Kazakhstan International Affairs - The Times Of Central Asia

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Organization of Turkic States

Turkic States to Focus on Artificial Intelligence at Kazakhstan Summit

Kazakhstan will host an informal summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in the city of Turkistan on May 15, where participating leaders are expected to focus on artificial intelligence, digitalization, and expanding economic cooperation. Held under the theme “Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development,” the summit is expected to become one of the largest regional gatherings of Turkic states in 2026. Heads of state and government from member and observer countries, along with the OTS secretary-general, are expected to attend. According to the organization, participants will discuss the use of AI and digital innovation to stimulate economic growth, modernize public services, and improve regional connectivity. The agenda also includes joint initiatives involving Turkic digital platforms. Ahead of the summit, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey will make a state visit to Astana at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The leaders of Kazakhstan and Turkey are scheduled to hold the sixth meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council and discuss the development of bilateral relations. In recent years, the OTS has gradually expanded cooperation beyond its traditional political and cultural agenda to include transport corridors, energy, and the digital economy. The summit in Turkistan is expected to represent an effort to shape a common regional agenda in the field of artificial intelligence. The OTS said holding the meeting in Turkistan, described by the organization as the “spiritual capital of the Turkic world”, symbolizes an attempt to combine shared historical heritage with technological modernization across the region. The organization’s members include Kazakhstan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Observer status is held by Turkmenistan, Hungary, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The economic dimension of the summit also remains central. According to Turkish sources, annual trade turnover between Turkey and OTS member states has approached $17 billion. Turkish exports to Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan increased from $6.2 billion in 2021 to $10 billion in 2024. During the same period, imports rose from $4.2 billion to $6.5 billion. In 2025, Turkish exports to OTS countries totaled $9.6 billion, while imports reached $7.3 billion. Kazakhstan remains Turkey’s largest export destination among OTS member states, with Turkish exports to the country reaching $3.2 billion. During the first three months of 2026 alone, Turkish exports to Kazakhstan amounted to approximately $700 million. A Turkish-Kazakh business forum is also expected to take place during Erdoğan’s visit to Astana, with participation from business representatives from both countries and Turkey's Trade Minister Ömer Bolat. The forum is expected to focus on expanding trade and investment ties. As preparations for the summit intensify, Kazakhstan has increased security measures. Additional police forces from neighboring regions have reportedly been deployed to Turkistan, while military aviation training flights began in Astana on May 10 ahead of an aerial demonstration scheduled for May 15. Kazakhstan’s Defense Ministry said the flights would be conducted at safe altitudes and should not significantly affect daily life in the capital.

UNFPA

UNFPA to Open Regional Demographic Resilience Hub in Almaty

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will open a Central Asian hub on demographic resilience in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry said. The decision was confirmed during a meeting between Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kosherbayev and UN Under-Secretary-General and UNFPA Executive Director Diene Keita. The new hub will function as a regional center for collecting, analyzing, and studying demographic trends across Central Asia. UNFPA representatives said the decision to locate the hub in Almaty reflects the organization’s positive assessment of Kazakhstan’s reforms in gender equality, women’s rights protection, and social policy development. Keita said Kazakhstan has made significant progress in healthcare, youth and family policy, and reducing maternal and infant mortality rates. UNFPA is the UN agency specializing in reproductive health and demographic development. The organization supports countries in implementing programs related to healthcare, gender equality, and social resilience. Kosherbayev said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev places particular importance on cooperation with the UN and supports initiatives aimed at reforming international institutions. “The minister positively assessed cooperation between the Kazakh government and UNFPA in improving maternal and infant mortality indicators, developing youth health centers, and conducting demographic research,” the Foreign Ministry said. According to Kosherbayev, healthcare, youth policy, and gender equality should become key areas of regional cooperation with UNFPA. He also proposed making greater use of the UN Regional Center for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty to expand the agency’s presence in the region. Following the talks, the two sides agreed to continue cooperation on regional and global agenda issues. During her visit, Keita also met with Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and reaffirmed UNFPA’s readiness to continue supporting Kazakhstan’s strategic initiatives. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan has made significant progress in reducing maternal and infant mortality, while Astana has also been actively sharing its experience in maternal and child healthcare with other countries in the region.

