In the first half of November, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received a series of global leaders who came to Kazakhstan for high-level meetings. French President Emmanuel Macron arrived at the beginning of the month for two days of intensive talks prior to signing significant agreements. Immediately after, the heads of state of the members of the Organisation of Turkic States attended the organisation’s tenth anniversary summit meeting in Astana, hosted by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. A few days later, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, accompanied by his foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, came to Kazakhstan for wide-ranging bilateral consultations.

This busy itinerary reinforces Kazakhstan’s role a pivotal player in global geopolitics. The country’s diplomatic activity in recent years has become key to maintaining a delicate balance within Central Asia. Kazakhstan has also played a lodestar role in guiding the region on how to balance the increasingly fractured international system, reflecting both the country’s geopolitical realities and its greater ambitions on the international stage. In this environment, Kazakhstan’s President Tokayev has skilfully navigated relationships with regional players and global powerhouses.

Macron’s first stop in Central Asia

French President Macron’s visit to Kazakhstan in early November was the first stop in his strategic tour of Central Asia. During his meeting with President Tokayev, Macron signed several important agreements concerning crucial sectors for future development and bilateral co-operation, including critical minerals, energy, pharmaceuticals and aerospace. These agreements signify France’s realisation that, amidst Russia and China’s increasing influence in this region, France must strengthen its own relations with Central Asian countries.

The agreements signed are not only economically substantial but also strategically astute. France is the fifth-biggest foreign investor in Kazakhstan, with existing ties in the energy and uranium mining sectors. France’s energy giant TotalEnergies has been long involved in the offshore Kashagan oilfield, while French company Orano, whose leader was included in Macron’s delegation, runs a uranium mine in Kazakhstan. French energy company EDF is in contention for a contract to build Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power station. All these projects underscore France’s strategic interest in its long-standing partnership with the country.

As such, President Macron’s visit is not merely a diplomatic courtesy but a demonstration of France’s recognition of Kazakhstan’s growing importance in international affairs. It also signifies a global shift of geopolitical focus towards Central Asia, where Kazakhstan stands as the leading country. Bilateral relations between the two countries are poised to develop robustly, exerting a significant influence on the region’s economic and political dynamics.

President Tokayev hosted a successful OTS summit

The tenth anniversary summit of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) in Astana was an important moment in the history of Turkic co-operation. President Tokayev as the host (and representing Kazakhstan as a key OTS member) played a central role in shaping the summit’s agenda and objectives. Two principal concerns of the gathering were to boost economic co-operation and diversify transport corridors. This emphasis aligns with the OTS members’ economic development strategies to increase exports. Special attention was given to ways to support small and medium-sized businesses.

As the commitment to this focus demonstrates, member countries recognize their shared heritage and the potential of their combined economic power. The summit provides an invaluable opportunity for them to explore new avenues of co-operation, align their strategic interests and address common challenges. The cultural and linguistic commonalities among the OTS members facilitate a deeper understanding and a more cohesive approach to regional and global issues, making this platform uniquely effective.

Kazakhstan’s role and objectives within the OTS are noteworthy, including its drive to enhance partnerships for economic and diplomatic dialogue with its fellow Turkic countries. This strategic focus aligns with the country’s broader foreign policy goals. Kazakhstan, as host of the summit, has emerged as a leader in Central Asia’s regional integration efforts.

In addition to Kazakhstan, OTS members Azerbaijan and Turkey have also emphasised the diversification of transport corridors. This recognizes not only the need to improve transit infrastructures, but also the fact that the corridors themselves will have knock-on effects to boost economic development.

Vladimir Putin visits Astana

The subsequent visit by Russian President Putin, accompanied by Foreign Minister Lavrov, focused on strategic issues in the agricultural and logistical sectors, underscoring Kazakhstan’s increasing role in Russian foreign trade. In addition, Tokayev and Putin discussed energy co-operation and future projects, including the possible construction of new pipelines and power plants in Kazakhstan.

The discussions also focussed on fertiliser sale and transport. While openly stressing its commitment to international rules and norms with regard to restrictions on certain countries and commodities, Kazakhstan is also creating conditions to become a logistics hub for Russian commodities destined for China, India, Iran and other countries in Asia. The country already operates a key railroad link between Russia and China, and it maintains a railroad connection with Iran along the Caspian Sea.

There is no question that, under President Tokayev’s leadership, Eurasian trade dynamics will make Kazakhstan a key logistical player facilitating transit of essential commodities like wheat and fertilisers to large markets in Asia. Here again, Kazakhstan’s central position in Central Asia sets the stage for it to benefit from the extension of transit corridors and the reconfiguration of regional and global supply chains.

