ASTANA, KAZINFORM From Alikhan Smailov’s visit to Tehran, the Astana International Forum to the agreement between Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic to bring back the Przewalski’s horse, Kazinform presents a review of foreign media coverage about Kazakhstan this week.

Times of Central Asia: Kazakhstan discusses actions to reduce air pollution with partners

Times of Central Asia reported on April 27 citing World Bank that Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and the Ministry of National Economy of Kazakhstan discussed the bank’s support measures for Kazakhstan’s efforts to reduce air pollution during a workshop in Astana.

The meeting focused on Kazakhstan’s efforts to implement climate and environmental strategies, including the low-carbon transition, air quality management, and resilience to climate change.

«Kazakhstan’s Environmental Code, amended in 2021, provides a robust foundation for improving the country’s air quality and includes critical provisions for strengthening the country’s air quality management. It is expected that the implementation of these provisions will help decrease the exposure of Kazakhstan’s residents to air pollution and ensure development of local emissions’ inventory and air quality targets in cities. In practice, more should be done to address air pollution originating from residential heating and transport. According to IQAir, a global air-quality monitoring platform, concentrations of particulate matter pollution 2.5 microns or less in size (PM2.5) in Almaty and Astana regularly exceed the WHO ambient air quality guidelines by as much as 17 times in winter months,» reads the article.

Iran Front Page: Iran, Kazakhstan sign 5 MoUs to develop bilateral ties

Iran Front Page reported on April 27 that Iran and Kazakhstan have signed five memorandums of understanding and a cooperation agreement to strengthen bilateral relations during Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov’s visit to Tehran on April 26.

Photo: ifpnews.com

The article cites Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov and Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, who addressed a joint press conference on April 26.

«Even though economic relations between Iran and Kazakhstan have climbed by about 20% to $500 million, it is not proportional to the level of political relations and communications between the two countries. During Prime Minister Smailov’s visit to Iran, it was agreed to increase this number to $3 billion,» said Mokhber, as quoted by Iran Front Page.

The Economic Times: Astana International Forum: Kazakhstan’s latest initiative to brainstorm key global challenges

The article published on The Economic Times on April 24 focuses on the upcoming Astana International Forum in the Kazakh capital on June 8-9.

«The forum is the latest in a slew of initiatives by Kazakhstan to promote dialogue amongst leaders from various regions and industries. The Forum was launched under the initiative of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, which aims to tackle global challenges on climate, food scarcity, and energy security,» reads the article.

Photo: gov.kz

The article quotes President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who said that cooperation and dialogue are becoming more important in the current geopolitical landscape.

«Kazakhstan has a long history of advancing constructive international relations, serving as a bridge between East and West – and while this policy has been firmly tested in 2022, it has proven resilient. We have shown the value of cooperation,» said Tokayev, as quoted by The Economic Times.

Caspian News: Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan Team Up to Boost Transportation

Caspian News reported on April 23, citing Kazakhstan’s KTZ Express, that the railway companies of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan signed a memorandum during the 27th International Exhibition of Transport and Logistics to establish a joint venture that will operate rail freight services on the eastern branch of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

Photo: caspiannews.com

«The parties agreed to combine their competencies to form competitive tariff rates and seamless transportation of goods from Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan to Iran, India, the countries of the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region with the participation of Aksaraiskaya, Ozinki, Bolashak, Inche-Burun, Serakhs border crossings and in the opposite direction,» reads the article.

The INSTC is a multimodal network spanning 7,200 kilometers of ship, rail, and road routes. The route connects India and Russia through Iran and Azerbaijan.

Xinhua: Half marathon held on China-Kazakhstan border

Xinhua reported on April 26 that the China-Kazakhstan Khorgos International Border Cooperation Center hosted a cross-border half marathon on Sunday. Nearly 1,000 people from both countries participated in the race.

Photo: centremultisports.org

«Chinese runner Anubaike Kuwan claimed the men’s title in 1 hour 9 minutes and 33 seconds while his compatriot Zhu Dandan won the women’s race with a result of 1 hour 24 minutes and 19 seconds. Aman Nurkalid from Kazakhstan won 8th place in the men’s race. He made a promise with his friend to come back to Khorgos together for next year’s competition,» reads the article.

