Kazakhstan Pledges $25 Million to Extend Partnership With IMF Regional Center
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has pledged $25 million to extend its partnership with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) through the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Mongolia Regional Capacity Development Center, based in Almaty, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva announced on LinkedIn.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and Timur Suleimenov sign an agreement for the extended partnership.…
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AI can learn more about us than we ever explicitly share. As AI systems grow more powerful, who controls our personal data, and how can privacy be protected?

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Kazakhstan Puts Forward New Initiatives on Security, Energy and Digital Cooperation at CICA Summit in Baku
ASTANA — Kazakhstan proposes expanding the agenda of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) to include artificial intelligence (AI), preventive diplomacy, water cooperation and regional transport connectivity, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at the seventh CICA summit in Baku on Oct. 15.

Tokayev sets out priorities for CICA’s transformation at…
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Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan Launch 380-Kilometer Trans-Caspian Fiber-Optic Cable
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have launched a 380-kilometer fiber-optic communication line across the Caspian Sea, creating a new digital link intended to connect Central Asia and China with Europe and strengthen the region’s telecommunications infrastructure.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev took part in the launch ceremony of the fiber-optic…
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Satellite Solutions for Food Security
Global food security faces a number of pressures, including conflict, climate change, pollution and overexploitation. North and Central Asia is a region at risk, with human activity contributing to significant levels of desertification in drylands and other fragile biomes. Agriculture is a major source of employment in the region,…
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Middle Corridor Could Add $58 Billion to Regional GDP by 2040, World Bank Says
ASTANA – The Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor could increase the combined gross domestic product of countries along the route by 3.3% and generate around two million jobs by 2040 if governments invest in infrastructure and improve cross-border coordination, according to a World Bank report presented in Astana on Oct. 15.

Photo credit: cnsphoto

“The Trans-Caspian…
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Kazakhstan Calls for Restraint, Diplomacy to Prevent Further Escalation in Middle East
ASTANA — Kazakhstan called on all parties in the Middle East to exercise maximum restraint and prioritize dialogue and diplomacy, reaffirming its support for a two-state solution and the need to prevent further escalation.

Kairat Umarov. Photo credit: Foreign Ministry

Kazakhstan’s position was presented by Permanent Representative to the United Nations Kairat Umarov during…
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Kazakhstan Joins World Bank Initiative to Attract $20 Billion in Minerals Investment
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has become the first country in Central Asia to join the World Bank Group’s Metals and Minerals Compact, a partnership aimed at attracting around $20 billion in investment by 2031 and expanding the country’s mineral resource base and processing capacity.

Photo credit: Shutterstock

The official accession ceremony took place on Oct.…
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Experts See New Opportunities for Central Asia-Azerbaijan Cooperation in C6 Format
ASTANA – The emerging C6 cooperation format, bringing Azerbaijan and the five Central Asian countries together, could strengthen regional trade, transport connectivity and investment, but its success will depend on turning political commitments into concrete projects, experts said during an online webinar on Oct. 15.

Photo credit: turkmenistan.gov.tm

The discussion examined the implications of…
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What’s On This Weekend: Art, Ballet and Tennis
ASTANA – From the surreal world of Belgian painter James Ensor to a ballet exploring the search for meaning, Kazakhstan’s mid-October calendar brings together art, live performances and sporting events. Here’s what’s happening this weekend in Astana and Almaty.

Photo credit: Shutterstock

Astana

“Between Mask and Reality” art exhibition, Oct.16 — Jan.13

Discover…
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From Saiga Recovery to Caspian Seal Decline, Tokayev Outlines Kazakhstan’s Biodiversity Agenda
ASTANA — Kazakhstan is seeking international support for a fund to protect rare species and conserve biodiversity, while proposing Almaty as the host city for a regional office of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at a Leaders’ Summit ahead of the UN biodiversity conference COP17 in Yerevan on…
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Kazakhstan’s New Digital Code: What It Means for Your Data

Kazakhstan’s Digital Code introduces new rights for citizens over their personal data, including the ability to seek its deletion or restrict how it is processed.
Aliya Ospanova, Director General of the Digital Government Support Center, explains why data security is becoming essential in the age of AI.

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News Digest: Foreign Media on Kazakhstan’s Regional Ties, AI Rules and Middle Corridor Plans
ASTANA — The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest covers Kazakhstan’s partnerships with Azerbaijan and Belgium, proposed AI rules for newsrooms, and plans to expand Middle Corridor logistics infrastructure.

Almaty. Photo credit: Almaty’s city administration.

President Ilham Aliyev meets with Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and…
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Belgian Royals, Caspian Cable, 100M Ton Transit Goal: Kazakhstan News Digest

From a Belgian royal state visit to a new digital connection across the Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan is strengthening its ties with Europe and expanding its role in Eurasian trade.

In this week’s Kazakhstan News Digest, The Astana Times looks at the key developments shaping the country’s international partnerships, digital infrastructure and transport ambitions.

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IMF Expects Kazakhstan’s Inflation to Ease and Economic Growth to Accelerate in 2027
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s inflation is projected to decline to 8.2% in 2027, while economic growth is expected to accelerate to 4.9%, according to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) latest World Economic Outlook, released Oct. 13 at the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok.

Photo credit: Shutterstock

The IMF forecasts inflation to fall…
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Kazakhstan, Cambodia Seek to Expand Trade and Explore New Investment Opportunities, Ambassador Says
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Cambodia are seeking to turn political dialogue into tangible economic outcomes by expanding agricultural exports, strengthening business ties and exploring transport and technology partnerships, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos said ahead of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet’s visit to Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos Kanat…
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