The state is establishing specialised research institutes, funding research and restoring monuments from the era of the Ulus Džoči – the Tatar-Mongol period of its history, which was marginalised by former Soviet historiography. Meanwhile, neighbouring Uzbekistan has for decades been constructing a national historical narrative centred on Tamerlane.
In the 2026 Global Soft Power Index, the country – which until a few years ago was confined to the stereotypes of the ‘post-Soviet space’ – has risen to 82nd place out of 193 countries. From pop stars who, breaking free from folkloric clichés, are crossing borders, to the Lonely Planet guide which has included Kazakhstan in its ‘Best in Travel 2025’ selection.
New temperature records have been set in many cities across Central Asia, in some cases exceeding 50 degrees. In this region, which is particularly vulnerable to climate change, roads have warped, power cuts linked to high consumption have occurred, and measures have been put in place to protect those working outdoors.
Progress has been made in large companies, where investments over three years have reduced energy intensity by 32 per cent. However, much remains to be done to improve the situation in public offices and private homes, which alone still account for 47.7 per cent of the country’s energy consumptionThe two sides of energy saving in Kazakhstan Progress has been made in large companies, where investments over three years have reduced energy intensity by 32 per cent. However, much remains to be done to improve the situation in public offices and private homes, which alone still account for 47.7 per cent of the country’s energy consumption
The region’s population is gradually ageing: in Kazakhstan, the number of elderly people has risen by around half a million in recent years. But the incidence of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and senile dementia is also on the rise, and families are often left to cope with them on their own.
The campaign for the parliamentary elections to the Kurultaj – the parliament provided for in the Constitution introduced by Tokaev – scheduled for 23 August, is getting underway. To mark the occasion, the formation of the new Adilet party has been announced; it has effectively absorbed the current ruling party, Amanat.
From Tajikistan to Kazakhstan, thousands of young people are currently studying at colleges and universities opened in recent years by Moscow, where teaching is conducted in Russian. The aim is to make a long-term investment in the new generation, who have no memory of the Soviet era and are increasingly exposed to Western and Chinese influences.
EU Special Representative Stiprais is calling for an update to cooperation policies that takes account of the increasingly close ties between the countries in the region, which have been highlighted by Kyrgyzstan’s election to the UN Security Council. The “shared” Kambarata hydroelectric power station and the local satellite internet connection system are the flagship projects.
Even during the Soviet era, the region had a unified energy system linking Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Today, the idea of an electricity grid that optimises infrastructure is gaining traction again, given that energy demand in the region could rise by around 40 per cent by 2030.
The Director General of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, has spoken of Kazakhstan as a possible third-party custodian of Tehran’s enriched uranium. Astana possesses significant nuclear expertise and, since 2019, has hosted the world’s only low-enriched uranium bank. The main obstacle is not logistics, but trust: only Russia and China could guarantee Iran the return of its uranium should the agreement fail.
Following the entry into force of new EU regulations providing for facilities in third countries, Astana and Tashkent are being cited as possible locations. These proposals are linked to their proximity to Afghanistan and the availability of vast tracts of land. Brussels would offer visa facilitation in return. However, the two countries in question have denied the reports, partly due to domestic opposition.
With technical support from the United Arab Emirates, the government in Astana is the first in Central Asia to trial cloud-seeding systems, designed to provide moisture to agricultural land even during dry seasons. But former Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Zaparov has sounded the alarm: artificially induced rainfall in one region could have a negative impact on the climate of another.
His son issued an appeal trying to mobilise the international community. Zhenghis Reskhan is a prominent figure in Xinjiang's literary circles. For now, neither Kazakhstan’s embassy in China nor Chinese authorities have made any official statement about the case.
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