News Digest: Foreign Media on New Investor Visa, Investment in Critical Minerals, Relations with Europe and More

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest covers Central Asia’s relations with the European Union, Kazakhstan’s growing international engagement, including a surge in oil shipments via the Mediterranean and Caspian routes, $140 million in new trade agreements with Afghanistan, the launch of a new investor visa to attract foreign capital, a cutting-edge mining research partnership with Japan, and the export of 60,000 tons of wheat to Morocco through the Baltic Sea corridor.

Astana. Photo credit: Tracy ben/Shutterstock.

Why Europe Can’t Avoid Central Asia

The National Interest published an expert article on April 28 on why the EU is prioritizing Central Asia, particularly Kazakhstan. Focusing on the EU-Central Asia Summit last month, the article argues that for the EU, beyond raw materials and trade routes, Central Asia represents a strategic region that will only grow in importance.

The author points out that among the five Central Asian nations, Kazakhstan stands out as the EU’s foremost partner. In 2024, bilateral trade between the EU and Kazakhstan hit a record $50 billion, with EU investments exceeding $200 billion. Kazakhstan accounts for 80 percent of the EU’s trade with Central Asia and more than 40 percent of total European FDI into the region.

Speaking at the summit, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated Kazakhstan’s readiness to increase exports to the EU across 175 commodity categories worth over $2 billion. He also highlighted Kazakhstan’s ambition to become a key transit hub linking East and West, a key pillar of EU-Central Asia engagement.

KazMunayGas boosts oil shipments via Mediterranean and Caspian routes

The volume of Kazakh oil transported by sea increased significantly over the past year, Trend reported on May 1.

According to a recent company report, there was notable growth in oil shipments through the Mediterranean Sea, largely due to increased exports from the Port of Ceyhan and expanded activity along the Aktau–Makhachkala and Aktau–Baku routes in the Caspian Sea. In contrast, oil transportation via the Black Sea saw a slight decline, while volumes through the Caspian Sea rose sharply compared to the previous year.

Kazakhstan, Afghanistan strengthen trade with $140 million in new deals

Kazakhstan and Afghanistan are strengthening their economic partnership through new trade agreements and ambitious infrastructure plans, highlighted by $140 million in export deals signed during a recent business forum in Kabul, Caspian News reported on April 27.

The agreements were finalized during an official Kazakh delegation’s visit to the Afghan capital. QazTrade, Kazakhstan’s trade policy development center, and the Ministry of Trade and Integration held talks with Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government. The deals include the supply of various Kazakh goods to Afghanistan.

The Afghanistan-Kazakhstan Business Forum brought together more than 400 business leaders, entrepreneurs and government officials from both countries. Kazakh manufacturers showcased products from sectors including agribusiness and textiles, signaling Kazakhstan’s growing interest in expanding its presence in the Afghan market.

Kazakhstan introduces new investor visa

Kazakhstan is taking another step toward fostering international business. At the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, new regulations have been approved for obtaining an investor visa, aimed at enhancing the country’s investment appeal and supporting long-term business partnerships, according to an EU Reporter article published on May 1.

Under the new framework, foreign nationals who invest a minimum of $300,000 in the charter capital of Kazakh companies or in local publicly traded securities may submit an electronic application for an investor visa. This so-called “golden visa” also provides an opportunity to obtain a residence permit in Kazakhstan for up to 10 years.

Such visa programs, widely implemented in countries across Europe, the United States, the UAE, and Singapore, have proven to be effective tools for attracting capital, technology and business activity. Kazakhstan now joins this global trend by offering its own model of investment residency.

Unlocking investment in critical minerals in Kazakhstan

Mining Technology published an article on April 29 on Kazakhstan’s critical minerals sector, outlining how Kazakhstan is looking to position itself as a key player in the global critical minerals supply chain, starting with battery materials.

Speaking during a presentation at last month’s PDAC convention in Toronto, Canada, Gabidulla Ospankulov, Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, said the country “remains open for business and international partnerships,” highlighting efforts by the Kazakh Government to attract foreign investment.

The article points out that Kazakhstan was the world’s top uranium producer in 2024, accounting for 38% of the global supply, according to figures from GlobalData. In 2023, the country was also the world’s eighth-largest copper producer with an output of 828,500 tones (t), and the eight-largest zinc producer globally. Kazakhstan also accounted for around 17% of titanium sponge production in 2024, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Smart Mining Plus: How international science diplomacy works in Kazakhstan

The Times of Central Asia released an interview with Fidelis Suorineni, professor at the NU School of Mining and Geosciences and a leading expert in mining systems and geotechnical engineering, who shared his vision and emphasized the benefits of partnership between NU in Kazakhstan and Hokkaido University in Japan.

“Supported by a $3.2 million grant under Japan’s Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) program, their joint project, Next-generation Smart Mining Plus for Sustainable Resources Development, aims to modernize mining through smart technologies and knowledge exchange. The research is scheduled to run until March 31, 2030, offering a long-term framework for technology transfer and institutional capacity building,” the article states.

Kazakhstan ships 60,000 tons of wheat to Morocco via the Baltic route

Kazakhstan has begun shipping 60,000 tons of wheat to Morocco through an ambitious logistical operation spanning thousands of kilometers across rail and sea routes, Morocco World News reported on May 1.

Seventeen trains originating from the grain-producing northern regions have been assembled at the Zhana-Yessil station (Akmola division) and Sarykol station (Kostanai division).

According to details provided by Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, these wheat-laden trains will traverse Latvian territory before reaching the Baltic Sea port of Liepāja, where the grain will be transferred to merchant vessels bound for the Moroccan coast.