Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Kazakhstan late on Wednesday for an unprecedented second state visit to the country in two years. He will gift Astana four Siberian tigers during the trip, as Moscow attempts to bolster its relationship with its closest partner in Central Asia.
Kremlin protocol dictates there should be one state visit to a country during a presidential term. But Moscow said it was making an exception for Kazakhstan “to underscore the unprecedentedly high level of relations between our countries.”
The centrepiece of Putin’s trip is expected to be the signing of an agreement for Russia to help Kazakhstan build a nuclear power plant.
Kazakhstan is the world’s largest uranium producer. But it has had no nuclear power since 1999 when the BN-350 reactor on the shores of the Caspian Sea was decommissioned, after reaching the end of its operational lifespan.
Russia would provide the design for the power plant and 85% of the financing for the project via a loan, according to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov. The power plant is expected to be commissioned in 2035 or 2036.
Russia has established close ties with Kazakhstan due to their Soviet-era economic interdependence, huge land border and their membership of common security and economic organisations. In 2025, trade turnover between the two countries grew to $29 billion.
But in recent years China has challenged Russia’s dominance in the country, through increased trade with Kazakhstan.
Notably, Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled Beijing's global development strategy, the Belt and Road Initiative, in Kazakhstan in 2013, during a speech in Astana.
The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) also has plans to build a nuclear plant in Kazakhstan.
More than 30 Russian officials and executives will join Putin on the visit, in addition to a 400-strong delegation who will attend Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) events taking place in the country at the same time.
Expanding Russian oil transit through Kazakhstan to China is also expected to be discussed during Putin’s meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Russia agreed to raise oil exports through the Atasu-Alashankou pipeline by 2.5 million tons per year to 12.5 million metric tons in 2025.
However, the increase has yet to materialise according to industry sources.
Tokayev will personally receive Putin upon his arrival in the Kazakh capital on Thursday evening. The two leaders will attend the opening of a Russian-built major educational centre in Astana for gifted young people, among other events.
Kremlin aide Ushakov added that Armenia would be on the agenda when leaders from the EAEU, which comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, met in the Kazakh capital on Friday.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said his country wants to join the European Union, but Russia has said such a move would be "fundamentally incompatible” with membership of the EAEU.
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Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 22 June, covering the latest developments you need to know. ...
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Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on a landmark internet deal that will allow traffic to pass through Azerbaijani networks.It's the latest deal to highlight the ongoing peace process between the two countries.
Iran's football team has thanked Los Angeles for its hospitality, after a goalless draw with Belgium kept the side's hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout stages.
Former South Korean justice minister Park Sung-jae has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.
A train driver has been killed and nine people remain in a critical condition in hospital, after two trains collided near Beford in the east of England on Friday. The passenger trains heading to London collided at around 17:15 local time (1615 GMT).
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck southwest of Greece’s island of Crete on Saturday, with no immediate reports of damage.
At least fifty-four people have been injured and 18 others remain missing following an explosion at Qatar's main liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing hub at Ras Laffan, authorities said on Sunday.
One person has died after two freight trains collided on a bridge in Munich in the early hours of Saturday, causing two carriages to derail and crash onto the street below, German police said.
Iran's top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, has said that the Strait of Hormuz is closed to ships again, citing alleged violations of a ceasefire agreement by the U.S. and Israel. Lebanon has said Israeli strikes killed 16 people on Saturday.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on a landmark internet deal that will allow traffic to pass through Azerbaijani networks.It's the latest deal to highlight the ongoing peace process between the two countries.
Tehran and Washington have settled on a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal, mediators Qatar and Pakistan have said. Iran's Foreign Minister said oil and petroleum exports have been waived and the U.S. naval blockade has been lifted, among other measures.
At least fifty-four people have been injured and 18 others remain missing following an explosion at Qatar's main liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing hub at Ras Laffan, authorities said on Sunday.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by Mazen Torki Saud Al-Qadi, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Jordan, on 21 June.
Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least nine people in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, including a child and an Al Jazeera journalist, Palestinian health officials said.
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