Foreign media on Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan’s top judge courts closer EU ties amid push for legal reforms; Kazakhstan says oil output levels decided by national interest, not OPEC+

Euronews: Kazakhstan’s top judge courts closer EU ties amid push for legal reforms

Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Court is helping drive a modernization agenda aimed at deepening ties with the EU, its chair Elvira Azimova told Euronews during a visit to Strasbourg. Her trip was part of the “follow-up” to the recent EU-Central Asia Summit, she said, with meetings planned with “practically all the key European institutions except the European Commission,” to foster “multilateral cooperation.”

The outreach comes as Kazakhstan seeks to showcase reforms. Reinstated in 2023 after a constitutional referendum, the Court has already reviewed around 70 cases for compliance with national and international law, Azimova noted. She cited President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s “Fair Kazakhstan” agenda: “We are building a state that hears, that listens to its population.” Areas like digitalisation, green technology, and AI are seen as key to future EU cooperation, though legal adaptation will be necessary.

Kazakhstan remains under scrutiny for human rights issues and limited judicial independence. Azimova stressed the Court’s commitment to domestic and international law, highlighting ambitions to join European conventions on women’s rights and cybercrime. “It is important to ensure that legislation would be properly and comprehensively applied,” she said.

Amid growing geopolitical competition in Central Asia, Azimova called for greater EU engagement: “We hope that the EU will also take a step forward towards Kazakhstan.”

Reuters: Exclusive: Kazakhstan says oil output levels decided by national interest, not OPEC+

Kazakhstan will prioritise national interests over OPEC+ obligations when setting oil production levels, new energy minister Erlan Akkenzhenov told Reuters, escalating tensions with the group. Kazakhstan, which produces about 2% of global oil, has repeatedly exceeded OPEC+ quotas, angering members like Saudi Arabia.

Akkenzhenov said Kazakhstan would “adjust our actions” but ultimately “act in accordance with national interests with all the ensuing consequences.” He added: “Act only in accordance with national interests.”

Kazakhstan struggles to cut output at major projects like Tengiz, Kashagan, and Karachaganak, which are controlled by Western companies including Chevron, Exxon, Eni, and Shell. “We can’t. We don't control these processes there,” Akkenzhenov said. These projects account for 70% of Kazakhstan’s oil production.

While the energy ministry reiterated Kazakhstan’s commitment to OPEC+ as “an important tool for ensuring global stability,” oil output still exceeded quotas in April despite a 3% drop from March.

Kazakhstan pledged to compensate for overproduction until June 2026 and plans to export 1.2 million barrels per day via the CPC pipeline. It may also boost exports to Germany via Russia’s Druzhba pipeline, pending Moscow’s approval.

Aljazeera: Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft brings NASA, Russia astronauts back to earth

According to Aljazeera, US astronaut Donald Pettit and Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Wagner have returned to Earth after a seven-month ISS mission, landing in Kazakhstan on Pettit’s 70th birthday. Their Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft touched down near Dzhezkazgan at 6:20am local time, NASA and Roscosmos confirmed.

After 220 days in orbit, completing 3,520 Earth laps and 93.3 million miles, the crew was moved to Karaganda for recovery, with NASA reporting Pettit in good health. Pettit researched 3D printing, water sanitization, plant growth, and fire behavior during the mission.

Lonely planet: A Central Asian road trip from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan

Photographer Carlotta Cardana set off on a road trip through Central Asia, exploring Kyrgyzstan’s rugged landscapes and post-Soviet charm, Lonely planet reports.

In summer 2024, she set out with a group of friends on a road trip across the entire length of Kyrgyzstan, from Almaty, Kazakhstan, to the Uzbekistan border. Cardana did enough research before heading out to know that they didn’t need visas for a trip under 30 days. “Due to the many unpaved roads across the countryside and a language barrier – most people in the area only speak either Russian, Kyrgyz, Kazakh or Uzbek – we decided that the most efficient way to travel would be hiring a local guide with a car and some English knowledge.” They covered 850 miles together over seven days.

“The guide knew the roads very well and had a car that could withstand the dirt roads. He was also experienced and aware that Western tourists might not appreciate the local adrenaline-raising driving style,” she said. “We spent a lot of time in a car, but traveling independently meant that we could stop anytime if we saw anything that triggered our attention,” said Cardana.

“In my experience, the most interesting things and encounters are to be found in between the main destinations. As a travel photographer, it is very important for me to be able to stop whenever something catches my eye.”

Minex forum: Kazakhstan to auction 50 gold and rare metal deposits in June 2025

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Construction has announced an electronic auction in June 2025 for exploration and production rights to 50 gold and rare metal deposits, Minex forum reports. Speaking at the MINEX Kazakhstan forum, Ministry official Almas Kushumov said the auction will offer sites with confirmed reserves of gold, coal, rare metals, and polymetals.

All procedures will be handled online through the Unified Subsoil Use Platform, with licenses valid for up to 25 years. Companies from the US, EU, and China have already shown strong interest. The full list of deposits will be published soon.

Kazakhstan, with over 9,000 registered deposits, is prioritizing new exploration to update aging geological data. Reforms under the 2018 Subsoil Code have tripled private investment in the sector. Meanwhile, state-owned Tau-Ken Samruk is advancing exploration at the Kuirektykol rare earth site, aiming to boost Kazakhstan’s global role in rare metals production.

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