Astana Hub to make smart city technologies country’s calling card, says Astana Hub CEO

ASTANA – Astana Hub is a concept designed to create a system for start-up development, including interaction with local businesses and government. It seeks to find and...


Ministry of Culture and Sport presents Notre Dame de Paris in Kazakh capital

ASTANA – Twenty years ago, the world saw the legendary Notre Dame de Paris musical for the very first time. As part of the commemoration of the...


Air Astana adds new generation fuel-efficient aircraft to fleet

ASTANA – Air Astana recently added the Embraer E-Jet E2, one of the world’s most fuel-efficient planes, to its fleet. The aircraft also features an image on...


Model UN programme provides unique opportunity for personal development of Kazakh students

On the eve of the 27th anniversary of our independence, Kazakh children tried themselves in diplomatic shoes. Two months ago, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched the...


Kazakh government takes measures to reduce utility costs

ASTANA – Utility costs will be reduced in all regions beginning Jan. 1, said Vice Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin at a Dec. 20 press conference...


Modernisation in Central Asia should consider political, economic and social context, says Almaty Club experts

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is taking the lead in Central Asia on comprehensive modernisation, said regional experts at a recent gathering in Astana to discuss the latest findings...


Kazakh National Tourism Award to stimulate development of tourism in the country

ASTANA – The Kazakh National Tourism Award was introduced this year to encourage tourism organisations, travel bloggers and other involved parties to improve their services accordingly in...


Mangystau region has steady growth, will develop manufacturing

ASTANA – The Mangystau region’s gross regional product increased from 98.6 percent to 103.4 percent compared to the previous year, announced Akim (Governor) Yeraly Tugzhanov at a...


New bridge to reduce traffic load between right and left banks of Astana

ASTANA – City officials will begin the two-year construction in 2019 of an automobile bridge across the Yessil River to reduce traffic between the city’s left and...


Female Kazakh driver to race in W Series 2019 Qualifiers, promote female F1 drivers

ASTANA – Kazakh racer Lyubov Andreyeva will compete against 60 women to participate in the single-seater racing championship W Series 2019. Formula 1 (F1) has long been...


Kazakh junior hockey team prepares for group stage of 2019 World Junior Championship

ASTANA – The Kazakh junior hockey team will compete in Group B of the 2019 World Junior Championship, to be held from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5...


Kazakhstan seeks peace, international prosperity in year of turmoil

The last 12 months have been another disappointing year for all who want to see peace, prosperity and co-operation in our world. We must hope future historians,...


Kazakh President points to improved quality of life at Independence Day gala

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev congratulated his fellow citizens on their Independence Day and summed up Kazakhstan’s progress as a sovereign state at a Dec. 14...


Kazakh boxer Kanat Islam to return to ring in March

ASTANA – Prominent Kazakh boxer Kanat Islam (25-0, 20 knockouts) will return to ring in March next year. Islam is an ethnic Kazakh born in Xinjiang, China,...


Ambassadors Spouses Association raises, distributes $100,000 for charity

ASTANA – The Ambassadors Spouses Association (ASA) recently distributed the 2018 Christmas Charity Bazaar’s fund among 40 charity organisations, several individuals and bought equipment for a clinic...


Kazakhstan exports to 110 countries, continues developing manufacturing industry

ASTANA – Kazakhstan exports products to 110 countries, said President Nursultan Nazarbayev during a Dec. 11 national teleconference in the capital. He spoke with 28 enterprises from...


Gharysh Sapary to supply drones to National Guard

ASTANA – Gharysh Sapary will produce unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), more commonly known as drones, for the National Guard, said National Guard Commander-in-Chief Ruslan Zhaksylykov in a...


Kazakhstan launches first PPP transport digitisation project

ASTANA – E-freight, Kazakhstan’s first public-private partnership (PPP) to digitise transport, was launched as an online trial Dec. 11 in the capital. Formally known as Implementation and...


Kazakhstan’s latest armoured military vehicle stands up to country’s harsh winter weather

ASTANA – Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering’s (KPE) latest armoured wheeled vehicle, the Barys 6×6, recently showed it can stand up to even the harshest Kazakh winter conditions. Barys,...


ADB forecasts 4 percent growth for Kazakhstan in 2018, prompts improved Central Asian outlook

ASTANA – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) set a 4 percent growth projection for Kazakhstan in its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2018 Supplement report, released Dec. 11....


