Kazakhstan - The Times Of Central Asia

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Desertification

Turkmenistan and Spain Eye Regional Center to Combat Desertification in Central Asia

Turkmenistan and Spain have discussed closer cooperation to address desertification in Central Asia, including the possible creation of a regional center focused on land degradation. The talks took place in Ashgabat during a meeting between Turkmenistan’s Minister of Environmental Protection and Spain’s ambassador to Russia, Ricardo Martínez Vázquez, who is also accredited in Turkmenistan. The discussions followed Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov’s proposal at the United Nations General Assembly to establish a specialized regional center to combat desertification in Central Asia. The initiative is intended to strengthen cooperation among regional states and attract international expertise and funding. [caption id="attachment_41076" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Image: mineco.gov.tm[/caption] Desertification is a growing concern across Central Asia, a region where arid and semi-arid landscapes dominate much of the territory. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification defines desertification as land degradation in dry areas caused by climatic variations and human activities. According to the UNCCD, more than 20% of land in Central Asia is already degraded, affecting around 30% of the population. Much of this damage is linked to unsustainable water use, intensive agriculture, overgrazing, and the long-term effects of climate change. Spain’s interest in desertification in Turkmenistan is rooted in their shared status as nations on the front lines of climate change. As one of the European countries most vulnerable to soil degradation, Spain co-launched the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) to export its expertise in "dryland" management and water conservation, which is directly applicable to the arid landscapes of Central Asia. This common challenge has fostered a diplomatic partnership focused on the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), where countries exchange strategies for land restoration and drought resilience. Beyond environmental solidarity, Spain views Turkmenistan as a critical emerging market for its advanced engineering and agricultural sectors. Major Spanish firms, such as TYPSA, are already active in the region, providing technical assistance for massive infrastructure projects, such as desalination plants on the Caspian Sea, and modernizing irrigation systems for thousands of hectares of farmland. This commercial engagement is bolstered by Spain's support for Turkmenistan’s proposal to host a Regional Center for Climate Change Technologies, which would serve as a hub for Spanish green tech in Central Asia. The bilateral relationship also aligns with the broader EU Strategy for Central Asia, which prioritizes environmental stability as a means of ensuring regional security. By helping Turkmenistan manage its dwindling water resources and combat the encroaching Karakum Desert, Spain contributes to the EU for a Green Turkmenistan initiative. This cooperation helps prevent resource-driven migration and instability, and strengthens trade ties in a region that is becoming increasingly vital for global energy and logistics. One of the most visible examples of desertification in the region is the collapse of the Aral Sea. Once the world’s fourth-largest inland lake, the Aral Sea began shrinking rapidly in the 1960s after its feeder rivers were diverted for large-scale irrigation projects. By the early 2000s, the sea had lost roughly 90% of its volume. [caption id="attachment_13621" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Desert ships on the former...

