Fugitive Kazakh banker and politician Mukhtar Ablyazov says President Nursultan Nazarbaev's son-in-law, Timur Kulibaev, received enormous bribes from Chinese oil companies seven years ago, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.

VIENNA – Kazakhstan is not ready to supply gas to Nabucco at this stage, but Astana is willing to consider supporting the gas pipeline to Austria as the former Soviet Republic develops its gas resources, and if the project makes sense economically, top Kazakh officials told New Europe in Vienna on 13 January.

Sauat Mynbayev, Kazakhstan's energy minister, questioned the need for the Central Asian country to maintain its world leadership in uranium production.

Kazakhstan is becoming a "pure China play," supporting the country's economic growth and bolstering the equity market as links increase with the world's fastest growing major economy, according to Troika Dialog.

Turkmenistan to dismantle monument topped with golden statue of late, eccentric dictator

On Jan. 1, Kazakhstan became the first former Soviet republic to take over chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.