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Israeli Companies Ready to Invest in Construction of Reservoirs in Kazakhstan

Israeli companies have expressed interest in participating in the construction and reconstruction of reservoirs in Kazakhstan as well as their readiness to provide the country with modern flood forecasting and protection systems. The announcement was made during a meeting on August 8 between Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, and a consortium of leading Israeli companies in the field of water resources management, headed by Managing Partner of Value LBH and Chairman of the Board of the investment company Dan Capital, Shimon Ben-Hamo. Discussions focused on potential cooperation in various areas of the water industry, from the construction and reconstruction of water facilities to joint personnel training, as well as the introduction of water-saving technologies, water purification and reuse, drinking water quality control, and automation of water distribution and metering. Reporting on the meeting, Minister Nurzhigitov commented: "Israeli companies have extensive experience and modern technologies for high-quality water management. Some companies have been successfully operating in Kazakhstan for a long time. We intend to achieve the most efficient water use in all sectors, so we count on mutually beneficial cooperation.” The Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation plans to build 20 new reservoirs with a 2.5 billion cubic meters capacity by 2030. Once completed, the project will reduce the country’s dependence on water flowing from upstream Kyrgyzstan and China by 25%, help combat drought in southern Kazakhstan, and reduce the threat of flooding in 70 rural settlements with a total population of nearly 140 thousand people. In addition, irrigation will be provided for a further 250 thousand hectares of farmland. Plans are also in place to reconstruct 15 existing reservoirs with a total capacity of 1.9 billion cubic meters.

Kazakhstan Central Asia Security Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Export/import Economy Legislation

Kazakhstan Launches Battle against Counterfeit Medicines

From 1 July 1, 2024, in an effort to rid the country of counterfeit drugs flooding the local market, labeling of all medicines in Kazakhstan will become mandatory. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every tenth package of medicines distributed in developing countries is counterfeit, and in Kazakhstan, exceeds 10% of the volume of imported medicines. This is not only an economic issue, but one that poses a direct threat to people's lives and the health of the nation. Under the new initiative, all drugs will be assigned an electronic passport detailing both its source and path to the consumer. The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan stated that the key aim of the project is to eradicate illegal trade in medicines, including those used within the state's medical programs and mandatory social health insurance. Confident that mandatory labeling will prove effective in dealing with gray imports in the pharmaceutical market, economist Andrei Chebotarev remarked, "When the manufacturer's goods are labeled, you can trace their route all the way to your home medicine cabinet. Everyone will know, for example, where the pills were produced and how they were imported into the country. At present, there is no guarantee that goods are genuine. Where was this medicine produced? In India, in Germany? It is almost impossible to check the source." In short, he continued, labeling is the surest way of "letting the cat out of the bag." Another positive impact of the introduction of labeling concerns an increase in tax revenues and customs duties. Pharmacies in Kazakhstan already sell drugs labeled with the DataMatrix code. Specialists believe that the pharmaceutical industry is ready to exit the shadow turnover. During the first two months of 2024, almost 5,000 tons of various drugs worth $275.7 million, were imported by Kazakhstan.

Kulibayev UK Nazarbayev Economy Central Asia Banking Kazakhstan Finance

Son-in-Law of Former Kazakh President Nazarbayev Sells His London Mansion

Kazakh billionaire, Timur Kulibayev has sold his mansion in the prestigious London neighborhood of Mayfair for £35 million pounds sterling. The son-in-law of Kazakhstan's former president, Nursultan Nazarbayev is also looking for a buyer for a second house nearby, according to a report in City A.M. The British publication claims that Kulibayev has struck a deal to sell the property to North Wind Capital, an investment company founded by former Deutsche Bank director, Ben Williams. The new owners are planning a large-scale reconstruction of the building. According to City A.M., Kulibayev's mansion on Upper Grosvenor Street was sold at an undervalued price due to the value of luxury real estate taking a significant drop since Brexit. Many London homeowners have already taken substantial losses on investment and residential properties. "Kulibayev has owned two mansions next door to each other for almost 20 years. They are directly opposite the Embassy of Monaco, and just a short walk from Buckingham Palace. Almost all this time, the house which he sold was empty," notes the City A.M. article. In 2024, Timur Kulibayev and his wife Dinara Kulibayeva, daughter of Nursultan Nazarbayev, still sit atop the list of the richest Kazakhs. The combined fortune of the Nazarbayev family is estimated at almost $10 billion.

