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Republic Day

Kazakhstan Marks Republic Day as World Leaders Send Congratulations

Kazakhstan marked Republic Day on October 25 with a flag-raising ceremony in Astana and congratulations from its international partners. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio used the occasion to describe bilateral relations as the “strongest” in their history. “Our countries are working together to strengthen regional security, expand economic cooperation, and create new commercial opportunities which will pair Kazakh ambition with American innovation to benefit both of our nations,” Rubio said in his October 24 statement. He praised Kazakhstan’s diplomatic role and support for President Donald Trump’s “peace initiatives,” and said the U.S. looks forward to further cooperation in the year ahead, both bilaterally and through the C5+1 framework, which brings together the United States and the five Central Asian countries. Trump sent a separate message to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. According to Akorda’s account, he welcomed the enhanced strategic partnership and said he wanted to continue developing his relationship with the Kazakh leader. Russian President Vladimir Putin also congratulated Tokayev, describing bilateral relations as developing “in the spirit of strategic partnership and alliance.” He pledged to strengthen cooperation and linked closer ties to security and stability across Eurasia. Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his readiness to deepen cooperation, while praising Kazakhstan’s development. The presidents of the other four Central Asian countries also sent congratulations. King Charles III of Great Britain conveyed his wishes to Tokayev and the Kazakh people, highlighting the friendship between the two countries. French President Emmanuel Macron pointed to growing cooperation ahead of the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations. UN Secretary-General António Guterres was also among those who sent messages. [caption id="attachment_59283" align="aligncenter" width="1774"] Image: Akorda.kz[/caption] In Kazakhstan, Tokayev attended the national flag-raising ceremony outside the Akorda presidential residence. The honor guard commander reported to the president before the flag was raised and the national anthem played. The presidency announced similar ceremonies across the country’s regions. In his Republic Day message, Tokayev described Kazakhstan as a respected and influential middle power. He emphasized continued political and economic reforms, technological modernization, and the expanding use of artificial intelligence, while calling for national unity. In Almaty, more than 1,500 people gathered near the Medeu mountain skating rink for a flag-raising ceremony. A military brass band played the national anthem as the flag rose on a 40-meter pole. The city also marked Republic Day with a festive concert at the Republic Palace. [caption id="attachment_59286" align="aligncenter" width="1774"] Image: Almaty Akimat[/caption] Republic Day commemorates the Declaration of State Sovereignty, adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR on October 25, 1990. The declaration affirmed territorial integrity and established the political and legal foundations for the country’s future independence. Kazakhstan remained within the Soviet Union at that point. It formally declared independence on December 16, 1991, becoming the last Soviet republic to do so. This year’s Republic Day therefore marks 36 years since the sovereignty declaration, ahead of the 35th anniversary of independence in December. The holiday itself has undergone several changes. Republic Day was removed from the public holiday calendar in...

Saiga

Prince William Praises Kazakhstan’s Saiga Recovery

Britain’s Prince William has highlighted Kazakhstan’s success in restoring its saiga antelope population, crediting government support for the animal’s recovery during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show. Asked about the distinctive antelope and the Altyn Dala conservation initiative, William said the species had recovered from critically endangered status to large numbers. Kazakhstan’s government had recognized the animal’s importance to the country and to conservation, he said: “They threw their full weight behind it.” Video: The Graham Norton Show / So Television / BBC The exchange came during an Earthshot Prize edition of the BBC chat show broadcast on October 23, with a photograph of a saiga displayed in the studio. William appeared alongside actors Cate Blanchett and Hannah Waddingham and conservationist Robert Irwin. Altyn Dala won the 2024 Earthshot Prize in the Protect and Restore Nature category, receiving £1 million to support its work. The initiative helps restore Kazakhstan’s vast steppe ecosystems, with the saiga’s recovery among its most prominent achievements. In an October 2025 update, Earthshot said Altyn Dala had helped the saiga population grow from around 40,000 to more than four million over two decades. The recovery followed a steep decline caused by poaching and disease. The initiative brings together Kazakhstan’s government and the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan, with international conservation partners. Its work includes tracking saiga movements to help protect breeding and feeding grounds. Altyn Dala has also helped return endangered Przewalski’s horses to Kazakhstan, extending its restoration work beyond the antelope that drew attention on Norton’s sofa. Separately, King Charles III sent President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev a congratulatory telegram for Kazakhstan’s Republic Day, according to an October 25 statement from Akorda. The king praised the friendship between the two countries and reaffirmed his commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation.

