Kazakhstan - The Times Of Central Asia

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Earthquakes

Central Asia Remains Highly Vulnerable to Major Earthquakes

Earthquakes accounted for more than half of all deaths linked to natural hazards worldwide between 2000 and 2023, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The agency warns that millions of people across its European Region still live or receive medical treatment in buildings that may not withstand a major seismic event. WHO has focused on hospitals because they must continue treating patients when injuries rise and local infrastructure is damaged. The agency estimates that earthquake-resistant standards add less than 4% to the cost of a new hospital, while retrofitting an existing facility typically costs about 1% of its value. Although WHO highlighted the danger facing Istanbul, the warning also applies to Central Asia. Nearly all of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan lie in areas of high seismic hazard, along with parts of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Recent tremors in Almaty have brought the issue back into public view. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, a magnitude-5.0 earthquake struck 74 kilometers northeast of the city on February 17, 2026. Residents left homes and offices, although no major damage was reported. Almaty introduced its Mass Alert system in May 2024 after an earlier earthquake caused panic across the city. Forty-four people sought medical treatment, most after being injured while leaving buildings. The system is connected to 28 seismic stations and sends warnings to mobile phones through cell towers. Up to 200 minor tremors are recorded each year within an 80-kilometer radius of Almaty. Approximately 30 tectonic faults run through the city and surrounding area. Experts estimate that an earthquake measuring 9-10 points in intensity could destroy as many as 30% of local buildings, given the density of high-rise construction in vulnerable foothill districts. A major earthquake could also interrupt hospital care without causing a building to collapse. Loss of electricity or water could halt surgery and emergency treatment, while blocked roads could prevent staff from reaching medical facilities. Kazakhstan resumed mandatory earthquake drills in Almaty after the strong tremors of 2024. Medical personnel have trained with rescue workers at emergency assembly points, and the military has practiced deploying mobile hospitals. The preparations reflect concern about the condition of older buildings and the rapid expansion of high-rise development. The densely populated Fergana Valley also poses a cross-border challenge because a single earthquake could affect communities in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Damage to roads or delays at border crossings could slow medical assistance when hospitals are under pressure. WHO recommends regular emergency exercises and medical teams that can continue operating when communications fail. Hospitals also need access to essential supplies if damaged transport routes delay deliveries. Central Asia's seismic history shows the possible scale of destruction. The 1911 Kemin earthquake, estimated at magnitude 8.2, destroyed hundreds of buildings in Verny, now Almaty. A magnitude-7.3 earthquake devastated Ashgabat in 1948, and the 1966 Tashkent earthquake left more than 300,000 people homeless. Those disasters occurred before much of the region's current urban growth. Dense construction has increased the number of people exposed to seismic...

Election Funding

Kazakhstan Allocates $73 Million for August Kurultai Elections

Kazakhstan has allocated 34.3 billion KZT, approximately $73 million, from the government’s reserve fund to finance elections for the country’s newly established Kurultai, the unicameral parliament created under the country’s new Constitution, according to Central Election Commission (CEC) member Mikhail Bortnik. Kazakhstan’s new Constitution entered into force on July 1, replacing the previous bicameral parliament with the Kurultai. Elections for the new legislature are scheduled for August 23. A total of 145 deputies will be elected from party lists. Under the new electoral rules, at least 30% of candidates nominated by each political party must come from three combined categories: women, young people, and persons with disabilities. Speaking on July 14, Bortnik said the election budget would be financed from the government’s reserve because the 2026 state budget had been approved before the constitutional reform and therefore did not include funding for the parliamentary elections. “The budget for the upcoming elections has been prepared based on the needs identified by territorial election commissions and in accordance with electoral legislation, including all expenditures necessary to ensure the legality, transparency, and proper organization of the electoral process,” Bortnik said. The largest share of the funding will cover the work of Kazakhstan’s election administration. More than 70,000 election officials will operate 10,674 polling stations nationwide. Around 8.5 billion KZT, or more than $18 million, roughly 25% of the total budget, has been allocated for organizational expenses, including travel, transport, technical support, ballot printing, equipment, and the establishment of 47 new polling stations. The funding will also cover the preparation of voter information materials, methodological guidance for election officials, public information campaigns, and the operational costs of the Central Election Commission. The CEC is expected to complete the registration of party candidate lists by 6:00 p.m. on July 23. So far, seven political parties have submitted their candidate lists. According to CEC Secretary Shavkat Utemisov, the Adilet Party submitted the largest list, with 186 candidates, while the Nationwide Social Democratic Party submitted the smallest, with 33 candidates. The remaining parties submitted lists ranging from 63 candidates for the Ak Zhol Democratic Party of Kazakhstan to 76 for the Respublica Party. The candidate lists are currently being reviewed by the relevant government agencies to verify that all nominees meet the legal requirements for election. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Court recently ruled that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev remains eligible to seek another presidential term under the country’s 2026 Constitution.

