Foreign media on Kazakhstan: New Constitution takes effect, snap parliamentary election set for Aug. 23

Reuters: New Kazakhstan constitution takes effect as political transition gathers pace

According to Reuters, Kazakhstan’s new Constitution entered into force on Wednesday, marking the start of sweeping political reforms, including the creation of the post of Vice President and the election of a new, smaller Parliament in August.

Addressing Parliament, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said the reforms would reshape the country's political system.

"We intend to carry out a major overhaul of the foundation of Kazakh statehood, the foundation and load-bearing structures of the country's independence," he said.

The Constitution, approved by referendum in March, was drafted within weeks and has fueled speculation over Kazakhstan's political future. The new Vice President will become first in line to succeed Tokayev, whose single presidential term ends in 2029.

Political analyst Rustam Burnashev described the constitutional changes as "a new mechanism for handing over power from the second president to the third."

Euronews: Kazakhstan looks to boost oil exports via Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline after Georgia talks in Astana

Kazakhstan and Georgia agreed to deepen economic and strategic cooperation during talks in Astana, with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announcing plans to increase oil exports through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, Euronews reports.

"We plan to increase oil shipments through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. Work is already underway within the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation," Tokayev said.

The leaders also discussed expanding cooperation in transport, agriculture, investment, digital technologies and tourism as Kazakhstan continues to develop the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.

Tokayev noted that Kazakhstan has invested more than $500 million in Georgia and proposed a bilateral roadmap covering key sectors.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze described Kazakhstan as "a very important partner for Georgia" and welcomed the strategic partnership.

The visit concluded with the signing of a Joint Statement on Strategic Partnership and three memoranda on culture, AI and digital development, and tourism.

Reuters: Kazakhstan to hold snap parliamentary election on Aug. 23

Kazakhstan will hold a snap parliamentary election on Aug. 23 under a decree signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as the country's new Constitution entered into force, Reuters reports.

The new Constitution replaces the previous bicameral legislature with a smaller, unicameral Parliament and creates the post of vice president, which is expected to be filled after the election.

The vote is part of Tokayev's broader political reform agenda following the constitutional changes approved by referendum in March.

Modern Diplomacy: Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in the race for rare earths strategic cooperation in Central Asia

As trade tensions between the United States and China continue to reshape global supply chains, Central Asia is emerging as a strategic source of rare earths and other critical minerals, with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan seeking a larger role in the sector, Modern Diplomacy reports.

Rather than remaining suppliers of raw materials, the two countries are moving toward deeper cooperation in exploration, processing and investment.

Within one month in April, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan held two ministerial-level meetings on rare earth cooperation, agreed on a joint framework for geological exploration, and launched plans for projects worth $1 billion.

The partnership builds on agreements reached by Presidents Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who identified rare earth metals as a priority for bilateral cooperation. The leaders emphasized the "significant potential of joint exploration, extraction and processing of rare earth elements," which is essential for high-tech industries, including artificial intelligence and the space sector.

The Times of Central Asia: Kazakhstan expects to double renewable energy capacity by 2029

According to The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan expects to fully meet domestic electricity demand by early 2027 and achieve a stable power surplus by 2029 as new generation capacity comes online, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said.

Kazakhstan's installed generation capacity currently stands at 27.1 GW, including 3.8 GW from renewable energy sources.

"By 2029, 13.3 GW of new capacity will be commissioned. Of this volume, 12.56 GW will come from entirely new generation facilities, while 0.74 GW will replace existing capacity," Akkenzhenov said.

He added that the new facilities "will allow us to fully meet the economy's electricity demand starting from early 2027, followed by a surplus."

The additional generation is also expected to support energy-intensive artificial intelligence infrastructure and large data centers. Under the government's plan, 5.9 GW of the new capacity will come from renewable energy sources.

CGTN: China's homegrown 'flying hospital' debuts in Kazakhstan

China's domestically developed C909 medical aircraft made its Central Asian debut on Thursday at the 21st Kazakhstan-China Commodity Exhibition in Almaty, CGTN reports.

The medical jet features a reconfigurable cabin designed for in-flight medical treatment, emergency care and patient evacuation. The C909 aircraft is also available in business, cargo, emergency command and firefighting variants.

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