Kazakhstan joins the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia as an observer state

Kazakhstan has been granted observer-state status in the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia (ACHA), the Ministry of Culture announced on October 19.

The decision followed the Alliance's fourth Council meeting in Hangzhou, China, attended by heads of cultural heritage agencies from more than 20 countries and representatives of ICCROM and ALIPH. Kazakhstan was represented by Vice Minister of Culture and Information Aibek Sydykov.

Sydykov proposed three areas of cooperation: training specialists and exchanging knowledge, remote monitoring of heritage sites with digital tools and AI, and joint archaeological and scientific research along the Silk Road. Executive Secretary-General Xie Bing welcomed the move and said he hopes Kazakhstan will eventually become a full member.

The Alliance was founded in 2023 on China's initiative and has been an intergovernmental organization based in Beijing since 2024.