Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has appointed a new Foreign Minister.  By president's decree, Yermek Kosherbayev has been named as the new head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), succeeding Mukhtar Nurtayev, who has been appointed as the presidential assistant for international investment and trade cooperation.

Yerzhan Kazykhan, who had previously served as the presidential assistant for international investment and trade cooperation, has been named Kazakhstan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva.

Earlier in September, Orda.kz reported that Mukhtar Nurtayev had been detained, but the authorities have not confirmed this information.

New foreign minister’s background

Yerbek Kosherbayev, the newly appointed Foreign Minister, had served as Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister since February 2025.  Prior to this role, he was the Governor of East Kazakhstan Region.

From 2018 to 2019, Kosherbayev held key positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including as the responsible secretary and deputy minister.

He also served as Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Russia from 2020 to 2023. Throughout his career, Kosherbayev has worked in various sectors, including the Ministry of Agriculture, and in national companies such as KazTransOil and KazMunaiGas.