Kazakh students stage energy themed model UN as Jas Diplomat project ends

ASTANA­ – Students from seven Astana schools and representatives from seven diplomatic missions gathered Dec. 13 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to finish preparations for the...


Demolition work delays Astana’s small ring road construction

ASTANA – The capital akimat (city administration) estimates building a small ring road in the city will be finished no earlier than 2020 and might be extended...


KTZ will notify passengers about train delays

ASTANA – Beginning Jan. 1, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) will notify passengers about train delays of more than three hours, said Asset Asavbayev, chair of the Ministry...


Kazakhstan’s 2018 socioeconomic development yields positive results, says prime minister

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s ministers reviewed the country’s socioeconomic development for the past year at a Dec. 11 government meeting, receiving positive assessment from Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev....


Kazakhstan incorporates UNDP recommendations to protect agriculture from climate change

ASTANA – The United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) new report “Climate Change Adaptation in Europe and Central Asia: Adapting to a Changing Climate for Resilient Development,” which...


Discrepancies in Kazakh foreign trade statistics need to be corrected, senator stresses

ASTANA – Underestimating import data indicates corruption in customs and leads to illegal business, said Senator Dariga Nazarbayeva at the body’s Dec. 6 plenary session. This also...


Domestic violence prevention laws should be more detailed, say Central Asian experts

ASTANA – The laws on domestic violence prevention in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan need to be developed and completed with more detailed prevention and protection mechanisms, according...


Kyzylorda changes time zones to save electricity, improve public health

ASTANA – Beginning Dec. 21, Kyzylorda clocks will be turned back one hour, announced Regional  Akim (Governor) Krymbek Kusherbayev. According to experts, the transfer will eliminate physiological...


Construction launched on Saryarka gas pipeline

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev launched construction on the Saryarka gas pipeline during Astana’s Industrialisation Day, Dec. 11. “It is an ambitious and large project, but...


Privatisation plan misses 2018 targets, could meet 2020 deadlines

ASTANA – The midterm results of the Comprehensive Privatisation Plan for 2016 to 2020 show that 465 entities, including state-owned and communal companies as well as assets...


Chinese investor buys major Kazakh automaker

ASTANA – China National Machinery, a transnational Chinese state company, has bought 51 percent of shares of SaryarkaAvtoProm, a major Kazakh automaker. The joint venture plans to...


Mobile device registration deadline nears, reminds minister

ASTANA –Kazakh Minister of Information and Communications Dauren Abayev reminded the public at a Dec. 10 press-conference that mobile operators will not service mobile devices that have...


Eurasian Economic Union leaders discuss trade, digital economy in St. Petersburg

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev participated in the Dec. 6 Supreme Eurasian Economic Council (EEC) and the informal summit of the leaders of the Commonwealth of...


First private employment agency opens in Akmola region

ASTANA – The Akmola region Chamber of Entrepreneurs has launched Kásip-kz, the first private employment agency, reported the regional city administration Dec. 6. The agency, in cooperation...


Kazakh agriculture ripe for international investment, says official

ASTANA – The international food and agriculture sector is valued at approximately $7.8 trillion. With the growth of the world’s population and its living standards, Kazakhstan’s agricultural...


Kazakhstan may postpone national railway IPO

ASTANA – Postponing Kazakhstan Temir Zholy’s (KTZ) initial public offering (IPO) until 2025 has been requested on behalf of the National Association of Mining and Mining and...


Astana finishes construction on 71 idle private housing projects

ASTANA – Astana officials have completed construction on 71 out of 100 residential housing projects in which construction began since 2015 but was never completed. “In early...


Morocco seeks Kazakh tourists, tourism agency partnerships

ASTANA – Morocco sees the potential for cooperation in the Kazakh tourism market, said the country’s first Ambassador to Kazakhstan Abdeljalil Saubry at the Dec. 5 inaugural...


“Information Technologies”, the problem of introducing complex information and technological platforms in Kazakhstan

SPONSORED CONTENT We are aware quite well of the importance of the Message of the Head of the State N.A. Nazarbayev referred to as “New Opportunities For...


China to assist Kazakh agro exports to Southeast Asia

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has accepted an offer from China to create joint ventures to increase agricultural exports to Southeast Asian countries. “All the markets are opening today,...


