Kazakhstan - 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.

Exports

Kazakhstan Aims to Increase Non-Commodity Exports by More Than a Quarter by 2030

Kazakhstan plans to increase non-commodity exports to $52 billion by 2030, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said during a plenary session of the Berne Union, the world’s largest international association of export credit and investment insurers. The forum, held in Central Asia for the first time, brought together representatives of international financial institutions, export credit agencies, and investors. According to Bektenov, the export target is outlined in Kazakhstan’s Trade Policy Concept. By the end of 2025, the country’s non-commodity exports totaled approximately $41 billion. The prime minister said Kazakhstan continues to expand its network of free trade agreements within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). In addition to existing agreements with Vietnam and Serbia, new arrangements with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mongolia, and Indonesia have been concluded over the past two years. Authorities are also placing particular emphasis on the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which Kazakhstan views as one of the key trade corridors connecting Asia and Europe. “Our head of state consistently places special emphasis on improving the business climate. Today, Kazakhstan, as the largest economy in the Central Asian region, continues the structural transformation of its national economy,” Bektenov said. According to him, foreign direct investment into Kazakhstan increased by 14.4% to reach $20.5 billion, while investment in fixed capital rose by 13% to a record $43.5 billion. Kazakhstan’s foreign trade turnover reached $144 billion in 2025. “Today, our goods are exported to 127 countries around the world, and the list of active export product categories has approached 4,000 items,” the prime minister said. Bektenov stressed that the development of international trade, transport and logistics infrastructure, and export capacity is directly linked to improving the country’s investment attractiveness. He invited forum participants to expand cooperation with Kazakhstan in trade, investment, and infrastructure projects. Berne Union President Yuichiro Akita said Kazakhstan continues to serve as a key link in global trade routes dating back to the era of the Silk Road. “Today, the global community once again finds itself at a historical crossroads. A fundamentally different architecture of interaction is emerging, where export credit agencies are moving toward a more strategic and selective approach,” Akita said. According to him, discussions in Astana should help develop new mechanisms for international cooperation amid changes in the global economy. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that Kazakhstan also aims to increase exports of IT services to $5 billion by 2030. The government also plans to produce five or six Earth observation satellites in the coming years, some of which are intended for export.

Demographics

Kazakhstan’s Demographic Shift Puts Labor Market Under Strain

Kazakhstan’s population surpassed 20.5 million in the spring of 2026, but the country’s rapid demographic growth is increasingly being accompanied by structural economic imbalances. Kazakhstan is simultaneously facing the effects of declining birth rates, population aging, and a widening gap between the education system and labor market needs. Economists warn that the country is entering a phase in which the large generation born during the baby boom of the 2000s is placing growing pressure on the labor market, even as the share of the working-age population gradually declines. According to Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics, the number of births peaked in 2021, when 446,500 children were born. By 2025, this figure had fallen to 335,000, the lowest level in the past five years. The total fertility rate also declined to 2.57 children per woman, marking the lowest level since 2009. The decline in births has occurred despite a growing number of women of reproductive age. By early 2026, their number had reached a record 4.79 million. Analysts note that the drop in the overall birth rate to 16.43 births per 1,000 people, the lowest level in more than two decades, points to changing household behavioral patterns. In Kazakhstan’s largest cities, including Almaty and Astana, families are increasingly postponing childbirth because of high housing costs and rising debt burdens. The average age of motherhood has approached 30 years, reaching 29.9. High inflation is adding further pressure on households. Annual inflation remained in double digits in early 2026, which, combined with mortgage expenses, has made raising large families significantly less affordable for the urban middle class. Kazakhstan’s demographic dynamics are also becoming increasingly uneven. In the southern and western regions, fertility rates remain above the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman. However, in northern regions, fertility has declined to between 1.63 and 1.75, approaching levels more typical of Eastern European countries. Population growth is still supported by rising life expectancy and relatively low mortality, around 6.64 deaths per 1,000 people over the past four years. Nevertheless, demographers warn that the current increase in population masks a gradual future decline in the labor force. One of the key risks is the shrinking share of the working-age population. Over the past decade, it has fallen from 64% to 57.7%, increasing pressure on employed citizens to finance pension and social welfare systems. Experts warn that a decline in the number of contributors paying mandatory social contributions creates long-term risks for Kazakhstan’s Unified Accumulative Pension Fund and the Social Health Insurance Fund. At the same time, an aging population is increasing state healthcare expenditures. Businesses are already facing labor shortages in some industrial and agricultural regions. In the North Kazakhstan Region, employers have reported shortages in agriculture, manufacturing, and other key sectors. Kazakhstan adds more than 350,000 new labor market entrants each year, thanks to the generation born in the early 2000s. However, instead of entering industry or agriculture, many young people are increasingly choosing jobs in the urban service economy, including taxi services, delivery...

