Foreign media on Kazakhstan: Middle powers have the power to save multilateralism, Kazakhstan and EU seek increase in trade of agricultural products

Euronews: Middle powers have the power to save multilateralism

In a recent article for Euronews, Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed his views on Kazakhstan's role in the world, emphasizing the nation's dedication to multilateralism and its pursuit of new platforms for global dialogue and cooperative efforts.

According to the President today's world is marked by extraordinary geopolitical turbulence and persistent conflict, and the need for multilateral solutions has never been more urgent.

“Wars in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa are claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands, whilst climate change is leaving millions hungrier, vulnerable, and displaced. These conflicts appear beyond resolution, with no hope in sight,” says Tokayev.

Amidst this global discord, the traditional powerhouses - the world’s economic and political behemoths - are increasingly unable to work together.

“The veto power held by permanent members of the United Nations Security Council often results in deadlock, preventing decisive actions against global crises and leading to repeat scenarios where unilateralism is favored over collective action. This weakens multilateralism and the credibility of international institutions,” explains Tokayev.

Despite not having the same global influence as superpowers, countries like Kazakhstan have the economic and military resources, as well as the political will and diplomatic skill, to significantly impact issues such as food and energy security, green transitions, and the sustainability of supply chains.

“Unburdened by the complexities of superpower politics, our agility enables us to navigate intricate diplomatic terrains and carve paths toward compromise and reconciliation,” explains Tokayev.

Unlike superpowers, which may see these institutions as constraints, middle powers depend on them to resolve disputes, protect their territorial integrity, and tackle collective challenges like climate change and pandemics.

“Kazakhstan has always been deeply committed to multilateralism, continuously seeking new forums for international dialogue and collaborative action,” says Tokayev.

The Times of Central Asia: Kazakhstan and EU Seek Increase in Trade of Agricultural Products

According to The Times of Central Asia Kazakhstan Agriculture Minister Aidarbek Saparov entered discussions with European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski for the removal of trade barriers for agricultural products.

On May 29, the conference took place during the European Commissioner’s first High-Level Mission to Kazakhstan, attended by a delegation of 40 agri-food businesses and organizations from across the European Union.

Saparov and Wojciechowski agreed to continue discussions on the technicalities of opening the EU market for Kazakh honey, meat, and dairy products, as well as the export of pig and poultry products from the EU countries to Kazakhstan.

In 2023, Kazakhstan exported 650 thousand tons of wheat to the EU countries, alongside flax seeds, rapeseed, and processed grain crops.

“Although Kazakh producers are not yet licensed to export livestock products to the EU, Kazakh fish is in high demand by European buyers. Of Kazakhstan’s 70 fish processing enterprises, 18 have been granted the right to export their products to the European Union countries. In 2023, Kazakhstan’s exports of fish products amounted to around 25 thousand tons, worth $85 million. About 11 thousand tons were exported to the EU countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Lithuania for a total of $60 million,” the article notes.

With a long tradition of livestock farming, Kazakhstan is naturally eager to export its meat, particularly horsemeat. Minister Saparov therefore proposed intensifying efforts to export such produce in tandem with securing approval to export Kazakh honey to the EU.

MotoGP: New dates for 2024 Kazakhstan GP confirmed

According to MotoGP Communications, the FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports has announced new dates for the 2024 Grand Prix of Kazakhstan. Flooding across the region caused the event to be postponed from June. The inaugural Kazakhstan GP will now take place from the 20th to the 22nd of September as the first race on the Asian leg of the 2024 MotoGP calendar.

Live Science: 2,000-year-old gold jewelry from mysterious culture discovered in Kazakhstan

The Live Science reports, archaeologists have unearthed gold jewelry, arrowheads, and a large, bronze mirror from roughly 2,000-year-old burial mounds in the Turkistan region of southern Kazakhstan.

The artifacts are thought to have been made at the time of the Kangju state, a little-known entity that ruled the region between the fifth century B.C. and the fourth century A.D.

According to a statement by officials at Turkistan's regional government, the finds show the highly developed craftsmanship of the region when the Kangju state traded with ancient Rome, ancient China, and the Kushan Empire farther south.

From its style - circular, with an eight-sided arched design on the back and a hole in the center for a thread - the bronze mirror seems to have originated in China during the Han dynasty, which ruled from 206 B.C. until A.D. 220.

Such items were highly prized throughout Eurasia - similar mirrors have been found in Afghanistan and the southern Ural region - and it was a sign the woman it was buried beside had been wealthy and influential, according to the statement.

In addition to the bronze mirror, the artifacts included a Roman-style brooch called a fibula; large and small beads; a pottery jug; a shoe; a belt buckle; an arrowhead designed for hunting birds; and two gold earrings that are thought to date from the first century B.C.

A team from Kazakhstan's Ozbekali Zhanibekov University and local government archaeologists discovered the new finds in three burial mounds in Turkistan's Ordabasinsky district. They reported that two of the mounds had been looted in ancient times but that the third burial mound contained valuable relics.