Kazakhstan to form non-joint stock company to raise funds for film production, promotion

ASTANA – The Kazakh Senate adopted a law “On Cinematography” Dec. 6 . It supports the production of national films, their wider distribution and entry into the...


East Kazakhstan region students win WorldSkills Kazakhstan Championship

ASTANA – The East Kazakhstan region took first place in the fourth WorldSkills Kazakhstan Championship Dec. 3-7 in the capital. The 27 participants who won seven gold...


Kazakhstan offers Astana as central location to address challenges during OSCE meeting in Milan

ASTANA – Kazakhstan presented its proposals to strengthen the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to increase its role in addressing international challenges during...


Kazakhstan opens literature and art centre in Madrid

ASTANA – The Kazakh Embassy to Spain and Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) recently opened the Centre of Kazakh literature and art in Madrid. The...


Kazakhstan to introduce regulations to combat overpricing of medications

ASTANA – The Ministry of Healthcare will introduce a new model in January to regulate the price and circulation of medicines and medical devices, said Lyudmila Byurabekova,...


Kazakh driver Sultan Ibragimov makes impressive Formula 4 test debut

ASTANA – Fourteen-year-old Sultan Ibragimov will take part in the 2019 Formula 4 South East Asia Championship after completing the first test on the Sepang International Circuit...


Karaganda region opens first major distribution and logistics centre

ASTANA – The inaugural stage of Alfarukh, the first wholesale distribution and logistics centre, has been completed in the Karaganda region as part of the Plan of...


Almaty’s thermal springs season is heating up

ASTANA – Although the Shonzhy village in the Almaty region’s Uyghur district is located far from the Almaty city, the village is a popular tourism destination. The...


Digitising construction, housing will reduce CO2 emissions and heating costs, says Kazakh minister

ASTANA – Implementing smart heat metering devices in houses across the country, a project associated with Kazakhstan’s digitisation, will reduce citizens’ expenses, said Minister for Investment and...


Kazakh ‘#Explorestan’ tourism branding seeks to take sting out of ‘Stan’

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s tourism brand was presented to the general public Dec. 7 at Astana’s Travel Media Talks international forum and will soon be submitted for state...


World chess champion debuts how-to-play book in Kazakh language

ASTANA – World chess champion Dinara Saduakasova recently presented her debut book, “Learning to play chess,” in the capital. The volume, which shares her experience and skills,...


Astana Opera adds Chopiniana and Scheherazade ballets to its repertoire

ASTANA – Astana Opera made a gift to capital residents and guests, presenting the premiere of the one-act ballets Chopiniana (Les Sylphides) and Scheherazade by choreographic art reformer Michel Fokine.   The...


Kazakhstan Temir Zholy places Eurobonds worth 170 million Swiss francs

ASTANA – Kazakhstan Temir Zholy recently placed five-year Eurobonds worth 170 million Swiss francs on the Swiss Stock Exchange and the Astana International Financial Centre’s (AIFC) Exchange....


Targeted state support is key to engaging youth in employment, education, says expert

ASTANA – The Kazakh youth population aged 16 to 24 will increase 30 percent by 2030 and will require more targeted state support in entering and remaining...


Kazakh satellites hitch ride on SpaceX launch vehicle

ASTANA – Two Kazakh satellites, KazSciSat-1 and KazSTSat, were launched Dec. 4 at 12.32 a.m. Astana time aboard the Falcon 9 from the Vandenberg U.S. military base...


Public space development will enhance Astana living standards, civic engagement, say experts

ASTANA – Developing public indoor space will meaningfully improve citizens’ wellbeing and activism in Kazakhstan’s cold and fast-growing capital, said local and foreign experts at Urban Forum...


Aktobe Football Club board member calls for change in limit on foreign football players

ASTANA – More than 16 years have passed since Kazakhstan entered the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) family. In that time, the level of the country’s...


Seven agreements worth $480 million inked at Almaty Invest Forum

ASTANA – Seven agreements worth $480 million were signed as part of the sixth Almaty Invest Fоrum. A favourable investment climate, highly developed human capital and tourism...


Poet Saule Doszhan introduces Kazakh life stories

ASTANA – Writer and poet Saule Doszhan, named an Honoured Art Worker of Kazakhstan in 2015, is the author of books based on touching true stories that...


Think tank presents recommendations for new EU strategy for Central Asia

LONDON – Closer dialogue, focus on concrete results, a realistic, pragmatic and state-by-state approach and “soft power” initiatives were among the key recommendations included in the Eurasian...


