Kazakhstan and Slovenia Strengthen Investment Partnership

Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Moldova Almat Aidarbekov met with the Speaker of the Parliament of Moldova Igor Grosu, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.

During the meeting, the Ambassador congratulated I.Grosu on his reappointment as Speaker of the Parliament of Moldova and expressed confidence in the further development of interparliamentary dialogue and the strengthening of bilateral cooperation.

During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on current issues on the regional and international agenda and discussed prospects for further strengthening interaction between Astana and Chișinău. A. Aidarbekov informed about the current political and social reforms in the country, as well as the main provisions of the Address of the President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, to the nation. Particular attention was given to the initiative on parliamentary reforms and institutional development, including the establishment of the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan.

The Ambassador also briefed the interlocutor on the foreign policy initiatives of the Head of State, including his participation in the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, as well as the President’s visits to China, the USA, Russia, and Uzbekistan.

The Kazakh diplomat also informed about the main theses of the speech delivered by the Kazakh President at the Forum held in Turkmenistan dedicated to the International Day of Neutrality. Kazakhstan’s consistent stance in supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening peace, trust, and interreligious dialogue was emphasized.

In addition, the Ambassador provided information on the official visit of the President of the European Council, António Costa, to Astana and the agreements reached to continue contacts with a view to expanding mutually beneficial cooperation.

For his part, I.Grosu noted that he highly appreciates Kazakhstan’s foreign policy activity and its international initiatives. He also positively assessed the role of the parliamentary friendship groups of the two countries as a sustainable mechanism for interparliamentary cooperation.

The Speaker of Parliament further stated that the opening of the Embassy of Moldova in Astana would contribute to the further development of bilateral relations.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties reaffirmed their mutual interest in further strengthening Kazakh-Moldovan cooperation, emphasized the importance of maintaining regular political dialogue, and advancing interparliamentary contacts.

 

As part of his official visit to Japan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited Meiji Jingu Shrine, the largest Shinto shrine in Tokyo, akorda.kz reports.

The shrine complex, built in 1920, holds the status of an imperial shrine. Its grounds include a picturesque park with approximately 120,000 trees and shrubs.

Meiji Jingu Shrine is dedicated to Emperor Meiji, whose reign was marked by profound political and socio-economic reforms that enabled Japan to emerge as one of the world’s most advanced nations.

At the conclusion of the visit, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made an entry in the book of honorary guests.

 

Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the State of Qatar Arman Issagaliyev held a meeting with the Speaker of the Qatari Shura Council, Hassan bin Abdullah Al-Ghanim. During the talks, the parties discussed ways to further strengthen inter-parliamentary cooperation as an important component of bilateral relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.

The Speaker of the Qatari Shura Council gave a positive assessment of the reforms being implemented in the Republic of Kazakhstan under the leadership of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. He noted that these reforms contribute to the country’s sustainable development and strengthen its standing at the international level.

The sides noted that the instructions of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, issued following his state visit to Qatar in 2024 — aimed at expanding economic, trade and investment cooperation, enhancing cultural and humanitarian ties, as well as strengthening political and inter-parliamentary relations — are being implemented in a consistent manner. They also expressed appreciation for the series of significant events and meetings held in 2025 that contributed to broadening an active and substantive dialogue between the two countries.

In this regard, the Speaker of the Shura Council emphasized that a high level of bilateral engagement had been maintained throughout the year, drawing attention to the convening of the seventh meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation in Astana and the third round of consultations between the foreign ministries. He noted that these mechanisms help deepen coordination between relevant authorities and create additional opportunities for the implementation of joint initiatives.

Special attention was given to ways of enhancing investment cooperation. The parties positively assessed the substantial increase in Qatari investments in Kazakhstan from USD 156.4 million in 2024 to USD 1.167 billion by the end of the second quarter of 2025, noting that this growth reflects a high level of mutual trust and shared interest in the development of long-term projects. It was also noted that a number of important bilateral agreements and memoranda had been signed between government agencies of the two countries during the year.

Concluding the meeting, the interlocutors reaffirmed their readiness to further develop inter-parliamentary cooperation and reviewed plans for reciprocal visits of parliamentary delegations in 2026. It was emphasized that such exchanges would contribute to strengthening the strategic partnership and sustaining a steady political dialogue between Kazakhstan and Qatar.

 

Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Askar Zhengis, held a meeting with President of the American University in Cairo (AUC) Ahmed Dallal to discuss prospects for cooperation in higher education and the enhancement of inter-university partnerships, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.

Ambassador A. Zhegnis briefed the Egyptian side on Kazakhstan’s ongoing efforts to integrate its higher education system into the global academic environment, including the establishment of branch campuses of leading foreign universities, in line with the instructions of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. In this context, he highlighted the current state and future potential of bilateral cooperation in science and education, noting that the majority of Kazakhstani students currently studying in Egypt are enrolled at Al-Azhar University, Cairo University, and Ain Shams University.

