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aviation fuel

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.

2 weeks ago

Digital Infrastructure

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...

2 weeks ago

Public health

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.

2 weeks ago

Digital Tenge

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.

2 weeks ago

ASEAN

Turkmenistan Builds Ties with Southeast Asia

Turkmenistan is expanding engagement with Southeast Asia through talks with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and new energy and tourism initiatives with Malaysia. Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Gurbanov visited Jakarta on July 14 for meetings with ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn and Indonesian officials. Gurbanov expressed Turkmenistan’s interest in expanding cooperation with ASEAN in trade, transport, energy, education, tourism, and other fields, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The envoy also met Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri, Indonesia’s deputy trade minister, on the same day for discussions about trade as well as strengthening transport and logistics links. Currently, trade between Turkmenistan and countries in Southeast Asia is relatively modest. China is the top buyer of natural gas from the Central Asian country’s vast reserves. Turkey, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan also have longstanding trade ties with Turkmenistan, whose tight internal controls make it one of the most isolated nations in the world. Malaysia’s state-owned oil and gas company Petronas, which has operated in Turkmenistan since 1996, said last month that it had entered into new agreements there, “deepening its presence in the Caspian Sea and expanding its upstream portfolio in the country.” The production-sharing deals cover two offshore blocks and coincided with a visit to Turkmenistan by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. This week, he responded to a question in the Malaysian parliament about the impact of Strait of Hormuz shipping disruptions on the country’s political and economic stability, and what measures were being taken to offset the effects. In his response, Ibrahim said exploration and drilling work at the Turkmen gas blocks secured in the deal involving Petronas would begin as early as December, Malaysian newspaper New Straits Times reported this week. "This is among the fastest that has ever happened. Normally the expectation is between one-and-a-half and two years before drilling begins," the New Straits Times quoted Ibrahim as saying. In another initiative, tourism officials from Malaysia and Turkmenistan met in Ashgabat this week to exchange ideas and talk about the “steady growth” of interest among Turkmen citizens in traveling to Southeast Asia, state media in Turkmenistan reported. Nor Shazli Azmi, director of Tourism Malaysia’s office in Almaty, said 10,750 visitors from Turkmenistan traveled to Malaysia in 2025, up 42.5% from the previous year. Turkmen tourism officials said travel from Malaysia to Turkmenistan was also increasing. Turkmenistan Airlines launched direct flights between Ashgabat and Kuala Lumpur in February 2024.

2 weeks ago

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...

2 weeks ago

Women’s Empowerment

Tajikistan Develops Gender Equality Strategy and Expands Support for Women

Tajikistan is developing a new strategy to address gender-related social norms for 2027–2036 while expanding programs aimed at increasing women’s economic participation and cooperation with international organizations. The draft strategy was presented at a meeting organized jointly by the Committee for Women and Family Affairs under the Government of Tajikistan and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Representatives of 46 international organizations, development partners, and civil society groups took part in the discussions, the committee said in its review of activities for the first half of 2026. According to the committee, the strategy is intended to serve as the country’s main policy framework on gender equality over the next decade. It aims to address social norms that limit opportunities for women, promote greater participation in economic, political, and public life, and increase support for families. UNICEF is providing technical assistance in developing the document. The initiative builds on Tajikistan’s National Strategy for Enhancing the Role of Women through 2030, adopted in 2021. Under its 2026–2030 implementation plan, the government plans to further increase women’s participation in public administration, business, education, and civic life. It will also continue presidential quota and grant programs that support women’s education and entrepreneurship. One of the government's flagship initiatives is a presidential grant program for women entrepreneurs. This year, authorities received 945 project applications, which are currently under review. The program provides financial support for businesses in manufacturing, agriculture, handicrafts, and services, with the stated goals of creating jobs, increasing household incomes, and expanding opportunities for women-led enterprises. In 2026, Tajikistan was elected to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women for the 2027–2031 term, a development that authorities say reflects growing international recognition of the country’s work on gender equality. Despite these initiatives, violence against women remains a significant challenge. According to the U.N., more than 2,500 criminal cases involving violence against women have been opened in Tajikistan over the past five years. A national survey also found that 23% of women reported experiencing physical violence at least once, with most incidents occurring within the family.

3 weeks ago

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...

3 weeks ago

Labor Migration

Nearly 160,000 Citizens of Tajikistan Listed in Russia’s Controlled Persons Register

Nearly 160,000 citizens of Tajikistan, including about 25,000 minors, have been listed in Russia’s register of controlled persons, a senior official from Tajikistan’s migration service said. The figure reflects the impact of tighter Russian migration rules on one of Central Asia’s largest sources of migrant labor. Sharif Norzoda, Tajikistan’s deputy minister of labor, migration, and employment, said around 160,000 citizens of Tajikistan are currently listed in the register, with children included because they accompanied family members who had moved to Russia. The register, maintained by Russia’s Interior Ministry, is updated every four hours and contains information on foreign nationals who no longer have legal grounds to remain in the country. Individuals included in the database are required to regularize their legal status in Russia. Norzoda said more than 15,000 citizens of Tajikistan had sought assistance from the country’s migration service during the reporting period. The ministry also said 3,953 Tajik citizens facing temporary bans on entering Russia were advised against unnecessary travel after consulting migration authorities, helping them avoid being turned back at the border. According to the ministry, more than 10,700 labor migrants who returned from Russia have already found employment in Tajikistan. Russia introduced the register of controlled persons on February 5, 2025, to tighten migration enforcement. The database is accessible through the Russian Interior Ministry’s website and the government’s online services portal. It is intended to monitor foreign citizens whose legal right to stay in Russia has expired. The tighter migration regime has prompted Tajikistan to diversify destinations for its migrant workers. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the government has expanded labor migration initiatives beyond Russia, seeking new employment opportunities in Europe and East Asia.

3 weeks ago

Astronomy

Two Asteroids Named After Uzbek Astronomers

Two Uzbek astronomers have received an unusual form of international recognition: their names have been assigned to minor planets orbiting the Sun. The International Astronomical Union’s Working Group for Small Bodies Nomenclature approved (121339) Otabekburkhonov and (131358) Kamolergashev in its July 9 bulletin. The names will now be used in scientific catalogues and research. Both asteroids were discovered at the Ondřejov Observatory in the Czech Republic by astronomers Petr Pravec and Peter Kušnirák. Otabekburkhonov, first known as 1999 TO15, was found on October 13, 1999. Kamolergashev, previously 2001 KA2, was discovered on May 19, 2001. Otabek Burkhonov, born in 1975, joined the Ulugh Beg Astronomical Institute in 2000 and received his PhD in 2005. He heads the institute’s Laboratory of Galactic Astronomy. His work covers optical photometry, including asteroid light curves, variable stars, gravitationally lensed quasars, and follow-up observations of gamma-ray bursts at Maidanak Observatory. Kamoliddin Ergashev, born in 1988, joined the institute’s Asteroid Group in 2007 and completed his PhD in 2024. His research examines asteroid brightness and rotation, physical characteristics, and the behavior of asteroid pairs, clusters, and binary systems. The two scientists also contributed to NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), the first mission to demonstrate asteroid deflection through a deliberate spacecraft impact. Their observations from Maidanak helped measure changes in the Didymos-Dimorphos system before and after the September 2022 collision. In February, both received a NASA Group Achievement Award for their role in the international observing campaign. DART shortened Dimorphos’s orbit around Didymos by about 33 minutes, showing that a kinetic impact could alter an asteroid’s motion.

3 weeks ago

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