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Kazakhstan's Parliament

Kazakhstan’s Kurultai Has Begun Work, but the Intrigue Remains

Kazakhstan’s new unicameral parliament, the Kurultai, has held its first session and elected President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s nominee, Aibek Dadebay, as speaker. The choice of Dadebay, chairman of the recently created Adilet party, had been widely expected. Nevertheless, the arrangement differs markedly from the way political authority was organized under Kazakhstan’s first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev. Under Nazarbayev, the ruling party – first Otan and later Nur Otan – was headed by the president himself, while its day-to-day work was managed by a first deputy chairman. The party’s parliamentary leadership was separate, while the Senate speaker was formally elected from a candidate nominated by the president. Under Tokayev, the model changed. Tokayev left the ruling party in 2022, shortly after Nur Otan was renamed Amanat, and the Constitution was amended to bar the president from party membership. Amanat later merged into the newly created Adilet party in June 2026. That Tokayev-era model has now carried over into the Kurultai: the chairman of the ruling party entered the new parliament and was elected speaker. The arrangement places responsibility for the party and its parliamentary majority more clearly in the same hands. Tokayev also spoke about the legislative responsibilities of deputies at the opening of the first session. “Laws must be fair, understandable to people, and progressive – that is, aligned with modern requirements. Since laws affect the fate and lives of citizens, every norm and every clause must be carefully considered and comprehensively discussed,” he said. Tokayev added that artificial intelligence could be used “to improve the quality of legislative activity and minimize corruption risks,” while stressing that “advanced technologies cannot replace professional legal expertise.” Yerlan Karin, first deputy head of the Presidential Administration, noted that 24 deputies have previous parliamentary experience, arguing that this would help preserve “institutional memory” in the new legislature. Karin himself is among the senior officials whose next role remains uncertain. Tokayev must still submit nominees for vice president and prime minister to the Kurultai. The current government relinquished its powers before the new parliament, in accordance with the Constitution, and the president will appoint members of the government after consultations with deputies. He will also make an appointment to the new position of deputy chairman of the Security Council. According to political analyst Talgat Kaliyev, political observers are discussing several possible candidates for vice president. One scenario cited by Kaliyev would see current Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov take the role, with Astana akim Zhenis Kassymbek replacing him as prime minister. “Others say that the current prime minister will retain his position, while Yerlan Karin will take the post of vice president,” Kaliyev said, arguing that Karin’s close involvement in Kazakhstan’s political reforms strengthens his case. Kaliyev said other possible candidates could include former Senate speaker Maulen Ashimbayev or former Mazhilis head Yerlan Koshanov, who is “also being tipped for the post of chairman of Kazakhstan Halyk Kenesi.” The appointments are expected to follow before Tokayev delivers his traditional annual Address, which he said would take place after...

Middle Corridor

Middle Corridor Must Cut Delays, TITR Chief Tells TCA

The Middle Corridor has spent the past several years attracting freight away from longer or politically sensitive routes between Asia and Europe. Now its operators must make it function as a single, reliable corridor. “Reducing transit time is achieved not through a single solution, but through the consistent modernization of all key links along the route, from ports and terminals to railway infrastructure and digital tools,” Nurgul Zhakupova, Secretary General of the International Association “Trans-Caspian International Transport Route,” told The Times of Central Asia. [caption id="attachment_54935" align="aligncenter" width="1774"] Nurgul Zhakupova, Secretary General of TITR. Image courtesy of the subject[/caption] Known internationally as the Middle Corridor, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) connects China with Europe through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, with onward connections through Turkey. Freight traffic has risen sharply since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine increased demand for routes bypassing Russia. According to official figures, container traffic grew by 36% in 2025 to around 77,000 TEUs, although total freight volume slipped to about 4.12 million tons from 4.48 million tons in 2024. The World Bank estimates that freight volumes along the Middle Corridor could triple and transit times could be halved by 2030 if the necessary investments and reforms are made. The European Union and international financial institutions have meanwhile committed to mobilizing €10 billion for sustainable transport connectivity in Central Asia, with the aim of developing a route capable of linking Central Asia and Europe in around 15 days. For Zhakupova, that means tackling bottlenecks across several countries at the same time. Building a faster railway in Kazakhstan achieves little if cargo then waits for a ship on the Caspian, becomes stuck at a border, or encounters another congested section farther west. [caption id="attachment_54945" align="aligncenter" width="1535"] Infographic: TCA[/caption] Infrastructure Races to Catch Up One immediate challenge is expanding infrastructure fast enough to accommodate container traffic and anticipated future freight growth. Kazakhstan launched the second Dostyk-Moyynty railway line and the Almaty bypass in 2025. Construction of the Moyynty-Kyzylzhar line and modernization of other sections are continuing. The Dostyk-Moyynty project alone stretches 836 kilometers and is expected to substantially increase rail capacity on the China-Kazakhstan axis. One of the Middle Corridor’s most difficult bottlenecks is not on land, but on the Caspian Sea. Growing traffic requires more vessels, while falling water levels and adverse weather complicate port and shipping operations. KTZ Express plans to acquire six multipurpose dry cargo container vessels: four are to be built by China’s Jiangsu Haizhongzhou Shipping Industry and two by the Baku Shipyard. Kazmortransflot is building two container vessels in partnership with Abu Dhabi Ports Group, while Azerbaijan is also considering expanding its fleet with ferries and roll-on/roll-off vessels for wheeled cargo. “Additional limiting factors remain the falling level of the Caspian Sea and adverse weather conditions. In this regard, a range of measures is also being implemented at the ports of Aktau, Baku, and Kuryk to minimize the impact of these factors on the stability of transportation,” Zhakupova told TCA. In Kuryk,...