Diplomatic Protest

Iranian Embassy Posts on Samarkand’s Persian Heritage Spark Uzbek Protest

Uzbekistan has lodged a diplomatic protest with Iran over social media posts describing Samarkand's architecture as part of Persian civilization. The posts targeted United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio. On October 23, Uzbekistan's First Deputy Foreign Minister Bakhromjon Aloyev met with Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Ali Eskandari, who was handed a diplomatic note of protest. Uzbekistan's Foreign Ministry described posts published by Iranian diplomatic missions on X as a one-sided and politicized interpretation of Samarkand's history. Tashkent demanded that the posts be removed and that similar incidents be avoided in the future. The dispute followed Rubio's visit to Samarkand on October 19, when he recorded a video in Registan Square highlighting the city's historical role in international trade. Iran's embassy in Armenia described the site where Rubio stood as part of Persian civilization. The embassy in Zimbabwe called Registan's arches a "hallmark of Iranian-Islamic civilization," accusing Rubio of seeking to destroy that heritage. Iran's embassy in Bulgaria also criticized Rubio for disparaging Persian civilization while standing in front of monuments bearing its influence. Earlier, during an October 7 speech in Athens, Rubio recalled the destruction of the Acropolis by the forces of Persian King Xerxes in 480 BCE. He also attacked Iran's current clerical rulers, accusing them of promoting a "cult of death." Uzbekistan's Foreign Ministry said that the heritage of Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, and other historic cities reflects centuries of statehood and cultural development among the Uzbek people. Tashkent objected to the use of the country's history in political disputes between other states. Samarkand has deep ties to the Persian-speaking world. Before the Arab conquest, it was one of the centers of Sogdiana, whose inhabitants spoke a language belonging to the Iranian language family. Persian later became widely used in Central Asian cities, including in literature and scholarship. In the late 14th and early 15th centuries, Samarkand was the capital of Timur's empire. Craftsmen from various regions, including Iran and the historic region of Khorasan, participated in the construction of its monumental buildings. The Registan architectural ensemble was built between the 15th and 17th centuries, combining local artistic traditions with those of the wider Islamic world. The concept of Persian civilization encompasses a cultural area much larger than modern Iran. UNESCO describes Samarkand as a crossroads of cultures, reflecting influences from successive civilizations. The Iranian embassies did not make territorial claims against Uzbekistan; their posts concerned cultural and architectural history. Samarkand's heritage has also been a subject of debate within Central Asia. During the Soviet redrawing of Central Asia's internal borders in 1924, Samarkand and Bukhara became part of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. Both cities historically had substantial Persian-speaking populations, and Tajik continues to be spoken there today. Historians have also documented Soviet-era pressure on Tajik residents to register as Uzbeks, contributing to longstanding disputes over the cities' ethnic composition. The dispute occurred amid increased U.S. diplomatic engagement in Central Asia. During his visit, Rubio attended a C5+1 meeting with the foreign ministers of the five Central Asian countries. The talks focused on expanding economic...

Podcast

Pannier and Hillard’s Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode Out Now

As Managing Editor of The Times of Central Asia, I’m delighted that, in partnership with the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, we are the home of the Spotlight on Central Asia podcast. Chaired by seasoned broadcasters Bruce Pannier of RFE/RL’s long-running Majlis podcast and Michael Hillard of The Red Line, each fortnightly instalment will take you on a deep dive into the latest news, developments, security issues, and social trends across an increasingly pivotal region. This week, the team looks at Kyrgyzstan carrying out a new round of arrests in the run-up to the country's upcoming presidential elections, including the son of a former president; new immigration and foreign-worker quotas being introduced in the country; increasingly ominous warnings from Russia's foreign minister toward the region; and a renewed outbreak of fighting along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border that is already creating serious problems on both sides. We'll also be looking at an almost unprecedented wave of resignations and replacements across the senior ranks of Central Asia's military and security establishments, as well as Kazakhstan moving to dismiss a significant portion of its Supreme Court. And then, for our main story this week, we'll be speaking with one of the region's most prominent human rights activists, fresh from a major international human rights conference, about some increasingly dire warnings for the future of rights and political freedoms across Central Asia. Special guest: Leila Nazgül Seiitbek (Freedom for Eurasia)