Cardiac Surgery

Kazakhstan Joins World’s Top 30 Countries in Cardiac Surgery Development

Kazakhstan has entered the world’s top 30 countries for cardiac surgery, according to the Ministry of Health, citing the country’s growing use of advanced cardiovascular procedures, including heart transplantation and other high-tech surgical interventions. In 2025, Kazakhstan performed 13,106 open-heart surgeries, a 7.2% increase from the previous year. Coronary artery bypass grafting accounted for the largest share of procedures, at 46.1%. It is the standard surgical treatment for severe coronary artery disease and restores blood flow to the heart by bypassing blocked or narrowed arteries. Operations for acquired and congenital heart defects together accounted for 35.8% of all open-heart procedures. “Kazakhstan continues to expand high-tech cardiology and cardiac surgery services, allowing the country to join the world’s 30 leading nations in this field,” the Ministry of Health said. In addition to conventional cardiac surgery, hospitals in Kazakhstan increasingly perform endovascular procedures. These minimally invasive interventions are carried out through small vascular punctures using catheters and other specialized instruments guided by X-ray or ultrasound imaging. According to the ministry, the country’s cardiology centers now provide more than 80 types of high-tech cardiovascular procedures. One of the country’s most notable achievements came in 2025, when surgeons completed Kazakhstan’s 100th heart transplant, highlighting the growing capabilities of the national transplant program and the increasing expertise of domestic specialists. The ministry also reported steady improvements in cardiovascular health indicators. Over the past five years, the incidence of cardiovascular diseases has declined by 15%, while mortality from circulatory system diseases has fallen by 35.1%. The positive trend continued during the first five months of 2026. Cases of circulatory system diseases declined by 6.6%, arterial hypertension by 9.7%, and coronary heart disease by 10.1%. The number of acute myocardial infarctions decreased by 5.7%, while strokes fell by 6.1%. According to the Ministry of Health, these improvements have been driven by the expansion of specialized stroke and cardiac centers, wider availability of high-tech medical care, implementation of modern clinical protocols, improvements in emergency medical services, broader preventive screening programs, and increased access to medicines for patients with cardiovascular diseases. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan has become an increasingly attractive destination for medical tourism, driven by the competitive cost and quality of its healthcare services. In 2025, the country treated approximately 80,000 foreign patients, 4.5 times the 2021 figure. Earlier this year, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also argued that Kazakhstan has developed several healthcare advantages that compare favorably with those available in some advanced Western countries.

