Articles by Saniya Sakenova

ASTANA – Kazakh and Malaysian businesses signed agreements and memorandums totaling over $350 million at a May 17 investment roundtable chaired by Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as reported by the Prime Minister’s press service. Participants agreed to collaborate on attracting investments in Islamic finance and trade development, as…

ASTANA — Exports of Kazakh agricultural goods to China increased by 84% over the year. This was announced during a May 16 meeting between Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong, reported the Prime Minister’s press service.  During the same period, agricultural product turnover grew 1.7 times, with an additional 6%…

ASTANA – Antonio Tajani, the Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, will meet with foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan in Rome on May 29, reported Agenzia Nova. The meeting confirms Italy’s growing interest in Central Asia, a region of increasing political and economic…

ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of Industry and Construction Kanat Sharlapayev and First Vice President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Jürgen Rigterink signed a memorandum of understanding on May 16 to develop and modernize Kazakhstan’s mining industry, reported the EBRD’s press service. The agreement establishes a more modern and sophisticated system for…

ASTANA —  Some 202 Kazakh families received houses and apartments to replace their homes destroyed by the recent floods as of May 17, the Prime Minister’s press service reported.  The government continues to compensate citizens affected by the extensive floods this spring following President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s instructions.  Some 24,641 families have received one-time payments totaling…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is ready for closer and more productive interaction with Malaysia, which plays an important role in the Southeast Asian region, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during the meeting in an expanded format with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on May 16, reported Akorda. Highlighting business contacts as crucial for developing bilateral relations, Tokayev…

ASTANA – The Alatau Hub regional innovation center was officially launched on May 15 in Konayev town, the Almaty Region, reported the press service of the Astana Hub International Technopark of IT Startups. The Alatau Hub’s opening was celebrated with an exhibition showcasing large IT companies from across the country. Like other regional innovation centers…

ASTANA – The National Trade Facilitation Committees (NTFCs) have developed a joint action plan to streamline trade procedures throughout Central Asia at the 11th NTFCs regional meeting, which took place on May 15 during the Central Asia Trade Forum in Almaty.  In addition to the joint action plan, participants focused on a roadmap for digitizing…

ASTANA – A reciprocal partnership with South Korea in drone production has the potential to elevate Kazakhstan’s status as a drone hub in Central Asia, Vice Minister of Industry and Construction Azamat Beispekov said in an interview with The Korea Herald on May 9. He emphasized the importance of cooperation with South Korea in the…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s GDP is projected to increase by 4.5% in 2024 despite severe floods that hit the country this spring, according to the latest Regional Economic Prospects report published by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on May 15.  “While elevated government spending is expected to soften their impact on aggregate demand,…

ASTANA – KazPost and China’s YTO Express Group are set to establish a high-tech Class A warehouse with an area of approximately 40,000 square meters in Almaty, KazPost CEO Assel Zhanassova said at a meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on May 14, reported Akorda. The facility is expected to become a key transit hub in…

ASTANA – Life expectancy of Kazakh citizens at birth reached 75.09 years in 2023, marking the highest figure recorded in the past 25 years, the Bureau of National Statistics reported on April 25. During the pandemic in 2020-2021, this indicator dropped after a prolonged upward trend, and then recovered again. People living in urban areas…

ASTANA – The World Bank Group (WBG) proposed providing grant support for assessing the damage caused by extensive floods in Kazakhstan during a May 14 meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Nurlan Baibazarov and representatives of the WBG and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), reported the Prime Minister’s press service. WBG…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s trade turnover with Central Asian countries totaled $7.7 billion in 2023, Vice Minister of Trade and Integration Kairat Torebayev said at the 13th Central Asia Trade Forum in Almaty on May 14, reported the ministry’s press service. Torebayev noted that strengthening trade ties in Central Asia contributes to economic growth, job creation,…

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Bakayev took part in an online meeting with leaders of Turkic cooperation organizations on May 10 as part of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship in the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), reported the Foreign Ministry’s press service. Among them were OTS Secretary General Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary General of the International Organization…

ASTANA – Some 20,600 families have received one-time payments in the total amount of 7.5 billion tenge (US$16.9 million), Kazakh Vice Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev said at a May 14 government meeting. Some 680 families received compensation for material damage totaling 362.5 million tenge (US$821,352), while 568 families were paid compensation for repairs and restoration…

ASTANA – Kazakh Vice Minister of Transport Talgat Lastayev and Regional Director for the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) European and North Atlantic Office Nicolas Rallo signed an agreement on Assistance, Capacity-building and Training (ACT) for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) on May 13, reported Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Committee. This move made Kazakhstan the first country…

ASTANA – Last year, Kazakhstan fully recovered from the pandemic and has reached an all-time high in key tourism indicators, Minister of Tourism and Sports Yermek Marzhikpayev said at a May 14 government meeting chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. In 2023, foreign tourist arrivals in Kazakhstan doubled to 9.2 million from 4.7 million recorded…

ASTANA – The Kazakhstan Agency for International Development (KazAID) transferred 100 vouchers to the Embassy of Tajikistan on May 10 for the training of IT specialists as part of the Tech Orda human capital development program, reported the agency’s press service. Implemented by the Astana Hub International Technopark of IT Startups, the program provides youth…

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu will chair a regular meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states on May 21 in Astana, reported the ministry’s press service. The meeting will be attended by the SCO Secretary General and the Director of the…

ASTANA – The U.S. Agency for International Development will host the 13th Central Asia Trade Forum (CATF) on May 14-15 in Almaty, reported the USAID’s press service. The CATF, a major trade event fostering connectivity, commerce, and trade policy in the region, has facilitated the signing of over $32 million in contracts since its inception.…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appointed Zhaslan Madiyev as a new Minister of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry on May 6, reported the Akorda press service. In this position, Madiyev replaced Bagdat Mussin, who served as minister from 2020 to 2024 and was relieved of his duties on April 30. Born in 1983 in…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s exports of sunflower seed meal to the European Union increased by 2.3 times to around 54,400 tons between July 2023 to February 2024, Kazinform reported on May 5. Based on the results of eight months of the current season, Kazakhstan firmly holds the fifth place among sunflower seed meal suppliers. The top…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, congratulated citizens on Defenders of the Fatherland Day, celebrated on May 7, and Victory Day, observed on May 9. “Today, the valiant Kazakh army has become a reliable shield of territorial integrity and stability in the country. Our glorious warriors vigilantly guard the…

ASTANA – A total of 49,945 Kazakh citizens have returned to their homes in regions affected by flooding, the Ministry of Emergency Situations’ Spokesperson Askar Sharip said at a May 6 briefing in the Central Communications Service (CCS), reported the CCS’s press office. Water was diverted and pumped from 8,958 residential buildings and 2,994 courtyard…