ASTANA, Kazakhstan, March 7. The capital of the Republic of Korea hosted the 2025 World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO) opening, gathering over 50 diplomats, international representatives, and experts in sustainable urban development, Trend reports.
In the course of the ceremony, in his address, Nurgali
Arystanov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan and Executive Vice President of
WeGO’s City of Almaty, highlighted the significance of
international collaboration in advancing smart and sustainable
cities. He pointed out that Almaty is emerging as a regional
financial, logistics, and transportation hub, which has led to the
opening of new international organization offices and an increase
in international flights.
In September 2024, Almaty became home to WeGO’s Central Asia
Regional Office, which successfully hosted WeGO’s Executive
Committee Meeting. Additionally, the United Nations General
Assembly recently adopted a resolution to establish the UN Regional
Center for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Central Asia
and Afghanistan in Almaty.
Ambassador Arystanov also emphasized Almaty’s achievement in 2023, when it received the bronze prize at the Seoul Smart City Prize, awarded by WeGO for its innovative solutions in sustainable development. Meanwhile, this recognition led to Almaty’s participation in a comprehensive training program focused on leveraging technology to improve energy, transportation, healthcare, and safety.
''The growing role of cities in international diplomacy is increasingly evident. As one of the founding members of WeGO (since its inception in Astana in 2010) and an active participant since 2021, Kazakhstan is committed to further cooperation within the organization in areas such as digital transformation, innovation, and the use of artificial intelligence in smart city development,'' he emphasized.
Air Astana and Asiana Airlines currently operate direct flights between Almaty and Seoul. Furthermore, starting on April 7, 2025, Eastar Jet will launch two new direct flights between the two cities, enhancing connectivity and accessibility.