On May 19, 2026, the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KazISS) hosted a meeting between KazISS Director Zhandos Shaimardanov and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to the Republic of Kazakhstan, Yoav Bistritsky.
During the meeting, the Ambassador emphasized the importance of the recent official visit of the President of the State of Israel, Isaac Herzog, to Kazakhstan, noting that the visit had provided additional momentum to the development of bilateral relations and opened new opportunities for cooperation across various fields.
Highlighting the significant potential of Kazakh-Israeli cooperation, Yoav Bistritsky expressed interest in further expanding collaboration between the two countries in the areas of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, innovation, and high technologies. In addition, the parties underscored the importance of strengthening ties between the expert and analytical centers of Kazakhstan and Israel, as well as enhancing research and academic cooperation.
Particular attention during the meeting was devoted to the prospects of introducing a visa-free regime for citizens of Kazakhstan traveling to Israel. According to the parties, such a step could contribute to the further development of humanitarian, tourism, and business contacts between the two countries.
For his part, Zhandos Shaimardanov noted that Israel is an important partner of Kazakhstan in the Middle East. In this regard, Kazakhstan views the development of constructive dialogue with Israel as a significant element of its multi-vector and pragmatic foreign policy.
The Director of KazISS also stressed that, amid the continuing tensions in the Middle East, Kazakhstan consistently advocates for the political and diplomatic settlement of conflicts, the reduction of escalation, and the strengthening of international stability through dialogue and mutual trust.
In conclusion, the parties expressed confidence that the further strengthening of expert and research cooperation between Kazakhstan and Israel would contribute to the development of bilateral relations and to the maintenance of stability and security in the region.
