First pictures of light rail train system in Astana revealed

ASTANA – The construction of a new light rail transport (LRT) system in Astana is underway and LRT Construction company, a subsidiary of the Astana city administration...


KASE to bring together startups and investors

ASTANA – The Kazakh stock exchange KASE will present startups to potential investors in early 2018, said Yevgenyi Mukhamedzhanov, managing director of the stock exchange. Mukhamedzhanov added...


Energy Minister explains recent petrol price hike in Kazakhstan, gets reprimanded

ASTANA – Over the recent weeks, people in Kazakhstan have been witnessing an increase in prices for petrol that resulted in heated public discussions. Kazakh Minister for...


Kazakh President visits manufacturing plants in Aktobe

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev was briefed on the operations of a rail beam plant operating under the State Programme for Accelerated Industrial and Innovative Development...


Kazakh President briefed on Baiterek project at Baikonur

ASTANA – Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev was briefed on the latest in Kazakh-Russian cooperation on the Baiterek joint project at the Baikonur complex during a recent trip...


Five new public gardens, one park to open in Astana by end of year

ASTANA – Five new public gardens and one park will be created in Astana by the end of the year. At least 962.5 million tenge (US$2.82 million)...


ATOM Project Honorary Ambassador congratulates ICAN for Nobel Prize win

ASTANA – The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), having played a key role in bringing to approval by 122 countries of the Treaty on the...


Astana Opera to present classic romances

ASTANA – Astana Opera fans have an excellent opportunity to time-travel to the 19th and 20th centuries, when great romances were created. Talented artists will perform the...


Bal Tekstil brings country’s carpet industry to international level

ASTANA – Bal Tekstil has been professionally manufacturing carpets and rugs in Ontustik, the South Kazakhstan region’s special economic zone, since 2011. During that time, the company...


Green Climate Fund to allocate up to $110 million for green energy investments

ASTANA – The Green Climate Fund (GCF) board approved funding of up to $110 million for the GCF-European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Kazakhstan Renewables Framework...


Russian FM visits Kazakhstan, participates in MGIMO alumni forum

ASTANA – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Kazakh counterpart Kairat Abdrakhmanov discussed preparations for the Nov. 9 14th Interregional Cooperation Forum in Chelyabinsk and attended...


Taldykorgan – city with rich history and bright future

ASTANA – Taldykorgan, the administrative capital of Almaty Region, is a city on the rise. Individuals representing nearly 70 different nationalities and ethnicities live in peace and...


Improving guest services should entice more travellers from China

ASTANA – The Eurasian Tourism Association recently announced plans to launch Salem China, a unique international project to entice tourists from the nation and promote the friendliness...


Development Bank of Kazakhstan updates strategy, seeks expansion of private investment

ASTANA – The Development Bank of Kazakhstan (DBK) announced Sept. 29 immediate changes to its development strategy for 2014-2023 which establish expanding private business projects and private...


Private investors to build glass suspension bridge in Burabai mountains

ASTANA – A glass suspension bridge is planned to be built in the mountains of the Shchuchinsk-Borovoye resort zone, Kazinform reported. “This project was initiated on the...


UNICEF highlights Kazakh government commitment to improve children’s well-being

ASTANA – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Oct. 5 roundtable focused on the challenges of providing access to social assistance and special social services for Kazakh...


Kazakhstan to establish antiterrorist headquarters monitoring Caspian Sea

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee (NSC) plans to expand the network of anti-terrorist headquarters in the country by establishing an operational naval headquarters controlling the Caspian...


Kazakhstan-EU Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement expands interaction spectrum

BRUSSELS – The 21st meeting of the Berlin Eurasian Club, held in Brussels Oct. 4 under the title “The Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) between the...


Cultural similarities, international cooperation unite Kazakhstan, Serbia, country’s ambassador says

ASTANA – Serbian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Vladan Matic in an exclusive interview with The Astana Times highlighted that Kazakhstan and Serbia are both hub-counties where various cultures...


