By Reaven D’Souza
Executive Managing Editor
Soon after presenting his credentials to H.H. the Amir Sheikh Mishal Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah the Ambassador of Kazakhstan H.E. Yerzhan Yelekeyev spoke exclusively to The Times Kuwait and his first impressions about the country and about Kazakh-Kuwaiti relations in general,. He also speeled out his aspirations to further strengthen ties between the two countries in all fields.
He began by describing his appointment as ambassador to Kuwait as “a great honor and responsibility to contribute to strengthening the bridges of friendship and cooperation between our peoples, opening new horizons for mutual prosperity and shared achievements”.
What are your first impressions of Kuwait?
From my first days in Kuwait, I felt a deep spiritual and cultural closeness between our peoples, which inspires new joint initiatives. The traditions of Kazakhstan and Kuwait are remarkably similar: respect for family, reverence for elders, legendary hospitality, and openness to the world. Kuwaitis greet with warmth and sincerity, which so reminds me of Kazakh hospitality; as if returning to one’s native home.
It’s interesting to note linguistic parallels: our languages have common words rooted in Turkic and Arabic traditions, emphasizing historical ties. And the Holy Quran, as a shared spiritual foundation, unites us in the pursuit of peace, harmony, and progress, inspiring joint efforts to build a better future.
Please tell us more about Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world and the leader of Central Asia, with a territory exceeding 2.7 million square kilometres, which is hundreds of times larger than Kuwait and comparable to the size of all of Western Europe. The population exceeds 20 million people, and our uniqueness lies in multinational unity: more than 130 ethnic groups live in peace and harmony, similar to how Kuwait harmoniously combines traditions and modernity in its society.
Over the past 30 years, Kazakhstan’s population has grown from 16.7 million in 1995 to over 20 million in 2025, despite an initial decline in the 1990s due to post-Soviet migrations. This population growth reflects citizens’ confidence in the country’s future, thanks to political stability, economic development, and improved quality of life.
About 75 percent of Kazakhstan’s territory is suitable for agriculture, positioning us as a global leader in this sector, and an ideal partner for Kuwait, striving for food security under ‘Kuwait Vision 2035’. Additionally, our country is rich in natural beauty and cultural heritage, including UNESCO sites such as the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, which could form the basis for tourism exchange with Kuwait. An interesting fact: Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country, yet it is a key transit hub in Eurasia, with cargo transportation volumes exceeding 1 billion tons per year, opening vast opportunities for logistical partnership with Kuwait.
How would you characterize the economic situation in Kazakhstan today?
Kazakhstan is the dominant economy in Central Asia, generating nearly 60 percent of the regional GDP, and we demonstrate an inspiring example of sustainable growth. In 2024, GDP reached about US$288 billion, and in 2025, further acceleration of 6-7 percent is expected, exceeding $300 billion. According to IMF data, GDP per capita in 2025 will be $14,770, and we plan to double GDP to 450 billion dollars by 2029, ensuring annual growth of 6 percent through innovation and knowledge.
For Kuwaiti investors, this opens inspiring opportunities: Kazakhstan attracts 75 percent of all investments in Central Asia, offering tax incentives, exemptions from customs duties, and grants in kind. According to the UN ESCAP report ‘Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2025’, Kazakhstan attracted $15.7 billion in new projects in 2024, which is 88 percent more than in 2023, accounting for 63 percent of all investments in the region, underscoring our role as a leader in attracting FDI.
I particularly want to highlight the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), a unique platform that makes Kazakhstan a financial hub for the entire region. The AIFC operates based on English law with an independent court, ensuring the highest reliability and investment protection, similar to leading global centres like Dubai or London.
Its uniqueness lies in being the only centre in Central Asia with tax incentives for up to 50 years. A simple example: imagine a Kuwaiti investor wanting to invest in an Asian project. At the AIFC, they get familiar rules, low taxes, and quick registration, as if investing at home, but with access to vast Eurasian markets. This boosts trust and attracts billions of dollars.
Additionally, Kazakhstan is a global leader in the uranium industry. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Nuclear Association, the country consistently ranks first in the world in uranium production, accounting for around 40-43 percent of global output. Kazakhstan also remains among the countries with some of the largest confirmed uranium reserves, making it a key player in the global energy market.
To provide clean energy for our dynamically developing economy, we plan to build at least three nuclear power plants (NPP) for energy diversification, with investments in the first station around $14-15 billion. According to the President’s Address of 8 September 2025, construction of the first NPP in the Almaty region has already begun in cooperation with Rosatom, and plans include building a second and third NPP to ensure stable economic growth.