Oil Price

Kazakhstan Sees No Major Risks From UAE Exit From OPEC+

Kazakhstan does not expect major economic turbulence following the United Arab Emirates’ withdrawal from OPEC and the OPEC+ agreement, despite the country’s continued dependence on global oil prices, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin said. The UAE announced that it would leave OPEC on May 1, citing disagreements over existing production quotas. Abu Dhabi plans to increase oil output amid concerns over possible supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz and the risk of shortages on the global market. The departure of one of the world’s largest oil producers has fueled concerns about a potential drop in crude prices and the possibility of a price war among exporters. However, Zhumangarin said international analysts remain cautious in assessing the broader implications of the move. “Some are saying this marks the end of the OPEC era. In reality, international expert assessments and forecasts remain very cautious regarding whether this could lead to a price war and whether such a scenario is even possible,” he told reporters. According to the minister, even if the UAE raises production from the current 3.5 million barrels per day to 5 million barrels per day, the global market would continue to balance itself through other major producers and alternative suppliers. Commenting on the possible impact of lower oil prices on Kazakhstan’s economy, Zhumangarin noted that the government traditionally prepares several macroeconomic development scenarios. “This year, the pessimistic forecast was based on an oil price of $50 per barrel,” he said. The minister also pointed out that oil prices had exceeded $100 per barrel several times this year amid tensions in the Middle East. According to Zhumangarin, Astana retains the ability to adjust budget spending if conditions on the oil market deteriorate. On the eve of the US-Israeli war on Iran in late February, the industry benchmark Brent crude was trading at approximately $70 to $73 per barrel; as of May 11, it had risen to slightly below $104 per barrel. In April, OPEC+ countries increased oil production by 206,000 barrels per day, including a rise in Kazakhstan’s quota from 1.569 million to 1.599 million barrels per day by June. Kazakhstan’s authorities would like to see further growth in national oil production, however, a lack of viable export routes aside from Russia, as well as the fallout from Ukrainian attacks on the Russian port of Novorossiysk in November last year, have limited Kazakhstan's ability to fully exploit the recent rise in prices.

Strategic Partnership

Britain Expands Central Asia Ties as Kazakhstan Ratifies Strategic Partnership Deal

Last week, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law ratifying a strategic partnership and cooperation agreement with the United Kingdom. With that move, Central Asia’s largest economy added Britain to its growing list of strategic partners, reinforcing Astana’s long-standing multi-vector foreign policy. For London, meanwhile, the agreement marked another milestone in what some analysts have framed as a renewed contest for influence in Central Asia, an area where Britain has sought to strengthen its position over the past five years. Kazakhstan already counts Russia, China, the United States, several European Union states including Italy, Germany, France, and the Netherlands, as well as Turkey, Azerbaijan and its Central Asian neighbors among its strategic partners. Britain has now joined that group as it seeks to revive its historical influence in the region. That broader contest is often described through the language of a “New Great Game,” a phrase that draws on an older imperial rivalry. The term “Great Game” emerged in the 19th century to describe the geopolitical rivalry between the British and Russian Empires across Central and South Asia. The phrase was popularized by British officer, spy, and diplomat Arthur Conolly, who compared the complex web of political intrigues to a vast strategic board game stretching across half a continent. Since 2022, observers say London has intensified its engagement in this geopolitical competition, aimed partly at limiting Russian and Chinese dominance in Central Asia. At stake are key sectors such as critical minerals, including rare earths, as well as logistics corridors, particularly the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor. In December 2023, the UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee published a report titled Countries at the Crossroads: UK Engagement in Central Asia. The report criticized what it described as ineffective engagement by British ministers with the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. One of the report’s central recommendations was that London should more actively counter Russian influence in the region. In recent years, British embassies across Central Asia have established offices linked to the UK’s international development structures, expanding engagement with local civil society groups. Through the British Council, London has also expanded its soft power initiatives, financing programs such as Creative Central Asia and Creative Spark. More than 60 universities have joined these programs, with participation exceeding 65,000 people. Britain also continues to operate the Chevening scholarship program, under which young political and public sector figures from Central Asia study in the UK before often returning to influential positions in their home countries. For Kazakhstan’s ambitious younger generation, Britain’s appeal may also be reinforced by symbolic success stories. On May 8, the same day Tokayev signed the strategic partnership into law, Kazakhstan-born Sanjar Abishev was elected to Westminster City Council, representing London’s prestigious St James’s district. Abishev’s election drew attention in Kazakhstan as a symbolic example of the country’s growing diaspora presence in Britain. Little is publicly known about Abishev, though one detail stands out: he entered politics only in 2022 after previously running a...

