ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Tajikistan signed 11 agreements worth a combined $135.3 million during a bilateral business forum in Astana on Nov. 5, bringing together representatives of the two countries’ business communities to explore opportunities for trade, investment and industrial cooperation.
Kazakhstan and Tajikistan signed 11 agreements worth a combined $135.3 million. Photo credit: Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. The forum was held ahead of the official visit of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon to Kazakhstan, who arrived in Astana later the same day.
Discussions covered bilateral trade, industry, agriculture, the digital economy, information technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and renewable energy projects. Kazakhstan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Alibek Kuantyrov took part in the event, where renewable energy cooperation featured among the key areas of discussion.
Tajikistan generates approximately 98% of its electricity from renewable sources, primarily hydropower plants, according to the information presented at the forum. Kazakhstan is also expanding its renewable energy sector. The country’s power system comprises 254 energy-generating facilities, including 172 renewable energy installations, with a combined installed capacity of 27.1 gigawatts (GW).
Renewable energy facilities account for 3.8 GW of that capacity. In the first nine months of 2026, renewable energy sources accounted for 8.5% of Kazakhstan’s total electricity generation, exceeding the government’s target of 7%. Solar power remains one of the country’s priorities.
Projects are being developed through competitive auctions and intergovernmental agreements with international strategic investors. Kazakhstan has identified a pipeline of large-scale solar power projects with a combined capacity of 900 megawatts. By the end of 2035, the country plans to commission at least 8.4 GW of new renewable energy capacity, including approximately 1.8 GW of solar power.
The forum took place alongside a series of high-level diplomatic engagements in Astana, including the Aqaba Process summit on artificial intelligence security on Nov. 6, attended by leaders and senior officials from Central Asia and other countries.