Kazakhstan Weekly: Kazakhstan advances critical minerals pact, backs constitutional overhaul, boosts FDI

February 5, 2026 to February 11, 2026

This week's top 10 stories from Kazakhstan, selected from our daily intelligence briefs.

1. US–Kazakhstan Minerals Cooperation Advances with Pledge to Supply 20 Critical Materials

Kazakhstan and the United States signaled a step-change in bilateral minerals cooperation at the inaugural U.S.-hosted critical minerals ministerial in Washington, where Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Yermek Kusherbayev (also spelled Ermek Kosherbayev in some accounts) pledged the country can supply finished products for 20 of the 60 minerals on the U.S. Geological Survey’s critical list. Delegates from more than 50 countries, G7 officials, industry leaders and senior U.S. officials—including Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Congressional figures such as House Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast and Senator Steve Daines—focused on diversifying and securing supply chains for clean energy and high-tech industries; a U.S.–Kazakhstan memorandum (signed after President Tokayev’s 2025 Washington visit) prioritizes building Kazakhstan’s processing capacity, technology transfer, and expanded U.S. market access.

The talks reaffirmed an Expanded Strategic Partnership and reviewed implementation of roughly $17 billion in investment agreements linked to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s U.S. engagement and the C5+1 summit. Practical next steps include a planned March Congressional delegation to Kazakhstan, legislative work to remove Jackson–Vanik legacy constraints on trade, and Kazakhstan’s role as a regional processing and distribution hub ahead of its participation in the 2026 G20 summit in Miami. The initiative positions Kazakhstan to move up the value chain while offering U.S. and allied partners alternative, resilient supply routes for strategic minerals.

Local Coverage: egemen.kz, dknews.kz, inform.kz

From daily briefs: 2026-02-05, 2026-02-06, 2026-02-07

2. Lower House Backs New Constitution Draft, Ratifies EAEU–Mongolia Trade Deal, Advances Worker Protections

Kazakhstan’s lower house, the Mazhilis, backed a draft Constitution emphasizing sovereignty, human rights, and clearer governance structures, proposing a unicameral Parliament with a new advisory People’s Council, strengthened property-rights protections and special legal regimes to attract investment, and provisions on marriage (defined as between a man and a woman), separation of state and religion, digital security, and primacy of national law over international treaties. MPs framed the changes as preserving unity and economic stability; quoted lawmakers included Yermurat Bapi and Irina Smirnova (aikyn.kz).

The chamber also ratified a temporary EAEU–Mongolia trade agreement eliminating import duties on 367 goods for three years (with an automatic three-year extension) to expand market access for Kazakhstan’s grains, poultry, dairy, metals, vehicles and chemicals, and covering technical barriers, SPS and customs cooperation (Acting Minister Zhanelya Kushukova, egemen.kz). Separately, MPs advanced labor-law amendments in second reading to tighten workplace safety, require clearer collective-pay provisions, increase employer liability, credit pension time for non-working fathers caring for minors, and prohibit dismissal of single parents; committees are considering additional bills on psychological services, readmission with Austria and oversight of “Eastern medicine” clinics.

Local Coverage: aikyn.kz, egemen.kz

From daily brief: 2026-02-06

3. Government Reports $58B in Total Foreign Inflows as FDI Rises; New Investor Protections and Alatau City Highlighted

Kazakhstan reported robust foreign inflows and rising investment in the first nine months of the year: Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said foreign direct investment (FDI) grew 10.9% year‑on‑year to $14.9 billion, while total foreign inflows—including portfolio investment and loans—exceeded $58 billion. Fixed‑asset investment increased 13% to KZT 22.7 trillion, split between KZT 5 trillion in public and KZT 17.7 trillion in private investment.

To sustain and de-risk this momentum, authorities highlighted institutional reforms and project facilitation: the Investment Headquarters is addressing bottlenecks across 212 projects valued at $115 billion and is implementing a “green corridor” to streamline execution from concept to completion. Investor protections were bolstered by transferring ombudsman functions to the Prosecutor General and expanding proactive outreach through Baiterek Holding and new Kazakh Invest offices abroad. The government also signaled plans to develop Alatau City under a special legal regime and modern urban governance as a strategic new investment hub.

