Cyprus and Kazakhstan have taken a significant step in deepening bilateral relations, signing five cooperation agreements during the first official visit by a Cypriot president to Kazakhstan. President Nikos Christodoulides met with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana, where the two leaders discussed expanding ties in trade, investment, transport, and digital development.
The agreements include memoranda of understanding on higher education and research, culture, sport, information and communication technologies, cybersecurity, and e-government. A separate accord was also signed between the chambers of commerce of both countries. Tokayev awarded Christodoulides the First Class Order of Dostyk, one of Kazakhstan's highest state honors, underscoring the importance of the visit.
From Political Dialogue to Practical Cooperation
Christodoulides traveled to Kazakhstan with a delegation of business representatives who participated in a Cyprus-Kazakhstan business forum held alongside the visit. The Cypriot president emphasized Kazakhstan's growing role as an economic and transport hub in Central Asia, while highlighting Cyprus's position as a gateway to European markets as an EU and eurozone member.
“We recognise the increasing geopolitical importance of Central Asia and we also recognise the very important role that Kazakhstan plays both in the region and also as a strategic partner of the European Union,” Christodoulides said. He added that Cyprus, in the context of its current Presidency of the Council of the EU, strongly supports further strengthening the strategic partnership.
Tokayev proposed creating a bilateral roadmap, as well as intergovernmental and business councils, to support joint projects and encourage greater economic exchange. He noted that more than 400 companies with Cypriot capital are currently operating in Kazakhstan, and invited Cyprus to participate in projects linked to the TransGas corridor.
New Connections Between Europe and Central Asia
A key practical outcome of the visit was the launch of direct flights between Larnaca and Astana by Air Astana. The Cypriot delegation traveled on the inaugural service, which Christodoulides said could boost tourism, trade, and business exchanges. The new route is part of broader efforts to enhance connectivity between Europe and Central Asia, a region of growing strategic importance.
Christodoulides also visited the Alem AI Centre for a briefing on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity projects, and addressed the business forum. Deputy Minister to the President of Cyprus, Irene Piki, told Euronews that Cypriot investments in Kazakhstan are estimated at around $4 billion (€3.4bn), with key sectors including digitalisation, financial services, logistics, and shipping.
“There are a lot of things that we can offer both for investment from Cyprus to Kazakhstan and the other way round,” Piki said, describing Cyprus as a gateway to the EU market of over 450 million consumers, as well as connections to the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
The visit also saw Christodoulides brief Tokayev on recent developments regarding the Cyprus issue, reiterating support for UN-led negotiations. The strengthening of ties between Cyprus and Kazakhstan reflects a broader trend of European engagement with Central Asia, as the EU seeks to diversify partnerships beyond its immediate neighborhood.
