ALMATY: Kazakhstan has received approval from the European Union to export coal through Russian ports, despite ongoing sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. The Central Asian nation, the EU’s largest trading partner in the region, relies heavily on Russian transit routes due to its landlocked geography.
The Kazakh trade ministry confirmed the development, stating, “the European side introduced amendments providing for an exception to the ban on transactions with certain Russian ports for the transit of Kazakh coal.” The EU’s latest sanctions package includes this exemption, ensuring continued coal shipments from Kazakhstan, which supplied 6.5% of the bloc’s imports in early 2025.
The waiver applies under strict conditions: the coal must originate solely from Kazakhstan, must not be owned by sanctioned entities, and Russian ports can only serve as transit points. The European Commission had previously hinted at such an exception in March, recognizing Kazakhstan’s role as the fifth-largest coal supplier to the EU.
Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the EU has sought stronger energy ties with Kazakhstan while maintaining sanctions on Russian resources. However, Kazakhstan remains a close ally of Russia, sharing a 7,500-kilometre border. Western nations accuse Astana of facilitating sanctions evasion, a claim the Kazakh government denies. - AFP