President Tokayev’s diplomatic balancing act in the stand-off between Russia and the West has emerged as a key aspect of his foreign policy. Kazakhstan’s international norms-based nonalignment, together with its strategic location, enables it to engage with major powers on different fronts. As a key player in the region, the country has been purchasing large quantities of Russian natural gas (which Europe has largely stopped buying) for domestic consumption, allowing it to increase its own gas exports to China.

Conclusion

President Tokayev’s ability to host leaders from countries with contrasting global agendas, from Russian President Vladimir Putin to French President Emmanuel Macron, illustrates his unique approach. His diplomatic strategy has redefined Kazakhstan’s role in Central Asia and beyond. Under his leadership, the country has skillfully positioned itself as a key diplomatic player, able to navigate the complex webs of regional and global geopolitics.

These substantive meetings also catalyse economic, cultural and strategic partnerships that bolster Kazakhstan’s position as a central hub in Eurasian affairs. Other nations of similar stature have much to learn from Kazakhstan’s example. President Tokayev has demonstrated how to leverage – ethically, pragmatically and with foresight – a geopolitical situation to maximise a country’s global impact and regional significance.

Several days ago, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He also met with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who called his country “a privileged partner that is a pillar of multilateralism, a promoter and defender of peace at the global level.”

Guterres in response, acclaimed Kazakhstan’s continuing cooperation with the UN, particularly its focus “on strengthening peace and security, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring human rights.” However, Tokayev’s initiatives go still deeper than that.

In a rapidly evolving global landscape, President Tokayev has articulated a series of policy proposals that not only reaffirm Kazakhstan’s traditional commitment to established international norms but also introduce innovative solutions to contemporary challenges. It is particularly the newer proposals that resonate deeply with the principles of the United Nations and the broader ethos of multilateralism.

“A privileged partner that is a pillar of multilateralism, a promoter and defender of peace at the global level“

-General Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary on Kazakhstan

Historically, Kazakhstan has been a staunch supporter of the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, demonstrating its commitment to global peace, security and co-operation. Tokayev, a diplomatic by training, has always favoured diplomatic solutions based on the UN Charter and universally recognized international law. The crisis in Ukraine has further underscored Kazakhstan’s emphasis on these principles and its belief in dialogue as the cornerstone of international relations.

On the environmental front, Tokayev reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement and its emphasis on Climate-Positive Actions. These include investments in green-energy jobs and ending fossil fuel subsidies. He also offered new initiatives such as the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and the Project Office for Central Asia on Climate Change and Green Energy.

Such progressive solutions aim to address the dual challenges of facilitating energy transition and bolstering climate resilience. The upcoming Regional Climate Summit slated for 2026 particularly underscores Kazakhstan’s proactive leadership in environmental diplomacy. It showcases the country’s alignment with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as its dedication to multilateral diplomacy and consensus.

Regarding trade and development, Kazakhstan’s proposals at the UN play to its strength as a dynamic economy in the region. The best example of this is the proposal to establish a UN Regional Centre for SDGs for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty. With its significant agricultural production, Tokayev also suggested that Kazakhstan should act as a regional food supply hub. This proposition addresses the pressing issue of food security, thus resonating with the UN’s agenda.

Kazakhstan’s security and disarmament proposals are particularly noteworthy. While the country has always been a proponent of the Treaty on the Prohibition of nuclear weapons, Tokayev recommended a new Strategic Plan to aim for the total renunciation of nuclear weapons by 2045. This vision is in line with the UN’s disarmament goals moves toward limiting nuclear proliferation.

President Tokayev also put forth the idea to establish an International Agency for Biological Safety to be tasked with addressing non-conventional threats to global security. Furthermore, his proposal to elevate the status of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia—arguably Kazakhstan’s signature contribution to Asian security—to that of a full-fledged international organization underscores his commitment to regional cooperation and governance.

The social and cultural proposals that Tokayev announced at the UN General Assembly are reflect Kazakhstan’s identity as a multicultural state. The nation’s Initiative of World Unity for a Just Peace and Harmony is a comprehensive approach to global challenges that encompasses security, economic fairness and environmental sustainability. The call for legal protection for all holy books, including the Quran, against vandalism, aligns with the UN’s emphasis on cultural diplomacy and mutual respect.

Kazakhstan’s advocacy of comprehensive reform of the Security Council is equally noteworthy. President Tokayev called for a Council that would be more representative of the global community, amplifying the voices of middle powers and developing countries. This exemplifies the norm of inclusivity, which is a core principle of multilateralism.

