The Week in Kazakhstan: Minimalist Branding
On January 20, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered a landmark speech at the National Kurultai, a consultative assembly of politicians and selected members of civil society, held in the southern city of Kyzylorda. Tokayev spoke for over an hour on a wide range of issues, among which the establishment of the figure of vice-president and the creation of a single-chamber Parliament, renamed “Kurultai.” [Read more here.]
Tokayev also spoke about the need to reform some healthcare institutions. Regarding investment in the sector, the president said that large funds allocated to the social sector are “simply being stolen.” The following day, Majilis deputy Bakytzhan Bazarbek argued that former ministers and deputy ministers of health should be held accountable. The issue centers on the Compulsory Social Health Insurance Fund and the SK-Pharmacy insurance company, which Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov in December said had misused state resources to such an extent that their administration should be transferred to the ministry of finance.
During the meeting of the National Kurultai, Karla Jamankulova, head of Adil Soz, a press freedom watchdog, asked Tokayev to support non-state media–although she didn’t specify how–and strengthen the protection of journalists.
On January 22 Tokayev signed the charter of the so-called “Board of Peace” in Davos, a new council established and led by the US President Donald Trump that has been charged with negotiating the peace process in Gaza and administering its reconstruction. [Read more here.]
Canadian miner Laramide Resources has announced the termination of an agreement to explore the Chu-Sarysu Project, a complex of 22 uranium deposits in the Sozak district in southern Kazakhstan, citing the country’s risky investment climate. Laramide signed a framework agreement with Astana-based Aral Resources in 2024, but its management said fresh amendments to the Subsoil Use Code have made investment less attractive. [Read more here.]
Tengizchevroil, the operator of the massive Tengiz oil field, said on January 19 that it had suspended production for at least a week after its power supply was damaged. Global oil prices surpassed $60/barrel following the announcement. On January 18, a fire damaged the GTES-4 power station. Reuters sources said that the company recently canceled five export cargoes of CPC Blend crude, totalling about 700,000 metric tons, scheduled for shipment from the Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s Black Sea terminal in January and February, citing drone attacks, inclement weather, and power outages.
Due to increased transit issues at CPC’s terminal in Russia’s port of Novorossiysk, industry sources told Reuters on January 21 that NCOC, the multinational operator of the giant Kashagan field in the Caspian Sea, had decided to divert supply to Kazakhstan’s domestic oil market. This marks a first, according to the sources.
During a government meeting on January 21, Bektenov instructed Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna to finalize contracts for the construction of three combined heat and power plants by the end of the month. For more than two years, Kazakhstan has planned to beef up its power generation capacity in Kokshetau, Semey, and Oskemen with coal-fired stations.
In 2025, investment in Kazakhstan grew by 13%, largely driven by increased government spending on infrastructure projects, a report by Halyk Finance noted. Over the past three years, the share of state funds in fixed capital investments has grown significantly: while in 2023 the figure was 15.8%, by the end of 2025 it had reached 21.9% and could grow further this year, analysts said.
Kazakhstan’s Central Bank kept interest rates stable at 18% on January 23. In a note, the regulator said that it will likely leave rates untouched for the first six months of the year, as the country faces inflationary pressure.
Kanat Sharlapayev, a former presidential aide and minister of industry, was picked as the new head of Atameken, the national chamber of entrepreneurs, on January 23.
A trial against 19 activists from the Kazakhstani unregistered political party Atajurt started in Taldykorgan on January 23. The activists are accused of “incitement of hatred” after taking part in a peaceful protest calling for the release of a Kazakhstani citizen detained in China. Human rights watchdog Amnesty International issued a statement, saying that “peaceful protest is not a crime.”
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan agreed on January 21 to extend the operating hours of the Kegen-Karkyra border crossing, making it accessible 24/7. This could boost cross-border traffic and decongest some of the busier customs areas.
Sign up for our English-language newsletter.