Foreign media on Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan declines BRICS membership, prioritizes UN engagement, Telegram to open an office in Kazakhstan

EU Today: Kazakhstan declines BRICS membership, prioritizes UN engagement

EU Today reports that Kazakhstan has no immediate plans to join BRICS, despite having received offers to do so, according to Berik Uali, the advisor and press secretary to the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Uali emphasized that Kazakhstan is unlikely to submit an application for BRICS membership, citing the complex and multi-tiered process involved in evaluating such a move, as well as various factors related to the bloc’s development prospects.

According to Berik Uali, President Tokayev had considered the offers from the perspective of Kazakhstan’s national interests. However, he has chosen to prioritize engagement with the United Nations, which he views as a more universal and irreplaceable organization for addressing key global issues.

“For now, the UN remains the platform where Kazakhstan believes all pressing international challenges should be discussed,” Uali added.

Tokayev is also advocating for reforms within the UN Security Council, a stance he believes aligns with the interests of “middle powers” like Kazakhstan. He has previously expressed concerns that the current configuration of the Security Council has lost its ability to make crucial and decisive actions.

Kazakhstan has chosen not to pursue BRICS membership for now, but President Tokayev plans to attend the upcoming summit in Kazan, Russia, on 24 October. The 16th BRICS summit, starting on 22 October, will include four new members: Egypt, Iran, the UAE, and Ethiopia. Saudi Arabia’s position remains unclear as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman declined the invite, with the Foreign Minister attending instead.

Leaders from 24 countries, including China, India, and Brazil, will be present, along with representatives from international organizations like the UN and the New Development Bank.

Azernews: Kazakhstan prepare to modernize CAC system to increase gas transit to Uzbekistan

The national company QazaqGaz is conducting preparatory work on the modernization of the Central Asia - Center gas transportation system (CAC) to increase gas transit to Uzbekistan, Azernews reports.

It should be noted that since October last year, Russian gas has already been supplied to Uzbekistan through Kazakhstan through one of the four strands of the Central Asia - Center gas transportation system. According to the plan, this year the volume of supplies to Uzbekistan was supposed to amount to 2.8 billion cubic meters of Russian gas. However, according to some reports, in September of this year, the transit of natural gas through Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan amounted to 3.8 billion cubic meters.

Kyrgyzstan is also waiting for supplies of Russian blue fuel, which will also transit through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan via the CAC system. Taking into account the growing needs of the Central Asian republics for blue fuel, Kazakhstan intends to modernize the CAC system, which has been in service since the Soviet era.

President Tokayev was also informed about the progress of other major investment projects and the execution of instructions for the development of transit potential.

In addition, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was informed about the work on expanding the resource base. In this regard, the Chairman of the Board of QazaqGaz said that, given the rapid growth of commercial gas consumption in the economy of Kazakhstan, foreign investments have been attracted to exploration projects in the gas industry. An agreement has been signed with Chevron on geological exploration in the Aktobe region on the terms of 100% carry-financing.

Iraqi News: Iraq plans to import gas from Kazakhstan

The Oil, Gas, and Natural Resources Parliamentary Committee revealed on Wednesday that the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity is planning to import gas from Kazakhstan, reports Iraqi News.

The spokesperson for the Oil, Gas, and Natural Resources Parliamentary Committee, Ali Shaddad, explained that the Minister of Electricity, Ziyad Ali Fadel, reviewed the shortage in kerosene and gas oil during a meeting with the committee members.

The meeting addressed the imminent depletion of the strategic reserves of the Ministry of Oil and the Ministry of Electricity.

Shaddad indicated that the majority of power plants in Iraq run on gas oil because of the intermittent gas supplies from Iran.

Due to Iran’s lack of commitment to continuously supply gas to fuel Iraqi power plants, alternative fuel had to be used, which had an adverse effect on the population in the country, according to Shaddad.

The Iraqi official also said that the Electricity Ministry will soon enter into an agreement with Kazakhstan to supply Iraq with up to 20 million cubic meters of gas.

Coin Telegraph: Telegram to open an office in Kazakhstan, boost regulatory compliance

Crypto-friendly messenger Telegram is moving to improve compliance and communication with regulators in Kazakhstan by establishing a local office, reports Coin Telegraph.

Telegram agreed to appoint a local representative and open an office in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the country’s Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry said on Oct. 14.

According to Minister Zhaslan Madiyev, Telegram’s physical presence in the country will be an “important step to increase control over content” on the messaging platform.

The measure is significant given Telegram’s exposure in the country. According to Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov, 12.5 million Kazakhs — more than half of the nation’s 20 million population — use Telegram each month, a 25% increase from 2023.

The announcement came as Kazakh officials met with the United States Chamber of Commerce and representatives from major US tech companies, including Meta and Apple.

At the meetings, Kazakh officials discussed issues related to data protection, combating fraud and fake accounts on social media platforms, such as Meta’s WhatsApp. Meta said it blocked 1.2 billion counterfeit accounts globally using artificial intelligence in the third quarter.

According to Madiyev, the government of Kazakhstan has been working with international partners to ensure the safety of citizens in the digital space.

“We are actively cooperating with Telegram to promptly remove illegal content and block illicit channels. In accordance with our legislation, internet platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp and TikTok are now required to have a representative in Kazakhstan,” concluded Madiyev.

Aviation Week: Kazakhstan eyes expansion of European air links

The Kazakhstan Transport Ministry is seeking to expand the Central Asian country’s links with destinations in Europe, targeting service to cities in Austria, Germany, Hungary and Latvia, reports Aviation Week.

The move comes after Kazakhstan Civil Aviation Committee Chair Saltanat Tompiyeva and European Commission official Simon Brain, a policy officer for international aviation in the Mobility and Transport department, prepared an agreement between Kazakhstan and the European Union on some aspects of air transportation at a meeting in Luxembourg.

“This procedure is the final step in preparing the agreement for signing and is the legal basis for all EU countries in opening direct flights to Kazakhstan in the future,” the Kazakh government said in an Oct. 15 statement. “It also strengthens the cooperation between Kazakhstan and the countries of the European Union in terms of air traffic development.”

The pact builds on progress made earlier this year, when the EC lifted all remaining restrictions for Kazakhstani carriers on flights to the EU from Kazakhstan.

Kazakh airlines were initially blocked by the EU in 2009 due to poor compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization standards. Only Air Astana was allowed to operate limited flights into the bloc.

Restrictions were lifted in 2018 after improvements in flight safety, but the 2019 Bek Air crash prompted further scrutiny. In May 2024, the EU fully lifted restrictions following a technical assessment, recognizing significant advancements in Kazakhstan’s aviation safety, including its certification, control and supervision systems.

Analysis of OAG Schedules Analyser data shows that Kazakhstan currently has nonstop flights to five countries in the EU—Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Poland—alongside summer season service to Greece. At present, there are a combined 25 flights per week.

Kazakhstan’s Transport Ministry says routes to Budapest, Munich, Riga and Vienna are future targets, with SCAT Airlines planning to launch a 2X-weekly service to Vienna in spring 2025.