Although just a few days ago – on May 20 – the Court of the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) issued a landmark decision allowing the forced execution of the judgment, the Kazakh government immediately blocked this process.
Read also: The Ministry of Finance discloses bond interest rates. Check how to profit from the exchange
The Kazakh authorities dissociate themselves from the court's verdict
The dispute concerns the 2019 transit contract. Naftogaz was to transmit Russian gas through Ukrainian territory by early 2025.
After the outbreak of a full-scale war, as a result of the actions of Russian occupation troops, one of the transit bases (“Sokhranovka”) was blocked. However, the Ukrainians implemented the contract through the “Suja” point, but Gazprom illegally reduced payments. As a result, in March 2026 Naftohaz ultimately won the case in a Swiss court for over USD 1.4 billion. debt with interest.
The Ukrainian company immediately began the process of searching for and freezing Gazprom's assets around the world – including in Kazakhstan. However, the success in the Astana court turned out to be short-lived, as the Kazakh central authorities intervened.
“The legal mechanisms of the republic do not provide for consideration of disputes that are not related to its jurisdiction, therefore the mentioned decision of the AIFC court will not be implemented on the territory of Kazakhstan,” Justice Minister Erlan Sarsembayev categorically stated.
The head of the Ministry of Justice explains that Kazakh law strictly limits the powers of the AIFC court to specific categories of cases that were transferred to it by mutual consent of the parties. According to him, neither Gazprom nor Naftogaz have ever expressed formal consent to a Kazakh court deciding on the recognition of the Swiss arbitration award.
Read also: How much financial cushion do you need? Forget three months
Procedural pretext and geopolitical background
The Kazakh minister also referred to the strict provisions of the local code of civil procedure. According to the regulations, an application for bailiff enforcement is submitted at the place where the dispute is heard, at the debtor's registered office or – if it is not known – where his assets are located.
“Gazprom's whereabouts are known. This is an important landmark in the procedure that cannot be ignored,” Sarsembayev added, suggesting that Naftogaz should seek justice directly in Russia, which is impossible in the current war conditions.
The Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) is a special financial zone in Kazakhstan, modeled in part on models such as the Dubai International Financial Center in the UAE. Within the AIFC there is the AIFC Court, an independent court for resolving economic and financial disputes.
