Kazakhstan Evacuates 74 Nationals from Iran as Regional Tensions Rise

Amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel, six Kazakh citizens on a business trip in Iran were helped to return home through Azerbaijan, while another 68 were relocated to Turkmenistan, according to Kazakh Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Aibek Smadiyarov during a June 16 briefing in Astana.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan is closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East in connection with the escalation of relations between Iran and Israel. The Kazakh Embassy in the region is working in an enhanced mode. According to our information, there are 132 Kazakh citizens in Iran and 219 citizens in Israel. Diplomats are in constant contact with our citizens,” Smadiyarov said, The Caspian Post reports citing Kazakh media.

On June 14, Kazakhstan issued a ban on flights over six countries as tension rose in the Middle East.

Central Asia-China summit

Among other news, Smadiyarov stated that the second Central Asia-China summit, scheduled for June 17, will focus on strengthening regional cooperation, expanding political dialogue, deepening trade and economic ties, developing transport connectivity, energy, innovation, and sustainable development.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will chair the second Central Asia-China summit. Leaders of the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the summit.

Regional security, joint efforts to address transnational challenges, and the strengthening of cultural and humanitarian ties will also be key areas of focus.

UN disarmament fellowship participants visit Kazakhstan

The United Nations Disarmament Fellowship Program participants will visit Kazakhstan from June 18 to June 22 to learn about the country’s initiatives in global and regional security, including its role in promoting the principles of peace, trust, and nuclear disarmament.

The participants will visit the National Nuclear Center of Kazakhstan in Kurchatov, located in the Abai Region, a city that was once closed to the public as the center of the Soviet nuclear weapons program. They will also tour the former Semipalatinsk nuclear test site.

This visit marks the seventh such event held in Kazakhstan as part of the program.