Astana tests Finnish environmental monitoring system

ASTANA – Kazhydromet has been testing an innovative environmental monitoring technology which Finland presented at EXPO 2017. If successful, the system might be introduced on all city...


Almaty hosts I’m a Singer international music contest

ASTANA – I’m a Singer, an international vocal competition, is being hosted this fall by the Almaty Akimat (city administration) and Channel 31. The project, aimed at...


S&P expects Kazakhstan’s GDP to grow 3 percent in 2017-2020

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s real GDP growth is projected to reach 3 percent in 2017-2020, according to the recent S&P Global Ratings report. The implementation of government infrastructure...


Digital trends in education transform approaches to teaching and management

ASTANA – The electronic journal system is being widely used in more than 4,000 schools nationwide, said Minister of Education and Science Yerlan Sagadiyev at an Oct....


Central Asia’s largest solar power plant to launch in Karaganda region

ASTANA – A solar power plant with a 100-megawatt capacity will open next year in Saran in the Karaganda region. The facility, with 370,000 next-generation solar panels...


Entrepreneurship plays role in helping to socially rehab former prisoners and probationers

ASTANA – Some of the actions planned to help socially rehabilitate former prisoners and citizens in probation were reviewed by Minister of Internal Affairs Kalmukhanbet Kassymov during...


Qazaqstan TV starts broadcast of Silk Way Star contest

ASTANA – The national TV channel Qazaqstan has launched Sept. 30 broadcasting of the international music television show Silk Way Star. Artists from nine countries will compete...


First Astana Media Week takes place in capital

ASTANA – The first Astana Media Week kicked off in the capital city Oct. 4, bringing major media corporations and production companies together to set up partnerships...


New prisons will burden Kazakh budget, official says

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has abandoned plans to build new prisons as part of the public-private partnership (PPP) due to the high cost of the project, said Minister...


Inflation to remain in 6.9-7.5% targeted corridor in 2017, says Kazakh NB governor

ASTANA – Kazakh National Bank Governor Daniyar Akishev said during an Oct. 3 government meeting that inflation is projected to remain in the targeted corridor of 6.9...


Kazakhstan exports products to 110 countries

ASTANA – Kazakh goods are being exported to 110 countries, said Minister for Investment and Development Zhenis Kassymbek during Nur Otan party hearings on realising the government...


Kazakhstan to export 5 billion cubic metres of gas to China

ASTANA ­– China recently agreed to a deal with KazTransGas to import 5 billion cubic metres of Kazakh natural gas during one calendar year, according to KazTransGas...


Work continues on bill to cut business regulations, costs

ASTANA – Relaxing controls on businesses and other changes to a draft law on business activities, “On amendments and additions to certain legislative acts of the Republic...


Kazakh IT start-ups to be prepared in Silicon Valley

ASTANA – Almaty Tech Garden is launching the international Startup Kazakhstan programme, with participants to be housed in the IT Quarter, reported Kazinform. The venture is the...


Kazakhstan’s halal labeled products enter UAE and Middle East market

ASTANA – KAZAKH INVEST presented Kazakh-produced items at the Halal Expo 2017 international food exhibit in Dubai, reported the company’s press service. Abai, Disada, Eurasia Invest, Golden...


Kazakh shoemaker highlights concerns hindering domestic producers

ASTANA – Kazakh manufacturer Zhamal-ai has been making footwear for more than 20 years. Company director Zibira Khassanova recently spoke about the obstacles faced by the country’s...


Kazakh government needs to continue consolidating its strategy of attracting more foreign investment

Nearly a decade after the 2008 global financial crisis, the global economy is improving. The most recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast, issued in July, projected global...


Kazakh national women’s volleyball team reaches world championship

ALMATY – Team Kazakhstan secured a place in the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) Women’s Volleyball World Championship next year in Japan by finishing as runners-up in...


Astana Pro Team’s Alexei Lutsenko wins Tour of Almaty 2017

ALMATY – The Astana Pro Team’s Alexei Lutsenko of Kazakhstan has once again won the Tour of Almaty, this time in the race’s first iteration as a...


