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International companies have invested approximately $23.7 million in geological exploration in Kazakhstan, according to the Ministry of Industry and Construction. The government hopes this investment will help enhance the country’s exploration maturity and identify promising mineral deposits.

«Among Kazakhstan’s strategic partners are Rio Tinto Mining and Exploration Limited (UK), FQM Kazakhstan Limited and Arras Minerals Corp. (Canada), Sarytogan Graphite Limited, Hidden Owl Pty Ltd, IG Asia LLC (Australia/Singapore), Esan (Turkey) and many other international entities from Europe. These companies have obtained licenses for the exploration of solid minerals and have already invested about $23.7 million in...

The Almaty Social Entrepreneurial Corporation has allocated 311 land plots for the establishment of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Funded by local investors, the project will enable the creation of more than 600 new parking spaces for EV charging by the year-end, according to the city’s administration.

Each EV charging station with a power output of at least 60 kilowatts will serve two parking spots. Once all stations are operational, 622 EVs will be able to charge simultaneously.

Kazakhstani companies that successfully pass the bidding contest will become investors in the project. Meanwhile, the minimum investment required to install one...

Starting in June, Kazakhstanis will be able to transfer money between banks using only their mobile phones. According to Binur Zhalenov, adviser to the chair of the National Bank, five banks — including Halyk Bank and Freedom Bank — will participate in the initial rollout.

The interbank mobile money transfer system, developed by the National Bank, began testing in November 2024. As of now, the regulator is gradually connecting commercial banks to the system. The service is operated by the National Payment Corporation, which has already signed agreements with nine banks: Halyk Bank, Bank CenterCredit, Freedom Bank, Bank RBK, Altyn...

Adilbek Mussin, one of Kazakhstan’s top swimmers, narrowly missed a podium finish at the prestigious Mare Nostrum tournament in Barcelona. The 25-year-old swimmer finished fourth in the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 52.54 seconds, just one-hundredth of a second behind bronze medalist Ulises Cazau of Argentina (52.53).

Switzerland’s Noe Ponti took gold in the event with a time of 51.05 seconds. Roman Shevlyakov of Russia, competing under a neutral flag, claimed silver (52.23).

Mussin holds Kazakhstan’s national records in the 50-meter (23.40), 100-meter (51.68) and 200-meter (1:58.58) butterfly.

Also representing Kazakhstan, 19-year-old Xenia Ignatova reached the finals on the...

Senator Andrei Lukin proposed that Kazakhstan move beyond being merely a lessor of the Baikonur Cosmodrome to becoming a full-fledged participant in the global space industry. The senator has submitted a corresponding inquiry to Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov.

Lukin believes it is high time for Kazakhstan to construct its own space rocket. Although the country possesses unique infrastructure and base, it currently plays the role of a lessor and has yet to unlock its full potential, the senator emphasized.

To create a small-lift launch vehicle, the senator suggests utilizing the resources of the National Space Center and the space vehicle...

By 2030, the demand for commercial gas in Kazakhstan is expected to double, according to Aidyn Akan, Chief Financial Officer at QazaqGaz National Company, a subsidiary of the state-owned holding Samruk-Kazyna.

«Demand for gas is growing rapidly in Kazakhstan; it will double by 2030, which is why we have to make decisions regarding new sources of gas. There is no single recipe. First and foremost, we’re talking about exploration and production,» he said during the annual S&P Global Commodity Insights Astana Market Briefing.

As the official noted, although Kazakhstan is widely known as an oil-producing...

In April 2025, Kazakhstan’s automotive manufacturing proved resilient despite a slight decrease in output. According to recent data from Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics, cited by the Kazakhstan Automobile Union, Kazakhstani enterprises manufactured 13,886 vehicles in April. This is a 1.4% year-on-year (YoY) decline compared to 14,062 units in the same month last year. The value of vehicles produced, however, rose from 172.2 billion tenge (around $337.4 million) last year to 196.3 billion tenge ($384.6 million), with the automotive industry accounting for a 41.5% share in the total volume of machinery manufacturing. Meanwhile, truck production dropped by 13%.

Over the...

Prices for Kazakhstani oil, which is being exported in growing volumes to the global market, may decline, according to Dex Wang, director of strategy development at S&P Global Commodity Insights, a leading provider of energy and commodities market intelligence.