Yelikti ski resort is perfect destination for beginner, expert skiers and snowboarders

ASTANA – The impressions from the vast steppes surrounding the capital offer little hope for winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding. That’s why many of its...


Green Cat Art Laboratory encourages self-expression and care for nature

ASTANA – Green Cat Art Laboratory started in 2011 as a hobby to make handmade products. Seven years later, it has turned into a business. Specialising in...


Ruhani Zhangyru: Nazarbayev’s Model

The recent article by the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, titled “The Seven Facets of the Great Steppe”, which is in the continuation of his earlier article...


Shymkent Oil Refinery completes modernisation, improves fuel and environmental standards

ASTANA – The Shymkent Oil Refinery recently completed a modernisation allowing it to meet Euro-4 and Euro-5 fuel standards while making the refinery more environmentally friendly. The...


Kazakhstan Highway Research Institute develops new road survey system

ASTANA – The Kazakhstan Highway Research Institute (KazNorDII) has developed a road asset management system. Beginning with the East Kazakhstan region, the database will use machines and...


A new look at Kazakhstan’s history builds bridges to the future

Winston Churchill is among those credited with the observation that it is the victors who write the history books. He was reminding us that the version of...


Economy News in Brief

Kazakhstan is having a record year for investments in environmental protection, finprom.kz reports. During the first 10 months of 2018, 61.1 billion tenge (US$163.55 million) has been...


Business news in brief

Kazakhstan-based transformer manufacturer Alageum Electric will sign an agreement to purchase goods not yet produced with KEGOC, Chair of Alageum Electric’s directors’ board Yerkebulan Ilyasov told the...


IAEA purchases low-enriched uranium for LEU Bank in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has signed contracts to purchase low-enriched uranium (LEU) to start operation of a Low-Enriched Uranium Bank in Kazakhstan in...


Annual diplomatic Christmas bazaar raises funds for charity

ASTANA – The 11th annual Diplomatic Christmas Charity Bazaar organised by the Ambassadors’ Spouses Association (ASA) took place Dec. 2 in Astana. Forty-six embassies, charity organisations and...


External News in Brief

Kazakhstan’s Daneliya Tuleshova took sixth place at the Junior Eurovision song contest hosted by Minsk, Belarus. It was Kazakhstan’s debut at the contest, which gathered junior vocalists...


National news in brief

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev instructed the government to increase pensions 7 percent and social allowances for persons with disabilities and loss of a breadwinner 5 percent from...


Kazakh President urges larger role for NGOs in Kazakh society

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev stressed at the Nov. 27 eighth Civil Forum of Kazakhstan the importance of reducing barriers to interaction between the state and...


Central Asian self-governance enabled by greater regionalism, say scholars

ASTANA – Central Asia is shedding its image as a mere domain of competition among great powers and increasingly asserting its agency, said a Swedish scholar in...


West Kazakhstan region supports small businesses, productivity growth

ASTANA – The West Kazakhstan region ranks third in the country with a 40-percent share of the medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the gross regional product. This indicator...


Growing bilateral relationship noted at celebration of Omani National Day in Astana

ASTANA – The ambassador of Oman to Kazakhstan spoke with The Astana Times about political, economic and cultural relations between the two nations during the Nov. 21...


Kazakhstan and UAE boost production projects, discuss aerospace industry cooperation

ASTANA – First Deputy Prime Minister Askar Mamin and United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of Presidential Affairs Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan​ met Nov. 25 in...


Kazakh Healthcare Ministry proposes reducing confidential abortion age to 16

ASTANA – Kazakh Vice Minister of Healthcare Lyazzat Aktayeva suggested reducing the age when adolescents can have an abortion without their parents’ permission (confidentially) to 16 during...


Kazakhs and Cossack communities share historical roots, cultural similarities, says community leader

ASTANA – The Akmola Department of Cossacks serves as the region’s ethno-cultural organisation for Cossacks, who number approximately 100,000 in Kazakhstan. The similar-sounding ethnonyms Cossack and Kazakh...


Romania to mark 100th anniversary of Great Union with cultural celebrations

ASTANA – As Kazakhstan celebrates its First President’s Day Dec. 1, Romania will be celebrating 100 years since its Great Union. The date marks the union of...


