade facilitation, the
Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Japan Yerlan Baudarbek-Kozhatayev on March 5 held a meeting with Hiromasa Nakano, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan. The Ambassador introduced the current status and prospects of the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR or Middle Corridor) as one of the key multimodal transit corridors connecting
KTZ Express, a subsidiary of Kazakhstan’s national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), and major Chinese operator Yiwu Timex have discussed expanding cooperation in the field of international transportation with a focus on the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) and new logistics services for deliveries to Central Asian countries, the KTZ press
On February 26, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif held negotiations in Tashkent. The leaders agreed to establish the Supreme Council of Strategic Partnership and hold its first meeting next year. The negotiations focused on expanding trade and economic cooperation. It was noted that in
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan will build a new border checkpoint, Kazinform reported quoting Kazakh Minister of Transport Marat Karabayev as saying following the meeting of the Kazakh and Kyrgyz prime ministers in Astana on February 24. According to Karabayev, in 2024, the volume of automobile transportations between the two countries reached 2.4 million tons of cargo,
On February 24, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliyev held talks in Astana. Kasymaliyev is on his first official visit abroad since the appointment as the head of the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers in December, which testifies to Kazakhstan’s importance for Kyrgyzstan. According to
A public-private partnership agreement on the “Trans-Eurasian Route” railway project was signed in Bishkek on February 19 between the National Investment Agency under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyzstan’s national railway company Kyrgyz Temir Zholu, and US-based consortium All American Rail Group Global Infrastructure Partner LLC, the National Investment Agency announced. The project will