Kazakhstan Water Disputes Agriculture Economy Uzbekistan Legislation Social

Favorable Water Volumes Forecast for Uzbekistan’s Amu Darya and Syr Darya Rivers

According to the news agency UzA, Uzbekistan's Minister of Water Management Shavkat Hamroyev told a parliamentary hearing that watersheds from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers are forecast as favorable this year. The announcement was made in response to Muqaddas Tirkasheva, a member of the lower house of parliament, who inquired, "water limits are agreed with Central Asian countries every year. Today, when we meet with voters, they often refer to the water shortage. There are concerns about whether the construction of the Qosh Tepa canal will affect the water of Amu Darya. How does this year's forecast volume of water in the Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Zarafshan rivers compare to previous years? What measures are being taken to ensure guaranteed water supply to economic sectors?” Minister Hamroyev continued, "there are agreements among five countries regarding water allocations. Our recent meeting in Shymkent addressed reservoir water levels. Due to this year's precipitation, it's anticipated that water levels in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers will match last year's levels. Projections suggest 85–90% water in the Syr Darya and 90–95% in the Amu Darya compared to historical averages. Our reservoirs currently hold 1.5 billion cubic meters more water than last year."

Legislation Migration Security Central Asia Kazakhstan Russia

Citizens of Kazakhstan Aren’t Being Detained at Borders with Russia, Ministry Claims

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Aibek Smadiyarov, is reassuring its citizens that they can safely visit Russia, stating that the relationship between the two nations is based on the principles of friendship, alliance, and strategic partnership, and are a model of multifaceted interstate cooperation. "We do not observe any problems on the Kazakh-Russian border. Our diplomats in Russia are constantly in contact with local authorities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the border service. Our citizens do not observe any mass detentions or document checks. If they have been stopped or had their documents checked, it is for security purposes," said Smadiyarov at the briefing. He also advised Kazakhstani citizens to observe Russian laws while in the country. Earlier, the foreign ministries of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan recommended that their citizens shouldn't visit Russia without good reason. These statements were made against the backdrop of a tightening on migration controls by the Russian authorities following the March 22 terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall near Moscow. Since then, xenophobic attacks on migrants from Central Asia have been on the rise. According to currenttime.tv, 75% of cafes and restaurants run by Central Asian migrants in Moscow alone have shut since the incident due to police harassment.

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Kazakhstan Forwards Water-Saving Technology

On May 6, the Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation reported on measures being taken to encourage farmers to save and use water more efficiently. The move addresses Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s earlier criticism about the process of introducing water-saving technologies being “extremely slow,” with agricultural sectors in some regions, experiencing annual losses of water of 40%. According to plans set in motion by the ministry, by 2030, the installation of water-saving technologies will provide an annual saving of up to 2.1 cubic kilometres of water on 50% of the country’s irrigated land To date, subsidies for drilling irrigation wells have been increased to 80% of their costs, and in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, work is progressing to increase subsidies for the installation of water-saving systems from 50% to 80% of their costs. In adherence to the new Water Code, the state will provide subsidies and reduced tariffs for water supply depending on the extent to which water-saving technologies are used. Tariffs for irrigation water are set to be calculated according to the types of crops grown and the volume of water required for their production. The ministry is also working to digitalize 3,500 km of irrigation canals in the Almaty, Zhambyl, Kyzylorda, and Turkestan regions in the south of the country, which will improve water metering on 362 thousand hectares of irrigated land and enable a saving up to 600 million cubic meters of water annually.