Nation prepares to celebrate Astana’s 20th anniversary

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a directive Sept. 30 to prepare for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Kazakh capital – Astana, the...


Kazakhstan, Latvia launch container service along China-to-Europe transcontinental route

ASTANA – Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis and Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Askar Mamin launched Sept. 29 via teleconference in Riga a new container service in the...


Kazakh government takes comprehensive approach to fighting corruption

Most Kazakh citizens don’t litter because they know it’s wrong. The same is true for an individual as he or she considers trying to bribe an official....


Workers receive $6.7 million in back pay after national labour inspections

ASTANA – As of Sept. 21, national labour inspectors revealed salary arrears to 20,000 employees worth more than 2.65 billion tenge (US$7.8 million) in 1,194 enterprises, according...


IT Quarter launches in Almaty

ASTANA – An IT Quarter for the development of information technologies has been launched in the centre of Almaty. The 17,000-square-metre facility will become the new home...


Ancient Botay culture to be explored and displayed in Borovoe

ASTANA – Akmola Region Akim (Governor) Malik Murzalin met with Viktor Zaibert, professor of archaeology and researcher behind one of the most sensational archaeological discoveries in Botay...


Civil servants from Russia improve their qualifications in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – The Academy of Public Administration under the President of Kazakhstan hosted a seminar on introducing modern management technologies in the activities of state bodies for...


Kazhydromet tests automatic air quality monitoring sensor

ASTANA – Kazhydromet experts have started testing a Finnish ambient air pollution sensor they plan to adapt to the climatic conditions of Kazakhstan. “The Vaisala sensor was...


Almaty hosts Central Asia’s first football championship for children with cerebral palsy

ASTANA – Almaty hosted Sept. 26-27 the first football championship in Central Asia among children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and neurological diseases with the support of Kazakhstan’s...


Renewable energy to light 100 pedestrian crossings in Astana

ASTANA – Nearly 100 pedestrian crossings in Astana will be powered by wind and solar energy, said head of the city’s renewable energy sources project Rustam Kadyrov...


President tours memorial in Almaty region

ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev visited recently the Batyr Babalar memorial complex in the Raiymbek rural district of the Karasai district during a working visit to Almaty...


FC Astana draws Slavia Prague in UEFA Europa League

ASTANA – In its first home match at the group stage of the current Union of European Football (UEFA) Europa League season, FC Astana played Sept. 28...


Astana presents first business centre built in compliance with green technology standards

ASTANA – Talan Towers Offices, an A-class business centre built as part of the multifunctional Talan Towers complex, was presented Sept. 28 in the capital. It is...


Kazakh government approves list of state functions to be privatised

ASTANA – The Kazakh Parliament approved Sept. 26 the list of state functions to be privatised, resulting from the revision of the draft law “On amendments and...


Almaty author creates stories with incredible pictures, encourages children to love reading

ASTANA – Almaty-based writer and illustrator Antonina Shipulina’s journey to becoming a children’s author started with motherhood. The fascinating stories immediately captured youngsters’ attention when her first...


Prospects of green economy in Kazakhstan

The completion of EXPO 2017 highlighted the prospects for the implementation in Kazakhstan of the principles of sustainable and harmonious development within the framework of green economy,...


Wood wool cement factory opens in Kazakhstan

KOKSHETAU – A factory to produce Albolite, also known as wood wool cement, has launched operations in Kazakhstan. “Yernazarov and Co LTD produces albolite bricks. Albolite is...


Khorgos saves money, unites people from Kazakhstan and China

ASTANA – Khorgos, a visa free and duty-free zone, was established as a unique project by the Kazakh and Chinese governments. Located on the border, the countries...


Kazakhstan strengthens international ties at 61st session of IAEA general conference

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation signed a cooperation agreement in scientific research and developing nuclear energy, reported Kazakh Ministry of Energy press service. The document...


Insurance coverage options to be simplified, travel insurance to become compulsory, says official

ASTANA – Online insurance will be introduced to increase accessibility not only in large cities, but also in regions, said National Bank Chairman Daniyar Akishev at a...


