Kazakhstan and OSCE Intend to Strengthen Cooperation in Economic and Environmental Dimension
The parties discussed a broad spectrum of collaboration within the OSCE’s economic and environmental dimension, including sustainable development, transport connectivity, environmental protection, the climate agenda, and the fight against corruption and money laundering.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko held a meeting with the OSCE Coordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), Bakyt Dzhusupov, during his visit to Kazakhstan.
The Deputy Minister emphasized the importance of the OSCE’s Second Dimension as a platform for dialogue and confidence-building within the Organization amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. He reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s readiness to continue active cooperation with the OSCE across a wide range of pressing issues.
The parties discussed a broad spectrum of collaboration within the OSCE’s economic and environmental dimension, including sustainable development, transport connectivity, environmental protection, the climate agenda, and the fight against corruption and money laundering.
Deputy Minister Vassilenko commended the productive cooperation between the OCEEA and Kazakh government bodies, particularly with the Asset Recovery Committee of the General Prosecutor’s Office. Coordinator Dzhusupov highlighted Kazakhstan’s accumulated experience in this area, and the reinvestment of funds recovered by the state in social infrastructure, which is of serious interest to other OSCE participating states.
The Deputy Minister expressed Kazakhstan’s interest in further engaging with OSCE initiatives, including the extrabudgetary project on the development of “green” ports in the Caspian region. It was particularly noted that, thanks to this initiative, Kazakhstan’s seaports of Aktau and Kuryk were granted EcoPort status by the European Sea Ports Organization (ESPO), which brings advantages in attracting investment in the development of their infrastructure.
The importance of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or “Middle Corridor”) was underlined, with freight volumes along the route increasing by 62% in 2024, reaching 4.5 million tons. Vassilenko stated that Kazakhstan is actively investing in expanding the capacity of its Caspian ports of Aktau and Kuryk, with the goal of increasing transit traffic via the Middle Corridor to 10 million tons by 2027.
The Kazakh side also confirmed its interest in the implementation of a new OSCE project on promoting cross-border connectivity in Central Asia and North Caucasus, which will further strengthen Kazakhstan’s role as a key transit hub in global trade routes.
Climate change and environmental issues were given particular attention during the meeting. The Kazakh diplomat reiterated the country’s commitment to its international obligations, including the 2021 Stockholm Ministerial Council Decision on strengthening OSCE cooperation in addressing climate-related challenges.
Support was also expressed for the climate agenda of Finland’s OSCE Chairpersonship, which is reflected in Kazakhstan’s high level participation in the upcoming International Conference on Climate and Security, to be held in Finland this June.
The sides also discussed preparations for the upcoming Regional Climate Summit, scheduled to be hosted by Kazakhstan in 2026 under the auspices of the United Nations. Dzhusupov emphasized the importance of this issue for the OSCE and expressed the Organization’s readiness to actively contribute to the Summit.
The meeting also covered water resource issues, including the situation in the Aral Sea basin and the ecological threats facing the Caspian Sea. The importance of international cooperation in preserving the region’s largest water bodies was underscored.
The officials paid special attention to early warning and response mechanisms for natural disasters, particularly, earthquakes, and the importance of further collaboration with the Emergency Situations and Disaster Risk Reduction Centre based in Almaty.
In conclusion, Dzhusupov thanked Kazakhstan for its continued support of his Office and expressed readiness to further deepen cooperation with the Kazakh side.