Caspian Pipeline Consortium

Kazakhstan Fast-Tracks Delivery of Caspian Pipeline Equipment

Kazakhstan has expedited the delivery of two new offshore berthing facilities for the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), a move prompted by recent drone attacks on CPC infrastructure. The initiative aims to restore the stability of oil exports and ensure uninterrupted operations at the key marine terminal in Novorossiysk. The two new remote mooring devices (RMDs) were procured from a manufacturer in the United Arab Emirates for installation at the CPC Marine Terminal. Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov announced on December 15 in Astana that the delivery timeline has been moved up from April 2026 to January 2025. “The Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the national oil and gas company KazMunayGas are making every effort to deliver the two new RMD units. We are now pushing ahead with this and plan to deliver them in January,” said Akkenzhenov, highlighting the logistical complexity of transporting the technologically advanced equipment to Novorossiysk. According to the CPC press service, the two devices being replaced, CPC-1 and CPC-2, were originally commissioned in 2001. The contract for their replacement was signed in January 2024, and both new units are expected to be completed by December 2025. These upgrades are part of a recovery program following a series of attacks on CPC infrastructure. At the same time, repair work continues on VPU-3, another remote berthing facility. However, efforts have been hindered by severe weather conditions in Novorossiysk, where strong winds and currents have disrupted underwater installation work. “The weather in Novorossiysk is difficult, with very strong winds causing high waves and currents. Divers are descending under the dome to install underwater hoses,” Akkenzhenov explained. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium remains one of the largest energy projects in the post-Soviet space. The 1,511 kilometer Tengiz-Novorossiysk pipeline transports more than two-thirds of Kazakhstan’s oil exports, along with output from Russian fields, including those in the Caspian Sea. The CPC’s marine terminal in Novorossiysk is equipped with three remote mooring devices, enabling tankers to load safely offshore and ensuring continuous export operations. Since autumn 2025, CPC facilities have been repeatedly targeted. The first attack occurred on September 24, when drones struck the consortium’s office, injuring employees and bystanders. Other key incidents included attacks on the Kropotkinskaya base (February 17 and March 24), the Kavkazskaya facility (March 19), and the Novorossiysk marine terminal (September 24-25). The most serious incident occurred on November 29, when the terminal’s pier was damaged, rendering VPU-2 inoperable. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy estimated losses of 480,000 tons of oil and condemned the attack as “unacceptable and dangerous for global energy security.” The emergency acquisition and fast-tracked delivery of the new berthing units are seen as a strategic investment by Kazakhstan, not only to secure its export capacity but also to reinforce the stability of one of the region’s most critical energy corridors.

Automobile Industry

Kazakhstan Sets New Record for Car Sales

Kazakhstan's car market set a new record in the first 11 months of 2025, with more than 207,500 new vehicles sold, surpassing the previous annual record of 205,000 units set in 2024. According to the Kazakhstan Automobile Union (KAS), 25,804 passenger and commercial vehicles were sold in November 2025 alone, marking a 22.7% year-on-year increase. This figure represents the highest monthly sales volume in the history of official car retail in the country. Between January and November 2025, dealerships sold a total of 207,616 new vehicles, 15.6% more than during the same period in 2024. KAS President Anar Makasheva noted that the market has already exceeded last year's total sales despite the traditionally active pre-New Year period still ahead. She added that dealers are expanding financial offerings and launching special promotions, as December is typically the most favorable month for car purchases. A further increase is expected by year-end. Hyundai was the top-selling brand in Kazakhstan during the reporting period, with 45,220 units sold. Chevrolet followed with 33,486, and Kia ranked third with 21,481. Chinese manufacturers dominated the rest of the top ten: Jetour (13,000), Chery (12,500), Haval (10,400), and Changan (10,100). Toyota came in eighth with 10,000 vehicles sold, followed by Geely (9,000) and Jac (8,700). Among the most popular models in November were the Chevrolet Cobalt (7,100), Hyundai Tucson (1,900), and Kia Sportage (1,300). As of December 1, 2025, Kazakhstan had 5,843,358 registered vehicles, according to government statistics. The majority, 4,898,203, were category B passenger cars. In comparison, 6,786,876 vehicles were registered as of September 1. The Ministry of Internal Affairs attributed the discrepancy of nearly 1 million vehicles to a database update that eliminated duplicates, corrected technical errors, and verified first-time registrations. Earlier this year, The Times of Central Asia reported that Kazakhstani car manufacturers saw a nearly 17% profit increase in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

Digital Development

The Digital Future of Central Asia: Who Is Shaping It, and How?

