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National Bank of Kazakhstan to Launch Digital Investment and Gold Coins

The National Bank of Kazakhstan has announced the launch of the Gold Coin project, a digital investment coin, starting March 17. The coin’s value is pegged to 1/20 of a troy ounce of gold, fluctuating based on global gold prices. According to the National Bank, the Gold Coin project aims to offer Kazakhstani citizens an alternative investment tool, integrating digital assets with modern financial technology. One unit of the Gold Coin corresponds to 1/20 of a troy ounce of gold (with one troy ounce equaling 31.1035 grams). The coin’s value will be determined by the price of gold, as set by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), and the official exchange rate of the tenge against the U.S. dollar on the preceding day of a transaction. As of the evening of March 13, the price of gold on the London Stock Exchange stood at $2,924.80 per troy ounce. “The new investment instrument will be available through the Tabys mobile application of the Astana International Exchange (AIX), part of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). Users will be able to buy, sell, and gift Gold Coins online. Additionally, holders who accumulate 20 units of Gold Coin can exchange them for a physical ÚKI gold investment coin at National Bank branches nationwide. The ÚKI coin will be introduced into circulation on March 17, 2025,” the National Bank stated in a press release. The ÚKI gold coin was unveiled in February 2025 at the World Money Fair in Berlin, the world's largest numismatic event. The fair gathers central banks, mints, coin production companies, designers, and numismatic publishers. Kazakhstan’s National Bank presented the ÚKI coin, which is made of 99.99% pure gold (Au 999.9), weighs 31.1 grams, and has a face value of 100 tenge. The coin will also be available for purchase via the Tabys application. At the end of 2024, the National Bank of Kazakhstan issued commemorative collector coins, including S. Nurmagambetov. 100 JYL from the “Outstanding Events and People” series and Alexander the Great from the “Great Commanders” series. The first coin, honoring Kazakhstan’s first Minister of Defense and national hero Sagadat Nurmagambetov, is made of cupronickel (MN 25), weighs 15 grams, has a face value of 200 tenge, and was minted in a quantity of 5,000. The Alexander the Great coin is made of sterling silver, weighs 31.1 grams, has a face value of 1,000 tenge (approximately $2), and was issued in a limited run of 2,000 copies. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan began issuing coins with inscriptions in its new Latin-based alphabet in 2019.

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Kazakh MP Calls for Restrictions on Children’s Access to TikTok

Kazakh MP Murat Abenov has proposed limiting children's access to TikTok, citing concerns over its negative effects on young users’ mental health. He warned that the platform could contribute to depression, reduced concentration, and memory problems, urging parents to monitor their children’s screen time. Abenov referenced a case described by journalist Gulmira Abykay on her Facebook page, where a seven-year-old girl reportedly stopped recognizing her loved ones after excessive exposure to TikTok content. He emphasized that such concerns are backed by research, as TikTok’s algorithm is designed to maximize user engagement by presenting emotionally stimulating or even distressing videos. The MP pointed out that TikTok has already faced regulatory scrutiny in the United States, where efforts have been made to ban it, and in Europe, where restrictions on data collection from minors have been imposed. He argued that Kazakhstan should also consider introducing regulations for such platforms. “TikTok is structured in a way that delivers an emotional surge every 15 seconds, whether admiration, fear, anxiety, or sadness. Studies show that frequent TikTok users are more prone to depression, struggle with academic performance, and face challenges in processing large amounts of information and logical thinking,” Abenov stated. While many countries have imposed restrictions on TikTok, the platform remains widely accessible in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Mongolia. However, TikTok has recently taken steps to enhance child protection, expanding its Family Settings feature. This allows parents to set time limits for app use, including restrictions after 10p.m. and during school hours.

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Kazakhstan-EU Cooperation Focuses on Critical Raw Materials and Regional Connectivity

