Israel and Kazakhstan Sign Tax Treaty Ending 10-Year Negotiation

Israel and Kazakhstan signed a double taxation agreement on November 3, 2026, after more than ten years of talks.

The treaty was finalized during the tenth meeting of the Israel-Kazakhstan Joint Economic Commission in Jerusalem. The agreement creates a legal framework to determine which country taxes specific income, aiming to stop businesses from paying taxes twice. This clarity is intended to lower costs for investors and expand economic ties between the two nations.

Negotiations for this specific tax framework ran for over a decade. Diplomatic momentum built earlier in 2026, following visits by Israeli President Isaac Herzog in April and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar in January. Those trips paved the way for the current high-level engagement.

The commission was co-chaired by Ze'ev Elkin of the Israeli Finance Ministry and Zhaslan Madiyev, Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister. Madiyev is the highest-ranking Kazakh official to visit Israel in the last ten years. He led a delegation of more than 50 senior government officials and representatives from state-owned companies. The meeting included representatives from twelve government ministries, including nine deputy ministers from Kazakhstan.

Beyond the tax treaty, the two countries signed memoranda of understanding on artificial intelligence, labor, and cybersecurity. They also issued a joint declaration on space cooperation. During the sessions, officials discussed energy, water technologies, agriculture, and critical minerals. The nations established their first joint working group on water management, with the Israel Water Authority leading the Israeli side.

A business forum organized by the Foreign Ministry and the Israel Export Institute resulted in seven commercial documents being signed. Israeli companies explored opportunities in advanced technology and infrastructure with the Kazakh delegation. Discussions also covered potential direct air connections and visa-free travel arrangements.

The economic agreements align with Kazakhstan's accession to the Abraham Accords in November 2025. That move expanded the US-brokered framework into Central Asia. Dr. Anat Hochberg-Marom, a geopolitical analyst, noted that Kazakhstan has a gross domestic product of approximately $301 billion. She identified the country as the world's leading uranium producer, accounting for roughly 40% of global output in 2024. Kazakhstan also holds significant reserves of copper, zinc, tungsten, and lithium, which are vital for battery production and renewable energy supply chains.

Madiyev stated that the partnership's value depends on practical implementation. He said cooperation should yield concrete projects, new expertise, and active investments in Kazakhstan, moving beyond the exchange of experiences.