The Astana Times has curated a selection of articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest includes topics such as Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, tourism growth, global investment and more.

How has Kazakhstan’s foreign policy evolved under Tokayev?

The Diplomat published an article on April 21 discussing Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s foreign policy, which “marks a calibrated shift that emphasizes national sovereignty, economic pragmatism, and diversified multilateral alignments.”

According to the article, under Tokayev, Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a leader in a transition from integrationist ambition to geopolitical hedging. Kazakhstan is signaling more technocratic and adaptive foreign policy to navigate an evolving regional and global landscape, ensuring its relevance and adaptability in a period marked by rapid geopolitical tensions. Tokayev’s administration has strategically expanded multilateral cooperation while reaffirming sovereignty, particularly in the context of the Ukraine crisis.

How listening to citizens is shaping human rights reform in Kazakhstan

Asia Law Portal published an article on April 24 by Artur Lastayev, Commissioner for Human Rights in Kazakhstan, which outlines how rising public engagement with the Ombudsman’s Office—reflected in a 17% increase in complaints—is driving systemic change.

“Kazakhstan’s broader human rights trajectory is shaped by its international commitments. We are party to all major human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture. We regularly engage with international mechanisms, such as the Universal Periodic Review under the UN Human Rights Council. But aligning with international norms is only the first step. The real challenge is integrating those norms into the daily workings of the state—and ensuring they are meaningful to ordinary citizens,” the author writes.

Kazakhstan strengthens its position on world tourist map

In 2024, approximately 15.3 million foreign citizens visited Kazakhstan for tourism purposes, excluding those who came to the country for work or permanent residence, Azernews  reported on April 21.

Of these, 10.4 million stayed for more than one day, qualifying them as foreign tourists. The average length of stay was four days. The largest number of tourists came from China, with 655,000 visitors. This surge was made possible by Kazakhstan’s visa-free regime and expanded air transport connections between the two countries.

Following China, the top countries of origin were India (146,000), Türkiye (130,000), Germany (92,000), and South Korea (40,000).

Kazakhstan plans to invest $500 million in construction of Torghundi-Herat railway

During a visit to Kabul, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin announced on April 21 that Astana is ready to invest $500 million in the construction of the Torghandi-Herat railway line. He also noted that a logistics and transport company would be established in Herat province to advance the project, Ariana News reported on April 21.

According to a press release from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, the Kazakh delegation also announced readiness to launch an internet cable project that would provide Afghanistan with affordable internet access.

Zhumangarin said that Kazakh investors are ready to invest in various sectors, especially in Afghanistan’s mining, oil and gas industries. Technical teams are already visiting Kabul for this purpose.

During the meeting, the Kazakh side expressed its readiness to issue visas to Afghan businessmen, initiate flights between the two countries, collaborate on banking, enhance bilateral trade, and cooperate in the health and education sectors.

US investor Cameron offers $5 billion for Kazakh mining giant, ERG says no sale talks

U.S. businessman James Cameron has offered to buy mining giant Eurasian Resources Group for $5 billion, a letter he sent to its board showed, as the company prepares to participate in a major expansion of Kazakhstan’s rare earths output, Euronews reported on April 21.

However, ERG said in a statement that there were no negotiations on the company’s sale.

ERG, a Luxembourg-based producer of copper, cobalt, aluminium and iron ore – 40%-owned by the Kazakh government – said last year it had formed a task force to explore deposits of rare earth and rare metals in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan says oil output levels decided by national interest, not OPEC+

Kazakhstan will prioritize national interests over those of the OPEC+ group when deciding on oil production levels, the country’s newly appointed energy minister told Reuters on April 23.