About: Kazakhstan Archives

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s 2017 address to the nation focused on what he termed a new, third stage of the country’s modernisation. The EU is not only monitoring progress closely, but has an interest to see Kazakhstan as a prosperous, politically-balanced, democratic country in the region.

Chinese President Xi Jingping has praised the "unity" of the Shanghai Cooperation Agreement (SCO) at the opening ceremony of the organization's summit in the coastal Chinese city of Quingdao.

Kazakhstan, the most impressive reformer in the Central Asian region, is set to benefit enormously from China’s Belt and Road initiative as an equal partner, Kate Mallinson of Chatham House said at an international conference marking the 20th anniversary of Astana, on 5 June.

Wheels are in motion to set up a Hong Kong-type financial hub in Kazakhstan, following the unveiling of plans by the governor of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) at an international conference marking the 20th anniversary of Astana, on 5 June.

An international conference was held in Astana on Tuesday (5 June) to mark the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan's new capital. Dubbed Tselinograd during Soviet times, it was renamed Astana (meaning capital city in Kazakh) in 1998 and is now rebranding itself as a go-to venue for international mediation talks.

Astana is celebrating its 20th anniversary as capital of Kazakhstan. A remarkable city with futuristic buildings, Astana has positioned itself as a centre that hosts many important events and is developing as a financial hub in Eurasia.

Kazakhstan is developing its digital technologies in many fields, such as the economy, agriculture or administration, and the Central Asian country also wants to become a pioneer in digital innovation, with the creation of technology hubs and parks.

Back from the Kazakhstan-EU Parliamentary Cooperation Committee held in Astana on 14 May, Latvian MEP Iveta Grigule-Pēterse debriefed of the event, with some telling messages about the work of certain NGOs.

“Wherever I have been, I always say with pride that I live in a country that was one of the first to give up nuclear weapons”, Kazakhstan's famous painter and anti-nuclear activist Karipbek Kuyukov told EURACTIV in an interview.

EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini arrived in the Uzbek capital Tashkent yesterday (26 March) and met with the foreign ministers of the five Central Asian countries, ahead of a conference on Afghanistan under the heading "Peace process, security cooperation and regional connectivity" which takes place today.

The European Union’s scientific research centre has explored the idea of linking the power grids of Europe and China, in order to tap into the immense clean energy potential of the Middle Kingdom and the countries of Central Asia.

Kazakhstani political analyst Zhumabek Sarabekov discusses the Skripal poisoning case, the war in Syria, and the geopolitics of Central Asia, including the role of the EU.

A change at the helm of Uzbekistan 18 months ago became a game-changer and greatly improved relations in Central Asia, where the personality factor remains very important. In an interview, researcher Anastassiya Reshetnyak assesses the geopolitical situation, relations in the region and with the EU.

In a wide-ranging interview, Galymzhan Koisybayev, deputy minister of foreign affairs of Kazakhstan, told EURACTIV about the results of a recent summit of the Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan) and the past and the future of regional cooperation.

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.