Local Coverage: egemen.kz

From daily brief: 2026-02-11

4. Constitutional overhaul advances with economic, tax, and digital mandates set out at expanded government meeting

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev unveiled a draft Constitution and a coordinated policy package that together signal a major institutional reset and a push for economic stabilization and digitization. The draft—prepared by a 130‑member Constitutional Commission after 10 meetings and more than 4,000 public submissions—would replace the bicameral Mazhilis and Senate with a single 145‑seat Quryltai elected by party lists for five years, create a People’s Council, establish a vice‑presidential post, and reframe the system as “Strong President – Influential Parliament – Accountable Government.” The text (affecting over 80% of the current Constitution) elevates human rights, codifies secular education and traditional family (defining marriage as between a man and a woman), enshrines digital rights, and expands parliamentary oversight of courts and top appointments; a nationwide referendum could be held as soon as late March, with elections to the new unicameral body to follow.

Concurrently Tokayev ordered concrete economic and security measures: a three‑year anti‑inflation drive, full digitization of tax and customs by 2027, a results‑focused budget overhaul, and energy targets including 13.3 GW of new capacity by 2029 plus a “clean coal” project. The state will launch a unified digital platform (QazTech), AI services and a “Social Wallet”; the central bank reported record reserves and tighter bank taxation. Tokayev also prioritized rule‑of‑law reforms—strengthening law‑enforcement transparency, requiring court orders for forced evictions, and seeking to build civic trust—framing the package as a comprehensive modernization of governance, economy and security.

Local Coverage: egemen.kz, malim.kz, inform.kz, aikyn.kz, dknews.kz, zakon.kz, informburo.kz

From daily briefs: 2026-02-06, 2026-02-07, 2026-02-11, 2026-02-12

5. Draft Constitution Advances with Data Privacy, New Institutions, and Wider Public Input

A 130-member commission is drafting a new national Constitution in open sessions, and State Counselor Erlan Karin reports that more than 4,000 public suggestions were submitted during the first week of nationwide consultations. The draft advances digital rights—constitutionally protecting personal data, communications and privacy—and codifies the Miranda rule, moves Karim presents as regional firsts; it also proposes institutional reforms including a unicameral parliament, a vice president, a Constitutional Court and a High Consultative “People’s Council,” plus single-term limits for several top offices.

The charter embeds expanded social and governance priorities—women’s and children’s rights, environmental protection, volunteerism and parental responsibility—and is being positioned by Karin as culturally grounded rather than transplanted from abroad. For international professionals, the draft signals a deliberate legal modernization that elevates data protection and judicial-administrative architecture while opening the process to substantial public input (4,000+ comments) and public scrutiny.

Local Coverage: inform.kz, inform.kz, aikyn.kz, malim.kz, zakon.kz, aikyn.kz, aikyn.kz, egemen.kz, zakon.kz, malim.kz

From daily brief: 2026-02-08

6. Water Governance Tightened with New Code, Cross-Border Deal, and Accelerated Infrastructure Upgrades

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation closed 2025 with a push to modernize water infrastructure, strengthen governance and expand digitization. Authorities reported completion of 53 major projects and rehabilitation of roughly 600 km of an intended 635 km of canals under nine Islamic Development Bank–backed projects; a new national Water Code entered into force in 2025; and the country concluded an intergovernmental agreement with Uzbekistan for joint management of transboundary water facilities. The World Bank is also preparing a climate‑resilience project for the Northern Aral Sea focusing on upgrades across the Aral–Syr Darya basin.

Operational and service targets are advancing alongside legal reforms: centralized potable water now serves 277 settlements (approx. 514,000 people), with 15 group water mains reconstructed in 2025 and 12 more scheduled by 2026. Digitization plans for 2026 include telemetry on 103 southern canals and a pilot e‑billing system for irrigation contracts, signaling an integrated approach to infrastructure, cross‑border governance and service delivery that should improve resource allocation and climate resilience in the region.

Local Coverage: dknews.kz

From daily brief: 2026-02-05

7. Central Bank Puts Digital Tenge Rules Out for Public Consultation

The National Bank has published a draft framework governing issuance, circulation and redemption of the digital tenge on its “Open NLA” public consultation portal, open for comment through February 19. The proposal sets out operational and legal contours for central bank digital currency (CBDC) activity, marking a formal step toward defining the digital tenge’s lifecycle and compliance requirements, though the briefing did not disclose full draft details or include official commentary.