Irrigation

Kazakhstan Sets Irrigation Limits for Southern Regions and Reduces Water-Intensive Crops

Kazakhstan has introduced limits on irrigation water use in its southern regions and is reducing the cultivation of water-intensive crops as authorities seek to prevent shortages during the 2026 growing season. At a government meeting on May 12, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov said reservoirs in the country’s southern regions had accumulated 26.2 billion cubic meters of water, 500 million cubic meters more than during the same period last year. Agriculture in Kazakhstan’s arid southern regions depends heavily on water collected during the spring snowmelt period, as well as water flowing from upstream Kyrgyzstan. To avoid irrigation shortages, the government established water-consumption limits for the main agricultural regions. The Turkestan region received a limit of 3.8 billion cubic meters, followed by the Kyzylorda region with 3.2 billion cubic meters, the Almaty region with 2.1 billion cubic meters, the Zhetisu region with 1.8 billion cubic meters, and the Zhambyl region with 900 million cubic meters. Authorities said all preparatory work for the irrigation season has been completed. This included mechanized cleaning of 1,840 kilometers of irrigation canals, reconstruction of 680 kilometers of irrigation networks, and repairs to 375 hydraulic facilities. To ensure stable water supplies through the canal system, 181 pumping units have been prepared, while an additional 92 pumps are expected to be purchased. Since the beginning of the year, Kazakhstan has also shifted the process of concluding water-supply contracts with farmers to an electronic format. The new digital system covers the entire water-supply cycle, including applications, contract execution, monitoring of actual water consumption, and payment processing. To date, more than 25,000 electronic contracts have been signed with farmers. “To increase transparency and strengthen operational control over water-resource management, satellite monitoring based on Earth remote sensing is being introduced across all five southern regions of the country. Since the beginning of the year, satellite monitoring has identified 39 cases of water withdrawal without contracts in the Turkestan region, where farmers illegally used approximately 790,000 cubic meters of water,” Nurzhigitov said. At the same government meeting, Deputy Agriculture Minister Azat Sultanov said Kazakhstan plans to sow crops on a total area of 23.8 million hectares this year, 180,000 hectares more than in 2025. Priority is being given to more profitable crops. The area under oilseed cultivation will exceed 4 million hectares, while forage crops will cover 3.3 million hectares. Kazakhstan is also continuing efforts to diversify agricultural production. The area planted with grain crops will be reduced by 127,000 hectares. As part of water-saving measures, the government is cutting back on water-intensive crops such as rice and cotton. Rice cultivation areas have been reduced by 20,200 hectares. At the same time, the area under drip-irrigated cotton has increased by 29,800 hectares, while cotton grown using traditional irrigation methods has been reduced by 12,000 hectares.

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.

Animal Rights

Kazakhstan Renews Debate Over Stray Animals After Parliament Approves Euthanasia Amendments

Kazakhstan has once again found itself at the center of a heated public debate over how the state should address the country’s growing stray animal problem. Recently approved parliamentary amendments allowing the euthanasia of dogs after a short holding period have triggered strong criticism from animal rights activists, volunteers, and private shelter owners, who argue that the new measures fail to address the root causes of the crisis and instead merely conceal its consequences temporarily. For many involved in the debate, the issue goes beyond animal welfare and points to deeper problems in state governance. For years, responsibility for stray animals in Kazakhstan has effectively been left to private initiatives, including small shelters and volunteer networks that operate largely on personal funds and donations. One such initiative is the Amigo shelter near Almaty, which currently houses around 200 dogs and 80 cats. The shelter did not begin as a business or long-term charitable project, but rather as a spontaneous effort to rescue several animals from capture facilities and the streets. Over time, the number of animals grew, and temporary assistance evolved into a permanent struggle for survival. [caption id="attachment_48766" align="aligncenter" width="1774"] Image: TCA[/caption] “We never planned to create a shelter. It all started with a few rescued animals, and then it became impossible to stop because they were completely dependent on us,” Amigo representatives told The Times of Central Asia. That dependency has become one of the defining features of Kazakhstan’s private shelter system. Unlike many Western countries, where large numbers of animals are adopted through well-developed adoption programs, animals in Kazakhstan often remain in shelters for years; sometimes for the rest of their lives. According to Amigo’s owners, society still approaches shelter animals with caution, while a culture of responsible adoption is only beginning to emerge. The financial burden on such organizations is enormous. In addition to food and veterinary care, shelter owners must independently pay for land, kennel construction, transport, fuel, generators, heating, water supply, sterilization, vaccination, and staff salaries. In many cases, infrastructure must be built entirely from scratch. Amigo’s own history reflects this instability. The shelter was initially located on a small property in Baiserke, but the growing number of animals and expanding residential development made continued operations impossible. The owners took out loans to purchase land near the village of Zhetygen, where they personally built enclosures and installed utilities. Later, after Zhetygen was incorporated into the new city of Alatau, they faced the threat of land seizure for state needs and were once again forced to search for a new location and finance another relocation through debt. [caption id="attachment_48767" align="aligncenter" width="1774"] Image: TCA[/caption] According to shelter representatives, Kazakhstan still lacks a clear legal status for such facilities. Agricultural land is formally designated for livestock rather than cats and dogs, meaning that even privately purchased plots do not guarantee long-term security. For shelters, relocation means far more than changing addresses, it requires transporting hundreds of animals, rebuilding infrastructure, and effectively starting over. Against this backdrop, discussions...