Critics of the ruling regime in Kazakhstan were visibly disappointed by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who paid a two-day visit to Astana on October 12-13. She did not offer them any support ahead of the December 4 presidential election. To the surprise of... MORE

As protests mount, members of the Kazakh government are finding it harder and harder to hide their bitter disappointment over the backdoor-deal between the Canadian-listed PetroKazakhstan and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). For the last few weeks Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov and Minister of... MORE

In addition to developing the Aktau seaport on the Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan is also putting more emphasis on developing domestic and international rail lines. In recent years the government has made significant strides toward reducing Kazakhstan's dependence on the Russian transport network. A railway line... MORE

Kazakhstan has taken further steps towards strengthening its partnership with the NATO Alliance, as part of its ongoing strategy aimed at improving its domestic and regional security while balancing its relations with the United States, Russia, and China. During a visit to Kazakhstan in early... MORE

On September 29 around 300 ethnic Kazakhs from 32 countries gathered in Astana for the Third World Congress of Kazakhs. For many participants this was their first time to see the booming new capital in the land of their ancestors. They were obviously impressed to... MORE

Kazakhstan hopes to use its privileged position as the largest oil producing state in Central Asia to foster good relations with key members of the international community. This tactic is probably best illustrated by a recent Kazakh-government sponsored conference for American business leaders in San... MORE

Kazakhstan has taken a small, but significant step towards preparing more of its military personnel to receive education and training in Western countries by opening a new military language institute in Almaty. In many ways this development serves to highlight the extent of the uphill... MORE

On September 7 the lower house of Kazakhstan's parliament put an end to months of speculation and scheduled presidential elections for December 4. Members of parliament and the Constitutional Court had argued over whether elections should be held in December 2005 or December 2006. The... MORE

The state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation's (CNPC) more-than-friendly takeover of the PetroKazakhstan company would, if consummated, signify yet another setback to U.S. and European energy interests in Central Asia. The deal, first announced on August 22, would mark a setback of a novel type. Until... MORE