Shanghai Cooperation Organization

SCO Economic Ambitions Outpace Agreement

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) renewed calls for a development bank at its October 20 heads of government meeting in Dushanbe, but the institution remains under negotiation more than a year after members reached political agreement on its creation. Participants adopted a joint communiqué and decisions on economic cooperation, including joint manufacturing and transportation. Financing those ambitions remains a central challenge. Members backed the bank at their September 2025 summit in Tianjin. A year later, the Bishkek summit ended without a founding agreement or capital commitments, and no launch date was set. The SCO brings together ten countries whose economic priorities differ sharply. China and India are among the world's largest economies, while Russia and Iran face Western sanctions. For Central Asian members, the organization offers another route to investment, but agreement on shared goals has yet to produce a common financing institution. Different Priorities Tajik Prime Minister Kohir Rasulzoda reported that SCO countries accounted for 70% of Tajikistan's foreign trade turnover in January–August 2026. Meanwhile, foreign direct investment from member states amounted to just $350 million for the whole of 2025. "These figures demonstrate the enormous untapped potential of our investment cooperation, which significantly lags behind the dynamics of trade relations," Rasulzoda said. Iran has different concerns. First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref called for wider use of national currencies in trade, alongside export insurance and investment protection. Tehran has long sought to reduce its foreign trade dependence on Western financial infrastructure. Sanctions make this an urgent priority, but Iran's interests in international settlements differ considerably from those of India or China, for example. Beijing and New Delhi conduct extensive trade with Western countries, so a single financial model for all SCO members is unlikely to satisfy everyone. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin encouraged joint manufacturing projects using Russia's special economic zones and investment protection agreements. Kyrgyzstan, meanwhile, is seeking investors for the Tamchy special investment and financial territory, established in July 2025 in the Issyk-Kul region. First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Daniyar Amangeldiev invited SCO partners to develop joint projects there. Financing the Bank A development bank could provide a common source of funding for such projects. In Dushanbe, Belarusian Prime Minister Alexander Turchin renewed calls to accelerate its establishment. "We consider it fundamentally important that this institution become a multilateral development bank with a unique mandate, providing access to long-term investment financing without political conditions," he said. Kyrgyzstan also supported establishing the bank. Amangeldiev urged members to draw on existing financing channels, including the SCO Interbank Consortium, while negotiations continue. Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov confirmed Astana's willingness to host the bank's headquarters. Bishkek had already put forward its candidacy at the September summit. Choosing a headquarters is only part of the task. Members must agree on their financial contributions and how the bank will operate, including who decides which projects receive loans. China has far greater financial resources than most of its SCO partners, giving it the potential to become the bank's principal...

NVIDIA

NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang Receives Honorary Judo Black Belt in Astana

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang received an honorary black belt from the International Judo Federation (IJF) in Astana on October 23. The federation said the award recognized his contributions to technology and innovation and the values he shares with the sport. The presentation came during Huang’s visit to Kazakhstan for talks on the country’s AI development. Following the World Judo Championships in Baku, IJF President Marius Vizer traveled to Astana to assess preparations for the 2027 championships, which the city will host. During his visit, Vizer presented Huang with the belt, according to NVIDIA’s account of the ceremony. Timur Kemell, the federation’s director of promotion and development and an Executive Committee member, then presented Huang with the Code of Judo. Its eight values include respect, courage, modesty, and self-control. [caption id="attachment_59188" align="alignnone" width="300"] From left: IJF Executive Committee member Timur Kemell, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, and IJF President Marius Vizer at Huang’s honorary black belt ceremony in Astana. Image: IJF[/caption] The honorary black belt is a symbolic distinction rather than a rank earned through judo training and technical grading. The IJF has made similar awards to prominent figures outside competitive judo, including Pope Francis in 2022 and Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti in 2024. Vizer described Huang’s award as “a symbol of respect, commitment and belonging to the international judo family.” NVIDIA also promoted the award through its Newsroom account on X on October 24, publishing a photograph of Huang alongside Vizer and Kemell. “The black leather jacket wasn’t the final form,” the company wrote, referring to Huang’s familiar attire. Huang discussed martial arts during NVIDIA’s AI Summit in Mumbai in October 2024. In a conversation with actor and martial artist Akshay Kumar, he said both of his children held second-degree black belts. “When you’re good at anything, it gives you confidence to do everything else,” Huang said. Kazakhstan’s traditional wrestling sport, qazaq kuresi, was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2016. At the 2024 Paris Games, Yeldos Smetov became Kazakhstan’s first Olympic judo champion, following silver at Rio 2016 and bronze at the Tokyo Games.