Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the presidents of Central Asian countries attended the opening ceremony of the UIM F1H2O World Championship stage, according to infohub.kz.
The heads of state spoke with competitors and wished them luck. The presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan were shown a racing boat used in the race.
The Central Asian leaders then simultaneously pressed a symbolic launch button, officially starting the UIM F1H2O World Championship stage — the "Kyrgyz Republic — Issyk-Kul 2026 Grand Prix".
Eight teams and 18 pilots from the UAE, Australia, Canada, and other countries are participating in the races. The Grand Prix is being held in Kyrgyzstan for the first time and will become one of the largest international sporting and cultural events in the republic's history.
The day before, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Cholpon-Ata to participate in an informal consultative meeting of the heads of state of Central Asia and Azerbaijan.