Tengrinews.kz — A meeting of the Council for Improving the Investment Climate, chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, was held in Astana.
The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between the government of Kazakhstan and the international business community, as well as investment opportunities in digitalization and artificial intelligence.
Photo: primeminister.kz
Bektenov drew attention to the entry into force of Kazakhstan’s new Constitution and the new prospects it opens up for expanding investment cooperation.
“Our meeting is taking place at a historic moment for our country. Under the leadership of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kazakhstan has entered a completely new stage of its development. The Constitution adopted in the nationwide referendum has become the foundation for the systematic continuation of large-scale reforms aimed at building a Just and Progressive Kazakhstan. Today, a gradual reset of the entire legal system continues, including with the aim of ensuring consistent and sustainable economic development,” Olzhas Bektenov said.
The meeting also discussed the formation of a new state and political model, which began after the country’s new basic law came into force. Elections to the new legislative body, the Kurultai, have been scheduled, and the Secretariat of the new supreme advisory body, the Qazaqstan Halyq Kenesi, has been established.
In addition, the Constitutional Court clarified the application of the constitutional provision on the single-term limit for a number of senior officials: the President, the chairperson and judges of the Constitutional Court, the chairperson of the Supreme Court, and the Prosecutor General.
“The Constitutional Court, by its decision, gave a clear and unambiguous interpretation that the single-term rule applies only to persons appointed or elected to the relevant positions after the new Constitution came into force, that is, after July 1 of this year. Providing legal certainty removes a number of issues from the agenda for both domestic and external audiences. I believe this is also a positive signal for investors, for whom the stability and predictability of the political and legal system are important,” Bektenov stressed.
The Prime Minister noted that the presidential reforms being carried out are based on broad public support. According to him, the latest sociological surveys show that more than 87 percent of citizens are confident that Kazakhstan is developing in the right direction.
“Public support for the political course is a key factor in the further successful implementation of the presidential reforms. Thus, the new constitutional model and the stable course of reforms serve as a strong foundation for the further modernization of our economy, the expansion of international partnerships and the growth of Kazakhstan’s investment attractiveness. Dear colleagues, our cooperation in light of the new Constitution is also entering a new stage of development. I am confident that the political and economic transformations being carried out in the country will give a powerful impetus to the development of long-term and mutually beneficial partnership,” Bektenov said.
The meeting also reviewed processes related to the development of digitalization and the introduction of artificial intelligence. As is known, 2026 has been declared the Year of Digitalization and AI in Kazakhstan. The new Constitution officially enshrines citizens’ digital rights, the nationwide Digital Qazaqstan strategy through 2029 has been approved, and the Digital Code, the Law “On Artificial Intelligence” and the Law “On Cybersecurity” have been adopted. In addition, modern regulatory mechanisms are being introduced for trusted cross-border data exchange, including the Cloud First Policy and Data Embassy. As part of the flagship Data Center Valley project, Kazakhstan signed a $10 billion agreement with Firebird AI to develop AI infrastructure.
“President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev has set the task of building a fully fledged digital country. Digital transformation and the development of AI are important elements for us in ensuring sustainable economic growth, increasing the efficiency of public administration and improving citizens’ quality of life. We highly value the contribution of foreign partners to strengthening the country’s business climate. The government is open to constructive dialogue with investors in all areas to achieve mutually beneficial results,” the Prime Minister noted.
The meeting also featured speeches by Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan Jeff Ehrlich, U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan Julie Stufft, and business representatives. Julie Stufft noted the high level of trade and investment cooperation between the countries, as well as the importance of open dialogue between the government and the business community on issues of digital regulation, cloud technology development, personal data processing and cross-border data transfer.
Photo: primeminister.kz
Proposals from the international business community were presented by Baker McKenzie partner and AmCham Digitalization Committee board member Andrei Yorsh, Apple’s Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Central Asia, Armenia and Mongolia Adilkhan Kopabayev, Siemens Kazakhstan CEO Diyas Asanov, and Honeywell President for Central Asian countries Artur Nigmatyanov.
Photo: primeminister.kz
Company representatives discussed issues related to the practical implementation of the Digital Code, regulation of online platforms, development of public cloud solutions, personal data protection, cybersecurity, the use of artificial intelligence, digitalization of industrial processes and improvement of regulatory efficiency.
Vice Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Gizzat Baitursynov and First Vice Minister of Culture and Information Kanat Iskakov, in turn, spoke about the work being carried out in this area.
Following the council meeting, Olzhas Bektenov noted that Kazakhstan remains an open and predictable country for long-term investment. The government intends to deepen the digital transformation of the country’s economy and is ready to continue cooperation with the business community on improving digital regulation, ensuring user safety, developing innovation infrastructure and creating predictable conditions for investors. The responsible state bodies were instructed to study the proposals and recommendations voiced at the meeting and take them into account in their work.