Foreign media on Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan to raise crude oil supply to Germany in 2026; Senate confirms Julie Stufft as Kazakhstan ambassador

Trend News Agency: Eurasian integration enters new phase. What to expect from 'CIS+' format

On October 10, the Council of Heads of CIS States will meet in Dushanbe, focusing on economic cooperation, energy and food security, and digital transformation, Trend News Agency reports. The key topic will be the launch of the new “CIS+” format.

The format is expected to turn the CIS into a platform for concrete regional projects in transport, energy, digital technologies, and humanitarian cooperation. Active participants could include Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan - all driving regional integration.

If implemented, “CIS+” could transform the Commonwealth from a dialogue forum into an open, dynamic organization, strengthening Eurasian connectivity and the CIS’s international profile.

Oilprice.com: Kazakhstan to raise crude oil supply to Germany in 2026

Kazakhstan will increase crude oil exports to Germany next year after KazMunayGas extended its supply deal with Rosneft Deutschland, under German trusteeship since 2022, Oilprice.com reports.

Kazakh crude is supplied to Germany’s Schwedt refinery, which provides 90% of Berlin’s fuel needs. KazMunayGas said it delivered 1.5 million tons to Schwedt in the first nine months of 2025 and agreed to raise monthly deliveries from 100,000 to 130,000 tons in 2026.

At a meeting in Germany, KazMunayGas chairman Askhat Khassenov and Rosneft Deutschland CEO Johannes Bremer discussed expanding cooperation.

Oil for Germany has come from Karachaganak Petroleum Operating BV since 2024, with Tengizchevroil LLP joining in 2025. The launch of Tengizchevroil’s Future Growth Project in January 2025 boosted Kazakhstan’s output by 260,000 barrels per day.

“Kazakhstan is taking all possible efforts to comply with the OPEC+ agreement, and we remain committed to it,” said Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov.

Euronews: Kazakhstan’s quiet revolution: Crypto, AI, and a tech transformation

Once known for its oil and vast steppes, Kazakhstan is now positioning itself as Central Asia’s digital leader - investing in artificial intelligence, digital governance, and crypto assets to reshape its economy, Euronews reports.

“I have set the strategically important task of transforming Kazakhstan into a fully-fledged digital country within three years,” President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in his September address. To achieve this, the government is establishing the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, a national Digital Code, and a law on AI to regulate “high-risk” systems and label AI-generated content. “We should not let ethical norms fall behind this rapid evolution,” Tokayev warned at the UN General Assembly.

Kazakhstan also aims to embed AI in governance and finance. Over 92% of public services are already online, and the digital tenge is being scaled up in national and local budgets. A new State Digital Assets Fund will manage the country’s crypto and digital holdings.

To build human capital, Tokayev announced an AI-focused research university and the Alem.ai International Centre for Artificial Intelligence. Combined with new supercomputers and cross-border partnerships, these steps are designed to make Kazakhstan the digital hub of Eurasia.

Cleveland.com: Senate confirms Ohio native Julie Stufft as Kazakhstan ambassador

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Julie Stufft, an Ohio native and career Foreign Service officer, as the next U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan in a 51–47 vote, Cleveland.com reports.

Stufft previously served as deputy chief of mission in Moldova and Djibouti, and in U.S. missions in Russia, Ethiopia, and Poland. She holds degrees from Case Western Reserve and Duke universities and speaks Russian, Romanian, French, and Polish.

At her confirmation hearing, Stufft thanked her parents “for inspiring me to imagine a big world from our little farm in Wayne County, Ohio.” Senators from both parties praised her distinguished service. Senator Jeanne Shaheen noted that Stufft received “the Distinguished Executive Presidential Rank Award, the highest award granted to a civilian federal employee.”

“If confirmed, my top priority will be to ensure the safety and security of all Americans in Kazakhstan,” Stufft told the Senate. She emphasized expanding U.S. economic engagement with the Central Asian nation: “We’re on the threshold of a new era of commercial and energy cooperation with Kazakhstan… I will work to make the United States more prosperous by fostering deeper bilateral economic ties.”

She also underscored Kazakhstan’s strategic significance. “Russia looms over Kazakhstan across the world’s longest land border, with China trying to dominate the telecommunications and extractive sectors. The United States benefits from a Kazakhstan that is stable, independent, and prosperous.”

Stufft pledged to “work closely with Congress to support America’s growing strategic partnership with Kazakhstan.”

The Times of Central Asia: Jackie Chan to film new “Armour of God” sequel in Kazakhstan

Jackie Chan is set to return to Kazakhstan to film Armour of God: Ultimatum, the fourth installment of his iconic action franchise, The Times of Central Asia reports. The project will be produced in partnership with Kazakhstan’s Salem Entertainment, which confirmed Chan’s visit to Almaty.

Chan visited Almaty in late September to scout filming locations with the Kazakh team. “Most of the production will take place in Kazakhstan. We can’t reveal details yet, but it’s going to be something truly spectacular,” Salem Entertainment added.

The Armour of God series began in 1986, followed by sequels in 1991 and 2012’s Chinese Zodiac, cementing Chan’s global fame.

Chan, known for performing his own stunts, said in an interview with Haute Living: “I always do my own stunts. It’s part of who I am, part of my profession and my identity. That won’t change until I retire. And retirement doesn’t interest me.”

You can read last week’s weekly digest here.