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Diplomacy
Kazakhstan's ambassador to Russia, Dauren Abayev, took part in a conference of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on security in Central Asia and Afghanistan. Kazinform reported this, citing the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has concluded his official visit to Armenia, held from 15 to 17 October, and returned to Bishkek on 17 October.
On October 17, Kazakhstan and Cambodia adopted a joint statement and exchanged six intergovernmental and interagency documents following talks in Astana between Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, according to the Kazakh president's press service. The exchange ceremony was held in the presence of both leaders.
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan proposed the formation of a Network of Young Trust Ambassadors on 15 October, speaking at the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku.
Kazakhstan's foreign trade turnover reached $103 billion in January–August 2026, up 12.8% year on year, the Ministry of Trade and Integration reported. Exports grew more than four times faster than imports. Exports totalled $60.4 billion, up 19.5%, while imports rose 4.5% to $42.6 billion, lifting the trade surplus to $17.8 billion from $9.8 billion a year earlier.
Uzbekistan and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) discussed continuing joint projects and developing initiatives in the agricultural sector. The talks took place at a meeting between Uzbek Minister of Agriculture Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov and FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, reported UzDaily.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet visited Astana to study Kazakhstan's digitalisation experience. He held talks with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and the two sides agreed to cooperate in e-government, digital technologies and artificial intelligence. A Joint Statement is to be adopted today and several documents will be signed.
Iran and Armenia have agreed to prepare a bilateral strategic document and to develop regional cooperation in the economy and transit links. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian made the announcement while commenting on the results of his visit to Armenia. The information was published by Pars Today.
Türkiye has responded with a counter-NAVTEX to Greece’s notice for the Eunomia exercise, which Greece is conducting in the eastern Mediterranean with four countries. Ankara said the area falls within Türkiye’s jurisdiction and under the responsibility of the Antalya station.
Kyrgyzstan attracted a total of $5.9 billion in direct foreign investment in 2020–2025. Speaking to the Kabar news agency, Ravshanbek Sabirov, head of the National Investment Agency under the President, said the 2025 volume exceeded $1.3 billion, a 143.9% increase compared with 2020. In the first half of 2026, Kyrgyzstan received $709.9 million in direct foreign investment, up 26.2% from the same period a year earlier.
Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held talks in Astana with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who arrived on his first official visit to Kazakhstan. The Government's press service told Qazinform News Agency that the two delegations discussed ways to expand trade and economic cooperation. Kazakhstan views Cambodia as an important and reliable partner in Southeast Asia.
Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov said at the plenary session of the TAIM II Russia-India forum in Kazan that he intends to travel to India in the first quarter of 2027. An agreement on the matter was reached with India's ambassador to the Russian Federation, Vinay Kumar.
US President Donald Trump has signed an order suspending new sanctions against Russia. The decision was justified by national interests, according to information published on the White House website and reported by Qafqazinfo. The order was signed two days before a bill took effect that would impose sanctions on the Russian government and state companies, as well as tariffs on countries that import energy from Russia.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet adopted a joint statement following negotiations, according to Egemen.kz, which cited the Presidential press service Akorda.
The Politis newspaper reported that Maria Angela Holguin, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus, has written an article addressed to the leaders. Holguin notes that over recent months Cypriots have encountered the terms "methodology", "substance" and "confidence-building measures" almost every day.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov issued a statement for the media in Yerevan on 17 October 2026 on the results of his official visit to the Republic of Armenia. He thanked Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for the invitation to an official visit and praised the warm welcome and hospitality extended to the Kyrgyz delegation. Japarov described the trip as historic, as it was the first official visit to Armenia by a head of state of Kyrgyzstan.
Discussions continue on the delimitation of the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the fate of enclaves and exclaves. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's approach to defining borders has brought the mechanisms for resolving these issues back into focus. Preserving territorial integrity and the conditions under which a possible land exchange could take place are at the centre of attention.
UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus Maria Angela Holguin said she believes a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus issue is still possible. In a letter, she called on the leaders to take concrete steps on confidence-building measures and lay the groundwork for negotiations to resume.
Armenian Foreign and Foreign Trade Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said the Turkey-Armenia border could open at any time. Speaking to journalists at the Leaders Summit held in Yerevan within COP17, Mirzoyan said: "Tomorrow we may wake up and see the Turkey-Armenia border open."
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov recently held talks with Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan in Yerevan. According to the Presidential press service, as reported by the Kabar news agency from Bishkek, the two sides discussed prospects for cooperation in economy, investment, transport, agriculture, information technology, education and tourism.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who arrived in Kazakhstan on an official visit, held one-on-one talks with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Hun Manet thanked the president for the invitation and noted that the two countries have maintained diplomatic relations for more than 30 years. The information comes from Qazinform News Agency, citing the Akorda press service.
According to the State Statistical Committee, Azerbaijan exported 175.237 million cubic metres of natural gas worth $11.793 million to Iran during January–August 2026. Over the same period it imported a larger volume from its southern neighbour: 215.022 million cubic metres, valued at $14.471 million.
On 17 October, during President Sadyr Japarov's official visit to Armenia, a series of bilateral documents aimed at strengthening Kyrgyz-Armenian cooperation was signed in Yerevan.
President Tufan Erhürman has said he received neither directly nor indirectly, through the UN, the document containing the “19-point ideas” of Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides. He made the remarks in an interview with the Greek Cypriot newspaper Politis.
Today's top Turkic news: Uzbekistan-China ties, Samarkand visit, Kulubaev-Rubio talks, Northern Cyprus festival and Turkmen desertification centre.
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