Kazakhstan eyes Еast Europe as new market for its uranium

Kazakhstan is stepping up efforts to enter the Southeast European nuclear fuel market, signaling ambitions to supply uranium to Bulgaria and potentially other countries in Eastern Europe, as part of a broader push to diversify its energy export partnerships.

During an official visit by Bulgarian President Rumen Radev to Astana last week, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined an expansive bilateral agenda focused on nuclear energy, high technologies, and transregional connectivity. At a business forum in the Kazakh capital, Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund “Samruk-Kazyna” announced its intent to supply uranium to Bulgaria, leveraging Kazakhstan’s vast reserves and Bulgaria’s operational nuclear capacity at the Kozloduy plant.

“Bulgaria operates a nuclear power plant with two 1,200 MW units,” said Samruk-Kazyna CEO Nurlan Zhakupov, quoted by Kazinform. “There is a promising opportunity to cooperate on uranium supply from Kazakhstan to Bulgaria.”

The announcement comes as Bulgaria is in the process of phasing out Russian nuclear fuel from Kozloduy. Since last year, the country has started a four-year transition to American-made fuel from Westinghouse. In addition, Bulgaria has also signed a contract with French company Framatome, part of a broader effort to ensure energy security and diversify suppliers.

Kazakhstan, the world’s largest producer of natural uranium, is seeking to move beyond raw material exports by building partnerships that could support its ambition to develop a domestic nuclear energy industry. Despite lacking its own enrichment infrastructure, Astana views cooperation with countries like Bulgaria as a strategic step.

The Kazakh government has made similar uranium supply proposals to several other countries in the region. In recent years, Kazakhstan has sought to increase cooperation with Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia in the nuclear field, all of which have operating nuclear reactors and plans for fuel diversification.

During his visit, President Radev highlighted Bulgaria’s decades-long experience in nuclear operations, including the training of highly qualified specialists. He offered Bulgaria’s expertise to support Kazakhstan’s future nuclear projects.

Connectivity also featured prominently on the bilateral agenda. Radev emphasized the strategic importance of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), positioning Bulgarian Black Sea ports Varna and Burgas аs key logistics hubs between Europe and Central Asia.

The two leaders also discussed cooperation in artificial intelligence, space technology, education, and culture. President Radev even proposed Bulgaria as a technology partner for the future development of a supercomputer in Kazakhstan.

A strategic oil and gas corridor under scrutiny

Beyond nuclear energy, Kazakhstan’s role as a major oil and gas exporter has drawn increased attention in the context of Western sanctions against Russia. As a landlocked country bordering Russia and China, Kazakhstan has emerged as a critical transit and export hub — and, in some cases, as a workaround for sanctions targeting Russian energy and goods.

While officially maintaining a balanced foreign policy, Astana has had to navigate growing scrutiny from Western partners over the re-export of goods with dual-use potential and the use of Kazakhstan’s territory for Russian-linked financial and trade flows. The European Union and the United States have called for greater compliance with sanctions, prompting Kazakhstan to tighten customs controls and emphasize transparency in trade practices.

Still, the country remains deeply integrated with Russian infrastructure, particularly in the energy sector. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which carries around 80% of Kazakhstan’s crude oil to global markets via the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, continues to function as the main export artery for Kazakh oil. This dependence on Russian transit routes has made Astana vulnerable to geopolitical pressure and occasional disruptions, as seen in previous years.

In response, Kazakhstan is actively seeking alternative export corridors — particularly via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor — which bypasses Russian territory by linking Central Asia to Europe through the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, and the Black Sea. President Radev’s visit included renewed Bulgarian support for this corridor, positioning the ports of Varna and Burgas as key gateways for Caspian energy flows to the EU.

Back home, Radev’s stance on eurozone membership continued to stir controversy. Speaking in Astana, he reiterated his criticism of Bulgaria’s planned euro adoption on 1 January 2026, denouncing the parliament’s refusal to hold a referendum on the matter. His rhetoric runs counter to recent European Commission and ECB convergence reports, which gave the green light for Bulgaria’s accession.

Radev’s Euro referendum proposal signals eurosceptic political ambitions

Caption: The press secretariat of the Bulgarian presidency distributed photos from the meeting between Rumen Radev and the President of Kazakhstan Kassam-Jomart Tokayev.