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☆ Exclusive: Kazakhstan has ramped up oil exports bypassing Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Pavel MikheyevMOSCOW, April 21 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan ramped up oil exports bypassing Russia in the first quarter of 2023 as it seeks to reduce its dependency on its vast neighbour, data from industry sources and Refinitiv showed. While Kazakh oil exports through the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus are relatively small, they have risen sharply since Moscow began what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine in February last year. Last year, Kazakhstan's oil exports via routes other than Russia reached 1.8 million tonnes (36,000 barrels per day), up by 638,000 tonnes from 2021. The main, and most profitable, route for oil exports from Kazakhstan remains the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which supplies the global market via a Russian Black Sea terminal. Supplies via CPC dipped 1% last year to 51.99 million tonnes, but they still represented more than 80% of total oil exports from Kazakhstan.

☆ Kazakh PM Smailov set to keep job after election
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ALMATY, March 30 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan's ruling Amanat party nominated Alikhan Smailov, prime minister since January 2022, for the same position on Thursday, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's office said, meaning he was certain to retain the job. Smailov, 50, and other cabinet members resigned automatically after the March 19 snap parliamentary election, and Tokayev now needs to appoint a new government. Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Xi snubbed Putin after their summit, calling a meeting of Central Asian countries as part of an audacious power play
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China's President Xi Jinping has made a power move timed with his visit to Russia. He set up a new meeting of Central Asian countries the week, muscling in on Russia's backyard. Xi invited the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to the first China-Central Asia summit Wednesday, the AFP news agency reported. Analysts say that China has secured significant leverage over Russia in return for its diplomatic and economic support, and that in calling the meeting of Central Asian nations it is seeking to exploit that advantage. China in recent years has increased its economic and security ties with Central Asian nations, which have abundant mineral resources and lie on ancient trade routes between east and west.

☆ Ruling party likely to sweep Kazakh parliamentary election
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

While Tokayev has reshuffled the government, the lower house of parliament - elected when Nazarbayev still had sweeping powers and led the ruling Nur Otan party - was not due for election until 2026, and the president called a snap vote. Unlike Nazarbayev, Tokayev has chosen not to lead the ruling party - now rebranded Amanat - but polls show it is likely to retain a comfortable majority and form the core of his support base in the legislature, especially in the absence of strong opposition parties on the ballot. The completion of political transition is also likely to strengthen Tokayev's hand in foreign policy. Despite receiving Moscow's backing during the 2022 unrest, he has refused to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine or recognise its annexation of some Ukrainian territories. Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK to help Kazakh exports bypass Russia, seeks critical minerals
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev shakes hands with British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly during a meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan March 18, 2023. Cleverly said London valued the position of Astana - which has traditionally been closely allied with Moscow - on the Ukrainian conflict. Kazakhstan has refused to support Russia's invasion or recognise its annexation of Ukrainian territories. Cleverly and Kazakh diplomats said they have signed a memorandum on critical minerals such as rare earth metals, but provided no details about it. But since the invasion Tokayev has been careful to keep his distance from Moscow and keep relations open with the West.

☆ Blinken holds talks with Central Asian nations in wake of Ukraine anniversary
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Feb 28 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Central Asia Tuesday to meet officials from all five former Soviet republics following the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Blinken's visit to the capitals of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is his first to the region as the Biden administration's top diplomat. The trip comes just days after the Feb. 24 anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, which has tested Moscow's influence in a region that also includes Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Blinken will meet the foreign ministers of all five Central Asian states in Astana on Tuesday before traveling on to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. In Astana on Tuesday, Blinken told Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi that Washington supports the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Kazakhstan, which won independence from Moscow in 1991.

☆ Kremlin defends Russian-led security alliance after Armenia criticism
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called into question the effectiveness of the six-nation Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) at a summit this week. Armenia requested assistance from the organisation in September, but received only a promise to send observers. Pashinyan contrasted that with the alliance's rapid decision in January to send troops to CSTO member Kazakhstan to help President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev survive a wave of unrest. "There have always been attempts to (bring about) the CSTO's disintegration," news agencies quoted Peskov as saying in an interview broadcast on state television. "And it fully demonstrated its relevance and effectiveness, meaning the resolution of the situation in Kazakhstan."

☆ How Russian ally Kazakhstan is taking a stand against the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Russian ally Kazakhstan has been subtle but firm in its opposition to the Ukraine war. Kazakhstan's official position on the war is to call for a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution, Magzhan Ilyassov, Kazakhstan's new ambassador to the UK, said in a press briefing attended by Insider. Following the invasion of Ukraine, fears have also been stoked that Russia could turn its sights to Kazakhstan next. Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesAlthough it has not outright criticized Russia for invading Ukraine, Kazakhstan has made its position clear. Ilyassov said that Russian troops were there among others from all member states and left after nearly two weeks without being involved in any action.

Fighting flared in September between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the two sides said more than 200 soldiers had been killed. "It is depressing that Armenia's membership in the CSTO did not deter Azerbaijan from aggressive actions," Pashinyan told the meeting in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. "Right up to today we have not managed to reach a decision on a CSTO response to Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia. In his own remarks, Putin acknowledged some unspecified "problems" facing the CSTO, and said more effort was needed to bring about peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Azerbaijan enjoys backing from Turkey and is not a member of the CSTO, which comprises Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as well as Russia and Armenia.

