EAEU - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 80

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.

Armed Forces

Tokayev Sets Two-Year Deadline for Military Reform in Kazakhstan

Speaking at a traditional ceremony ahead of Defender of the Fatherland Day, celebrated in Kazakhstan on May 7, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said the country must reform its armed forces within the next two years. “Our country must be prepared to prevent various challenges and respond to any threats. Therefore, we need to strengthen our defense potential and continue, above all, the technological modernization of the Armed Forces. This is a requirement of today’s unstable and turbulent times. In this regard, it is first necessary to carry out deep reforms in our Armed Forces and militarized structures. This is a strategically important task that must be resolved in a short period within two years,” Tokayev said during a ceremony awarding state honors and military ranks ahead of Defender of the Fatherland Day and Victory Day, celebrated on May 9. Russian analysts responded to the statement before many Kazakh commentators, largely arguing that Kazakhstan faces no major external threats and therefore has little need for sweeping military reform. One of them, Stanislav Pritchin, head of the Central Asia sector at the Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations in Moscow, said Kazakhstan had no serious territorial disputes or significant tensions with neighboring countries. “There are some political disagreements, but overall, the country exists in a fairly calm environment. There are simply no conflict points that would require Kazakhstan to fundamentally revise its military doctrine or significantly strengthen its army,” he told the publication, Expert. Pritchin also suggested that Russian concern stemmed from uncertainty over how Tokayev’s accelerated military reform agenda fits with Kazakhstan’s commitments to Moscow-led organizations such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). In Kazakhstan, however, the reform agenda fits a familiar pattern: by the time Tokayev publicly announces a deadline, work in that direction is often already well underway. In December 2025, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov outlined major military reforms while responding to parliamentary questions about discipline in the armed forces. Following presidential instructions, the government submitted three draft laws to parliament intended to form the foundation of the reform process. The legislation addresses crime prevention and revises administrative regulations within the military system. One of the main goals is to clearly divide responsibilities among commanders, military police, and other authorized bodies while introducing technology-based disciplinary oversight mechanisms. At the same time, the Health Ministry has developed a 2026-2028 roadmap for suicide prevention in Kazakhstan, with separate provisions focused on military personnel. As part of the broader reform effort, the authorities have also approved the interagency “Digital Prevention” program for 2025-2028. The initiative includes integrating video surveillance systems, artificial intelligence, and a unified database to monitor discipline and public order within the military. In parallel, the “Law and Order in the Army” program aims to strengthen military discipline and prevent offenses among service members. Tokayev also addressed military reform in an interview with the newspaper Turkistan earlier this year. The interviewer noted that repeated deaths among soldiers during military service were damaging...

CIS

Moldova Moves to Leave CIS as Post-Soviet Bloc Loses Another Member

Moldova’s parliament approved, in final reading on April 2, the country’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), with 60 deputies voting in favor. President Maia Sandu then promulgated the denunciation decrees, which were published in the Official Journal on April 8 and entered into force, with the Foreign Ministry set to notify the CIS. If Moldova’s withdrawal takes full legal effect after notification and the relevant notice period, eight CIS member states would remain: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The CIS was created immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union as a framework to manage the breakup and maintain post-Soviet cooperation among former republics. Moldova’s denunciation concerns a structure originally formed by 11 former Soviet states, not all 15 Soviet republics. Moldova’s exit further weakens the CIS politically, though the bloc will continue to exist if the remaining member states stay in place. Moldova has already approved the denunciation of the 1991 Agreement on the Establishment of the CIS, the related Protocol, and the 1993 CIS Statute. The Moldovan authorities say the CIS’s core values and principles are no longer being respected, especially the recognition of territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. They cite Russia’s war against Ukraine, acts of aggression against Georgia, and the illegal military presence of Russian troops on Moldovan territory. Chisinau says the move is consistent with Moldova’s European path, while the European Union remains its main economic partner. Economic ties with the Commonwealth have significantly declined: in 2025, CIS countries accounted for 5.9% of Moldova’s exports, while the European Union accounted for 67.5%. Moldova’s final withdrawal from the CIS may not, therefore, come as a surprise to its other members. On January 19, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi announced the start of the process to denounce the three core CIS agreements underpinning Moldova’s membership. “We are already in the process of getting approvals for the denunciation of three agreements with the CIS. They are the agreements that form the basis of our affiliation to the CIS, namely: the CIS Statute, the CIS Founding Agreement, and the Annex to this agreement,” Popșoi said. He added that this would mean Moldova was no longer a CIS member legally, while participation had already been suspended de facto. Moldova set a course toward breaking its remaining ties with its Soviet past after the 2020 presidential elections, when new president, Maia Sandu, announced a path toward EU integration and refused to participate in CIS summits. Moldova has spent the past several years unwinding CIS-linked agreements. As of January 2026, Moldovan officials said the country had signed 283 CIS agreements, of which 71 had already been rescinded, and about 60 more were in process. On December 12, 2025, Moldova’s parliament approved the denunciation of the 1992 Bishkek agreement on visa-free travel for CIS citizens. For Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and several other states, visa-free travel with Moldova remains in place under bilateral agreements. Moldovan authorities said the denunciation of the Bishkek agreement would affect...

