Energy and Economy

 

Kazakhstan to Increase Oil Exports to Germany 

On March 31, Kazakhstan’s state-owned oil company, KazTransOil, announced it will increase oil exports to Germany by 100 thousand tons during the month of April. This oil will flow through the Transneft PJSC oil pipeline system through Russia to reach the delivery point in Germany. This is part of the framework previously agreed on, which established the transport of 1.2 million tons of Kazakhstani oil through the Russian pipeline system throughout 2023. 

Source: KazTransOil

Kyrgyzstan to Purchase Electricity from Russia

On March 29, Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Minister of Energy Sabyrbek Sultanbekov announced that the country would be purchasing up to 875 million kilowatt hours of electricity from Russia in 2023 and 2024. Kyrgyzstan’s domestic consumption of electricity has increased over the years, causing it to turn to its neighbors to top up supplies.

Source: Akipress, Eurasianet

Azerbaijan Offers to Expand Cooperation with the United States

On April 3, during the Azerbaijan-U.S. ‘Green Energy’ forum at Baku’s Business Center, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Energy Minister, Elnur Soltanov, discussed several areas of potential cooperation between the United States and Azerbaijan. He proposed cooperation in the field of energy and renewables and through the purchase of batteries for electricity storage from renewable sources. Soltanov also announced that Azerbaijan’s exclave of Nakhchivan will become a hub for transporting green energy resources to Türkiye and Europe. 

Source: AzerNews

EBRD in Kazakhstan’s Grid Operator Bonds

On April 3, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) disclosed its investment project in Kazakhstan’s electricity grid bonds. The bank is expected to invest through bonds worth up to six billion Kazakhstani tenge, to be issued by Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company JSC (KEGOC), which is responsible for the transmission and dispatch of the electrical power of the Unified Power System of Kazakhstan. The EBRD’s investment will be used to rehabilitate overhead transmission lines in KEGOC's Aktobe, Western, and Sarbay networks, contributing to a stable and reliable grid, enabling scaling up of renewable energy generation capacity and reducing transmission losses. 

Source: EBRD, Trend.az

 

Security and Policy

 

Kyrgyzstan and the United States Hold Annual Bilateral Discussion

On March 30, Deputy Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan Aibek Moldogaziev and Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu held the fifth round of annual, bilateral consultations in Washington D.C. Among the topics discussed, the two leaders explored border delimitation and demarcation as a harbinger of peace in Central Asia, as well as attracting American investments to Kyrgyzstan.

Source: AKI Press

Uzbekistan-Japan Technological University to be Built

A delegation from Uzbekistan's Surkhandarya region, along with Uzbekistan’s business leaders, are in Japan to discuss economic potential, investment opportunities, and issues of attracting foreign investments. During a workshop at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Japan, a memorandum of cooperation was signed on the creation of the Uzbekistan-Japan Technological University in the southern Uzbekistan city of Termez, which will train students in economics, agriculture, medicine, nursing, and hotel management. As part of this project, the study of the Japanese language will also be included in the curriculum.  

Source: AKI Press

Kazakhstan Appoints New Foreign Minister

On April 3, according to the presidential decree signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Murat Nurtleu has been appointed as the Foreign Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan. Previously, Nurtleu served as the Chief of the President’s Executive Office. He replaces Mukhtar Tilebeurdi, who had served as the Foreign Minister since September 2019.

Source: Kazinform

Sources: AKI Press, AzerNews, EBRD, Eurasianet, Kazinform, KazTransOil, Trend.az,