The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has released its Macroeconomic Outlook for its six member states. According to the report, in 2024 Armenia’s GDP is expected to grow by 7.5%, Belarus’s by 3.4%, Kazakhstan’s by 5%, Kyrgyzstan’s by 5.5%, Russia’s by 3%, and Tajikistan’s by 8%. For most EDB member countries, the outlook has been upgraded
On June 20 in Astana, representatives of the national company Kazakh Invest met with Vikram Vuppala, CEO of the Indian company NephroPlus to discuss the company’s plans for developing the dialysis market in Kazakhstan, Kazakh Invest reported. Vikram Vuppala told the Kazakh representatives that NephroPlus considers Kazakhstan as a new market for investment in the framework of
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed into law a bill on mass media that will hinder journalists from getting comments from officials and interviews, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported. Domestic and international rights groups and media experts have expressed concerns over the new law, saying it will compromise independent journalism and lead to self-censorship in the Central Asian
On June 16, the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Almaty, Kazakhstan began the first delivery of molybdenum-99/technetium-99 generators to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy reported on its website. On June 17, the Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan Almasadam Satkaliev visited the Institute of Nuclear Physics, which is the only research organization in Kazakhstan in the
Kazakhstan’s national railways company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) says that this year, it plans to transport 125 thousand passengers on trains to the country’s Borovoye resort — a record high number over the last three years. Last year, the number of passengers amounted to over 86.2 thousand. Three years ago (in 2020), 10 thousand passengers
According to the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), today, over 2 billion people globally do not have access to safe drinking water. Without action, the situation will only worsen in the long run. By 2050, drinking water consumption is projected to increase by 1.5 times. This is why the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6 is to
The High-level Central Asian Forum on ‘Water and Climate Change’, organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in cooperation with the European Union and the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan earlier this month in Dushanbe, has become a cornerstone of the 3rd High-level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable
A presentation and signing ceremony for the roadmap to implement a project to construct a salty snack production plant in Kazakhstan took place in Astana last week. The facility, to be located in the Almaty region, will produce potato chips under the globally renowned Lay’s brand. The American company PepsiCo plans to invest $160 million,
Gabidulla Ospankulov, Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, on June 13 met with Nabil Marc Abdul-Massih, CEO of Swiss INOKS Capital. During the meeting, the parties discussed the company’s interest in expanding investment activities in Kazakhstan, including creating an agricultural fund and concluding an investment agreement, Kazakh Invest reported. Representatives
On June 12, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol visited Kazakhstan and held talks with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The two leaders also took part in the Kazakh-Korean business forum in Astana. During the negotiations, the parties discussed prospects for bilateral cooperation in such areas as energy, infrastructure and industry, mechanical engineering, trade, transport and logistics,
On June 12 in Astana, the European Commission and Kazakhstan launched the Coordination Platform of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, the Coordination Platform will improve the safety and sustainability of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and will turn the corridor into a
Gabidulla Ospankulov, Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, met with Seung-Chan Jung, the Managing Director of Samsung C&T Corporation in Turkey and Central and Eastern Europe. During the meeting, the parties discussed the company’s plans for cooperation in construction and modernization of energy facilities in Kazakhstan and in renewable energy
A court in Kazakhstan’s northeastern city of Oskemen handed prison terms to two local residents on June 11 on charges of separatism and calls to seize power, RFE/RL reported. The Prosecutor’s Office in the East Kazakhstan region said the two, whose identities were not disclosed, were sentenced to five years in prison each for statements they made
Marat Karabayev, Kazakhstan’s minister of transport, believes that as a bridge between the East and the West, Kazakhstan will continue to play its part in facilitating regional and global trade. In his article published in the Chinese publication, South China Morning Post, Karabayev says that trade between Asia and Europe has faced challenges as a result
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry on June 6 hosted a ceremony to launch the “Goodwill Ambassadors of Kazakhstan” project, with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister–Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu. Initiated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the project aims to foster dialogue between cultures and peoples, increase the country’s visibility, and promote its achievements abroad. In his
On June 5, a ceremony was held to reintroduce Przewalski’s horses into the Altyn Dala Nature Reserve in the Kostanay region of Kazakhstan. A Czech military plane transported eight Przewalski’s horses from the Prague Zoo for reintroduction into the territory of the Altyn Dala state nature reserve. In total, 40 wild horses are to be
The eleventh round of the annual High-Level Political and Security Dialogue between the European Union and the countries of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) took place in Brussels on June 5. The meeting was held at the level of Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the five Central Asian countries
Systema, RFE/RL’s Russian investigative unit, said on June 4 that it had discovered the name and details of a person who it believes is Yelizaveta Peskova, the daughter of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in the national taxpayer registry of Kazakhstan. Systema said it found personal data in online sources that aligns with Peskova, adding she most likely
On June 3, a symposium dedicated to cooperation in higher education between Korea and Central Asian countries was held in South Korea. The event was organized by the Secretariat of the Central Asia–Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum. Opening the symposium, Executive Director of the Secretariat of the Central Asia-Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum, Rhee Jong
China and five Central Asian nations have officially established a China-Central Asia emergency management cooperation mechanism, Xinhua reported. China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan signed a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of the mechanism during a ministerial meeting in Urumqi, the capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, last week. The six
