The vast country, with its relatively small population, attracts about 60 percent of all capital invested in the five former Soviet Central Asian states.

Output in April slightly exceeded Kazakhstan’s OPEC+ obligations, but the energy ministry said that deviation from commitments would be compensated for in the future, taking into account major repair works that are expected to be conducted on large oil projects in the summer.

KazTransOil JSC said it had carried out work to connect the newly built sections of the Russia-bound Uzen-Atyrau-Samara main oil pipeline after reconstruction.

Baikonur is not only Russia’s main space port but, for now, the only launchpad in the world sending manned flights into space. Since NASA retired the space shuttle in 2011, Russia’s Soyuz rockets -- launched from Baikonur -- are the only option for astronauts headed to the International Space Station.