Freight Industry

Kazakhstan Proposes Creating a Digital Platform Within the EAEU to Coordinate Freight

Kazakhstan has proposed the creation of a unified digital platform for coordinating cargo flows within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov presented the proposal at a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Shymkent. The proposal involves developing an integrated system based on AI that will improve the efficiency of logistics processes across the union. Currently, the EAEU comprises five countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Moldova, Uzbekistan, Cuba, and Iran hold observer status. According to Bektenov, the creation of a unified AI-based platform will reduce cargo delivery times and lower business costs. “In order to fully realize the transit and transport potential of the Union’s member states, it is proposed to create an integrated platform for coordinating cargo flows based on artificial intelligence,” he noted. Kazakhstan is paying particular attention to the digitization of control procedures. In particular, it is proposed to fully transition veterinary and phytosanitary controls to an electronic format. This involves moving away from paper documents and implementing data exchange mechanisms both within the EAEU and with third countries. Kazakhstan is a regional leader in terms of readiness for AI implementation. Further initiatives include the creation of an artificial intelligence fund and an international computing hub.

Electric Vehicles

Kyrgyzstan Seeks Chinese Cooperation to Develop EV Charging Infrastructure

Kyrgyzstan is seeking to collaborate with Chinese companies to develop electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure as part of efforts to modernize its energy sector and promote sustainable transport. On March 25, Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibrayev visited China, where he held a series of meetings with energy and technology companies involved in EV infrastructure development. During the visit, Ibrayev toured a manufacturing facility operated by ShuiFa Group and signed a memorandum of understanding between the Kyrgyz Ministry of Energy and the company. The agreement involves cooperation in energy infrastructure, including the development of EV charging stations and energy storage systems. Officials said the memorandum represents a step toward modernizing Kyrgyzstan’s energy sector and supporting sustainable transport. Ibrayev also met with representatives of NUCL New Energy Technology (GD) Ltd to discuss potential cooperation on EV charging infrastructure and the introduction of modern technologies. The company expressed readiness to work with Kyrgyz authorities. In addition, talks were held with Zhejiang Anfu New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. regarding the possible supply of equipment and the localization of production in Kyrgyzstan These initiatives align with the government’s broader strategy to promote environmentally friendly transport and reduce air pollution in Bishkek and other major cities. The number of electric vehicles in Kyrgyzstan has been rising steadily. According to First Deputy Prime Minister Daniyar Amangeldiev, more than 200 electric vehicles are imported into the country daily under a value-added tax (VAT) exemption scheme. As a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Kyrgyzstan also benefits from an annual quota allowing the duty-free import of up to 15,000 electric vehicles. Despite this growth, EVs still account for a small share of the country’s total vehicle fleet. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision, Kyrgyzstan had more than 1.9 million registered vehicles as of early 2026, a 13% increase compared with 2024. Of these, 972,000 run on gasoline, 339,000 on diesel, 56,900 on gas, and 37,000 are hybrids. Electric vehicles make up about 0.8% of the total, or approximately 15,200 vehicles.

EAEU

EAEU Trade Frictions Deepen Despite Shymkent Integration Push

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) met in Shymkent on March 26-27 with a long agenda and a familiar promise: deeper integration, smoother trade, and a more modern common market. Kazakhstan, which holds the bloc’s 2026 chairmanship, used the meeting to push artificial intelligence, digital logistics, industrial cooperation, and the removal of internal barriers. Twelve documents were signed, covering areas including industrial cooperation, transport, and digital integration. “Kazakhstan aims to become a fully-fledged digital country. We have built a modern ecosystem, including Astana Hub and the Alem.ai AI center, and are ready to share experience with EAEU partners on digital regulation and economic transformation,” Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov stated. That sounds ambitious, but it also highlights the bloc’s central weakness. The EAEU has no shortage of plans; it has a shortage of trust between its members, and that matters more. The dynamics extend across the bloc, but are most visible in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The EAEU was built to ensure the free movement of goods, services, capital, and labor across Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. But the reality keeps drifting away from the treaty. Kazakhstan’s chairmanship agenda calls for a barrier-free internal market, yet the bloc is entering a new phase of tighter controls, retaliatory measures, and disputes over who really benefits. Shymkent made that contradiction impossible to miss. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov promoted an AI-based system to coordinate cargo flows across the union and speed up transit. He also backed the full electronic handling of veterinary and phytosanitary checks, all of which are practical ideas. Central Asia needs faster, cheaper, and more predictable logistics, but digital tools do not solve a political problem. A system becomes more efficient only if its members want it to be open. When they want leverage instead, technology can only make the controls smarter. [caption id="attachment_46024" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Image: primeminister.kz[/caption] Kazakhstan’s priorities already show where the friction lies. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev opened his chairmanship by calling for digital transformation, better transport links, and the elimination of internal trade barriers. He also pushed a stronger external profile for the EAEU, with wider links across Asia, the Arab world, and the Global South. That is a serious agenda for a bloc trying to present itself as a Eurasian logistics hub. That push for external expansion comes at a time when internal frictions are becoming harder to manage. It sits uneasily beside everyday trade practice inside the union, where growing trade disputes have become part of the EAEU’s normal life, not an exception to it. The clearest recent example is Russia’s SPOT import-control system, which takes effect for road shipments from EAEU countries on April 1. Importers must submit shipment information two days before trucks reach the border and receive a QR code. Moscow has presented the change as a tax-compliance and anti-fraud measure, with additional financial guarantees expected in later phases of its implementation. In practice, it adds cost, time, and uncertainty before goods even reach the border, the opposite of what a customs union...