Foreign media on Kazakhstan: from EU’s Borrell reaffirming European commitment to cooperation with Kazakhstan to Smetov wining historic judo gold for Kazakhstan

From recent news of Kazakhstan and UN bolstering cooperation Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones, Judo’s Yelos Smetov winning a gold medal for Kazakhstan to the Prime Minister of Japan announcing an aid package to Central Asian countries, Kazinform News Agency presents a weekly review of foreign mass media coverage about Kazakhstan.

The Times of Central Asia: EU’s Borrell Reaffirms European Commitment to Cooperation with Kazakhstan

The Times of Central Asia reports that on August 1 the high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy, Josep Borrell, visited Astana and met with Kazakhstan’s deputy prime minister Murat Nurtleu.

Borrell and Nurtleu discussed the current Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Kazakhstan and the EU, under which volumes of European investments in Kazakhstan have significantly grown.

Also on the agenda were cooperation in transport and logistics, digitalization, civil aviation, agriculture, use of critical raw materials, and energy.

Of the meeting Borrell said: “It was important to me to come here, to Astana, to reaffirm our strong commitment to strengthening our cooperation with Central Asia as a whole, and Kazakhstan in particular.”

Stressing Kazakhstan’s strategic geographical position as a bridge between Europe and Asia, Borrell noted that the EU is Kazakhstan’s first trade partner, representing more than one-third of all Kazakh exports, and the biggest investor in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan was the first country in Central Asia to sign a memorandum of understanding with the EU on critical raw materials.

According to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, the European Union is Kazakhstan’s leading trading and investment partner, accounting for more than 30% of Kazakhstan’s foreign trade and investments. In 2023, trade between Kazakhstan and the EU amounted to $41.4 billion. In January-May 2024, bilateral trade amounted to $20.2 billion, 14.1% more than in the same period last year ($17.7 billion). The volume of European investments in Kazakhstan’s economy since 2005 has amounted to $180 billion.

Reuters: Judo: Smetov wins men’s -60kg gold for Kazakhstan

According to Reuters, Yeldos Smetov of Kazakhstan won the gold medal in the under 60kg judo at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.

Luka Mkheidze of France took the silver, while Ryuju Nagayama of Japan and Spain’s Francisco Garrigos earlier won bronze.

In Depth News: Kazakhstan and UN to Help Bolster Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones

In Depth News reports Kazakhstan joining hands with the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) to organize a workshop - first in five years - to bolster the five Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (NWFZ) treaties. States-parties to the five NWFZ treaties, international organizations, and several other interested parties will gather on August 27-28 in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan, to discuss ways and means to overcome menacing hurdles.

Interestingly, August 29 marks the International Day against Nuclear Tests - one of Kazakhstan’s major initiatives in this field. The United Nations supported it in its resolution in December 2009. August 29 marks both the day of the first Soviet nuclear weapons test in 1949 at the Semipalatinsk site, and the day the site was officially closed in 1991.

In the past, Kazakhstan was home to one of the world’s largest nuclear test sites, the Semipalatinsk test site, where the Soviet Union conducted 456 nuclear tests. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan voluntarily gave up its nuclear arsenal, becoming a non-nuclear-weapon state and a staunch supporter of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament efforts.

The following treaties form the basis for the existing five NWFZs:

Treaty of Tlatelolco — Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean

Treaty of Rarotonga — South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty

Treaty of Bangkok — Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone

Treaty of Pelindaba — African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty

Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia

According to the organizers’ planning document, the workshop participants will explore ways and means of advancing nuclear-free-zone-related issues including “fostering cooperation and enhancing consultation mechanisms” among the existing zones, according to the organizers’ planning document.

Despite “today’s fragile geostrategic context, finding ways to fully implement the security benefits due to member states in light of the commitments they have made as parties to [the zones] must be a top priority,” adds the document.

The United States remains the only NPT nuclear-armed state that has yet to ratify the protocols to the zone treaties covering the South Pacific (Treaty of Rarotonga), Africa (Treaty of Pelindaba), and Central Asia. Discussions are ongoing among members of Congress and the U.S. State Department on advancing the ratification process.

The Japan Times: Kishida to announce Central Asia aid package

The Japan Times reports that the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to announce an economic aid package for Central Asia in a meeting with five regional leaders in Kazakhstan early next month. Tokyo is aiming to strengthen ties with the region, over which China and Russia have strong influence, through the assistance for sustainable economic development.

Kishida is scheduled to visit Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia from August 9 to 12.

The economic package is centered on the establishment of a trade route, decarbonization and the promotion of people-to-people exchanges. It is expected to be part of a joint statement to be released after the six-way summit in Kazakhstan.

Under the aid plan, Japan will help establish a trade route through the Caspian Sea that will link Central Asia and Europe without going through Russia, in the hope that a stable export route would give the region economic independence.

In the field of decarbonization, Japanese companies' technologies and loans are expected to be used for such measures such as aid in the processing of natural gas. For exchanges, Japan is set to accept skilled workers from the region.

Central Asia is a key geopolitical area between East Asia and Europe that is rich in natural resources such as gases. China has been expanding its economic influence there in recent years, and the United States and the European Union are also seeking to strengthen links, the article concludes.