EIB advances Kazakhstan investment cooperation across transport, energy and digital links

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Highlights

EIB Vice-President Marek Mora visited Astana on 7-8 October 2026 to advance project financing in transport, energy, water, and digital sectors, aligning with the EU's Middle Corridor initiative.
The EU aims to mobilise up to EUR 12 billion by 2030 for Central Asia regional connections, with the EIB's pipeline approaching EUR 3 billion and recent loans including EUR 150 million for Trans-Caspian road rehabilitation and EUR 200 million for sustainable transport and renewables.
EIB and European Commission are jointly providing nearly EUR 60 million with SES to expand satellite broadband to 1,600 rural villages, targeting digital connections for three million people across four Central Asian countries.

Astana talks focus on project pipeline

As reported by the European Investment Bank, Vice-President Marek Mora visits Astana on 7 and 8 October 2026 to deepen cooperation with Kazakhstan and move priority investments closer to financing. Meetings cover transport, energy, water, digital connectivity and sustainable industry, and include officials from the presidential administration, the transport and finance ministries, sector vice-ministers, QazAvtoZhol, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, Baiterek, the Development Bank of Kazakhstan, DAMU and the European Union Delegation.

The programme links policy, project delivery and finance, with discussions centred on strengthening Kazakhstan's role in regional connections between Central Asia and Europe. The mission follows European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's 2026 State of the Union address, which announces a new international connectivity initiative for the Middle Corridor through Global Gateway.

Under that plan, the European Union aims to mobilise up to EUR 12 billion in public and private investment, diversify transport routes, triple trade flows and significantly reduce freight transit times by 2030. The EIB says its pipeline across Central Asia is approaching EUR 3 billion, after opening a regional representation in Tashkent in June 2026 to work more closely with partners and projects across the region.

Transport, energy and digital projects widen regional impact

Kazakhstan is one of the EIB's main partners in Central Asia. In June 2026, the bank signs a EUR 150 million framework loan with road operator QazAvtoZhol to rehabilitate strategic roads along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, covering about 1,370 kilometres across central and southern Kazakhstan, including links to neighbouring Central Asian countries.

The investment is expected to improve road safety and climate resilience, shorten travel times and support the movement of people and goods. It follows a EUR 200 million EIB Global framework loan with the Development Bank of Kazakhstan for sustainable transport and renewable energy investments.

Talks in Astana also address broader conditions affecting the corridor's economic value, including border procedures, logistics hubs, rail-road connections and service competitiveness. The bank says these measures can help Kazakhstan build logistics, manufacturing and trade services around stronger infrastructure.

On energy, discussions cover infrastructure modernisation, energy security, renewable generation, regional cooperation and possible technical support from the EIB. A separate meeting with Vice-Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Arsen Zhakanbayev examines the water sector and potential cooperation, while the bank also remains engaged in regional initiatives including the Kambarata-1 hydropower project, subject to project development, due diligence and the necessary agreements among participating countries.

In digital connectivity, EIB Global and the European Commission are providing a package of almost EUR 60 million with SES to extend satellite broadband to about 1,600 rural villages across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The initiative aims to connect around three million people to education, healthcare and economic opportunities.

The EIB is also exploring financing opportunities with Kazakh mining and processing companies to support responsible critical-raw-materials value chains. The stated goal is to improve supply resilience for Europe while increasing local processing, access to technology and skilled employment in Kazakhstan, with any operations remaining subject to the bank's environmental, social and procurement standards.

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