Overall, the policy proposals, reflect Tokayev’s and Kazakhstan’s commitment to the principles of the United Nations and the broader practice of multilateralism by aligning Kazakhstan’s national interests with global priorities. With an emphasis on dialogue and cooperation, the proposals exemplify Kazakhstan’s enduring relevance of tolerance, pluralism and multilateralism, and the need for these virtues to address the challenges of the twenty-first century.

The landscape of global trade is quickly evolving as international supply chains reconfigure themselves following the retreat of globalisation, driven by the deepening bifurcation of the international arena between U.S.-led and China-led subsystems. Such a time of rapid change calls for future-oriented leadership informed by strategic foresight and diplomatic acumen. This is particularly true for countries that may find themselves in delicate geo-economic positions.

Responding to these challenges, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has positioned his country as a pivotal player on the Trans-Caspian International Trade Route (TITR), a project reshaping trade dynamics between Asia and Europe through a network of railways and seaways in order to facilitate faster and more efficient trade.

Successful implementation of the TITR will bring significant economic benefits to Kazakhstan, boosting trade and attracting foreign investment. It will open new avenues for economic growth, create jobs, and foster innovation. The TITR will make Kazakhstan the most attractive destination for businesses seeking to install themselves in Central Asia so as to tap into the vast Asian markets.

The TITR also has strategic geopolitical significance. It is not a programmatic part of the China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which concentrates on a “northern” route through Russia and a “southern” maritime route. The new momentum behind the TITR comes at a time when the northern route suffers from the economic fallout of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Beyond economics, the TITR has already elevated Kazakhstan’s political stature. The European Union (EU) and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have formally recognised this shift. At a recent joint conference in Almaty, with wide participation from many Central Asian players, these two entities selected what they call the “Central Trans-Caspian Network”, running through southern Kazakhstan, as the most sustainable of three container-transit options for linking Central Asia and Europe.

The EU and EBRD foresee a seven-fold increase in transit volumes from 18,000 “twenty-foot equivalent units” (TEUs, a standard industrial measure) to 130,000 TEUs by 2040. It is hardly a coincidence that this date coincides with the “Turkic World Vision” statement adopted by the Organisation of Turkic States at their 2019 summit in Baku. The EU and EBRD’s study is country-specific and proposes seven soft connectivity measures and 32 hard infrastructure investment needs across five Central Asian countries.

The study provides for such practical measures as digitalisation of transport documents, improvement of interoperability, enhancement of the public-private partnership (PPP) environment, facilitation of trade, liberalisation of markets, improvements to tariff-setting mechanisms and the increase of funding for asset maintenance. Country-specific priority investment needs for Kazakhstan include Almaty-Khorgos and Aktau-Beyneu railway double-tracking, expansion of several terminals and railway stations, and Aktau port capacity expansion, amongst other projects.

The involvement of the EBRD in this study also represents a “seal of approval” for international financial institutions to participate in building out the corridor. The detailed EU-EBRD work identifies specific projects in specific geographical regions and already represents a preliminary feasibility study for them. It outlines key actions for the development of the network and its integration with the EU’s Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), which covers all 27 EU member-states.

Playing a central role in a project of such scale and significance will enable Kazakhstan, under Tokayev’s leadership, to reinforce its position as a key player in regional affairs. The country has already demonstrated its ability to foster cooperation and manage complex projects, establishing its reputation as a reliable and influential partner in global trade initiatives.

Under Tokayev’s leadership, Kazakhstan has been strengthening its ties with neighbouring countries and major economies in Asia and Europe. The TITR’s implementation will further accelerate this trend. It is not just about facilitating trade, but about building long-term, mutually beneficial relationships. As a key link in the TITR, Tokayev’s Kazakhstan is becoming not only a participant in global trade, but also a significant influencer.

The TITR promises long-term benefits for Kazakhstan, including sustainable development and increased regional cooperation. By promoting trade, it encourages the efficient use of resources and the adoption of sustainable practices. The shared interests and mutual dependencies that the TITR has already fostered makes Kazakhstan as a leader in regional development and cooperation.

The TITR thus manifests President Tokayev’s strategic vision, boosting Kazakhstan’s economy and elevating its status not just on the regional but on the global stage. His commitment reflects this broader vision that has undergirded his foreign economic policy since becoming president in 2019. Kazakhstan possesses strategic advantages, and President Tokayev is leveraging them to maximise his country’s potential.