During the annual S&P Global Commodity Insights Astana Market Briefing on May 21, Wang said that more CPC Blend crude (oil transported via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium) will be entering the global market. While this benefits buyers of light crude grades, it poses challenges for Kazakhstan. In June, volumes could reach up to 1.7 million barrels per day (mbpd), a significant...

The Mazhilis, the lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament, has adopted a draft law ratifying an agreement between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan on promoting mutual investment and their reciprocal protection. The document was presented to MPs by Kazakhstan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Kuantyrov during a briefing.

During the draft law discussion, MPs asked the official to clarify the agreement’s targeted areas and elaborate on Kazakhstan’s intended investments.

«The agreement covers key areas, including energy, agriculture, infrastructure projects and manufacturing. In particular, Kazakhstan is interested in importing Turkmen gas. This is the reason behind expanding existing pipelines, as well...

Georgia has not provided an official explanation for a recent spike in entry refusals for Kazakhstani citizens, according to Kazakhstan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Kuantyrov.

Kuantyrov acknowledged that every country has the right to control its borders and restrict entry. However, he said Kazakhstani diplomats remain unaware of the reasons for the rise in entry refusals. Georgian officials have not disclosed any specifics.

«We are in close contact with Georgia. Once we actively raised the issue, the number of refusals dropped significantly,» Kuantyrov said. «So, the Georgian side is responsive, and we are maintaining our working...

The national postal services operator KazPost has obtained the status of a trading participant on the International Trading System (ITS), as reported by the platform. From now on, KazPost’s clients will be able to buy and sell securities traded on ITS.

Under the arrangement, KazPost will act as a broker. The company already holds brokerage, banking and dealer licenses with the right of nominee holder, along with a license for transfer-agent services.

KazPost has been offering services for cashing out fiat money from crypto wallets and depositing money into them within the jurisdiction of the Astana International Financial Centre...

A court in Kazakhstan has ruled Air Astana must pay 2 million tenge (approximately $4,000) in compensation to the mother of a child who was abandoned for two days at an airport in Turkey, attorney Danilkhan Shagatayev posted on Telegram.

The incident occurred in December last year. A 10-year-old Kazakhstani citizen was traveling from Almaty to a football training camp in Antalya, Turkey. Upon arrival at the airport, he was unable to pass through border control as he couldn’t find his passport. As a result, the boy was sent to a detention room, where he was held alone for two...

In their second match at the 2025 Asia Rugby Women’s Championship in Fukuoka, Japan, Kazakhstan’s national team fell to Hong Kong (12-29).

Kazakhstan opened the tournament with a heavy 0-90 loss to Japan, the six-time continental champions. With only three teams competing in this year’s championship — Japan, Hong Kong and Kazakhstan — the match against Hong Kong effectively determined the silver and bronze medalists.

Hong Kong led 17-0 at halftime. After the break, Kazakhstan managed to score its first points of the tournament but ultimately came up short, losing 12-29. The outcome marked a reversal of the 2023 home...

Nostrum Oil & Gas PLC, the U.K.-based oil and gas exploration company operating in Kazakhstan, has published its financial report for Q1 2025 on its website. The key findings include a 40.9% year-on-year (YoY) increase in oil production to 16,830 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), although the company’s revenue declined to $30 million, compared to $31.8 million in 2024.    

«Revenue of US$30.0 million (Q1 2024: US$31.8 million). The increase in titled production and processed volumes from Ural O&G [Ural Oil & Gas LLP] feedstock as well as production from well No. 301 had...

Kazatomprom, Kazakhstan’s national nuclear company, has not reported corporate events to the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) since October 2024 and no longer provides information on its ownership structure, according to the company’s response to a recent inquiry from Kursiv.media. The company said the change aligns with KASE’s internal rules for issuers under a simplified listing regime.

As of Oct. 1, 2024, Kazatomprom’s profile on the KASE website listed its primary stakeholders as Samruk-Kazyna (62.99%), Citibank as a nominee holder (24.32%) and Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Finance (12.01%). That update reflected a deal finalized earlier, in which 12.01% of Kazatomprom’s shares were...

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Labor and Social Protection plans to restrict the number of top-level managerial positions available to foreigners without local authority approval to just two. The corresponding draft resolution has been posted on the legalacts.egov.kz portal.

