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Kazakhstan Begins Importing European Jet Fuel via the Middle Corridor

Kazakhstan has resumed importing European jet fuel through Georgia’s Batumi Oil Terminal after an eight-year break. The route gives the country another source as domestic demand continues to exceed production. The Batumi Oil Terminal, owned by Kazakhstan’s state pipeline operator KazTransOil, has resumed handling Jet A-1 fuel produced by European refineries. The first shipment, totaling 10,000 metric tons, arrived via the Black Sea and is awaiting onward transport by rail to Kazakhstan along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor. Kazakhstan needs the additional supply because its refineries cannot meet domestic demand. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, jet fuel demand is expected to reach about 1.18 million metric tons in 2026. Domestic refineries are projected to produce around 750,000 metric tons, leaving a large shortfall to be covered by imports. The shortfall has grown this year amid maintenance at the Atyrau refinery and rising air traffic. Fuel supplies from Russia have also tightened. Moscow introduced temporary export restrictions to stabilize its domestic market. The restrictions created uncertainty for countries that have traditionally relied on Russian fuel. Kazakhstan has responded by looking for other import routes and expanding storage capacity. The Batumi terminal offers one alternative. On Georgia’s Black Sea coast, it connects maritime shipments with rail routes through the South Caucasus and across the Caspian Sea. The terminal is a major logistics hub on the Middle Corridor. According to KazTransOil, the terminal can handle up to 11 million metric tons of cargo a year. Its 132 storage tanks have a combined capacity of more than 585,000 cubic meters. During the first half of 2026, the Batumi Oil Terminal handled approximately 725,000 metric tons of petroleum products. Along with aviation fuel, it transships crude oil and refined products, including diesel and gasoline. The terminal also handles fuel oil and liquefied petroleum gas. The Batumi route reopened while global jet fuel supplies remain tight. Reuters reported this week that European inventories had fallen below one month’s supply, leaving the market vulnerable to disruptions caused by tensions in the Middle East. European buyers have turned to the United States and other suppliers in Africa and Asia. Kazakhstan is also expanding domestic storage capacity. The government has approved new aviation fuel facilities at airports to guard against shortages and build larger reserves. The first shipment will meet only a small part of Kazakhstan’s annual jet fuel demand. The Middle Corridor carries exports from Central Asia to Europe. The Batumi shipment shows that the corridor can also bring refined petroleum products into the region.

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Kazakhstan and China Sign Deals Worth Over $15 Billion During Tokayev’s Shanghai Visit

Kazakhstan and China signed more than 70 commercial agreements worth over $15 billion during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s working visit to Shanghai on July 16. The package covers artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, transport, finance, agriculture, vehicle production, and other high-technology industries. The documents were exchanged after a roundtable with Chinese executives. Akorda did not publish a full project-by-project valuation, and the package includes both agreements and memoranda. The headline figure represents the announced value of the documents rather than money already invested or spent. AI and Industrial Projects Among the main documents was a strategic partnership agreement between Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development and Huawei Technologies. The Samruk-Kazyna sovereign wealth fund signed a separate agreement to acquire Huawei technology and equipment. Samruk-Kazyna, Freedom Holding, the Astana city administration, and Geely Auto Group also signed a memorandum on electric-vehicle infrastructure and the use of artificial intelligence in Kazakhstan’s automotive industry. Kazakhtelecom and China’s HV & Submarine Hengtong Group agreed on the basic principles for developing the Data Center Valley project in Ekibastuz. The planned one-gigawatt cluster is intended to combine data centers, cloud services, supercomputing facilities, AI laboratories, research institutions, training programs, and technology startups. Further agreements covered robotics and research. Qazbot Technologies signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Agibot PTE, while the Almaty city administration, NERO Group, and UBTECH Robotics agreed to develop artificial intelligence and robotics in the city. Qazaq AI Research University and the Shanghai Innovation Institute signed a cooperation memorandum. The industrial package includes an agreement between Allur Group and Li Auto to produce Li Auto vehicles in Kazakhstan. Astana Group and Chery Holding signed a technology licensing agreement for OMODA and JAECOO production at the Astana Motors Manufacturing Kazakhstan plant. Qarmet, the Development Bank of Kazakhstan, and a Chinese engineering company also agreed to cooperate on new coke oven batteries and a gas purification system. Transport and Logistics An investment agreement was signed for the first phase of a multifunctional terminal at the Port of Kuryk. Another document covers cooperation on two logistics parks at Khorgos-Eastern Gate, while Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Construction and NUCTECH agreed to work on inspection systems at border checkpoints and expand local production. Tokayev said around 85% of rail freight between China and Europe passes through Kazakhstan and that the country has invested more than $35 billion in transport and logistics infrastructure over the past 15 years. He also promoted the Smart Cargo platform, which is designed to combine customs, logistics, and commercial services in one digital system. The president also invited Chinese companies to invest in the extraction and deeper processing of critical minerals, agricultural technology, and the development of Alatau City. The government wants the new city to become a regional center for digital finance, asset tokenization, artificial intelligence, and advanced telecommunications. Tokayev said bilateral trade reached a record $49 billion in 2025, cumulative Chinese investment in Kazakhstan exceeded $30 billion, and more than 8,500 companies with Chinese participation operate in the country. Existing joint projects...

