Foreign media on Kazakhstan: Slovenia explores potential investment opportunities in Kazakhstan; How Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are rewiring Middle Corridor

Trend News Agency: Slovenia explores potential investment opportunities in Kazakhstan

Slovenia is considering new directions for investments in Kazakhstan, stated the President of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, during talks with the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in a closed-format meeting, Trend.az reports.

Welcoming the distinguished guest at the Akorda residence, the President of Kazakhstan underscored that her visit opens exceptional prospects for deepening and expanding Kazakh-Slovenian partnership.

“We intend to establish closer cooperation with your country, and I, as president, will do everything possible to strengthen ties in all areas of mutual interest. We have the opportunity to offer your entrepreneurs, as well as the government, several attractive projects,” said the president of Kazakhstan.

As the president pointed out, 19 companies with Slovenian capital are successfully operating in Kazakhstan in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, engineering, telecommunications, and renewable energy. Moreover, Kazakhstan and Slovenia have great potential in the fields of transportation, logistics, digitalization and innovation, healthcare, and tourism.

The President of Slovenia expressed sincere gratitude to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for the warm welcome extended to her and her delegation.

“Over the 33 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries, there has not been a single unresolved issue. You rightly pointed out that this creates the conditions for expanding and deepening economic cooperation. Therefore, I brought a large business delegation with me. They have already begun discussing promising partnership areas with Kazakh colleagues. Economic exchange is growing, but I believe we can achieve more. Contacts between presidents and politicians are always a step forward because politicians should open doors for business,” said Nataša Pirc Musar.

Slovenian direct capital infusion into the Kazakh economic landscape has approached the $200 million threshold.

The Times of Central Asia: Kuirektykol deposit may elevate Kazakhstan to global leader in rare-earth reserves

Kazakhstani geologists have identified several promising new areas within the Kuirektykol deposit in the Karkaraly District of the Karaganda Region, the Times of Central Asia reports. If confirmed, these reserves could position Kazakhstan among the world’s leading nations in rare-earth metal resources.

Exploration of the Kuirektykol site began in 2022. By November 2024, surveyors had discovered commercially viable concentrations of rare-earth elements, including cerium and lanthanides, across four prospective zones. These were initially estimated to contain total resources of 935,400 tons, including 795,800 tons of proven reserves. At the time, experts predicted that with further in-depth exploration, total reserves could potentially double. That projection is now being borne out by new findings, according to the Ministry of Industry and Construction.

In a recent statement, the ministry reported that LLP Tsentrgeolszemnadzor, working within the framework of the state program for geological subsoil research, had uncovered several additional promising areas at the Kuirektykol site. These areas are believed to contain a combined one million tons of rare-earth metals. The agency also announced the preliminary evaluation of a vast new prospective area named Zhana Kazakhstan.

Following recent prospecting work, geologists now estimate the total predicted resources of rare-earth metals in the Kuirektykol area to exceed 20 million tons at depths of up to 300 meters. The average concentration of rare-earth elements in the ore is approximately 700 grams per ton.

Aze.Media: How Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are rewiring the Middle Corridor

Kazakhstan’s deepening alignment with Azerbaijan signals more than bilateral cooperation—it marks a structural shift in Eurasian connectivity, Aze.Media reports. As seen through a series of announcements and initiatives in early 2025, their partnership has moved from parallel development to integrated coordination, forming a regionally driven axis reshaping Eurasia’s strategic landscape.

At the core is the Middle Corridor—the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR)—linking China to Europe via Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Once viewed as a backup route, it now functions as a self-reinforcing system. Infrastructure investments, regulatory alignment, and institutional cooperation are creating dynamic feedback loops, enabling the corridor to evolve into a self-organizing platform.

Kazakhstan’s investment in a new terminal at Azerbaijan’s Alat port and upgrades to Aktau port, backed by Chinese capital, reflect this logic. The focus is not just throughput, but flexibility, redundancy, and strategic optionality. The March 2025 fiber-optic cable deal between Aktau and Sumqayit further illustrates the corridor’s shift from physical transport to a real-time digital infrastructure.

Energy ties are also deepening. Kazakhstan’s expanded use of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and joint renewable projects point to a hybrid model, blending hydrocarbons with green transition goals. Meanwhile, a $300 million joint fund and agro-logistics projects are diversifying the corridor’s commercial base.

This emerging system is underpinned by implicit security coordination and growing EU interest. The EU’s Global Gateway now sees the Middle Corridor as central to Eurasian resilience, engaging without dominating.

Kazakhstan stands out as a stabilizing force, navigating great-power dynamics through strategic non-alignment. Together with Azerbaijan, it is building more than a trade route—they are creating a macroregional system capable of shaping its own future.

Fresh Plaza: Kazakhstan to revive Aport apple orchards in Almaty region

According to the National Agrarian Scientific and Educational Center (NANOC), new Aport apple orchards will be established in Kazakhstan’s Almaty region beginning in 2025, Fresh Plaza reports. The project, spanning until 2028, aims to plant approximately 25,000 seedlings across 110 hectares. Funding is secured, and KazNII Horticulture LLP experts are executing the roadmap.

NANOC stated, “We are confident that the revival of this variety will be an important step in the development of domestic horticulture and will provide Kazakhstanis with high-quality and tasty fruits.” The initial harvest is projected in eight years, with yields forecasted to reach 57.7 kilograms per tree initially and up to 100 kilograms as the orchards mature.

The Aport apple, known for its aroma and taste, boasts durability with proper storage, remaining fresh until March and, with modern preservation methods, until June. Historically, the Aport apple became a cultural brand of Almaty, introduced in 1865 by Yegor Redko from Russia’s Voronezh Province. By the early 20th century, it achieved international recognition, winning a prize in Germany in 1908.

However, the late 20th century saw a decline due to urbanization and the preference for hardier varieties like Golden Delicious. The Aport’s specific care requirements and genetic degradation also posed challenges. Currently, Aport orchards cover 2,500 hectares in Almaty and Zhetysu, with 230 hectares in Almaty itself.

A revitalization program, supported by private investors and nurseries, is underway to preserve this agricultural heritage and stimulate interest in horticulture. The Ministry of Agriculture acknowledges the challenges of disease susceptibility affecting orchard areas and fruit quality.

If successful, the Aport apple could regain its status as a national symbol and source of pride for Kazakhstanis.

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