With the outlines of its six idle cranes obscured by thick fog and pouring rain, Kazakhstan's Caspian seaport Aktau seems an unlikely stop on China's much-hyped new silk road.
Seeking to attract more foreign investment from its prime position in China's huge Belt and Road trade project, Kazakhstan launched a new financial hub on Thursday which has already secured the backing of its giant neighbour.
Political uncertainty and over-reliance on external borrowing make the country more vulnerable than lower-rated sovereigns.
After decades in the economic wilderness, Uzbekistan wants to reintegrate itself into the global value chain. A Eurobond is on the way and regional integration has become a key priority
Khorgos, a new state-of-the-art port in the middle of the Kazakh desert, sums up the grand ambitions of the Belt and Road Initiative. But it is as much driven and funded by Kazakhstan as it is by China. Rather than being a white elephant, it has real implications for trade.
How might the states of Central Asia and the Caucasus benefit from China’s grand new investment initiative?
It’s been more than 1,000 days since oil prices first started to drop from a high of more than $100 a barrel in 2014.
A majority tribunal at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) awarded Caratube International Oil Company LLP (Caratube) USD 39.2 million plus interest for the unlawful expropriation of its oil contract rights by Kazakhstan.
New infrastructure helps ex-Soviet grain exporters reach Asian markets
Despite being the second-largest oil producer and exporter in the former Soviet Union, only behind Russia, Kazakhstan has been historically plagued by chronic deficits of fuel for domestic consumption. National energy security is at the top of the country’s priority list, yet little progress has been made since independence to address this concern.
