The Diplomat | Author
Paolo Sorbello
Paolo Sorbello is a journalist and researcher living in Kazakhstan.
Paolo Sorbello is a journalist and researcher living in Kazakhstan. He is also the English-language editor at independent media outlet Vlast.kz.
Paolo’s work has also been published by openDemocracy, Global Voices, and Natural Gas World. He holds a PhD from the University of Glasgow, where he studied industrial relations in Kazakhstan’s oil sector. You can follow Paolo on Twitter or connect via LinkedIn
Page 4 of 12
March 09, 2021
Feminist Activists Take to the Streets in Kazakhstan
By Paolo Sorbello
Hundreds of activists and sympathizers took part in a march for women’s rights in Almaty.
March 01, 2021
After Pipeline Explosion, Russia Resumes Gas Exports to Kazakhstan
By Paolo Sorbello
An explosion at a Soviet-era pipeline near the border between Russia and Kazakhstan shows just how intertwined the energy sectors of these countries are.
February 18, 2021
Oil Company OMV Petrom Leaves Kazakhstan
By Paolo Sorbello
Another investor has left Kazakhstan, highlighting the worsening business climate.
February 01, 2021
The Illusions of Post-Nazarbayev Kazakhstan
By Paolo Sorbello
Despite his resignation from the presidency in March 2019, Nursultan Nazarbayev’s shadow lies heavily across the “new” leadership. The January parliamentary elections confirmed the paradox.
December 15, 2020
Election Campaign Kicks Off Slow in Kazakhstan
By Paolo Sorbello
After some initial commotion in the political environment, the parliamentary race folded back into a roll-call of loyalists.
November 25, 2020
Banking Consolidation Continues in Kazakhstan
By Paolo Sorbello
A bank close to Nazarbayev buys a competitor, while smaller lenders continue to fall.
November 17, 2020
One Thousand and One Responses to Borat
By Paolo Sorbello
Offensive, racist, only-for-Americans, funny, and even a diplomatic case. The second Borat movie stirred a wide range of controversies in Kazakhstan and worldwide.
October 19, 2020
Italian Policemen Sentenced for Kidnapping Kazakh Ex-Banker’s Family
By Paolo Sorbello
Italian police staged a special operation to detain and repatriate the wife and daughter of Mukhtar Ablyazov in 2013. Now seven of those involved were sentenced.
October 16, 2020
Kazakhstan’s Fintech Group Lists in the London Stock Exchange
By Paolo Sorbello
The group that owns Kazakhstan's third-largest bank sold around $1 billion in shares in the London Stock Exchange.
September 23, 2020
The FinCEN Files Show Suspicious Activities of Kazakhstan’s Former Oligarchs
By Paolo Sorbello
Hundreds of millions of dollars of suspicious origin have transited in and out of Kazakhstan with the help of U.S. banks, an investigation of thousands of leaked documents reveals.
September 15, 2020
Central Asia’s Refineries Under Scrutiny
By Paolo Sorbello
Kazakhstan's anti-monopoly agency fines the Atyrau refinery; Uzbekistan's Fergana refinery becomes loot for investors.
August 28, 2020
Feminist Festival Kicks Off in Central Asia
By Paolo Sorbello
The third edition of the FemAgora Central Asia festival began with online video conferences this year, as activists find new and original ways to create networks