Photo: depositphotos
Kazakhstan says it will not enforce the court decision from the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) in the dispute between Naftogaz of Ukraine and Gazprom at this stage, arguing that the ruling is not yet final and has not completed all legal procedures.
According to Kazakhstan’s Justice Minister Erlan Sarsembayev, the decision was issued in a unilateral procedure without the participation of the defendant and therefore cannot be considered final. He noted that the defendant still has the right to file a motion to annul the ruling, after which a full hearing involving both parties would take place.
The position was reported by Tengrinews.
The ministry also stressed that Kazakhstan will not serve as a “transit platform” for enforcing decisions that have no direct legal connection to the AIFC’s jurisdiction.
Officials further explained that enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in Kazakhstan is governed by national procedural law, meaning any compulsory execution must go through domestic courts under the Civil Procedure Code.
Previously, the AIFC court allowed Naftogaz of Ukraine to seek enforcement of approximately $1.4 billion from Gazprom, while earlier a Swiss arbitration tribunal ordered Gazprom to pay $1.37 billion, a decision later upheld by the Swiss Supreme Court.
