Foreign media on Kazakhstan: floods, Pope Francis, business regulations, ties with Azerbaijan

From the floods crisis in Kazakhstan to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s signing of new business regulation, promising ties with Azerbaijan, Kazinform News Agency presents a weekly review of foreign mass media coverage about Kazakhstan

CNN World: Floods ravage regions of Russia and Kazakhstan, but worse is yet to come

CNN World published an article reporting on massive floods in Kazakhstan and Russia where more than 100,000 people had been evacuated.

Flowing from the Ural Mountains in Russia and through Kazakhstan’s Caspian Sea, the Ural River flooded the bordered territories.

“Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said the flooding ‘might be the biggest disaster in terms of its scale and impact in more than 80 years,’” reads the article.

The article informs that around 13,000 residential buildings were flooded in the Orenburg region of Russia. The evacuation of more than 7,700 people is reported.

As for the situation in Kazakhstan, it is said that the floods forced 96,000 people to evacuate.

“More than 8.5 million tons of meltwater has been pumped away, Kazakh state media Kazinform reported Wednesday,” reads the article.

The New York Times: Floods Batter Russia and Kazakhstan, Forcing Tens of Thousands to Evacuate

The New York Times also reports on the critical floods situation in Kazakhstan and Russia. The author informs about the evacuation of more than 100,000 people. Numerous localities across the two countries, including boarding territories, have been affected.

The article says Kazakh emergency officials and rescuers evacuated more than 96,000 people. It also reports on the flooding of more than 3,400 buildings in five regions.

Vatican News: Pope asks for prayers for those affected by flooding in Kazakhstan

Vatican News published an article where Pope Francis is said to ask the world to pray for people affected by large-scale floods in Kazakhstan.

Pope Francis also mentioned people's sufferings caused by conflicts in the Holy Land, Myanmar and Ukraine and called to pray for them as well.

"I invite everyone to pray for all who are suffering the effects of this natural disaster, he said,” reads the article.

The article also reports on the flooding in Russia. Citizens of the affected Orenburg city describe this floods as the worst one. The extend of the natural disaster in Kazakhstan is considered as the most critical now.

“In Kazakhstan, officials said 96,000 people had been evacuated. People worked through the night to build up dykes and strengthen embankments,” reads the article.

The Times of Central Asia: Tokayev Signs Off on New Business Rules for Kazakhstan

The Times of Central Asia reports that the President of Kazakhstan has signed new regulations in business.

Changes will apply to fisheries, play quarantine, industry as well as oil and gas.

“The move is designed not only to streamline forms of state control and supervision over business, but also to improve the general conditions for entrepreneurship in the country,” reads the article.

Eurasianet: Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan: Bridging the water gap

Eurasianet published an article about enhancing relationship between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan regarding the Caspian Sea. This might significantly develop the Middle Corridor trade route.

“Within the family of Turkic states, Aliyev clearly considers Kazakhstan like a favorite cousin. The Azerbaijani leader welcomed his Kazakh counterpart, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, for a state visit in mid-March, showcasing the growth in bilateral ties,” reads the article.

Amon the most important outcomes of the visit, the article notes, is the establishment of a joint investment fund in the amount of $300 million.

“The fund can also be used to finance projects in other Central Asian and European countries – including Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Turkey – presumably to develop energy transit and trade. These countries all stand to gain economically from a route known as the Middle Corridor, which is designed to facilitate Chinese-EU trade via the Caspian Basin,” reads the article.