New Straits Times: Positive power of multiculturalism of Kazakhstan

On April 26, Malaysia’s New Straits Times published an article written by Kazakh diplomat working in Malaysia, where she writes about the similarities between Kazakhstan and Malaysia.

«Being a newly-appointed diplomat to Malaysia, I have discovered a common feature of Kazakhstan and Malaysia in the field of interethnic harmony and unification. Changes generate different experiences, albeit all worries have dissipated due to the respect, acceptance and appreciation of other nations foreigners observe in Malaysia, which is akin to the culture of Kazakhstan. Rich historical backgrounds of Kazakhstan and Malaysia provide greater understanding of their strength through blooming inter-ethnic relations, which have become a foundation for the successful socio-economic and political development of the states. Both countries have had great success in the management, preservation and development of ethnic cultures,» wrote Kazakh diplomat Aiman Turebekova in the article.

Фото: nst.com.my

Mehr News Agency: Iran, Kazakhstan need to further expand economic ties

An article published by the Mehr News Agency on April 27 focuses on the meeting of Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov and Iran’s President Ebrahim Raeisi in Tehran on April 26 during Smailov’s visit to Iran.

«The president described Kazakhstan as one of the influential countries in the Eurasian Union, adding, ‘although the significant growth of trade relations between the two countries last year has made the situation different as compared to the past, this level of relations does not match with the potentials that the two countries have,’» reads the article.

Photo: en.mehrnews.com

AzerNews: Kazakhstan reveals value of current projects being implemented in agricultural sector

AzerNews reported on April 25 about 300 agricultural projects worth 536 billion tenge being implemented in Kazakhstan, citing Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov at a meeting on the socio-economic development of the country on April 19.

«He noted that the volume of preferential loans for spring field and harvesting work this year has been increased to 140 billion Kazakh tenge ($309.88 million). Smailov also added that 419,000 tons of diesel fuel were allocated to farmers for sowing at reduced prices, and another 400,000 tons of fuel will be provided for harvesting. Furthermore, according to Smailov, in 2023, the implementation of a project to increase the incomes of villagers through preferential micro-loans and the development of agricultural cooperation began, for which 100 billion Kazakh tenge ($221.34 million) was allocated,» reads the article.

ČTK (Czech News Agency): Prague Zoo to release Przewalski’s horses into the wild in Kazakhstan

An article published on April 25 on Expats.Cz website and written by the ČTK (Czech News Agency) reports about the agreement signed between Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic on the revival of Przewalski’s horses. The agreement was signed during Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s visit to Kazakhstan on April 24.

«Prague Zoo is preparing to return Przewalski’s horses to the wild in Kazakhstan, zoo director Miroslav Bobek told Czech media in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana. The zoo has been active in preserving the world’s last species of wild horses for over 90 years and is now helping to return them to the wild. Prague Zoo agreed to cooperate with the Committee for Forestry and Wildlife of the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology. Kazakhstan is one of the countries where Przewalski’s horses used to live in the past,» reads the article.

Photo: Prague Zoo / Miroslav Bobe

Agenzia Nova: Business forum a Milano: gli investimenti italiani per diversificare l’economia del Kazakhstan

An article published on April 26 on the Italian Agenzia Nova website writes about the Kazakh-Italian business forum in Milan organized by the Kazakh Invest national company, the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Italy, and the Kazakh-Italian Chamber of Commerce.

«Kazakhstan is a growing economy that aims to diversify, and although Italian investments in the country are still mainly in the hydrocarbon sector, other sectors such as new technologies, agribusiness and tannery are beginning to gain relevance,» reads the article.

The article notes that the recent investments made by Kazakhstan in many sectors make Italian manufacturing complementary to the local economic system, both as a supplier of technology and as a receptive market for quality products.

«In fact, there were numerous representatives of Italian companies at the forum who have decided to invest in Kazakhstan, both to be able to benefit from projects linked to the country’s natural resources and, as in the case of Assocalzaturifici [referring to the national association representing industrial shoemakers in Italy], to be able to carve out an ever-increasing market space for Made in Italy, which is increasingly in demand in the Central Asian state given the economic growth taking place and thus the growing presence of a middle class interested in quality products,» reads the article.