ASTANA – The Astana Times has curated a selection of articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest includes topics such as Kazakhstan’s role as a rising middle power, Dimash Qudaibergen’s international project, Baikonur Cosmodrome and more.
EU weighs strategy as Kazakhstan deepens partnership with China
Euractiv published an article on Sept. 11 about Kazakhstan’s evolving role as a rising middle power in Eurasia, its deepening partnership with China, and the strategic question of how the European Union can remain a key partner amid these shifts.
“But if Europe wants to remain a meaningful partner, it needs to move strategically. That means accelerating cooperation on green and digital technologies, expanding infrastructure connectivity, and supporting Kazakhstan’s aspirations to develop processing industries rather than simply remain an exporter of raw commodities,” reads the article.
Kazakhstan reimagines Soviet-era space launch sites as tourist getaways
Kazakhstan is transforming launch sites at the world’s first cosmodrome into a tourism hub, aiming to attract 50,000 visitors by 2029 with glamping, hotels, and a children’s camp at the birthplace of human spaceflight, reported Euronews on Sept. 10.
A cosmic journey awaits visitors to Kazakhstan’s southern steppes – where a spaceport rich in history and mysticism is being transformed into a vibrant tourism ecosystem.
“While Russia continues to lease Baikonur Cosmodrome, it has so far returned over 50 decommissioned facilities to Kazakhstan, which the government plans to convert to a year-round tourism facility to attract visitors – not just for rocket launches.
Visitor infrastructure is in the works around iconic sites like Gagarin’s launchpad – the oldest and most famous launch pad at Baikonur, where the world’s first human spaceflight took place in 1961 – with immersive experiences, hotels, glamping facilities, and a children’s camp,” reads the article.
UK gifts Kazakhstan a copy of rare 11th-century map
Kazakhstan’s National Center for Manuscripts and Rare Books has received a valuable addition to its historical archive, a facsimile of a unique medieval map of Central Asia, gifted by the British Embassy. The original is held at the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, reported The Times of Central Asia on Sept. 9.
The map is a reproduction of the only known copy of Kitab al-Garib al-Funun wa Mulakh al-Uyun (The Book of Wonderful Sciences and Delights of the Eye), an anonymous 11th-century manuscript. Scholars believe the original work was produced in Egypt between the late 12th and early 13th centuries.
Kazakhstan President orders national crypto reserve creation
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has directed Kazakhstan to establish a strategic cryptocurrency reserve, marking a significant shift in the nation’s digital asset policy. The State Fund of Digital Assets will accumulate promising crypto assets under the National Bank’s investment corporation, reported Crypto News on Sept. 10.
Tokayev emphasized accelerating development of a comprehensive digital assets ecosystem in the Central Asian country. He called for liberalizing crypto asset circulation and attracting new market participants through updated banking legislation.
The President wants lawmakers to adopt new financial regulations by year-end that address fintech promotion and digital asset liberalization. He stressed the importance of considering “modern realities” beyond the existing digital tenge CBDC.
Pakistan, Kazakhstan target $1 billion trade expansion
Pakistan and Kazakhstan pledged a comprehensive economic partnership on Tuesday, aiming to transform cultural and historic ties into strong trade and investment cooperation. The two countries agreed to focus on agriculture, leather, industry, and regional connectivity while targeting $1 billion in bilateral trade, reported The Daily Cpec on Sept. 9.
Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan met Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev in Islamabad. Both leaders acknowledged that trade remains below potential. They agreed to unlock opportunities by boosting exports, diversifying industries, and removing trade barriers.
Kazakhstan prepares: Dimash Qudaibergen begins filming international music production with China
Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen will debut as executive producer at the helm of an ambitious mega music co-production with the Chinese broadcaster Hunan Broadcasting System, reported Pressenza on Sept. 6.
Filming aims to project the country’s cultural identity on a global scale through an audiovisual narrative that intertwines music, heritage, and cultural diplomacy.
“In a land where the steppes bore witness to millennial caravans and ancient routes of knowledge, now cameras will traverse those same landscapes with a new purpose: telling Kazakhstan’s story to the world. The country transforms into an international set with the launch of an ambitious music project,” the article reads.
Kazakhstan sees record water recovery in Northern Aral Sea
The Times of Central Asia released an article on Sept. 11 about a record increase in the volume of water in the Northern Aral Sea, exceeding national and international expectations.
Since 2023, approximately 5 billion cubic meters of water have flowed into the basin, bringing the total reserve to 24.1 billion cubic meters. This figure surpasses the target set under Kazakhstan’s Water Resources Management Concept, which had aimed for only 20.6 billion cubic meters by 2025. The current level was expected to be reached before 2029.
