Chairman of the EC IFAS

ASKHAT T. ORAZBAY

Chairman of the Executive Committee of

the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea

Born on 2 December 1960.

In 1985 he graduated from the Tashkent State University.

A.Orazbay is a Kazakh professional career diplomat whose diplomatic career began at the Foreign Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 1992.

During the years of the diplomatic service he has advanced to the top diplomatic posts including Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (2004-2006), Kazakhstan’s National Representative to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (2006-2008), Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Turkmenistan (2008-2012), Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Indonesia (2012-2019), Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the Philippines (2015-2019) and Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Iran – concurrently  Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the Economic Cooperation Organization (2019-2024).

He also served as Political Affairs Officer of the UN Special Mission for Afghanistan, Director of the Department for Asia, Middle East and Africa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Ambassador-at-Large of the Kazakh Foreign Office.

On 11 January 2024 upon consent of the Presidents of
5 Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) A.Orazbay was appointed as the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea.

Specialist in Oriental Studies by background A.Orazbay is fluent in Persian, English, Russian and Turkish.

He holds the highest diplomatic rank – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

Awarded with “Qurmet” Order (Order of Honour) and many Medals of the Republic of Kazakhstan.