Business & Economy Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy

Kyrgyzstan to Launch Direct Flight Between Bishkek and Urumqi

Kyrgyzstan’s Aero Nomad Airlines will launch a new direct route between Bishkek and Urumqi, the capital of China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, further expanding air connectivity between the two neighboring countries. According to the airline, the inaugural flight is scheduled for August 3 and will be operated using an Airbus A320 aircraft. The airline said the route would support trade and investment and encourage tourism and cultural exchanges between Kyrgyzstan and China. Xinjiang already has established air connections with Kyrgyzstan. In November 2025, China Southern Airlines resumed direct flights between Urumqi and Osh, Kyrgyzstan’s second-largest city. Earlier this year, Airports of Kyrgyzstan JSC also announced the launch of a new route between Osh and Kashgar, another major city in Xinjiang, to be operated by Chengdu Airlines. Xinjiang serves as Kyrgyzstan’s principal gateway to China. Most bilateral trade passes through the region via the Torugart and Irkeshtam border crossings, the two fully operational road links between the countries. According to Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Liu Jiangping, bilateral trade reached a record $27.2 billion in 2025, representing a 20% increase compared with the previous year. Growing commercial ties have also been supported by institutional cooperation. In June 2024, the Kyrgyzstan-China Trade and Economic Cooperation Center opened in Urumqi, Xinjiang, to facilitate business contacts, promote investment opportunities, and support joint projects between companies from both countries. Kashgar is the Chinese starting point of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, one of the region’s largest infrastructure projects. The planned line would connect western China with Central Asia. The Bishkek-Urumqi service adds another transport link between Kyrgyzstan and China as bilateral trade grows and work continues on the railway.

International Affairs Kazakhstan Kazakhstan International Affairs

Kazakhstan and China Agree to Expand Scheduled Air Services

Kazakhstan and China have agreed to significantly expand scheduled air services between the two countries following aviation consultations held in Beijing between Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Committee and the Civil Aviation Administration of China. According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, the talks focused on bilateral cooperation in civil aviation. The two sides agreed to increase the number of scheduled passenger flights operated by airlines of both countries from 124 to 152 flights per week. They also expanded the list of major Chinese destinations available for air services with Kazakhstan to 11 cities, adding Chongqing, one of southwestern China’s largest industrial, logistics, and transportation hubs, with a population of more than 32 million. The consultations also covered plans to launch direct flights between Astana and Shanghai, with airlines from both countries expected to participate. Another key issue was the creation of a third international air corridor between Kazakhstan and China. The new route is expected to increase the capacity of regional airspace, optimize flight paths, reduce congestion on existing air routes, and support further growth in passenger and cargo traffic between the two countries. The parties also discussed the allocation of airport slots for Kazakh airlines at Chinese airports, expanded access to Chinese airspace for Kazakh carriers operating international transit flights, and the conclusion of an interagency agreement on civil aviation search-and-rescue cooperation. “The two sides confirmed their mutual interest in further developing cooperation in civil aviation and agreed to continue joint efforts aimed at expanding air connectivity, improving transport links, and strengthening the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and China,” the Ministry of Transport said. The agreement comes as Kazakhstan continues to expand its international aviation network. Earlier this month, Kazakhstan’s low-cost carrier FlyArystan announced the launch of a new Atyrau-Batumi route to Georgia beginning July 14, with weekly flights operated by Airbus A320 aircraft. From August 2026, Turkish carrier AJet will also increase frequencies on both the Astana-Ankara and Almaty-Ankara routes from two to seven weekly flights. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Hong Kong’s flagship carrier Cathay Pacific plans to launch scheduled cargo services to Astana in August 2026, followed by regular passenger flights between Hong Kong and Almaty in January 2027.

