Kyrgyzstan has enacted a new investment law offering substantial benefits to major investors, both foreign and domestic. Under the Law “On Investments in the Kyrgyz Republic,” investors who commit at least $10 million and possess a strong international reputation and track record in large-scale projects may now sign individual investment agreements directly with the Cabinet of Ministers, according to the National Investment Agency under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic.

These agreements grant investors access to a suite of incentives, including tax and customs benefits, visa support for key personnel, and assistance with selecting and registering land plots for investment projects. The initiative aims to boost foreign direct investment by attracting high-caliber investors.

President Sadyr Japarov signed the law on August 14, 2025. It is intended to create a more transparent and competitive investment climate and strengthen institutional protections for businesses.

The legislation defines the state’s investment policy principles, guarantees the protection of investor rights, and introduces mechanisms to safeguard those interests. It also aligns with the presidential decree “On the National Development Program of the Kyrgyz Republic until 2026,” which sets out key national targets:

• Average annual economic growth of 5%
• GDP per capita of at least $1,500
• Unemployment rate reduced to 5%
• Annual foreign direct investment inflow of at least 13% of GDP

With this legal framework, Kyrgyzstan aims to position itself as a stable, predictable partner for investors and as an emerging hub for investment in Central Asia.

The government of Tajikistan has submitted a legislative proposal to parliament that would ban the use of fortune-telling and other esoteric services, and introduce fines for clients, Asia-Plus reported.

If passed, the amendments would add a new clause to Article 482 of the Code of Administrative Offenses titled “Use of services of a sorcerer, magician, or fortune-teller.” Under the proposed law, individuals caught seeking such services would face fines ranging from five to ten calculation indicators, equivalent to 375-750 somoni (approximately $40-80).

This initiative is part of a broader crackdown on esoteric and mystical practices in recent years. In mid-2023, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that citizens who visited fortune-tellers would be summoned by authorities and entered into a database containing their names and photographs. Officials said the goal was to curb demand and ultimately eliminate the practice. The number of individuals summoned has not been disclosed.

Penalties for fortune-tellers themselves were significantly strengthened in 2024. Amendments to Article 482 increased fines for practitioners to 80-100 calculation indicators and introduced administrative detention of up to 15 days. In addition, criminal liability was introduced under Article 240 of the Criminal Code: repeat offenders may now face fines of 1,500-2,000 base units or imprisonment for one to two years. Previously, only administrative penalties applied.

The government claims the measures are designed to combat fraud and protect citizens from exploitation. However, critics argue that the proposed restrictions could spark debate over personal freedoms and traditional cultural practices.

In 2024, The Times of Central Asia reported that Tajik authorities were also considering the introduction of compulsory labor for up to six months as a punishment for engaging in fortune-telling, sorcery, or witchcraft.

Kazakhstan is expanding its grain exports to European markets, with significant shipments routed through Estonia’s Muuga port. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Akmola region, the country’s top grain-producing area, exported 145,000 tons of wheat through Muuga during the first seven months of 2025.

Of this volume, more than 110,000 tons were delivered to Italy, over 28,000 tons to Belgium, and approximately 6,500 tons to Estonia. The shipments followed a memorandum of cooperation signed in February 2025 between the Akmola regional administration and the Muuga Grain Terminal.

A key milestone of Kazakhstan’s 2024-2025 export season has been the diversification of grain destinations. For the first time, Kazakh wheat was exported to Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Norway, and the United Kingdom.

From September 2024 to August 10, 2025, Kazakhstan exported 9.8 million tons of wheat from the new harvest, a 55% increase compared to the same period in the 2023-2024 season. Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, and Azerbaijan remain the country’s primary buyers.

Including flour, Kazakhstan exported a total of 12.4 million tons of wheat grain between September 2024 and July 2025, marking a 34% rise from the 9.3 million tons exported during the same period in the previous season.

Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Committee, working alongside the Aviation Administration, has temporarily suspended flights of TL-2000 and Aerostar R40F light aircraft following two fatal crashes near Astana in recent months.

The suspensions are intended to allow for thorough investigations of both incidents.

On June 22, 2025, a privately owned TL-2000 light aircraft crashed during a training flight near Zholaman Airfield, resulting in the deaths of both people on board. The accident occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. A special investigation commission was established by the Ministry of Transport to determine the cause.

On August 17, 2025, an Aerostar R40F (registration UP-LA229) crashed during a general aviation flight about 55 kilometers from Astana in the Akmola region. The crash resulted in the death of both the pilot and passenger. A commission was dispatched by the Ministry of Transport’s accident investigation department to the crash site, including representatives from the Transport Police and regional authorities.

Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev confirmed that each incident is being investigated independently, and that both aircraft models will remain grounded until the investigations conclude.

The Civil Aviation Committee, in collaboration with the Aviation Administration, has suspended flights of both TL-2000 and Aerostar R40F aircraft models pending investigation results. The investigation into the June TL-2000 crash is ongoing, with final conclusions expected before the end of 2025.

Kazakhstan is expanding its international air connectivity, with new routes and increased flight frequencies to China and Uzbekistan following the Central Asia-China Civil Aviation Cooperation Working Group Conference (C5+1).

According to the Ministry of Transport, Kazakhstan and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance bilateral air traffic and broaden the route network. The agreement includes adding a new Chinese destination, Kulja, to the Kazakh airline network and discussing future flights to Kashgar.

Kulja (also known as Yining) lies in the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, about 100 kilometers from the Kazakh border. Kashgar (Kashi), also in Xinjiang, is located approximately 455 kilometers from the border. While launch dates for flights to these cities have not yet been announced, the total number of flights between Kazakhstan and China is set to increase to 124 per week starting in 2025.

SCAT Airlines has already opened three new routes this year:

• Shymkent-Shanghai (since May, two flights per week)
• Shymkent-Xi’an (since July, two flights per week)
• Shymkent-Ürümqi (since July, two flights per week)

In addition, China Eastern Airlines began operating flights from Almaty to Guangzhou in July, with three flights per week. On August 13, a COMAC C909 aircraft flew from Urumqi to Karaganda and back, marking the first landing of the Chinese-made aircraft in Kazakhstan.

During the same conference, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan’s aviation authorities also reached agreements to boost bilateral air traffic. Designated airlines may now operate up to 42 weekly flights on the Almaty-Tashkent and Astana-Tashkent routes, and up to 14 flights on other routes between the two countries. The list of permissible destinations has also been expanded.

In July, Uzbekistan’s My Freighter (operating as Centrum Air) launched twice-weekly flights between Aktau and Nukus. FlyArystan began flying between began flying between Atyrau and Tashkent three times a week on July 15.

“These steps are aimed at improving transport accessibility, strengthening business and cultural ties, and unlocking the tourism potential of both countries,” the Ministry of Transport stated.

As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and other regional partners established the Eurasian Civil Aviation Conference in 2024 as a joint regulatory body to address rising passenger and cargo demand amid the decline of Russian aviation dominance.”

Kazakhstan is embarking on a large-scale modernization of its 16,000 kilometer railway network to significantly increase transit capacity, despite 57% of its infrastructure being worn out, Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev announced at a recent government meeting.

Sauranbayev acknowledged that the aging network affects both the speed and safety of freight, including transit trains. “The infrastructure is operating at full capacity,” he said. “To improve efficiency and sustainability by 2030, we plan to build new lines, modernize 5,000 kilometers of existing track, and repair another 11,000 kilometers.”

Five new railway lines are currently under construction:

• Dostyk-Moyinty (linking the Chinese border to central Kazakhstan)
• Almaty bypass line (southern Kazakhstan)
• Darbaza-Maktaaral (Turkestan region)
• Moyinty-Kyzylzhar (connecting the west and center)
• Bakhta-Ayagoz (eastern Kazakhstan, to enhance trade with China)

Two projects Dostyk-Moyinty and the Almaty bypass, are scheduled for early completion this year. The remaining lines will be finished by 2026.

This year also marks the launch of a large-scale modernization of 3,000 kilometers of track, which the minister described as equivalent to constructing entirely new lines. “These projects are shaping a full-fledged railway framework for Kazakhstan,” Sauranbayev stated. Additionally, rail traffic to China has resumed through the Dostyk station.

Kazakhstan currently hosts five international railway corridors. Transit volume is expected to rise sharply, from 33 million tons in 2025, to 54 million tons in 2026, and 67 million tons by 2029. Forecasts suggest volumes could reach 100 million tons by 2035, worth an estimated 4.4 trillion tenge (approximately $9.1 billion). “Our goal is to reach this figure even sooner,” the minister noted.

Transit traffic has already doubled over the past decade, reaching 27.4 million tons in 2024. Seven cargo handling terminals now operate at Kazakhstan’s borders, with two more to open soon and five additional facilities planned. “This will establish a terminal network along the East-West route. We offer a transit product based on three pillars: delivery time, tariffs, and service,” Sauranbayev said.

He also highlighted the stability of tariffs along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), or “Middle Corridor,” which connects Kazakhstan to Europe while bypassing Russia. Tariffs have remained unchanged for three years. Preparations for an intergovernmental agreement on further development of the route are set to begin shortly.

As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) announced in December that customs declaration procedures for transit cargo along the Middle Corridor have been digitalized.