The Week in Kazakhstan: Who Are You?

In a long-form interview published on January 5, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that despite strong macroeconomic indicators and positive assessments from international institutions, Kazakhstan faces systemic internal imbalances. Namely, citizens’ incomes are being eroded by inflation and obligations, while businesses are hampered by expensive loans.

Tokayev also criticized the luxurious lifestyle of businesspeople and said that it is disapproved of by society. He urged business leaders to become responsible towards the people and not be “carried away by political games.” Tokayev emphasized that doing good for society is an honorable duty, not an obligation.

Self-described as a “statesman,” Tokayev also said that it’s still early to talk about power transition. Tokayev’s term is set to end in 2029 and, according to the Constitution, he cannot seek reelection.

A hotel formerly owned by businessman Kairat Satybaldy was donated to the state, the Department of State Property and Privatization told Vlast on January 9. The hotel, located on the banks of the Esentai River in Almaty, had been under construction for around a decade. In 2022, Satybaldy was sentenced to six years in prison for embezzlement. After compensating the damage to the state budget, in 2024 a court in Oskemen turned his prison time into a more lenient form of non-custodial sentence.

Swiss holding Mercuria Energy Group will finance businessman Nurlan Artykbayev’s acquisition of mining giant Kazakhmys, Bloomberg reported on January 8. At the end of December, Artykbayev bought Kazakhmys from Vladimir Kim and Eduard Ogai. Mercuria will provide financing for $1.2 billion and receive 200,000 tons of copper cathodes per year for the first four years and a percentage of production thereafter.

Despite an evident slowdown in repair works, the Auezov Theater in Almaty denied on January 8 that its renovation had been suspended. The following day, the press service of the ministry of culture said that construction works are poised to resume once public funds are unlocked. [Read more here.]

After Tokayev signed the amendments banning so-called “LGBT propaganda” into law on December 30, representatives of Western countries published on January 6 an open letter criticizing the move. The letter, published by the European Union delegation in Kazakhstan, was undersigned by the diplomatic missions of Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. The main concern is that these changes “could affect fundamental freedoms, in particular freedom from discrimination.” [Read more here.]

Since January 3, telecoms customers have had to undergo biometric verification when purchasing SIM cards in Kazakhstan. The ministry of AI said that this is intended to combat fraud. Now, each individual can purchase up to 10 SIM cards in total.

Starting from 2025, every year, state officials and their spouses are required to report property, foreign assets, and bank accounts, as well as shares that were purchased or sold during the previous year. A few declarations have surfaced in the past weeks, but the measure is still being criticized, because of the significant delay in reporting and the absence of a detailed breakdown. [Read more here.]

Kazakhstan’s freedom of expression fell in the final quarter of 2025, particularly in regards to press and media activity, according to a new report published on January 5 by the Legal Media Center, a local media and legal rights watchdog. The country’s independent media experienced a “steady narrowing of space,” with pressure on the media becoming “increasingly routine,” the report says. [Read more here.]

The US State Department added Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan to the list of countries whose citizens need to pay a deposit to obtain a business or tourist visa. Applicants will have to pay up to $15,000 as a deposit requirement. Paying the deposit, the amount of which is determined during the consular interview, is not a guarantee that the visa will be issued.

Note: This edition covers the two weeks between December 27 and January 9.

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