Kazakhstan International Affairs - The Times Of Central Asia

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Responsible AI Rankings: Uzbekistan Leads in Central Asia

The Global Center on AI Governance has published a report titled “Results of the Global Index on Responsible AI in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.” Among Central Asian countries, Uzbekistan has been judged to use artificial intelligence in the most responsible way. Recent AI initiatives in Uzbekistan cover fields including cultural and linguistic diversity, international cooperation, public sector skills development, and transparency. Kazakhstan ranks second in the region. Among Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan ranks first for the number of government initiatives related to responsible AI. Kyrgyzstan ranks third in the region, demonstrating significant non-governmental sector participation in responsible AI. However, the need for a comprehensive government system affects its overall outcome. The report states that the country has received a high rating for responsible AI governance, second only to Uzbekistan in the region. However, due to the scarcity of government frameworks, which, along with government initiatives, had the most weight in the index score, Kyrgyzstan scored lower in the Responsible AI Index. Tajikistan is the only Central Asian country with an AI national strategy aimed at development until 2040. It ranks fourth in the region. However, this strategy covers only 5 out of 19 thematic directions. Tajikistan's scores are relatively high regarding responsible AI governance; however, the country has the most passive non-state sector among the pillars assessed. Turkmenistan has the lowest indicator in the region. Government structures related to the responsible use of artificial intelligence have not been identified in the country.

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Central Asia International Affairs Kazakhstan International Affairs Kazakhstan Business & Economy Kazakhstan Business & Economy

China the Largest Market for Kazakhstan’s Agricultural Products

The Kazakh minister for agriculture, Aidarbek Saparov, has named China the largest market for Kazakhstani agricultural products. Kazakhstan mainly exports grain and oilseeds to China, and imports Chinese vegetables and nuts. In 2023 Kazakhstan’s agricultural exports to China doubled and reached $1 billion. In the first five months of this year, bilateral agricultural trade increased by 14%. It reached $540 million, including Kazakhstan’s exports at $380 million. Kazakhstan has signed protocols with China on the export of 27 types of agricultural products to the Chinese market, including 18 types of crop products and nine types of livestock products. Currently, nine Kazakh companies export livestock products, and 728 companies export crop products. They are waiting to be included in China’s importers register. Kazakhstan's agriculture ministry has signed a protocol with China's customs service to harmonise veterinary requirements for the export of various types of animals and livestock products, including cattle skins, dry mare's milk, frozen poultry products, horse meat, offal obtained from slaughtering animals, meat products that have undergone high heat treatment, as well as chilled beef and lamb. Saparov noted that Kazakhstan is among the world’s top 25 food exporters, exporting Kazakh agricultural products to 80 countries. Over the past five years its agricultural exports have doubled, reaching $5.4 billion. “We intend to continue increasing these figures. In the context of a growing food deficit [in the world], our country seeks to double agricultural exports by 2029,” he said, adding that Kazakhstan is changing the structure of agricultural exports, giving preference to deeply processed products, the exports of which have doubled over the past five years, reaching $2.3 billion.

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Education Central Asia Kazakhstan International Affairs Kazakhstan

Cardiff University to Open Branch in Astana

A branch of Cardiff University will open in Astana next year. Cardiff University, in Wales, founded in 1883. It is one of the leading research universities in the UK, and is part of the prestigious Russell Group. Kazakhstan's ministry of science and higher education has reported that 14 branches of global universities have been opened in the country since 2021. Preparatory work is underway on eight other educational projects.

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Central Asia International Affairs Business & Economy Kazakhstan Kazakhstan International Affairs Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Turkish Company to Build Vegetable Storage Facility in Kazakhstan

On July 24, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Ermek Kenzhekhanuly met managers of the Turkish company Saraylim Tarim to discuss plans for a new vegetable storage facility. A leader in Turkey’s fruit and vegetable storage industry, the company plans to build a 5,000-ton vegetable storage facility in Kazakhstan costing around $15 million. In addition, Saraylim Tarim plans to invest a further $15 million in establishing a vinegar and canned vegetable production facility in the country's Almaty region. According to the Turkish company, the project would be implemented in cooperation with a Kazakh partner and Deputy Minister Kenzhekhanuly has promised maximum assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture.

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Central Asia Environment Kazakhstan Environment International Affairs Kazakhstan Kazakhstan International Affairs Business & Economy Kazakhstan Business & Economy Features Kazakhstan Featurees

China to Help Kazakhstan Plant Artificial Forests on the Aral Sea

On July 23, Kazakhstan’s minister of ecology and natural resources Erlan Nysanbayev met scientists from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to discuss the creation of artificial forest plantations on the dried base of the Aral Sea. Following a proposal to establish a joint Kazakh-Chinese center to resolve environmental issues on the Aral Sea, the Chinese scientists will visit the Kyzylorda region to closely examine work being undertaken on the dried sea base. Spanning across Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the Aral Sea was once the fourth largest inland body of water in the world, covering 68,000 km². The destruction of the Aral Sea first dates back as far as the U.S. Civil War, when, finding his supply of American cotton under threat, the Russian tsar decided to use the sea’s tributaries to irrigate Central Asia and create his own cotton bowl. With 1.8 million liters of water needed for every bale of cotton, the water soon began to run out. By 2007, the Aral had shrunk to one-tenth its original size. Up until the late-1990s, the land surrounding the Aral Sea was still cotton fields; today, it’s largely an expanse of salinized grey emptiness. The desiccation of the landscape has led to vast toxic dust-storms that ravage around 1.5 million square kilometers. Spreading nitrates and carcinogens, these storms – visible from space – used to occur once every five years, but now strike ten times a year. According to reports, Kazakhstan intends to plant saxaul shrubs on 1.1 million hectares of dried-up sections of the Aral Sea by 2025. Through joint efforts of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and the region's administration, 544,500 hectares of saxaul have been sown over the past three years, with a further 275,000 hectares to be planted on the former seabed this year. Wind-borne salt and dust cause significant damage to areas adjacent to the Aral Sea and their inhabitants. Every year, over 100 million tons of salt, dust, and sand are blown from the bottom of the former Aral Sea and mixed into the air.

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Education Central Asia Life & Culture International Affairs Kazakhstan Life & Culture Business & Economy Kazakhstan Kazakhstan International Affairs Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Kazakhstan Welcomes Prospect of French Cuisine in Almaty

The Almaty City Tourism Department has reported that the famous French culinary school, Ecole Lenôtre, is considering establishing joint programs with the city's universities and restaurants. During his visit to Almaty, Jean Pierre Alba, Development Director of Ecole Lenôtre, familiarized himself with educational institutions and restaurants with a view to setting up partnerships and introducing training in French cuisine to Kazakhstan's educational curriculum. “Almaty is a unique city in its geographical location and the diversity of its cuisine. I have noticed that local pastry chefs are inspired by culinary experience and international cooking while honouring and preserving national gastronomic traditions. This combination can help launch joint educational programs and business collaborations. We are eager to share our knowledge with the city's restaurant professionals and learn the secrets of national cooking,” announced Jean Pierre Alba. Established in Paris in 1971, Ecole Lenôtre is a professional training school for chefs and pastry chefs. Its founder, chef, and pastry chef, Gaston Lenôtre, is renowned worldwide as an outstanding innovator in the culinary field. Every year, over 3,000 pastry chefs are trained at the French culinary school, and many of its graduates are Michelin-starred. Looking to the future, the Almaty Tourism Department commented, “Gastronomic tourism in Almaty is rapidly gaining popularity due to its rich cultural heritage and variety of culinary delights. The visit to Ecole Lenôtre is a significant event for our city."

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