On March 13, European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela visited Kazakhstan and held negotiations with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu. As a result of the visit, the European Union and Kazakhstan have taken steps to strengthen their partnership, signing key agreements to support sustainable economic growth and foster regional connectivity, according to the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan. Investments in Transport and Renewable Energy During the visit, Commissioner Síkela and Kazakh officials oversaw the signing of a €200 million framework loan agreement between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Development Bank of Kazakhstan (DBK). This loan, backed by an €18 million EU guarantee, will finance investments in sustainable transport and renewable energy. The initiative aligns with the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, particularly its programs on the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and the Team Europe Initiative on Water, Energy, and Climate Change. Síkela underscored the EU’s commitment to strengthening economic ties with Kazakhstan through sustainable investments. “This financing agreement will boost connectivity, enhance renewable energy infrastructure, and further integrate Kazakhstan into the Trans-Caspian Corridor, a key component of the Global Gateway strategy,” he stated. Critical Raw Materials Cooperation The visit also marked the signing of a €3 million contract to enhance cooperation between the EU and Central Asia in the critical raw materials (CRM) sector. The agreement, implemented by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), will support the identification of joint projects and promote international best practices for sustainable and responsible supply chains. Síkela highlighted the importance of the agreement, stating: “The EU and Kazakhstan are natural partners. Europe needs reliable access to critical raw materials, which are essential for modernizing our economy. We are committed to advancing mutually beneficial cooperation with Kazakhstan on their extraction and development. This partnership will support all Central Asian countries, strengthen Kazakhstan’s industrial capacity, create new opportunities for Kazakh businesses, drive innovation, and generate high-quality jobs.” Kazakhstan-EU Trade and Investments Foreign Minister Nurtleu reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to expanding its partnership with the EU. “Astana and Brussels have built a strong political dialogue, established dynamic cooperation between executive bodies, and fostered productive cultural and humanitarian ties between our peoples,” he said. According to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, the EU is Kazakhstan’s primary trade and investment partner. In 2024, bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and the EU totaled $49.7 billion, with Kazakhstan’s exports reaching $38.6 billion and imports totaling $11.1 billion. From 2005 to October 2024, the total foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow from EU countries reached $200.7 billion, accounting for 47.8% of Kazakhstan’s total FDI inflows ($419.5 billion).

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Kazakhstan’s Karaganda Among World’s Most Polluted Cities as Central Asia Struggles with Air Quality

Kazakhstan’s Karaganda - the heartland of the nation's coal and metallurgical industries - was ranked as the world’s third most polluted city in 2024, according to the 2024 World Air Quality Report released by IQAir. The report evaluates global air quality for 2024, presenting PM2.5 air pollution data collected from 8,954 cities across 138 countries, regions, and territories. PM2.5, or fine particulate matter, is measured in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³) and is a key indicator of air pollution. Karaganda recorded an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 104.8 µg/m³ in 2024. In comparison, Byrnihat, India, the world's most polluted city, had an average PM2.5 concentration of 128.2 µg/m³. Central Asian Cities in the Global Ranking Among the world’s most polluted cities, Central Asia’s major cities ranked as follows: Dushanbe, Tajikistan - 176th, PM2.5: 46.3 µg/m³ Tashkent, Uzbekistan - 510th, PM2.5: 31.4 µg/m³ Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan - 1009th, PM2.5: 21.2 µg/m³ Almaty, Kazakhstan - 1072nd, PM2.5: 20.3 µg/m³ Astana, Kazakhstan - 1608th, PM2.5: 15.4 µg/m³ Kazakhstan’s Regional Air Quality Standing In the ranking of the world's most polluted countries, Kazakhstan had the best air quality in Central Asia, ranking 71st globally. Other regional rankings were: Tajikistan - 6th most polluted country Uzbekistan - 19th Turkmenistan - 26th Kyrgyzstan - 41st Global Air Pollution Trends According to the report, only 17% of global cities met the World Health Organization (WHO) air pollution guideline for PM2.5. The seven countries that met the WHO’s annual average PM2.5 guideline of 5 µg/m³ were: Australia Bahamas Barbados Estonia Grenada Iceland New Zealand The five most polluted countries in 2024 were: Chad – 91.8 µg/m³ (more than 18 times higher than the WHO guideline) Bangladesh – 78.0 µg/m³ (more than 15 times higher) Pakistan – 73.7 µg/m³ (more than 14 times higher) Democratic Republic of the Congo – 58.2 µg/m³ (more than 11 times higher) India – 50.6 µg/m³ (more than 10 times higher) A total of 126 out of 138 countries (91.3%) exceeded the WHO’s annual PM2.5 guideline of 5 µg/m³. Air Pollution’s Impact on Human Health The report underscores that air pollution remains the greatest environmental threat to human health. According to the WHO, 99% of the global population lives in areas that do not meet recommended air quality levels. Air pollution is the second leading global risk factor for death and the second leading cause of death among children under five, following malnutrition. The health effects of air pollution include respiratory diseases, developmental issues, and increased mortality. In 2021 alone, 8.1 million deaths were attributed to air pollution, with 58% of those deaths caused by ambient PM2.5 pollution.

