Author: Adil Nurbolatev

As the war in Ukraine will mark its second anniversary in less than a month, Central Asia needs to maintain a balancing act given the tensions between the global powers, highlighting the necessity of respecting sanctions against Russia while also maintaining cordial diplomatic and trade relations with Moscow. Well-structured, short-, medium-, and long-term foreign policies are necessary. Kazakhstan is known for its famous multivector foreign policy, which now has to be updated into a ‘Version 2.0.’ Kazakhstan and Russia share the second longest border in the world, behind only the US-Canada border. Bilateral trade topped USD 20 billion in 2023…

ASTANA – The first day of the Astana Club, a platform to discuss the most pressing issues on the global and regional agenda, kicked off in the Kazakh capital on Dec. 11. Rising economic fragmentation, the future of Central Asia and Afghanistan and what stands ahead for the Middle East were among the topics on the agenda. This year’s edition convened more than 40 speakers, including from Belgium, China, India, Russia, Spain, Türkiye and the United States, among others. Organized by the Institute of World Economics and Politics (IWEP) since 2015, the mission of the Astana Club is to explore…

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, November 25. The Uzbekistan Senate has endorsed the ratification of the Treaty on Allied Relations with Kazakhstan, Trend reports. The Parliamentary Senate of Uzbekistan said the main purpose of the treaty is the legal consolidation of a new stage of interstate relations aimed at further strengthening the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and sustainable economic development of the two countries. The agreement provides for close cooperation in the fields of foreign policy, defense and security, migration, the development of industrial cooperation, the adoption of joint measures for the rational use of transboundary water resources, strengthening ties between parliaments, political parties and public…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan marks its 32nd Independence Day on Dec. 16.  The Declaration on the State Sovereignty of the Kazakh SSR (Soviet Socialist Republic) was adopted on Oct. 25, 1990, representing the country’s first step toward independence. The declaration became the legal basis for developing and adopting the constitutional law on the Independence of Kazakhstan in 1991. The Supreme Council enacted the law on independence and state sovereignty, securing legal recognition as an independent democratic state on Dec. 16, 1991. The legislation empowered Kazakhstan to autonomously determine and pursue domestic and foreign policies, marking a pivotal moment in its modern…

ASTANA – Representatives of Central Asian countries and international organizations convened in the Kazakh capital on Nov. 7 to explore where the countries stand in their efforts to address climate change and come up with a joint regional strategy in the run-up to the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly referred to as COP28. The global conference is set to kick off on Nov. 30 in Dubai and will last through Dec. 12. The forum, organized by the International Center for Green Technologies and Investment Projects (IGTIC) and the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia, brought together more…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Mazhilis, a lower chamber of the Parliament, endorsed a three-year budget plan on Nov. 1. The budget expenditures are expected to grow by 1.3 trillion tenge (US$3.2 billion) to reach nearly 24 trillion tenge ($54 billion) in 2024,  according to the draft law.  In 2025, the budget spending is estimated at 23.8 trillion tenge ($51.3 billion) and will exceed 25.1 trillion tenge ($54.1 billion) in 2026. Focus on the social sector Similar to previous years, more than 40% of the budget expenditures are directed to the social sector.  In 2024, 5.4 trillion tenge ($11.6 billion) is earmarked…

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Russia and Kazakhstan have been collaborating in oil and gas sectors, but both countries are now jointly exploring new avenues for developing uranium and mining industries, as well as implementing nuclear fuel cycle and other projects. “This is explained, among other things, by the infrastructure and routes of gas transmission and gas distribution systems in Russia and Central Asia established over many years and the high level of coordination both bilaterally and multilaterally,” Putin said in an interview with the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper late Tuesday. Putin’s interview came ahead of an official visit to…

ASTANA – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry, and the Kazakhstan Agency of International Development (KazAID), signed a statement of intent on Oct. 13 to advance inclusive digital transformation in Central Asia, reported the UNDP Kazakhstan press office. This collaboration is oriented toward bolstering innovation, and facilitating knowledge exchange, grounded in the universal principle of leaving no one behind. The primary goal of this trilateral cooperation is to expand Kazakhstan’s successful government technology (govtech) solutions on a regional scale. Asset Turyssov, vice minister of digital development, innovations, and aerospace…

ASTANA – With a strong-willed victory in Helsinki, Kazakhstan can punch its ticket to EURO 2024, UEFA announced, commenting on the team’s remarkable comeback yesterday. In the match, Finland’s team took an early lead and scored a goal in the 28th minute through a free-kick executed by Robert Taylor. The game did not change much for about an hour, with Finland having opportunities to solidify their lead, including a one-on-one chance by Daniel Håkans. After that, Kazakhstan’s Askhat Tagybergen hit the crossbar and turned the situation around. In the 77th minute, Richard Jensen’s handball in Finland’s penalty area resulted in a clear…

ASTANA – Kazakh tennis player Anna Danilina together with Finland’s Harri Heliovaara won their first Grand Slam title on Sept. 9 by defeating Jessica Pegula and Austin Krajicek of the United States 6:3, 6:4 in the US Open 2023 mixed doubles final at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, reported the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation. “I have no words. It was an amazing run. It has been a pleasure,” said Danilina. During the awards ceremony, Danilina also congratulated her opponents, expressed her gratitude to her partner Heliovaara, and thanked her fans, the tournament organizers, and her team for their support. Kazakh…