Kazakhstan to streamline rehabilitation and bankruptcy procedures

ASTANA – The Kazakh government approved the draft law “On amendments to some legislative acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on improving rehabilitation and bankruptcy procedures” at...


Sharipova forced to postpone fight for WBC champion belt

ASTANA – Kazakh boxer Firuza Sharipova has postponed her fight with World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Eva Wahlström of Finland originally scheduled for Dec. 22 in St....


Mangistau region: land of 362 saints and historical monuments

ASTANA – The Mangistau region, located in south western Kazakhstan, is known for a myriad of historical sites. Though the region is better known for its vast...


TEDxAbayStWomen, TEDxYouth@AbaySt promote openness, provoke conversation that matters

ASTANA – Almaty residents and guests will have a chance to immerse in the TED Talk experience, famous for its “ideas worth spreading” mission, as the city...


Language policy programme brings positive results, considers Kazakh terminology update

ASTANA – The state programme on language development and functioning is in full swing throughout the country. More than 42,000 people have attended language courses at the...


PetroKazakhstan sponsors open youth tennis tournament in Shymkent

ASTANA – More than 70 children participated in a recent open tennis tournament in Shymkent. The tournament was sponsored by PetroKazakhstan Oil Products (PKOP) as part of...


Almaty hosts national electronic sports finals, winners advance towards $5.5 million competition in China

ASTANA – The winners of the Nov. 11 Kazakhstan national final of the World Electronic Sports Games (WESG) cybersports world championship in Almaty will participate in the...


Kazakh research institute to enact comprehensive plan to counter cancer mortality

ASTANA – The Kazakh Research Institute of Oncology and Radiology has prepared a 35 billion tenge (US$93.88 million) action plan to reduce cancer mortality rates for the...


Construction to begin in Astana in 2019 on Kazakhstan’s second World Trade Centre

ASTANA – The World Trade Centres Association (WTCA) will begin construction in late 2019 of Kazakhstan’s second $200-million World Trade Centre (WTC), reports Tengrinews.kz. A WTC is...


Local pharmaceutical plants to provide majority of essential medicines, increase production

ASTANA – Local pharmaceutical plants will provide 1,144 essential medicines for free in 2019, according to a Nov. 23 report by the Central Communications Service. The list...


Fab Lab at Nazarbayev University promotes material innovation, tech savvy

ASTANA – Nazarbayev University’s Fab Lab (fabrication laboratory), is a place where innovative solutions are nurtured with the help of engineering and fabrications tools. The lab, part...


Astana considers designated parking for electric vehicles, introduction of electric buses

ASTANA – Astana’s 2018-2020 comprehensive plan to make the capital a greener city calls for designated parking spaces for electric vehicles at all socially significant facilities, administrative...


Kazakhstan presents proposals for new EU Strategy on Central Asia

BRUSSELS – The Belgian capital hosted the Nov. 23 European Union-Central Asia ministerial meeting attended by the foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and...


Kazakh Government to lower electricity, garbage collection tariffs

ASTANA – Tariffs for electricity, natural gas, coal, heating, water, capital house maintenance firms and telecommunication will decrease Jan. 1, 2019, said Kazakh ministers at a Nov....


New Turkestan Oblast, beaming with opportunities, set for remarkable growth, governor says

In an exclusive interview with this newspaper, Akim (Governor) of the recently created Turkestan Oblast Zhanseit Tuimebayev discusses the significance of the step and the impressive prospects for...


Transparency International notes Kazakh progress in countering corruption, official says

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has cut corruption in the form of bribes by one third and the percentage of citizens focused on stopping corruption has doubled in the...


Eurasian Intergovernmental Council discusses economic cooperation in Minsk

ASTANA – Prime ministers of the Eurasian Economic Union member states met Nov. 27 in Minsk, Belarus to discuss economic cooperation, the status of previous agreements and...


AIFC law conference presents new ways for business cooperation

ASTANA – The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) introduced its services and cooperation opportunities to a local and international audience at its Nov. 23 law conference. The...


Kazpost issues stamp commemorating Kazakhstan’s membership on UN Security Council

ASTANA– The Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs held Nov. 26 a ceremony marking the issuance of a postage stamp from the memorable and jubilee dates series titled...


Young artist uses art to draw a connection between Great Steppe and human soul

ASTANA – Young artist Adil Aubekerov opened his personal exhibit “Lines and Destinations” Nov. 22 at TSE Art Destination. The show will continue through Jan. 12. “Adil...