Kashagan

Kashagan Operator Faces July 20 Deadline to Pay $4.9 Billion Environmental Fine

Kazakhstan says it will begin compulsory collection proceedings against the North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC), operator of the giant Kashagan oil field, if it does not pay a 2.3 trillion tenge ($4.9 billion) environmental fine by July 20. The deadline follows a domestic court ruling that has entered into legal force, even as the project’s foreign shareholders pursue international arbitration over the penalty. Deputy Minister of Justice Daniyel Vaisov announced the deadline on July 14. “Foreign companies currently have an obligation to pay 2.3 trillion tenge. If they fail to pay the fine by July 20, the Republic of Kazakhstan will proceed in accordance with the law, including enforcement proceedings and compulsory collection measures,” Vaisov said. However, in a statement to The Times of Central Asia, NCOC said a tribunal in parallel UNCITRAL arbitration proceedings had issued a restraining order prohibiting Kazakhstan from taking any measures to enforce the fine while the arbitration is pending. The company said the UNCITRAL proceedings had been initiated by Kazakhstan itself. NCOC and the contracting companies said they reject both the fine and the allegations underlying it and are contesting them through the UNCITRAL proceedings as well as the ICSID arbitration. They called on Kazakhstan to comply with the restraining order. The dispute stems from a 2022 inspection of Kashagan’s onshore processing facilities in the Atyrau Region. Environmental authorities said the operator had exceeded its permitted sulfur-storage limits, and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources imposed the 2.3 trillion-tenge penalty in 2023. NCOC said it had obtained and maintained all required permits and had always conducted its sulfur management in full compliance with the law. The case has passed through several rounds of domestic litigation. On August 1, 2025, the Administrative Chamber of Astana City Court annulled the original penalty order because of procedural violations, without ruling on the substance of the environmental allegations. The ministry subsequently corrected the procedural defects and reissued the penalty later that month. An Astana court left the reissued fine in force on April 8, 2026. Vaisov said on July 14 that the ruling had entered into legal force. NCOC brings together Kazakhstan’s state-owned KazMunayGas and six foreign partners: Shell, TotalEnergies, Eni, ExxonMobil, CNPC, and Inpex. NCOC and the project’s six foreign shareholders have initiated treaty arbitration through the Washington-based International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), arguing that Kazakhstan’s conduct breaches protections owed to investors. Vaisov said the parties were finalizing the composition of the ICSID tribunal, which is expected to be completed by the end of July. “We believe the Republic’s actions regarding the alleged sulfur-storage permit violations are inconsistent with its obligations under international investment treaties, including its obligation to provide fair and equitable treatment to investors,” NCOC said. The Kazakh authorities maintain that the sulfur was stored in breach of environmental rules. The mechanics of compulsory collection may prove difficult. Nurlan Zhumagulov, executive director of the Energy Monitor Foundation, said that NCOC acts as the project’s operator while each shareholder markets its own...

Middle Corridor

Daines’s Tour Signals an Emerging U.S. Caspian Corridor Strategy

Senator Steve Daines’s July 7–9 visit to Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan brought three bilateral relationships into a single, compressed Caspian itinerary. In Baku, he met President Ilham Aliyev and senior economic and foreign-policy officials; in Astana, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and representatives of government and business; and in Ashgabat, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. Although official accounts treated each stop separately, the sequence suggests a regional pattern whose significance exceeds any single announcement. Daines had already supplied the clearest public articulation of the governing logic in his June 11 speech to the Caspian Policy Center’s Trans-Caspian Forum. There he joined Central Asia and the South Caucasus in a discussion about westward connectivity, investment, and supply-chain diversification. Daines identified critical minerals, energy, telecommunications, and physical and digital infrastructure as fields for public and private investment, while calling for TRIPP, a Caspian gas interconnector, and a continuous route from Central Asia to Western markets that avoids Russia and Iran. Together, these sectors give the proposed route both commercial and strategic content, though not the form of a single named program. Read against the June speech, Daines’s itinerary marks an emerging corridor-centered effort aligned with the Trump administration’s broader Caspian engagement, even without a formal declaration of purpose. Azerbaijan Anchors the Corridor’s Western Connections Baku gives the corridor logic its strongest institutional and bilateral footing. Aliyev and Daines discussed Azerbaijan’s geopolitical role, regional peace, and TRIPP’s importance for transport connectivity. Separate meetings with Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov extended the agenda to economic cooperation. With SOCAR President Rovshan Najaf, Jabbarov and Daines took up the Middle Corridor, energy, transport, digital development, and critical-mineral extraction and processing. Across the meetings, political, commercial, and technical portfolios converged around Azerbaijan’s place at the corridor’s western Caspian egress. The U.S.–Azerbaijan Strategic Partnership Charter, signed in February, places the Middle Corridor alongside energy, trade, transit, digital connectivity, and critical-mineral movement. It identifies Azerbaijan as an energy, transport, trade, and logistics hub for the Caspian region. Working groups regularize cooperation on trade, energy, connectivity, digital development, and security. The charter also calls for project lists and implementation roadmaps within three months of signing and for meetings at least once a year. In June, the first Azerbaijan-U.S. Economic Dialogue began translating that direction into an operational agenda. Government, financial institutions, and private-sector participants met on regional connectivity and transit, energy security, investment, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure. The agenda connected the Middle Corridor and TRIPP with logistics, the Southern Gas Corridor, critical mineral supply chains, transport and energy investment, and the Alat Free Economic Zone. Closing documents covered digital infrastructure, technology transfer, and industrial solutions. The workstreams are clear, but the consolidated project portfolio and its financing have yet to take public form. Azerbaijan’s role also rests on physical infrastructure already in use. The established Middle Corridor crosses Kazakhstan and the Caspian before passing through Azerbaijan and Georgia, then onward toward Türkiye or Europe via the Black Sea. At Alat, 70 kilometers...

