A Year Without Pauses: How the Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan Worked on the International Front in 2025

For the Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan, 2025 was a year of intensive, almost uninterrupted work - without pauses or empty declarations. Over the course of twelve months, the Chamber organized and took part in 128 events of various formats, ranging from small working meetings to large-scale international forums attended by heads of state. This packed calendar clearly demonstrated how Kazakhstan’s foreign economic position was consistently strengthened step by step, how its partner network expanded, and how new opportunities were created for Kazakhstani businesses.

The most in-demand and at the same time the most “hands-on” format proved to be 53 business meetings, which formed the backbone of the Chamber’s systematic activities. It was at these meetings that day-to-day, substantive work took place. Discussions focused on specific projects, company requests, logistics, legal support, and next steps for cooperation. Throughout the year, the Chamber organized meetings with business delegations and representatives of commercial institutions from China, Southeast and South Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the CIS, including chambers of commerce and industry, business associations, international corporations, as well as financial and logistics organizations. A special role was played by contacts with Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassadors of a number of countries. The geographical scope was truly broad - from Japan and Italy to countries of North Africa and the Baltics - strengthening the political and business framework of cooperation and opening additional channels for business dialogue.

Alongside working meetings, the Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan was actively present on the international public stage. Over the year, it organized and supported 25 business forums and 22 meetings of business councils, including major multilateral platforms. Meetings of bilateral business councils with Kazakhstan’s key European, Middle Eastern, and Eurasian partners were held, covering a wide geography - from the European Union to the Middle East and Central Asia. A particularly important milestone was the 10th anniversary meeting of the Kazakhstan-Russia Business Council, which confirmed the stability and maturity of economic dialogue between the two countries. In the same context, the 26th meeting of the SCO Business Council, the Eighth meeting of the CICA Business Council in Baku, the Second meeting of the Central Asia-China Business Council, and the Eighth meeting of the Kazakhstan-China Business Council set the tone for multilateral economic cooperation and outlined priorities for the future.

Events related to the signing of agreements and memoranda became another important area of the Chamber’s work. During the year, there were no fewer than six such occasions, where reached agreements were formally закреплены and moved into the practical phase, creating a solid institutional foundation for further cooperation.

In 2025, the Chamber’s international activities were marked by a pronounced multi-vector approach. The largest number of events was associated with China - 21 activities, reflecting the strategic nature of the partnership and the goal of doubling bilateral trade turnover. The Japanese track also held a significant place, with around seven events during the year. Active engagement continued with Azerbaijan and Iran, as well as with Jordan, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Switzerland, Uzbekistan, Russia, France, Germany, the UAE, Venezuela, and other countries. This broad outreach enabled the Chamber to work simultaneously with traditional markets and new directions of interest to Kazakhstani businesses.

A special place in 2025 was occupied by four events attended by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, which became the highlights of the Chamber’s annual activity. On 31 March, at Akorda, within the framework of the official visit of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, the Chamber ensured the business component of the negotiations, emphasizing its role as an institution shaping the economic substance of high-level contacts. On 27 August in Astana, the Kazakhstan–Jordan Business Forum was held with the participation of the President of Kazakhstan and King Abdullah II of Jordan, opening additional opportunities for joint projects in trade, investment, and logistics. On 2 September in Beijing, the Eighth meeting of the Kazakhstan–China Business Council took place with the participation of the President of Kazakhstan and President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping. This was the central business platform of the year on the China track, where the Chamber facilitated direct and substantive dialogue between the business communities of the two countries. This series concluded on 28 October in Astana with a forum attended by the President of Kazakhstan and President of Finland Alexander Stubb, which expanded the scope of high-level contacts and outlined prospects for cooperation in technology, innovation, and sustainable development.

All these events came together into a coherent and logical picture. At the operational level, the Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan conducted dozens of working meetings, forums, and business missions, while at the strategic level it was seamlessly integrated into the agenda of official visits and international platforms chaired by the Head of State. In 2025, the Chamber established itself not merely as an event organizer, but as a full-fledged conduit of state economic policy within the business environment-whose daily, often unseen work creates real opportunities for growth and the international presence of Kazakhstani business