Additionally, over the next five years, an additional 6.3 GW of green energy will be introduced, significantly increasing the share of renewable sources in the country’s energy balance. Flagship projects for deep processing of hydrocarbon raw materials and development of clean coal technologies will also be implemented to maximize the use of coal reserves while considering environmental sustainability.
Rating agencies highly evaluate our stability: Moody’s upgraded the rating to Baa1 with a stable outlook in September 2025, emphasizing economic diversification and resilience to shocks; S&P affirms BBB- with a positive outlook, noting strong fiscal buffers. These investment-grade ratings confirm our reliability for global investors, including Kuwaiti.
What tasks face the Embassy in the near future?
The main mission of the Embassy is to inspire and implement comprehensive strengthening of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Kuwait, from political dialogue to trade, culture, and humanitarian ties. We focus on attracting investments, new projects, and cooperation in food security, energy, and logistics.
We actively support ‘Kuwait Vision 2035’, whose goals of reducing oil dependence and developing non-oil sectors, align with Kazakhstan’s priorities outlined by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in the Address of 8 September of launching an investment cycle and deep processing.
The Embassy will promote joint projects in industry and technology, where Kuwaiti investments can bring mutual benefits. For example, Kuwait’s Silk City project and Mubarak Al-Kabeer port perfectly complement Kazakhstan’s transport corridors: cargo volumes through our territory exceeded 1 billion tons last year, and the Trans-Caspian route grew by 63 percent to 4.1 million tons in 2024.
The ‘North-South’ corridor opens direct access to Gulf markets, and the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative, which Kuwait has joined, strengthens our role as a Eurasian hub. In digitalization, our goals again align: Kuwait is implementing smart technologies, while Kazakhstan is creating a Ministry of AI and Digital Development for full digitalization in three years through ‘Digital Qazaqstan’. The Embassy will facilitate experience exchange in smart cities and AI, opening new horizons for business.
What future do you see for bilateral relations between Kazakhstan and Kuwait?
I see a bright, inspiring future where Kazakhstan and Kuwait become strategic partners, complementing each other for shared prosperity. The potential is enormous: in investments, where Kazakhstan’s vast lands (75% suitable for agriculture) are ideal for Kuwaiti investments in food security. With Kuwait importing almost all its food, we can become a reliable supplier.
As noted by President Tokayev, we successfully export wheat to Asia, including recent shipments to Vietnam, and are ready to expand agricultural exports to Kuwait and other GCC countries, ensuring stable supplies of grain, meat, and other goods for their markets.
The President also emphasized in his speech on 14 November 2024 at the Second Forum of Agricultural Workers the importance of promoting the national brand ‘Qazaq Organic Food’, noting that Kazakhstan has the potential to secure a strong position in the global organic products market. For Kuwait, this opens an additional avenue for cooperation, creating opportunities for stable imports of high-quality organic products from Kazakhstan. This aligns with Kuwait’s strategic interest in securing high-quality sustainable food supplies.
We offer not only exports but also joint projects: Kuwaiti businesses can invest in large agro-farms and greenhouses in Kazakhstan, owning them to ensure stable supplies. Additionally, Kazakhstan is implementing a series of greenhouse construction projects, including complexes up to 500 hectares, which will become some of the largest in the world, oriented toward vegetable exports, and we invite Kuwaiti partners to participate in such initiatives for joint development. Renewable energy is another direction: both countries are diversifying from oil, and Kazakhstan offers green technologies for Kuwaiti funds, including through the AIFC as a reliable hub.
We will elevate relations to a new level, creating thousands of jobs, innovations, and cultural exchange to inspire future generations. Analysis shows that our cooperation could bring 10-15 percent growth for Kuwaiti investors in agriculture and energy, with ROI above the regional average thanks to our reserves and stability.
You are not a career diplomat but have extensive experience in business and investments. How does this affect your work as an ambassador?
My background in business and investments perfectly complements the diplomatic role, especially in an era when economic and investment diplomacy is becoming a new global trend. In the modern world, diplomacy goes beyond traditional political negotiations, it increasingly focuses on creating economic ties, attracting investments, and stimulating trade, which directly contributes to the prosperity of peoples. This is important because sustainable relations between countries are built not only on cultural and political connections but also on mutually beneficial economic projects that ensure stability and growth.
As an ambassador with investment experience, I can effectively contribute to this: use my knowledge to identify promising sectors for cooperation, such as energy, agriculture, and technology, facilitate negotiations between the businesses of the two countries, and promote Kazakhstan as a reliable partner for Kuwaiti investors. This approach has already proven effective in global practice, where many countries appoint ambassadors with business experience to strengthen economic diplomacy, and I am confident it will yield real results in strengthening ties between Kazakhstan and Kuwait.