Druzhba Pipeline

South American Crude Reaches German Refinery via Poland After Russia Halts Oil Transit from Kazakhstan

South American crude oil has been delivered to Germany’s PCK refinery in Schwedt via Poland, providing an alternative supply route after Russia halted the transit of crude from Kazakhstan through the Druzhba pipeline earlier this year. Poland’s UNIMOT Group said its subsidiary, UNIMOT Paliwa, imported the seaborne cargo through the Baltic port of Gdańsk before transporting it to the Schwedt refinery using Poland’s PERN pipeline network. The shipment comes after Russia suspended the transit of crude from Kazakhstan to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline on May 1. The route had become increasingly important after Germany stopped importing Russian oil following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s pipeline operator, Transneft, cited technical constraints as the reason for the suspension. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak later told reporters that Germany’s rejection of Russian crude suggested the country no longer required those supplies. Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry subsequently confirmed that exports to Germany through Druzhba had stopped on May 1. Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said Kazakhstan shipped no crude to the PCK refinery in May through the Atyrau-Samara-Druzhba route. He said unofficial information from the Russian side linked the suspension to a lack of technical capacity, likely caused by recent attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. Kazakhstan began supplying crude to the Schwedt refinery through Druzhba in 2023 as Germany sought to replace Russian oil. Exports rose steadily, reaching 1.5 million tons in 2024 and 2.146 million tons in 2025, up 44% year on year. Shipments totaled 730,000 tons in the first quarter of 2026. Annual exports had been expected to rise to about 2.5 million tons, enough to meet roughly 30% of the refinery’s crude requirements. Reuters reported in April, citing three industry sources, that Russia planned to halt oil exports from Kazakhstan to Germany on May 1. The news agency said a complete suspension would remove about 17% of the crude processed annually by the PCK refinery, one of Germany’s largest. The loss would add uncertainty to the country’s fuel supply amid disruption in global energy markets. The PCK refinery supplies approximately 90% of the gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and heating oil consumed in Berlin and the neighboring state of Brandenburg. It also exports around 2 million tons of refined fuels annually to western Poland. German broadcaster RBB reported that the latest shipment arrived by tanker through the port of Gdańsk. According to the refinery’s works council, the crude is believed to have come from Guyana. Rosneft Deutschland, the refinery’s majority shareholder, has been under German government trusteeship since 2022. A company spokesperson confirmed the delivery, saying it would help maintain refinery operations at around 80% of capacity. UNIMOT Vice President Robert Brzozowski said the shipment represented more than a commercial transaction because Poland’s maritime and pipeline infrastructure supports fuel security on both sides of the German-Polish border. The delivery reflects Europe’s efforts to diversify crude supply routes after the disruption of crude transit from Kazakhstan through Russia. Germany is seeking alternative supplies for the PCK refinery. Kazakhstan has said the suspension will...