Foreign media on Kazakhstan: gas supply contract with China, Kashagan lawsuit, Astana airport modernization
From the new gas supply contract between Kazakhstan and China, the statement of the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources regarding the Kashagan lawsuit to the agreement between the Kazakh government and the Emirati holding to modernize the airport in Astana, Kazinform presents a review of foreign media coverage about Kazakhstan this week.
Reuters: Kazakhstan, China sign new gas supply contract
Reuters reported on October 17 that Kazakhstan’s QazaqGaz and China's Petrochina International signed a new gas supply contract during Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's visit to Beijing.
“A Chinese industry official with knowledge of the deal, who declined to be identified due to company policy, said the contract is an extension of an existing one,” reads the article.
Kazakhstan has been sending natural gas to China for several years, although the quantity supplied has decreased over time. Initially, this reduction was due to decreased demand, and later it was influenced by higher domestic consumption.
“However, this month Russia, largely cut off from European markets, started exporting gas to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which could allow Astana to free up more of its own gas for export. According to Reuters' calculations based on official customs data, China imported an average of 4.5 million metric tons, or about 6.2 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas a year from Kazakhstan between 2018 and 2022,” reads the article.
Reuters: Kazakh ministry appeals court ruling against $5 billion Kashagan lawsuit
Reuters published an article on October 16, discussing the $5 billion lawsuit against the operator of the giant Kashagan oilfield.
It quotes Kazakhstan’s Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Yerlan Nysanbayev who said the ecology ministry has appealed after a court failed to uphold the lawsuit.
“The ministry in March sued the field's operator - a group which includes Shell (SHEL.L), Eni (ENI.MI), TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) and Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), over what it said were excessive deposits of sulphur and other environmental issues,” reads the article.
“The Astana government also filed international arbitration claims against the Kashagan partner firms as well as against companies developing the Karachaganak gas condensate field,” reads the article.
China Daily: Kazakhstan to build 1,300 km of railway in synergy with Belt and Road Initiative, says president
China Daily published an article on October 18, quoting Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Beijing who said that Kazakhstan will build 1,300 kilometers of new railways in the next three years in energy with the Belt and Road Initiative.
"Following the fundamental interests of the people of Kazakhstan and China, the spirit of friendship and eternal strategic partnership, our country is firmly committed to further promoting the high goals of the Belt and Road Initiative," Tokayev said.
Anadolu Agency: Kazakhstan calls on Israel to refrain from ‘disproportionate use of power’ against Palestinian civilians
Türkiye’s Anadolu Agency published an article on October 17 featuring Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s official statement on the war in Israel.
“Kazakhstan on Tuesday called on Israeli authorities to refrain from the ‘disproportionate use of power’ against Palestinian civilians,” reads the article.
It cites the statement, which said “in this situation, it is crucial to comply with the norms of international law, and follow the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, which secure the legal rights of the Palestinian people.”
“We support the call of the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on immediate and unconditional release of hostages and ensure the unimpeded access to humanitarian aid,” reads the statement.
Channel News Asia:A decade on, has China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative benefitted Central Asia?
Channel NewsAsia, a Singapore multinational news channel, published an article on October 17 discussing the impact of China’s Belt and Road Initiative on Central Asia.
The news channel visited Central Asian countries to see how projects under BRI are unfolding.
In Kazakhstan, they visited the city of Khorgos, which is “strategically located along China’s northwest border with Kazakhstan, is home to one of the most ambitious BRI projects – the Khorgos Gateway.”
“Here, goods from Chinese trains are transferred to Kazakh trains before making their way to Europe. This is because China’s railway gauge is narrower than Kazakhstan’s, and its trains are not able to run on Kazakh tracks,” reads the article.
Agenzia Nova: Kazakhstan, the Emirati Terminals Holding will modernize Astana airport
Italy’s Agenzia Nova reported on October 17 the agreement between Kazakhstan and Emirati Terminals Holding, will modernize the airport in Astana.
“The airport of Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, will become a large multimodal hub thanks to an agreement signed by the Kazakh prime minister, Alikhan Smailov, with Terminals Holding, a United Arab Emirates company,” reads the article.
The article says the Emirati company will “carry out a comprehensive assessment of the capital's airport activities and subsequently take over operational management to improve the quality of passenger service and the efficiency of the airport as a whole.”