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Kazakhstan’s Geoeconomic Rise and Why the U.S. Must Act Now – Opinion

The recent call between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu highlights an evolving but structurally inevitable dynamic: the growing convergence of interests between Washington and Astana. Kazakhstan has been explicit about its priorities — independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and balanced external relations. The U.S. has strategic imperatives that align directly with what Kazakhstan can offer, particularly in the domains of supply chain diversification, energy security, and critical minerals. The two countries now have the opportunity, reinforced by shifts in global economic and security networks, to establish a substantive and resilient bilateral relationship. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan has pursued an adaptive strategy of multi-vector diplomacy. This balancing mechanism is not merely a preference but rather an intrinsic requirement for preserving its sovereignty in a structurally asymmetric regional environment that is dictated by its geostrategic positioning. U.S. policymakers should recognize that Kazakhstan’s entanglements with Russia through security frameworks and its economic cooperation with China are not exclusionary choices. They are stabilizing counterweights that act to sustain Kazakhstan’s agency. The U.S. must embed itself within this framework. This means serving as a complementary pillar of economic and strategic equilibrium and not supplanting those existing ties. That means Washington’s approach has to pivot. For too long, U.S. engagement with Kazakhstan has been episodic and reactive, lacking internal logic and conditioned by external crises. Diplomatic rhetoric on democratic values and governance, while relevant, cannot substitute for material economic and strategic interdependence. For the U.S. to secure a meaningful place in Kazakhstan’s geopolitical architecture, it must offer tangible incentives through structured economic integration that reinforces Astana’s sovereignty. The two countries’ geoeconomic interests coincide most strongly in the issue areas of energy security, critical minerals, and telecommunications infrastructure. Vulnerabilities exposed by recent global shocks have forced the U.S. to recalibrate toward supply chain resilience. In this context, redundancy and diversification are no longer inefficiencies but have become security imperatives. Kazakhstan’s relevance to these concerns is a direct consequence of its resource endowments and logistical positioning. Energy security is the first pillar of stabilization. Kazakhstan, one of the world’s foremost uranium producers and a major oil and gas supplier, has continually expanded non-Russian export corridors westward to reduce its dependence on Russian transit routes. The U.S., having maintained a legacy of investment in Kazakhstan’s energy sector, should now move toward embedding its involvement within these diversified export pathways. This win-win solution would ensure that Kazakhstan’s resource flows are not beholden to Russian infrastructure bottlenecks. Critical minerals represent the second pillar. The U.S. legislative push under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the CHIPS Act mandates a diversification of supply chains for rare earth elements (REEs) and other critical materials. Kazakhstan’s reserves of REEs, copper, and other industrial inputs logically make it an important node in a decentralized, resilient industrial network. However, investment must not remain exclusively extractive in nature. The objective must be to integrate Kazakhstan into midstream processing and value-added production, again producing...

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Time Zone Turmoil: Kazakhstan’s Shift Sparks Backlash and Political Action

Kazakhstan is preparing to put an end to a year-long debate over its transition to a single time zone (UTC+5). However, opposition to the change has evolved beyond public discontent. Critics, including well-known public figures, are now considering the creation of a political party with the goal of overturning what they argue is one of the most unpopular government decisions in the country’s history. Even a year later, many citizens remain unconvinced of the benefits of the time zone shift, while the government continues to defend it with unwavering determination. Origins of the Controversy Discussions about adopting a single time zone in Kazakhstan have surfaced multiple times over the years. In 2021, the proposal failed to gain widespread approval. However, in the fall of 2023, a clutch of parliamentary deputies once again pushed for unifying the country’s time zones, citing public requests and scientific studies. Supporters of the transition argued that a single time zone would eliminate time barriers between regions, improve transport coordination and business operations, and enhance government and emergency service interactions. Advocates also referred to the Barcelona Declaration on Time Policy (adopted in October 2022), which suggests that maintaining permanent time zones aligned with solar time is beneficial for health, the economy, and safety. Additionally, they pointed out that 175 countries operate within a single time zone, whereas only 22 nations use multiple zones. Despite earlier resistance, the government proceeded with the change. At midnight on March 1, 2024, Kazakhstan moved its clocks one hour back, effectively adopting UTC+5, barring a few regions. Public Backlash and the Petition Movement The reaction was swift. On April 22, 2024, an online petition titled "Return the Time Back" appeared, addressed to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and key ministers, including those responsible for energy, health, and labor. The petition was also directed to the head of KazNII Oncology and Radiology, though the reason for this remains unclear. Petition organizers listed several negative effects of the time change: Increased darkness during morning and evening hours, impacting public safety and economic activity. Disruptions to biological rhythms leading to fatigue, reduced productivity, and poorer sleep quality. Economic losses, as changes in daylight hours affected certain industries. The petition quickly gathered over 50,000 signatures, compelling the government and parliament to formally consider the issue. On June 21, 2024, an initial public hearing took place, where opponents of the time zone shift voiced their concerns. However, after three rounds of discussions, no changes were made, and Kazakhstan remained in UTC+5. Renewed Opposition in Parliament Despite the government's firm stance, opposition to the change resurfaced in September 2024 when deputies returning from summer recess reported that the time zone issue was the most frequently raised concern among voters. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov reaffirmed that the decision was final but instructed the Ministry of Health to conduct a three-year study on the impact of UTC+5 on public health. This announcement only fueled opposition claims that the transition was an unwarranted experiment affecting 15 million citizens, the number of people...