☆ Kazakh President Tokayev wins re-election with strong mandate
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

ASTANA, Nov 21 — Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev secured a second term in Sunday’s snap election, winning 81.31% of the vote, the central Asian nation’s Central Election Commission said on Monday, citing preliminary data. “We can say that the people have expressed convincing confidence in me as president and all of you,” Tokayev, 69, had told his staff earlier, referring to exit polls that favored him. Voter turnout was 69.44%, with five other candidates scoring in the low single digits, data showed. Prompted by the exit polls, several fellow central Asian leaders congratulated Tokayev on Monday before the preliminary results. Tokayev won his first election in 2019 with the backing of predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev, but the two fell out this year amid violent unrest in the nation of 20 million, and Sunday’s vote consolidated his power as an independent leader.

☆ Kazakh President Tokayev wins re-election with 81.3% of vote
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ASTANA, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev secured a second term in Sunday's snap election, winning 81.31% of the vote, the central Asian nation's Central Election Commission said on Monday, citing preliminary data. Voter turnout stood at 69.44%, with five other candidates scoring in the low single digits, data showed. The second most popular option picked by voters was "against everyone", with 5.8% of ballots. Several fellow central Asian leaders congratulated Tokayev on Monday morning before the preliminary results were announced, as exit polls published earlier showed similar figures. Reporting by Tamara Vaal; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Kim Coghill and Edmund KlamannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Kazakh leader stages snap vote to emerge from predecessor's shadow
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Kazakh army service members cast their votes at a polling station during presidential elections in Almaty, Kazakhstan, November 20, 2022. REUTERS/Pavel MikheyevALMATY, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev holds a snap election on Sunday that he is certain to win, solidifying his grip on power less than a year after he sidelined his long-ruling predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev. Nazarbayev, who had held on to important posts after stepping down, gave them up during the uprising in which 238 people died. Tokayev has since forced Nazarbayev allies to relinquish other positions, and changed the name of the capital - renamed "Nur-Sultan" in Nazarbayev's honour - back to Astana. "Among those who are running for president, I only know Tokayev, firstly," said Timerlan Sadykov, a resident of Kazakhstan's biggest city Almaty.

☆ 'We want respect': Putin's authority tested in Central Asia
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Olzhas Auyezov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"We want respect. Respect," said Emomali Rakhmon, Tajikistan's president since 1994, complaining that Moscow's attitude had not improved since the Soviet era. The conflict prompted Japarov to skip an informal meeting of ex-Soviet leaders in Moscow on Putin's birthday, Oct. 7. Kazakh state television showed a selection of street interviews in which respondents said the war in Ukraine cast doubt on whether any post-Soviet unity still existed. Its report also highlighted what it called provocative behaviour by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, widely regarded as Putin's proxy, who interrupted one of Tokayev's speeches.

☆ Russian exodus shows no signs of easing as Ukraine war looms over recruits
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Yuliya-Talmazan-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Yuliya Talmazan | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

New satellite images released Monday appeared to show a large number of vehicles lining up at Russia’s border crossings with neighboring Georgia and Mongolia. On Tuesday, the Russian state news agency Tass quoted Russian border officials as saying that around 3,600 passenger cars were waiting to cross into Georgia. Kazak border authorities said 98,000 Russian citizens have entered Kazakhstan since the mobilization was announced, according to Russia’s state news agency Ria. NBC News reached out to border officials in both Kazakhstan and Finland for further comment. On Monday, Russian media reported cases of some men being turned back at Russian airports and barred from leaving the country.

☆ Kazakhstan struggles to accommodate Russians fleeing war
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ALMATY, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan is struggling to accommodate tens of thousands of Russians who have fled their homeland since Moscow announced a military mobilisation last week, officials say, but the Almaty government has no plans to close its border. Russians do not need a visa or even a passport to enter Kazakhstan, just their Russian identity papers. The Russian language is also widely spoken in the country, which is home to a large ethnic Russian minority. While some Kazakhs have already called for border closures or restrictions on Russians' entry, others have arranged meeting points for arriving Russians and set up volunteer networks to help them find shelter. In the city of Oral, some Russians have spent a night at a local cinema which invited them through social media.

☆ Desperation on Russia's borders as draft-eligible men flee
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Travellers from Russia cross the border to Georgia at the Zemo Larsi/Verkhny Lars station, Georgia September 26, 2022. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterHis escape was part of a vast exodus from Russia that has seen thousands of military-age men make for the borders with Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. On Monday, Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that 261,000 men had left Russia since mobilisation was declared, citing a Kremlin source. On the Kazakhstan border, Nikita described would-be emigres pitching tents along the highway leading up to the Vishnyovka border post, while others less well-equipped slept on the tarmac, building makeshift beds out of their own clothes. Some of the most dramatic scenes were at Russia’s only operational border crossing with Georgia, which allows Russians to stay for a year without a visa.

☆ Kazakhstan says it won't recognise referendums in eastern Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Alexander ErmochenkoALMATY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan, one of Russia's close ex-Soviet partners, will not recognise the possible annexation of Ukraine's eastern regions by Russia through referendums held there, the Central Asian nation's foreign ministry said on Monday. read more"As for the holding of referendums ... Kazakhstan proceeds from the principles of territorial integrity of states, their sovereign equivalence and peaceful coexistence," ministry spokesman Aibek Smadiyarov said. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has repeatedly called for the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict in line with the United Nations charter. "We reconfirm our readiness to provide all possible assistance to the establishment of a political dialogue," Smadiyarov said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China and Russia present united front at regional summit despite differences
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Nectar Gan | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

In recent months, China has offered Russia tacit support and stepped up economic assistance to its neighbor, boosting bilateral trade to a record high. But Kewalramani said the SCO could provide a "space (for India) to engage with China and Russia." "Particularly, being on the table while China and Russia are together, because the closer that relationship gets, the trickier it gets for India," he said. Since 2019, Iran, Russia and China have held three joint naval drills amid deepening ties. But some experts say in its current state, the SCO is not really the ideal platform for China and Russia to push that anti-West world order.

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