Only the brief version of the draft is available for public consideration, which will continue until June 2.

In order to prevent illegal migration, the agency clarified the two positions that foreigners can hold without special approval and outside of quotas. These are chief executive officer and their deputy (not more than one).

Foreign residents may hold these positions without approval from local...

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Education has received a complaint from a citizen, Assel Taukhan, who raised concerns about the inclusion of majors such as Islamic studies, theology and hadith studies in the registry of technical and vocational professions.

Taukhan argues that classifying these disciplines, offered at colleges (vocational schools) and madrassas, as technical education contradicts Kazakhstan’s constitution and its law on secular education. She believes the religious nature of these subjects is incompatible with technical education and says she is prepared to file a lawsuit if her demands are not met.

The issue has drawn significant attention. Asset Mukhanbetov, head of...

PepsiCo has decided to double its investment in the construction of a Lay’s chips plant in the Almaty region, according to a statement from the press service of Kazakhstan’s government. The announcement follows Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov’s meeting with David Manzini, president of Russia and the CIS at PepsiCo, which is building its largest plant in Central Asia.

In June 2024, PepsiCo announced its initial plan to allocate $160 million to the project. Now, the company intends to nearly double this investment to increase potato processing capacity threefold — from 70,000 to 210,000 tons — yielding approximately 70,000 tons of...

Amid an incident involving accusations against a music teacher of an inappropriate relationship with a minor in the Almaty region, reporters raised the issue of the necessity of introducing sex education in Kazakhstan. During a government briefing, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Education Gani Beisembayev addressed the issue, stating that such education is a matter of parental responsibility rather than part of the school curriculum.

Commenting on the incident, the minister described it as blatant and unacceptable.

«Our response was immediate. As you know, we have an algorithm designed to protect children’s rights and provide for their safety...

A subsidiary of Mangystau Power B.V., responsible for the construction of a hybrid power station in the town of Zhanaozen, Mangystau region, will build a substation and a power line to deliver electricity from the new 247-megawatt hybrid station to the national grid. This additional infrastructure means the overall project will be completed later than initially planned. KazMunayGas (KMG) had previously announced that the power station would be fully operational by the end of 2025. However, no reason for the delay has been disclosed.

The construction of the hybrid power station is scheduled to begin this year and is now...

A delegation from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy recently visited the U.S., where Vice Minister Sungat Yessimkhanov held talks with U.S.-based companies Tesla and Peak Energy.

During the visit, Kazakh officials toured Tesla production facilities and expressed interest in the company’s energy storage systems. Discussions focused on the potential for joint projects and the supply of Tesla equipment to Kazakhstan.

«The delegation from Kazakhstan reviewed the production process for energy storage equipment and held talks on the potential supply of such systems for domestic use, as well as opportunities for joint projects,» the ministry said in a...

In the first quarter of 2025, Tajikistan’s banking sector experienced strong growth, with assets increasing by 38% year-on-year and the loan portfolio expanding by 22%. This growth was broad-based, spanning nearly all banking activities and market participants. New entrants are also joining the competitive landscape, adding momentum to the sector’s expansion. Despite high penetration of digital solutions, Tajik banks have yet to establish full digital ecosystems, a challenge the market is expected to address in the medium term.

Monetary policy and the financial sector

Assets

Loans

Deposits

Return on equity

Monetary policy and the...

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed into law the ratification of an agreement with the U.S., granting the American government a 49-year leasehold allotment in Almaty, according to the press service of Akorda, the official residence and workplace of the president of Kazakhstan.

This site, located in one of the most prestigious parts of the city, covers an area of 70,500 square meters and will house the U.S. consular office. The U.S. must pay Kazakhstan a lease fee of $25.3 million for the site.

Currently, the allotment — located within the block bounded by Zhamakayev and...

Authorities in Beijing have proposed that Moscow expand its oil supply going to China through Kazakhstan by 2.5 million tons per year, as reported by the Interfax news agency, citing Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Alexander Novak.

«This is a proposal by the Chinese side, and we are ready to deliver this new supply once all necessary technical issues are resolved,» Novak said.

He also noted that before any firm decision, preliminary work in the sphere of expanding pipeline capacity should be completed, and this «work is already underway.»

In early May, the Russian government...