TAPI Gas Pipeline

TAPI Pipeline Moves Closer to First Gas Sales in Afghanistan

After decades of delays, the TAPI gas pipeline has moved closer than ever to actual gas sales – but first to the smallest of its intended markets. Turkmenistan is preparing to supply gas to Afghanistan’s Herat province, while the timeline for extending the pipeline to Pakistan and India remains uncertain. On August 10, state-owned Turkmengaz and Afghan Gas signed a memorandum covering the purchase of gas through TAPI. The document does not itself set a price or supply volume, but it brings closer the prospect that Afghanistan could become the first TAPI customer actually to receive gas. Afghanistan was already part of TAPI’s original customer base. Afghan Gas and Turkmengaz signed a gas sale-and-purchase agreement in 2013. What has changed is that the pipeline is now approaching a market it can physically serve. On August 27, Herat Governor Islam Jar said the local section of TAPI was expected to be commissioned within two months. Turkmenistan has not announced an equally specific date for the start of commercial gas supplies. TAPI was conceived as an approximately 1,800-kilometer pipeline running from Turkmenistan’s giant Galkynysh gas field through Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Indian border. Its planned capacity is 33 billion cubic meters of gas a year. At full capacity, Pakistan and India are each allocated 14 billion cubic meters of gas a year, while Afghanistan is allocated 5 billion. But after decades of planning, the pipeline has still not reached its principal intended customers. Construction of the 153-kilometer section from the Turkmen border toward Herat began in September 2024. Earlier this year, Turkmenistan said it expected to complete the section by the end of 2026, but no timetable has been announced for extending the pipeline farther south. According to the Afghan side, 116 kilometers of pipeline had been laid by early August. The August agreement also envisages the infrastructure needed to use the gas locally. Turkmen and Afghan officials have agreed to develop infrastructure in Herat to supply gas to industrial facilities, power plants, and households. The volumes involved would be modest compared with the roughly 30 billion cubic meters of gas Turkmenistan exports to China each year. But even limited sales through TAPI would give Ashgabat another export outlet. In February, Turkmenistan's still-influential former president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov described diversification of gas exports as one of the country’s main priorities. For TAPI itself, however, the first gas sales could matter even if the volumes are modest. Writing for The Times of Central Asia, Central Asia analyst Bruce Pannier noted that amid strained relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as between Pakistan and India, completion of the entire TAPI pipeline remains a distant prospect. He argued that supplying Herat alone could demonstrate to potential investors that the pipeline actually works. The memorandum signed on August 10 has offered little clarity on price, volumes and start dates. Afghanistan has separately proposed negotiating a long-term contract and pricing formula, while the gas distribution network in Herat still needs to be developed. The governor’s statement that the...

