On April 19-23, representatives of the World Youth Festival Directorate were on a working visit to Kazakhstan. The delegation held a series of meetings with representatives of government agencies, youth organizations, expert, business and media communities. The main topics were preparations for the International Festival of Youth in 2026, the development of educational and humanitarian cooperation, as well as the involvement of Kazakhstan’s youth in international projects.

"Kazakhstan remains one of our key partners in the development of international youth cooperation. We are connected not only by good-neighborly relations, but also by really close humanitarian and educational contacts. During the visit, we saw a high level of engagement from both government agencies and the youth community. Today, about 500 young people from Kazakhstan have applied to participate in the International Festival of Youth 2026, and we are confident that this number will grow. This confirms the keen interest in joint initiatives and the willingness to further strengthen our ties," said Kantemir Khurtaev, Advisor to the Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate.

During the first days of the visit to Almaty, the delegates met with representatives of the Balkarian and Ingush diasporas, as well as public figures and opinion leaders. The participants were presented with the concept of the International Festival of Youth 2026, a large-scale platform that will bring together 10,000 young people from all over the world. Of particular interest were the opportunities for Kazakh youth to participate in the IFY-2026 and educational projects of Russian universities.

On April 21, a series of working meetings of the World Youth Festival delegation with representatives of government agencies and relevant organizations of Kazakhstan took place. During negotiations with Dinara Sadvakassova, a representative of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, an agreement was reached on forming a pool of experts from among graduates of the School of Analytics project to participate in the International Festival of Youth. In turn, the leadership of the ‘Zhas Ulan’ children's and youth organization worked out issues of children’s participation in the IFY-2026, and representatives of the National Volunteer Network of Kazakhstan expressed their willingness to assist in the development of the "Civic Engagement" track at the IFY-2026.

On this day, a meeting was also held with Tolegen Dosov, Chief expert of the Regional Coordination Department for Youth Policy of the Committee on Youth and Family Affairs of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The participants discussed the prospects of Russian-Kazakh youth cooperation, including the possibility of updating the bilateral memorandum.

At the same time, meetings were held with representatives of the business and expert community – representatives of the Astana International Financial Center, the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the media center of the Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan. The parties discussed the involvement of experts in the educational program of the Festival, the development of media cooperation and the participation of businesses in the implementation of the IFY–2026 projects. Special attention is paid to cooperation with diasporic associations and the creation of joint projects.

On April 22, the Rossotrudnichestvo Representative Office in the Republic of Kazakhstan hosted the presentation of the International Festival of Youth 2026, which was attended by more than 60 young people. During this event, participants of the World Youth Festival were also awarded commemorative medals and diplomas.

"I would be very interested in participating in the International Festival of Youth, as such venues provide unique opportunities for sharing experiences, broadening horizons and establishing international relations. I am particularly close to tracks related to youth leadership, media and public diplomacy — these areas today largely determine the role of youth in society. In my opinion, the key goal of such events is to unite young people around common values and ideas of cooperation. It is a space for dialogue, where new initiatives are born and mutual understanding between cultures and countries is formed. Such an association is especially important because it is the younger generation that shapes the future of international relations and seeks solutions to global challenges”, said Bakhtiyar Akylbai, candidate for participation in the IFY—2026, leader of the youth movement "Ambassadors of the Earth".

Safayev Shahrukh Ulugbekuly, who also applied for participation, noted that he would like to become part of the delegation to the IFY–2026, as he considers the Festival an important platform for gaining knowledge, developing professional competencies and expanding horizons. According to him, it is also a unique opportunity for networking, open dialogue and exchange of experience with representatives of different countries and organizations.

"In my opinion, the International Festival of Youth is an important platform for the development of youth policy and international cooperation. This is a great opportunity to showcase your organization's initiatives and share experiences with participants from different countries. In my opinion, the key purpose of such events is to share international experience and strengthen cooperation among young people. In addition, this is a chance to get to know the culture of the host country better and develop mutual understanding between peoples", said Tazhibai Abylaikhan Maratuly, candidate for participation in the IFY–2026.

On the same day, the delegation held meetings with key youth organizations in the country. Among them are the Youth Congress of Kazakhstan, the Alliance of Students of Kazakhstan and the Business Council of Youth of Astana. The participants discussed mechanisms for involving young leaders, students and entrepreneurs in the Festival program, as well as the formation of a national delegation to the IFY–2026.

Overview:

The World Youth Festival took place on March 1–7, 2024 at “Sirius”, according to the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.

In accordance with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on preserving and developing the legacy of the World Youth Festival, festival events on the territory of the Russian Federation will be held annually. The World Youth Festival Assembly was held in Nizhny Novgorod in 2025 and brought together 2,000 young people from 120 countries. In 2026, the International Festival of Youth will gather 10,000 participants. The next World Youth Festival for 20,000 participants will be held in 2030.

The World Youth Festival Directorate continues the work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation and developing a community of young people who care about the future of the world.