Foreign media on Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan seeks to deepen IT and AI cooperation with Türkiye; KTZ secures $540 million loan to upgrade Trans-Kazakhstan Railway Corridor

TRT Global: Kazakhstan seeks to deepen IT and AI cooperation with Türkiye, Tokayev says

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has expressed readiness to expand strategic cooperation with Türkiye in information technologies and artificial intelligence, TRT Global reports.

Speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday, Tokayev said, “We have placed special importance on developing information technologies together,” stressing that digital innovation is now vital for modern economies.

Congratulating Erdogan on the successful 17th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF 2025) in Istanbul, he noted: “Türkiye’s achievements in military technologies were presented in a very impressive way and received praise from international experts. Developing IT and leveraging digital tools in various sectors of the economy is now a necessity, not a choice.”

Tokayev highlighted Kazakhstan’s own progress in IT and AI infrastructure, expressing hope that “there are great opportunities ahead of us to expand the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Türkiye.”

Daily Sabah: Türkiye, Kazakhstan discuss increase of oil exports via BTC pipeline

According to Daily Sabah, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday discussed prospects for increasing Kazakhstan’s oil exports through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, Tokayev’s press service reported.

“The delegations discussed issues of cooperation in the energy sector, including prospects for increasing exports via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline,” the statement said, without further details.

The talks, held in Ankara during a meeting of the two countries’ high-level strategic cooperation council, also addressed cooperation in power generation, agriculture and mining. Erdoğan and Tokayev oversaw the signing of 20 agreements, including deals in energy and mining.

Kazakhstan boosted oil exports via BTC by 12% in the first half of 2025 to 785,000 tons. Oil is shipped to Baku from Aktau by tankers, with port upgrades needed to raise volumes.

Türkiye’s Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the agreements aim to expand joint projects “from oil and gas exploration and production to electricity and renewable energy,” and promote mining partnerships to “stimulate exploration and production.”

Kazakhstan’s state oil company KazMunayGas and Türkiye’s TPAO also signed a deal to jointly explore and develop hydrocarbon fields, deepening their strategic energy partnership.

The Times of Central Asia: KTZ secures $540 million loan to upgrade Trans-Kazakhstan Railway Corridor

Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) has obtained a syndicated loan of up to 480 million Swiss francs (about $540 million) for three years, arranged by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and Deutsche Bank, The Times of Central Asia reports.

KTZ said the funds will finance construction of the Moiynty–Kyzylzhar section, upgrades to congested rail segments, and debt refinancing. The projects target faster delivery times, lower logistics costs, and stronger transit capacity along the Trans-Kazakhstan Railway Corridor — a key link between China and Europe.

More than 80% of overland freight from China to Europe already passes through Kazakhstan via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, or Middle Corridor. Freight volumes on this route grew 60% in 2024 to 4.5 million tons, with Kazakhstan aiming to double the figure to 10 million tons by 2030.

United24Media: Despite sanctions, EU allows Kazakhstan to export coal through Russian ports

Kazakhstan has reached an agreement with the European Commission to lift restrictions on the transit of its coal through Russian ports, the Ministry of Trade and Integration announced on July 29, United24Media reports.

The ban, imposed under the EU’s 16th sanctions package in February 2025, had threatened supplies to Europe via the Ust-Luga port. Following negotiations under the 18th package, the EU agreed to exempt certain Russian ports, provided the coal is of exclusively Kazakh origin, owned by non-residents of sanctioned states, and only transits without local purchase or production.

In 2024, Kazakhstan’s coal exports to the EU dropped to 5.2 million tons from 6.1 million tons. Between January and May 2025, they totalled 1.6 million tons.

“Despite the temporary decline in numbers, the measures taken offer hope for the recovery of Kazakhstan’s coal exports to the EU and for the strengthening of logistics routes,” the ministry said.

Travel Tomorrow: Kazakhstan set to open visa-free entry to citizens of 56 countries

According to Travel Tomorrow, Kazakhstan will allow citizens of 56 countries to enter without a visa, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced. Stays are limited to 30 days per visit and 90 days in a 180-day period. Indian and Iranian citizens may visit for up to 14 days, not exceeding 42 days in six months.

As part of closer ties with Türkiye, Turkish citizens can now stay visa-free for 90 days in a 180-day period. The ministry said the measures aim to “promote a favourable investment and tourism climate through active economic diplomacy.”

The move follows other steps to attract visitors and investors, including the Neo Nomad visa for remote professionals and a one-year multiple-entry Digital Nomad visa for IT specialists.

More than 7.5 million foreign visitors came to Kazakhstan in the first half of 2025, up 8.7% year-on-year.

LineaTempo: Abai, the poet of the Kazakhs (Part I)

An article on Kazakh poet Abai Kunanbayev has been published in the April 2025 issue of Italy’s cultural and historical magazine LineaTempo.

Titled “Abai, the Poet of the Kazakhs” and written by Italian philologist Fiorenza Boschi, the first part covers Abai’s childhood, education, family influence, and his rethinking of Kazakh traditions in favour of humanistic values. The author analyses his style, referencing the works of Mukhtar Auezov.

“My acquaintance with Abai began by chance: in 2023, I came across a book translated into Italian… I became truly fascinated by this unique personality,” Boschi said. She added that “through his ‘seeing heart’, Abai helps us look into the human soul… His poetry is deeply rooted in the history and culture of the Kazakh people, but it feels the breath of world literature.”

Boschi plans a new literary translation of Abai’s works. LineaTempo, founded in 1997, is known for high-level publications on history, literature, philosophy, and art.

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