News Digest: Foreign Media on One Water Summit, Exhibition in Almaty and More
ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest covers the One Water Summit, an exhibition in Almaty and more.
Shymbulak Mountain Resort in Almaty. Photo credit: Shutterstock
Kazakhstan to host regional climate conference in 2026, Tokayev says
Kazakhstan will host a regional climate conference in 2026, in partnership with the United Nations, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced as he addressed the One Water Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Trend reported on Dec. 3.
“Kazakhstan will host a regional climate conference in 2026 in partnership with the United Nations. We encourage all nations to support and contribute to this important initiative,” Tokayev stated.
The President highlighted his country’s strong commitment to global water security and climate action. As chair of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, he emphasized the importance of regional cooperation and collaborative frameworks in addressing the global water crisis, particularly for those on the front lines of climate change.
Kazakhstan and World Bank Partner on Water Conservation at One Water Summit
A memorandum of understanding has been signed to enhance water resource management and environmental conditions, including in the North Aral Sea and its surrounding basin, between Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and the World Bank, reported The Times of Central Asia on Dec. 4.
As climate change continues to significantly impact water resources in Central Asia, exacerbating water scarcity and management challenges, this agreement underscores a shared commitment to ensuring sustainable and equitable water resource management for future generations.
The memorandum was formalized following a meeting between Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and World Bank Group President Ajay Banga during the One Water Summit in Riyadh on Dec. 3.
Days of Azerbaijani Culture held in Kazakhstan
AzerNews published an article on Dec. 4 about the Days of Azerbaijani Culture held by the National Educational Society Public Association in Uralsk.
The Council of Elders, the Youth Association of the organization, representatives of the branch of the Assembly of the Peoples of Kazakhstan in the region, diasporas and local residents participated in the event. The head of the association, Najaf Mammadov, provided guests with insights into Azerbaijani history and culture. The program featured souvenirs, musical instruments, costumes representing Azerbaijani culture and performances of national dances.
Kazakhstan starts construction of plant for the production of components for wind farms
Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund and Chinese company SANY Renewable Energy (SANY RE) have laid the foundation for a plant that will produce wind turbine components in the Zhambyl Region, Azernews reported on Nov. 29.
Beyond the Silence, an exhibition in Kazakhstan
The first exhibition of the collaborative “Beyond the Silence” project opened on Nov. 15 at the Egin Art Space in Almaty, exploring the concept of territory, Magnum Photos reported on Nov. 30.
“The collaborative project Beyond the Silence, launched earlier this year, seeks to create a dialogue between photographers from different countries to illuminate common experiences and challenges around the concepts of ongoing occupation and annexation, the impact of colonialism and censorship, and individual and collective choices to resist or adapt,” the article reads.
Overseas investors step up interest in Kazakh onshore oil and gas auction
Five out of six onshore hydrocarbon blocks in Kazakhstan, offered at an energy ministry online auction, were acquired by companies linked to investors in China and Singapore, a move that has surprised local observers, Upstream Online reported on Dec. 3.
“Investors from the two countries have rarely participated in the previous nine online auctions that were introduced by Astana in 2020 during Covid-19 travel restrictions, which allowed bidders the opportunity to compete remotely for assets.
Previous auctions were contested by domestic oil and gas players and investors who made their fortunes in other sectors in Kazakhstan and were keen to try their luck in hydrocarbons,” the article reads.