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Kyrgyzstan Tests Public Health Emergency Response Ahead of World Nomad Games

Kyrgyzstan has carried out large-scale interagency public health emergency exercises as part of preparations for the sixth World Nomad Games, which will take place from August 31 to September 6. Authorities say health security has become one of the key components of planning for what is expected to be the country's largest international event of the year. The two-day simulation exercise was held on July 14-15 in Cholpon-Ata, in the Issyk-Kul region. It brought together representatives of the Ministry of Health, healthcare institutions, the World Health Organization (WHO), other government agencies, and international development partners. Participants rehearsed the response to a simulated outbreak of acute intestinal infection and cases of an unidentified illness during a major international gathering. Field exercises were conducted in the Kyrchyn Gorge, one of the main venues for the upcoming Games, and at the infectious diseases department of the Issyk-Kul District Center for General Medical Practice. The drills tested early detection of health threats, laboratory diagnostics, medical response, interagency coordination, and crisis communication. According to Gulbara Ishenapysova, Kyrgyzstan's Deputy Minister of Health and Chief State Sanitary Doctor, the exercises provided an opportunity to assess the country's emergency response system under conditions closely resembling a real public health crisis and to identify areas requiring further improvement. Acting WHO Representative in Kyrgyzstan Zhanara Bekenova said such exercises are essential for evaluating coordination, information sharing, and decision-making mechanisms ahead of large international events. Preparations for the Games extend well beyond sports infrastructure. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the 2026 World Nomad Games mark the event’s return to Kyrgyzstan. The event is also intended to promote tourism and the country’s nomadic cultural heritage internationally. Following the exercises, the Ministry of Health plans to prepare recommendations to improve interagency cooperation and the preparedness of healthcare institutions. The recommendations will also cover risk communication and revisions to national public health emergency response plans. The sixth World Nomad Games are expected to attract participants from more than 95 countries. More than 3,000 members of sporting delegations and delegations representing culture and science are expected to attend. The event is also expected to draw more than 600 domestic and international media representatives.

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Digital Tenge Receives Official Legal Status in Kazakhstan

Beginning July 18, the digital tenge will officially become a recognized digital form of Kazakhstan’s national currency. Amendments to the country’s legislation grant the National Bank of Kazakhstan the exclusive authority to issue and circulate the digital currency, establishing a comprehensive legal framework for its wider use across the financial system. Unlike many central bank digital currency (CBDC) projects around the world, which remain at the pilot or experimental stage, Kazakhstan has already moved beyond testing into practical implementation. Rather than replacing cash or bank cards, the digital tenge has been designed primarily to improve transparency in public spending, government procurement, and the monitoring of budget expenditures. By the beginning of 2026, approximately 336.6 billion tenge, or about $640 million, worth of digital tenge had been issued, and the technology had been deployed in more than 100 pilot projects. These include public procurement, the management of National Fund resources, tax administration, government subsidies, and infrastructure financing. Programmable payment technology enables authorities to track the movement of public funds almost in real time while restricting spending according to predefined conditions. The practical use of the digital tenge continues to expand. According to the National Payment Corporation of Kazakhstan, the platform was used throughout 2025 in projects involving infrastructure financing, public procurement, business support programs, and other government initiatives. The experience gained from these projects has laid the foundation for the next stage of the digital tenge’s development. Kazakhstan remains the regional leader in the development of a central bank digital currency. Elsewhere in Central Asia, governments have concentrated on digital payments and the regulation of digital assets. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan is promoting the gold-backed USDKG stablecoin for cross-border transactions, while other countries in the region have yet to move toward the practical implementation of national CBDCs. The International Monetary Fund believes the next phase of the project will depend less on further technological development than on strengthening regulation, enhancing cybersecurity, and integrating the digital tenge into Kazakhstan’s existing financial architecture. According to the IMF, these factors will determine whether the project can be successfully scaled nationwide.