Baytik Mountain Resort

$128 Million Ski Resort Near Bishkek to Use Chinese Financing

Kyrgyzstan is launching another major ski resort project. The year-round Baytik Mountain Resort, valued at $127.9 million, will be built 35 kilometers from Bishkek. China National Heavy Machinery Corporation (CHMC) will participate in both the construction and financing of the project. On August 27, the Tourism Development Support Fund, Valmont Group, and the National Investment Agency signed a public-private partnership agreement to build the resort in Kashka-Suu. The first phase of infrastructure is expected to be commissioned within four to five years. Kashka-Suu has been a ski destination since the Soviet era, with its first ski club established in 1976. The plans include cable cars, ski slopes with artificial snowmaking, accommodation, and facilities for summer recreation and business events. Funding will also come from state-owned Eldik Bank and a private partner. The project is expected to create at least 1,500 jobs during construction and around 800 permanent jobs once operational, with at least 80% of the latter to be held by Kyrgyz citizens. Baytik comes as Kyrgyzstan pursues a much larger expansion of its ski tourism infrastructure. In the east of the country, the government is already developing the Ala-Too Resort, valued at around €1.2 billion. The project will link Jyrgalan, Ak-Bulak, and Boz-Uchuk, with plans for 260 kilometers of ski runs and construction extending through 2038. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, work began in August 2025. The two projects have different locations and potentially different markets. Ala-Too is being developed near Issyk-Kul as a large international tourism cluster. Baytik’s main advantage is its proximity to Bishkek and the country’s largest international airport. Karakol, Kyrgyzstan’s best-known ski destination, is roughly 400 kilometers from the capital. Baytik is intended to create a major year-round recreation area within easy reach of Bishkek. The investment comes as Kyrgyzstan’s tourism revenues are growing. Foreign visitors spent almost $1.1 billion in the country in 2025, up from $1.02 billion a year earlier, while tourism’s share of the economy reached 3.8%. Travelers from neighboring Central Asian countries and Russia continue to account for most foreign arrivals. For Kyrgyzstan, developing mountain resorts offers a way to reduce the tourism industry’s dependence on the summer season and Issyk-Kul. CHMC’s involvement brings another potential source of capital to the project. Chinese companies have long been involved in infrastructure projects in Kyrgyzstan, particularly in transport and energy. With Baytik, a major Chinese contractor is moving into the country’s tourism infrastructure.

Sports Funding

Kazakhstan Olympic Delegations Capped After Spending Audit

Kazakhstan has limited the number of sports officials who can be included in official Olympic delegations. The new rules follow an audit of spending on the Tokyo Olympics, where Kazakhstan’s delegation included more support staff than athletes, and auditors found there were no uniform rules for determining how many accompanying personnel were actually necessary. Kazakhstan sent 95 athletes and 101 accompanying personnel to the Tokyo Games. They included 62 coaches, 20 medical staff, nine administrative staff, and other personnel. The Supreme Audit Chamber examined the delegation as part of its audit of spending on preparations for the Games. Auditors found that the country had no uniform rules governing the composition of sports delegations. The number of coaches, doctors, administrative staff and government officials was determined separately for each trip, making it difficult to assess whether travel expenses were justified. The Audit Chamber said the new rules were intended to prevent “extra” accompanying personnel from being included in delegations and reduce the risk of unjustified spending. Following the audit, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports introduced limits for different categories of accompanying personnel. The rules will apply to the Olympic, Paralympic, and Deaflympic Games, and other major international competitions. Officials face the tightest restrictions. At the Summer Olympics, Ministry of Tourism and Sports employees may account for no more than 3% of the number of athletes, while representatives of its Committee for Sports and Physical Culture are limited to 2%. For a team of 100 athletes, that would mean a maximum of three ministry employees and two committee representatives. The limits are substantially higher for personnel who work directly with athletes. At the Summer Olympics, coaches may number up to 86% of the athlete delegation, while doctors, massage therapists, and other medical staff may account for up to 28%. The significance of the new rules is less the precise size of each quota than the fact that Kazakhstan now has a benchmark for judging whether the number of people accompanying athletes – including government officials – is reasonable. Previously, delegation sizes were determined on a case-by-case basis. The new restrictions are part of a broader review of Kazakhstan’s spending on sports. Since the summer of 2025, public funds have been barred from being used to pay foreign athletes playing for Kazakhstani teams. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, that measure, together with wider limits on professional sports spending, has saved more than $17 million, with the money redirected to youth sports. Ultimately, the audit of Kazakhstan’s Tokyo Olympic spending exposed less a problem with the size of one particular delegation than the absence of clear rules for forming such delegations. The new quotas give auditors a benchmark for the first time: delegations will now have to remain within defined limits.

Podcast

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

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 is covering the Kurultai elections and what they mean for Kazakhstan. Special guest: Central Asia journalist Paul Bartlett.