Overview of Foreign Media Insights: Kazakhstan's Foreign Relations, Youth Influence, and Additional Topics
In the heart of Central Asia, Kazakhstan is making strategic moves on the global stage under the leadership of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The country's foreign policy is characterised by strategic neutrality, diversification, and regional leadership, as it balances relations with major powers while asserting greater autonomy and positioning itself as a regional hub[1][3].
Kazakhstan's relations with Turkey are growing, with a military cooperation plan signed in early 2025 emphasising joint military education, peacekeeping, and defence industry collaboration[2]. During President Tokayev's recent visit to Ankara, 20 bilateral agreements were signed, deepening ties in multiple sectors, including defence and economy[3]. The leaders of both nations also highlighted the importance of Turkic solidarity under the Organization of Turkic States[4].
Economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Turkey is expanding, particularly in the Middle Corridor, agriculture, and digital innovation, although specific details are not yet available[5][6].
Kazakhstan's relations with China are also flourishing, notably in the energy and space sectors. The country has engaged China in infrastructure and energy projects, such as selecting Russia's Rosatom and China National Nuclear Corporation for its first nuclear power plants[3]. Kazakhstan is also partnering with China to build a ground satellite station in Almaty, which will be built on the campus of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in partnership with Chinese institutions[7]. This collaboration is expected to boost scientific collaboration and improve access to satellite data in the region[8].
Oil exports remain a key pillar of Kazakhstan’s foreign economic relations. The country is a reliable supplier of oil, uranium, and key raw materials for Europe, making it Central Asia’s largest trading partner[3]. In July, Kazakhstan's Black Sea oil exports resumed, although the details of this resumption are not provided[9][10]. The resumption of exports drove international oil prices to nearly $70 a barrel[11].
Youth engagement is increasingly influencing Kazakhstan’s foreign policy and modernization strategies. Programs in military education and space research particularly indicate an emphasis on building domestic expertise and engaging youth in strategic sectors[2][3]. Empowering young Kazakh citizens through education, representative structures, and targeted economic programs is seen as the surest and quickest route to sustained liberalization and growth in Kazakhstan[12].
Kazakhstan is being recognised as a vital pillar of the New Silk Road[13]. As the country continues to navigate the evolving geopolitical landscape, its multivector diplomacy aims to secure Kazakhstan’s regional leadership and global relevance, while continually empowering domestic capabilities and, implicitly, youth participation in advancing these goals.
- Kazakhstan's foreign policy in science and technology is demonstrated through its partnership with China, as they collaborate on a ground satellite station in Almaty, aiming to boost scientific collaboration and improve access to satellite data in the region.
- The diversification of economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Turkey is visible in various sectors, including defense, economy, agriculture, and digital innovation, as both nations deepen their ties.
- The oil and gas industry plays a significant role in Kazakhstan's foreign economic relations, making it Central Asia's largest trading partner, particularly as a reliable supplier of oil, uranium, and key raw materials for Europe.
- Kazakhstan's foreign policy is not only shaped by General News and policy-and-legislation but also by the Political context, as evident in its strategic moves towards regional leadership and its multivector diplomacy, aiming to secure its global relevance and position as a vital pillar of the New Silk Road.