For international businesses and financial institutions, the consultation signals an imminent rulebook for participation in the digital tenge ecosystem with likely implications for payment integration, liquidity management and regulatory compliance. Stakeholders should consider reviewing the draft before the February 19 deadline to influence access rules, interoperability standards and reporting obligations that will affect cross‑border and domestic transaction flows.

Local Coverage: inform.kz

From daily brief: 2026-02-06

8. UAE Talks Advance Plan for Low‑Carbon Data Centers and AI “Factories” as Astana Courts Global Investors

At the World Government Summit 2026, a UAE delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of AI Zhaslan Madiyev pitched the country as a regional hub for converting abundant power into compute capacity, advancing plans for high‑performance, low‑carbon data centers and “AI factories.” Discussions with Abu Dhabi’s G42 chief Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan and UAE Energy and Infrastructure Minister Suhail Al Mazroui prioritized energy‑efficient storage and processing infrastructure; an MoU was signed with the UAE Cabinet and digital agendas were aligned with key Emirati ministers while engagements extended to Estonia and Uzbekistan.

Negotiations targeted concrete partnerships and architectures with NVIDIA, Oracle, Masdar, Gulf Data Hub, Aleria, Phoenix Group, Yandex, VisionLabs, Botim and Mastercard, and financing talks involved BlackRock, MGX and regional venture partners DIFC and Dubai Future District Fund. Talks also covered hybrid cloud, applied AI use cases and unmanned logistics/“low‑altitude economy” opportunities with RTA and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre — signaling coordinated public‑private moves to attract global investors and scale sustainable compute capacity in the Gulf.

Local Coverage: dknews.kz, aikyn.kz

From daily brief: 2026-02-06

9. Berlin Calls Kazakhstan a Strategic Anchor in Central Asia as Foreign Ministers Pledge Deeper Cooperation

In Berlin, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev and Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul agreed to elevate bilateral political dialogue and deepen cooperation on trade, investment and industrial partnerships, with Wadephul calling Kazakhstan “a strategic pillar in Central Asia.” The ministers committed to closer coordination on regional and global issues through multilateral forums, signaling Germany’s intent to secure a reliable partner amid shifting geopolitics and positioning Kazakhstan as a stability anchor for the region.

Separately, Kazakhstan and India reaffirmed plans to intensify their strategic partnership and coordination within the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and CICA, and to advance the “Central Asia–India” Dialogue as a platform for regional connectivity. Both sides prioritized expanding trade, investment, transport‑logistics corridors, and tourism — developments that create near‑term opportunities for businesses involved in connectivity and sectoral partnerships as multilateral frameworks consolidate.

Local Coverage: dknews.kz, aikyn.kz

From daily briefs: 2026-02-11, 2026-02-12

10. AIIB Deepens Role in Kazakh Infrastructure with new framework pact and $2.6B project pipeline

Kazakhstan has formalized deeper engagement with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and reiterated ties with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as part of a push to modernize its infrastructure. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana endorsed a new Partnership Framework Agreement with AIIB President Zou Jiayi, while AIIB currently finances nine projects in Kazakhstan totaling more than $2.6 billion across energy (including a 220 MW wind plant), transport (sections of the Zhezkazgan–Karaganda and Aktobe–Karabutak–Ulgaysyn highways, and an Almaty orbital railway) and social infrastructure (a multi-profile hospital in Kokshetau). Zou signaled continued rapid-response financing to meet evolving client needs; Tokayev said the pipeline will “energize” cooperation.

Separately, First Deputy Foreign Minister Erzhan Ashykbayev and ADB Country Director Utsav Kumar reviewed ADB portfolio performance and aligned future investments with Kazakhstan’s economic and constitutional reforms, prioritizing transport connectivity, regional integration, energy (including renewables) and SME support. The ADB has invested over $7.5 billion in Kazakhstan to date and signaled readiness to scale high-impact projects; ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa is planning a visit in spring 2026, underscoring the strategic nature of the partnerships and potential for expanded financing of Kazakhstan’s large-scale modernization.

Local Coverage: inform.kz, zakon.kz, aikyn.kz, egemen.kz, informburo.kz, malim.kz, dknews.kz

From daily briefs: 2026-02-05, 2026-02-10

About This Weekly Digest

The stories above represent the most significant developments from Kazakhstan this week, selected through our AI-powered analysis of hundreds of local news articles.

Stories are drawn from our daily intelligence briefs, which synthesize reporting from Kazakhstan's leading news sources to provide comprehensive situational awareness for international decision-makers.