About: Kazakhstan Archives

The five Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan - only recently represented one of the most disconnected regions of the world, but have now launched a new regional cooperation drive. As a non-permanent of the UN Security …

Only a couple of years ago, a summit of the five Central Asia countries would have been absolutely unthinkable. But the leaders came together on Thursday (15 March) and decided to hold such meetings annually, always at the same time of the year, which is a major holiday in the region.

On 2 February 2018, EU and Kazakhstan celebrated the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations, an anchoring point for their close and mutually beneficial cooperation. This infographic highlights the main achievements of these 25 years.

The EU as a soft power should convince other donors to make the funds available to decontaminate old uranium mines in Central Asia, writes Adrian De Meer.

Speaking at a public event organised by EURACTIV in Brussels, EU officials shed light on the Union’s relation with Kazakhstan, saying it was increasingly becoming a model for the wider region of Central Asia.

2018 is an important year for EU-Kazakhstan relations as it marks the 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations and the start of a new chapter with the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Kazakhstan and the EU (EPCA) fully entering into force.

There is a thirst for Europe in Central Asia and much more should be done to answer this interest under existing and new inter-cultural programs, writes Nargis Kassenova.

The Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Kazakhstan and the EU (EPCA) is unique. The European Commission says that the EU’s relationship with Central Asia in general and Kazakhstan in particular “has never been any stronger or any better”.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted on Friday (21 January) the potential of the five countries of Central Asia for addressing the threats of violent extremism and transnational organised crime in Afghanistan. For its part, Kazakhstan has suggested building an economic and security partnership with Afghanistan.

One of the major highlights of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarayev's visit to the US was an exchange of remarks with Donald Trump that suggested the Minsk talks on Ukraine may be moved to the Kazakh capital, Astana.

The President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazabayev is in the US where he met on Tuesday (16 January) with US President Donald Trump. But the main purpose of his visit is a speech at the United Nations where Kazakhstan holds the Presidency of the Security Council for January.

Kazakhstan’s view is that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) should not be a place where decisions are made by the United States, Russia and the European Union with everyone else reduced to the role of spectators, writes Kairat Abdrakhmanov.

MEPs approved a landmark partnership deal with Kazakhstan on Tuesday (12 December), the EU's first Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) with a Central Asian country.

Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and France's Emmanuel Macron will work together to try to persuade the United States to reconsider its decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a Turkish presidential source said on Saturday (9 December).

Kazakhstan is searching for a post-Soviet identity somewhere between its traditional Kazakh and Turkish cultures, Europe and multiculturalism, diplomats have told EURACTIV. But Europe has been slow to forge closer ties with the young country, despite its strategic location and potential.

The ruling elite in Astana acknowledges that continuous efforts are needed to tackle corruption – recognised as “systemic” – and bolster press freedom in Kazakhstan. "But it’s a very subtle balance between democracy and stability”, local politicians argue.

A flurry of diplomatic activity continued in Astana on Wednesday (1 November), marked by the visit of the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, who was awarded a prize for fighting against nuclear proliferation.

This week, EURACTIV reports from Astana about the various mediation efforts of Kazakhstan on the international scene, including the Syria war and the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, as well as the county's initiatives as non-permanent member of the UN Security …

Kazakhstan is ready to continue its role as a facilitator of international dialogue and mediation, Yerzhan Ashikbayev, Kazakhstan’s deputy foreign minister, said as he briefed reporters in Astana on Tuesday (31 October) and answered many questions about the ongoing Syria talks, North Korea and eastern Ukraine.

Next week Almaty, the financial hub of Kazakhstan, will welcome political leaders from Central Asia and OECD member states for the OECD Eurasia Week. Kazakhstan hopes that this event will further strengthen the relations between the Eurasian and the OECD countries, writes Timur Suleimenov.

A Commission official said on Wednesday (4 October) that Kazakhstan was “the living proof” for Central Asia and the EU's neighborhood that it should be possible for those countries to have good relations both with Brussels and Moscow.

Kazakhstan sees the Eurasian Economic Union purely as a means to develop economic relations, while it strives for much deeper integration with its Central Asian neighbours, based on the model of the European Union, Sanat Kushkumbayev told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.

A panel discussion at the Bled Strategic Forum highlighted the experience of West Africa in the common management of the water resources over a large area and progress in improving cooperation in an even larger Central Asia.

Yerzhan Ashikbayev, Kazakhstan's deputy foreign minister, spoke to EURACTIV.com about nuclear disarmament, relations with the big powers and his country’s example when it comes to multiculturalism.