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.
Yemen warned the Houthis were seeking to replicate Iran's Strait of Hormuz strategy in the Red Sea, as U.S. President Donald Trump said there was a "g...
Türkiye has begun renovating the Akyaka-Gyumri railway as preparations continue for a possible reopening of the Armenia-Türkiye border and the react...
Since 1946, nine people have served as UN Secretary-General, the closest thing the world has to a chief diplomat. The role carries no army and little ...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that there is a good chance” of reaching a deal with Iran, but warned that Washington would resume military operation if negotiations fail.
Iran will halt its own attacks as long as the United States maintains its pause on strikes, but Tehran remains sceptical of U.S. intentions, a senior Iranian source told on Sunday.
The Russia-Ukraine war is increasingly reshaping the Caspian region. From threats to energy infrastructure to renewed diplomatic efforts, countries across the region are adapting to the wider consequences of a conflict that continues to disrupt trade, transport and security.
A New York school district has put plans to introduce a humanoid robot into classrooms on hold after fierce criticism from teachers, Indigenous community members and state education officials over the use of artificial intelligence in schools.
A known Islamist suspected of driving a minivan into a crowd near a major LGBTQ Pride gathering in Berlin was shot dead during a police operation at an allotment garden complex, broadcaster RBB reported on Sunday.
Türkiye has begun renovating the Akyaka-Gyumri railway as preparations continue for a possible reopening of the Armenia-Türkiye border and the reactivation of the Gyumri-Kars rail link.
Russia's Supreme Court has prohibited the transfer of funds to Digimarket, a U.S.$35 million offshore company linked to Ruben Vardanyan, as legal proceedings continue over efforts to recover more than U.S.$64 million from a loan company.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has appealed directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin to help resolve a trade dispute that has disrupted Armenian exports to Russia, adding to tensions in the increasingly strained relationship between the two countries.
The Russia-Ukraine war is increasingly reshaping the Caspian region. From threats to energy infrastructure to renewed diplomatic efforts, countries across the region are adapting to the wider consequences of a conflict that continues to disrupt trade, transport and security.
The chief executive of a Turkish defence company has said the United States has approved the export of GE F110 engines for Türkiye’s KAAN fighter jet, although Washington has yet to confirm the move.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment