Euronews Debates: unlocking Kazakhstan’s potential as a regional trade hub
At the Astana Finance Days 2026, speakers discussed how Kazakhstan can move beyond its traditional role as a transit country and become a regional hub for production, trade and investment.
At a major financial forum in Central Asia, Euronews hosted a panel discussing Kazakhstan's efforts to transform its central location into a thriving trade hub. The discussion centered on the country's potential to develop logistics, manufacturing, and attract investments.
Nurzhan Marabayev, an infrastructure investor, pointed out that Kazakhstan benefits from relatively low labor, resource, and construction costs. However, he emphasized that efficient, transparent, and competitive logistics are essential to unlock new projects across the region.
Airport director Meruyert Zholdybayeva spoke about the potential of multimodal transport, noting that a China-Europe route can move goods from Shenzhen to Europe in just seven days. She also suggested that Aktau could become a major hub by combining rail, sea, and air links.
Manufacturing is another area experiencing growth. Alima Issembayeva shared that production rose from 2.3 trillion tenge in 2021 to nearly 4 trillion in 2025. Exports also more than doubled between 2021 and 2024.
Trade expert Ilya Urazakov highlighted Kazakhstan's favorable record of foreign direct investment (FDI) and abundant natural resources as key advantages. Professor Tom Vinaimont stressed the importance of currency hedging and predicting financing to support these developments.
Written by urgent.news from Euronews's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