President Dallal, in turn, provided an overview of the history of the university he leads and recalled the signing, on 3 December 2024 in Astana, of a Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation between Nazarbayev University and the American University in Cairo. He emphasized that the memorandum aims to strengthen academic and research cooperation between the two institutions. In this regard, he expressed AUC’s interest in establishing cooperation with Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and confirmed his readiness to welcome its leadership in Cairo.

Founded in 1919, the American University in Cairo delivers instruction in English and offers academic programs based on the American higher education system.

 

The first official visit of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Japan began with a meeting with Emperor Naruhito. The Head of State expressed his gratitude for the warm hospitality extended to him, akorda.kz reports.

President Tokayev emphasized that the Land of the Rising Sun has for many years inspired the people of Kazakhstan with its discipline and resilience. According to him, Kazakhstan and Japan are bound by long-standing friendly relations grounded in mutual respect and fruitful cooperation across various fields.

In turn, Emperor Naruhito expressed confidence that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit would become a significant milestone in the history of Kazakh-Japanese relations and elevate them to a qualitatively new level.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Emperor Naruhito also exchanged views on issues of bilateral cooperation, as well as on international matters.

 

Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Kingdom of Thailand Margulan Baimukhan took part in the official ceremony marking the launch of direct passenger flights operated by SCAT Airlines on the Shymkent-Bangkok route, representing an important step in strengthening air connectivity and transport links between the two countries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.

The event was attended by Nikolay Buryakov, Commercial Director of SCAT Airlines; Chiravadee Khunsub, Deputy Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand; Ohm Apichari, Adviser to the Minister of Industry of Thailand; as well as representatives of aviation authorities, airports, tourism associations, companies, and the media.

In his remarks, Ambassador Baimukhan emphasized the special significance of the event, noting that it coincided with the celebration of the Independence Day of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which adds symbolic importance to the launch of the new route.

He stated that the opening of the Shymkent-Bangkok route increases the total number of direct flights between Kazakhstan and Thailand to 23 per week, a record figure reflecting the steady growth of mutual tourism, business contacts, and cultural exchanges.

The Ambassador also highlighted that the new route, operated twice a week, expands the geography of air services and creates additional opportunities for passengers and businesses alike, including the development of logistics, air cargo transportation, and investment cooperation, while strengthening Kazakhstan’s role as a transport hub between East and West and reinforcing Thailand’s position as a key hub in Southeast Asia.

N. Buryakov noted that SCAT Airlines’ long-term development strategy envisages transforming Shymkent into a regional aviation hub through the expansion of regular routes to Europe, Russia, the South Caucasus, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Middle East. The airline plans to expand its fleet in 2027-2030, has already commissioned a new passenger terminal in Shymkent, and intends to increase the number of flights to Bangkok from two to four per week by the end of 2026. In 2025, SCAT Airlines also launched flights to Budapest, Krasnoyarsk, Munich, Prague, and Tbilisi, while new routes to Austria, Azerbaijan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Russia, and the Czech Republic are planned for 2026.

Ch. Khunsub, in turn, congratulated the parties on the launch of the new route and highlighted its importance for the development of mutual tourism, cultural exchange, and people-to-people contacts. She reported that more than 170,000 citizens of Kazakhstan visited Thailand in 2024, with further growth expected in 2025, facilitated in part by the visa-free regime between the two countries.

 

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was welcomed by Japan's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ayano Kunimitsu at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Qazinform News Agency cites Akorda.

On December 18, the Head of State is expected to hold talks with Emperor of Japan Naruhito and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

 

The delegation of Kazakhstan, led by Vice Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mansur Oshurbayev, participated in the 7th session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) on the theme "Advancing sustainable solutions for a resilient planet", Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.

M. Oshurbayev held meetings with the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry of the Republic of Kenya, Deborah Barasa; the UN Deputy Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, Inger Andersen; and the UN Deputy Secretary-General and UN-Habitat Executive Director, Anacláudia Rossbach, during which pressing issues related to the development of environmental cooperation were discussed.

In his address to the Assembly, the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Kenya and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the UN Office in Nairobi, B. Sadykov, provided information on Kazakhstan's international initiatives and practical actions at the national, regional, and international levels to advance the environmental agenda. He underscored the country's commitment to multilateral cooperation and called on the international community to unite efforts in solving planetary environmental problems.

Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Z. Suleimenova, participated in High-Level Dialogues on the themes of water, critical minerals, and desertification. She also held a series of bilateral meetings with the heads of key international environmental conventions and agreements.

Following the session, the Assembly adopted a Ministerial Declaration and a number of important resolutions aimed at expanding cooperation in the field of environmental protection.

Session participants recognized the need for urgent and concerted action to counter the major environmental threats of the 21st century, and to mobilize international cooperation for the exchange of knowledge, best practices, and innovative solutions in various areas of environmental protection.