Kazakhstan declines russian participation in the construction of strategic energy facilities
The Government of Kazakhstan has announced that three thermal power plants (TPPs) in Kokshetau, Semey, and Ust-Kamenogorsk will be constructed in cooperation with Chinese partners rather than with russian companies, as previously planned.
▫️ In 2024, russia and Kazakhstan signed an intergovernmental agreement on the joint construction of the three TPPs with a russian contractor. However, this year the agreement was reoriented toward Chinese companies.
It is well known that for russia, joint energy projects represent not only business ventures but also instruments for advancing political influence and propaganda. The kremlin most actively employs such tools in the post-soviet space and in African countries.
Since the launch of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kazakhstan—despite formally maintaining a strategic partnership—has been gradually limiting russia’s influence. This applies to both economic and humanitarian spheres. By replacing trade with russia with cooperation with China, Kazakhstan restricts opportunities for russian citizens to circumvent sanctions and is simultaneously considering lowering the status of the russian language.