Digital security is now a key component of most processes in every country. A large share of organizations is moving, or has already moved, their processes online, which requires increased attention and control. Many Central Asian countries are already rolling out AI technologies at the state level. Financial institutions, social systems, crypto services, rental services, and other high-risk areas can no longer develop effectively without biometric identification and AI. Central Asia is gradually developing its own biometric landscape, and if we look at it not as a set of disparate projects but as an emerging infrastructure, it becomes clear that the countries are moving at very different speeds. Kazakhstan: Leader in Biometrics and Digital Identity in the Region Today, Kazakhstan is the undisputed leader in Central Asia in the field of biometric technologies. In this region biometrics has long gone beyond isolated pilots and has become part of the digital infrastructure on which a significant part of the economy operates. Unlike neighboring countries, where biometrics is most often limited to video surveillance or exclusively state initiatives, Kazakhstan has developed a mature market of independent developers and technology companies creating competitive products both for private organizations and for government platforms. Thanks to active digitalization, biometrics in the country has become not an add-on, but the primary mechanism for identity verification. The state additionally stimulates this process: it expands the use of biometric identification in ministerial processes, strengthens the requirements for remote verification, and transfers critical services, such as the issuance of an Electronic Digital Signature (EDS), to biometric authentication. In this way, an environment is being built in which online processes gain full legal validity and the population receives convenient access to services without the need to visit physical offices. Kazakhstan’s key distinction is that it has a full-fledged biometrics market, not just government-driven initiatives. The private sector actively invests in biometric solutions, integrates them into its processes, and competes on the quality of the user experience. Banks strive to reduce entry barriers for clients, MFIs (software development kits) increase protection against fraud, crypto exchanges strengthen their compliance structure, and marketplaces implement biometric identification to secure transactions. This has created an effect unique for the region: biometrics has ceased to be a one-off project and has turned into an everyday part of business. Against this background, independent local companies are developing that are capable of creating advanced technological solutions within the country. Among them, Biometric.Vision stands out in particular, an international company originating from Kazakhstan, one of the key players in the Kazakhstani market that has formed its own technological stack and operates across several industries. The company has become a technological partner for banks, financial organizations, government services, and regulated industries, providing software modules for remote identification, biometric verification, liveness checks, and fraud prevention. Local products make it possible to respond quickly to new regulatory requirements, adapt to them, and address the real needs of local businesses. For Kazakhstan, the presence of local players in the biometrics market is...

Podcast

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

As Managing Editor of The Times of Central Asia, I’m delighted that, in partnership with the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, from October 19, 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, we're unpacking Turkmenistan's Neutrality Summit, a rare moment where a string of big names quietly rolled into Ashgabat, and where the public messaging mattered just as much as the backroom deals. We'll also cut through the noise on the latest reporting from the Tajik–Afghan border, where misinformation is colliding with real security developments on the ground. From there, we'll take a hard look at the results of Kyrgyzstan's elections, what they actually tell us about where Bishkek is heading next, and what they don't, before examining the looming power rationing now shaping daily life and political pressure in two Central Asian states. And to wrap it up, we're joined by two outstanding experts for a frank conversation on gendered violence in Central Asia: what's changing, what isn't, and why the official statistics may only capture a fraction of the reality. On the show this week: Daryana Gryaznova (Equality Now) Svetlana Dzardanova (Human Rights and Corruption Researcher)

Baikonur

Roscosmos: Damaged Baikonur Launch Pad To Be Ready in Early 2026

Russia’s space agency Roscosmos says a Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad that was damaged during the lift-off of a crewed spacecraft in late November is being repaired and will be ready to resume operations at the end of February next year. “The manned program continues,” Roscosmos said following two weeks of speculation about the impact of delays on crewed flights from the leased Baikonur facility in Kazakhstan. If Russia meets its repair schedule, it would beat some predictions that said the launch pad might not back in operation for up to two years. More than 130 Roscosmos employees, working in two shifts from 8 a.m. to midnight, and 18 heavy vehicles are involved in replacing a service cabin that was damaged in the launch of the Soyuz MS-28 craft that took two Russian cosmonauts and one American astronaut to the International Space Station, the agency said on Monday. “Work has begun on priming and painting the cabin parts. As they become ready, they will be transported to the launch pad. Some of the equipment is already there,” Roscosmos said. “After priming and painting the parts, specialists will begin installing the cabin and conducting autonomous tests.” Space journalists and analysts said the previous mobile service platform was not properly secured during the November launch and collapsed into a flame duct below the launch pad. A cargo flight to the International Space Station had been scheduled for this month from Baikonur but was delayed after the mishap.