Trade

Tokayev Expects Kazakhstan-Russia Trade to Exceed $30 Billion

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Russia could surpass $30 billion in 2026, following a slight decline last year. Speaking during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Tokayev said Russia remains one of the largest investors in Kazakhstan. “Over the past five years, Russia has been one of the main investors in the Kazakh economy. Trade is developing successfully. According to forecasts, this year we will confidently surpass the $30 billion mark, this is a good indicator,” Tokayev said. Trade turnover between the two countries increased by 3% in 2024 to reach $27.8 billion, but declined to $27.4 billion in 2025, Kazakhstan’s Trade Minister Arman Shakkaliyev previously reported. Kazakhstan's trade turnover with Russia has long been eclipsed by that with China and the European Union – both of which have reached around $50 billion per year. Tokayev was in Moscow on a working visit ahead of Victory Day commemorations – a visit which had appeared in doubt following the threat of Ukrainian strikes on Moscow. During the talks, the two sides discussed bilateral economic cooperation, preparations for Putin’s upcoming state visit to Kazakhstan, and the Eurasian Economic Union summit scheduled to take place in Astana on May 28-29. According to Tokayev, Kazakhstan and Russia have implemented 122 joint industrial cooperation projects out of 177 planned over the past 20 years. Tokayev also congratulated the Russian leader on the anniversary of victory in World War II. “We honor the heroes of the bloodiest war in human history,” he said, noting that 57 World War II veterans remain alive in Kazakhstan. Putin, in turn, thanked Tokayev for the visit and praised his contribution to bilateral relations. “The fact that you found it possible to come to Moscow and be with us these days is the best proof of the level of relations between Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation,” the Russian president said. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that Russia had tightened foreign trade procedures at the beginning of the year, a move that could affect logistics and trade flows across Central Asia.

Hantavirus

Kazakhstan Assesses Risk of Hantavirus Spread After Cruise Ship Outbreak

Kazakhstan’s public health authorities say the risk of imported hantavirus infections remains due to international travel but insist the country’s epidemiological surveillance system is prepared to detect and respond to potential cases. The statement followed an outbreak of hantavirus aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, which was traveling from Argentina to Cape Verde. According to media reports, three people died and eight confirmed infections were recorded among the ship’s 150 passengers. Kazakhstan’s National Center for Public Health said the Andes orthohantavirus (ANDV) strain responsible for the outbreak is not circulating in Kazakhstan. “Hantavirus infections remain under constant epidemiological control. Kazakhstan has a functioning sanitary and epidemiological surveillance system, infectious threats are continuously monitored, and laboratory facilities and specialists are prepared to diagnose and respond to possible imported cases,” the center said in a statement. Officials added that the current situation remains under control and there are no grounds for public concern at this stage. Health authorities advised citizens to consider the epidemiological situation when traveling abroad, including by consulting the Saqbol health risk map. Residents were also urged to avoid contact with wild rodents, refrain from touching dead animals without protective equipment, ventilate enclosed spaces, and follow basic hygiene rules. The center noted that hantaviruses belong to a group of zoonotic infections carried primarily by rodents. Infection usually occurs through inhalation of air contaminated with particles from the urine, saliva, or droppings of infected animals. Special attention is being paid to the Andes orthohantavirus strain, which differs from most other hantaviruses in its ability to spread from person to person through close and prolonged contact. “This feature makes it epidemiologically significant,” the center said. The incubation period can range from one week to more than a month. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, and shortness of breath. In severe cases, the virus can rapidly damage the lungs, leading to respiratory failure and shock. According to health officials, the fatality rate for Andes virus infections can reach 30–40%. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that Kazakhstan declined to introduce quarantine restrictions in response to detected cases of metapneumovirus.