Kazakhstan has briefed heads of diplomatic missions and international organisations in Astana on new opportunities for foreign investors, reported The Astana Times.
The briefing set out priorities from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state-of-the-nation address on foreign policy, transport and industry. Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi called for joint ventures, localised manufacturing and technology transfer. The government also promised stronger investor protection, including an investment court based on English common law principles.
Officials named energy, agriculture, digital technologies, water infrastructure and critical minerals as priority sectors, including battery and semiconductor materials. Transport received particular attention:
- The Bakhty–Ayagoz railway is expected to add 20 million tonnes of annual capacity toward China.
- The 800 km Aral–Caspian highway would shorten the Trans-Caspian route by about 1,000 km.
- 37 road border crossings are to be modernised.
- Caspian ports are expected to handle about 45 million tonnes a year by 2030.
Freight on the Trans-Caspian route rose nearly 30% in the first nine months of the year. Kazakhstan sent 522 container trains in ten months, compared with 292 a year earlier, and aims for 600 this year. By 2030 the target is 10 million tonnes and 3,000 container trains a year.
Manufacturing now accounts for 13% of GDP. Since 2023, 647 industrial projects have been completed and 200 more are scheduled this year. The briefing presented Kazakhstan as the main land bridge between China and Europe at a time when Western sanctions and Red Sea disruptions are redirecting trade routes.
CentralasianLIGHT.org,
November 9, 2026