Kazakh Senate Chairman, Uzbek President praise bilateral relations

ASTANA – Kazakh Senate Chairman Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and a parliamentary delegation met with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during a Sept. 25-27 official visit to Tashkent. Tokayev praised...


Kazakh car manufacturers ask officials to revise tariff policy with Uzbekistan

ASTANA – KazAvtoProm, the Kazakh Car Industry Union, released an open letter to Minister of National Economy Timur Suleimenov expressing concern about access of their products to...


Kazakh schoolchildren to learn about maintaining healthy lifestyle

ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to launch Foodprint, a national programme which aims to promote healthy lifestyle among schoolchildren. “This project envisages the education of schoolchildren starting from...


French artist incorporates renewable energy concept into Nur Alem sculptures

ASTANA – Contemporary French artist Mickael Obrenovitch created five amazing sculptures for the giant Nur Alem sphere at EXPO 2017. Many visitors saw the works, but few...


Astana hosts national tourism meeting, addresses acute issues

ASTANA – The capital was the site for the national tourism meeting organised by the Ministry for Culture and Sports Sept. 27 that brought together representatives of...


Alphabet change is important part of a larger modernisation process, says expert

ASTANA – The draft of the Latin-based Kazakh alphabet presented in September resulted in heated discussions and a number of questions among Kazakh people. Uli Schamiloglu, a...


Panel cautiously optimistic on improving human rights in Uzbekistan

WASHINGTON, DC – A panel of scholars and journalists convened in Washington, D.C. in late September to voice cautious optimism that Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev – overwhelmingly...


Kazakhstan needs to establish Kazakh school of Islamic studies, says minister

ASTANA – Kazakh Minister for Religions and Civil Society Affairs Nurlan Yermekbayev spoke about the need to establish a Kazakh school of Islamic studies during a Sept....


Kazakhstan, Belarus seek trade turnover of $1 billion by 2020

ASTANA – Kazakh First Deputy Prime Minister Askar Mamin announced at the Sept. 22 13th meeting of the Kazakh-Belarusian Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) for Trade and Economic Cooperation...


More than 1,700 rural settlements to access broadband internet through Digital Kazakhstan

ASTANA – More than 1,700 rural settlements, home to approximately two million people, will gain access to broadband internet as part of the Digital Kazakhstan programme, said...


Almaty to host 25th KIOGE oil and gas conference Oct. 4-6

For a quarter of a century, the Kazakhstan International Exhibition and Conference KIOGE has annually gathered representatives of the world oil and gas market in Almaty. This...


UN disarmament programme fellows visit Kazakhstan, meet officials

ASTANA – Participants in the 2017 United Nations Programme of Fellowship on Disarmament met with Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko Sept. 20 during their three-day trip to...


Kazakh government to change approach to labour migration and repatriation

ASTANA – The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection revised its approaches to migration and the issuance of permits for foreign labour. The new policy lightens repatriation...


Young entrepreneur combines guided hiking tours with culinary experience

ASTANA – Quality service and customer satisfaction are essential in all fields, especially tourism management. In starting her own business, Ainaline.me, Zhansaya Menlibayeva is devoted to following...


Astana economy grows, EXPO 2017 investments expected to drive new trade development

ASTANA – Nine projects worth 13 billion tenge (US$38 million) will have been launched in the industrial zone in Kazakhstan’s capital by the end of the year,...


Experts discuss public governance at Asian leadership forum

ASTANA – Asian civil servants and political figures together with representatives of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) secretariat discussed innovative solutions and shared best practices...


Random business checks may be replaced by preventive control measures

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is planning to introduce preventive control of entrepreneurs instead of random checks, according to inform.kz. “The measure envisaged under our law is the introduction...


Wexport online marketplace helps Kazakh farmers supply grain to the world

ASTANA – When you think of grain farming, you might think of dusty tractors, rough hands running over golden fields, the sounds of threshers working. But Kazakhstan’s...


At UN, FM Abdrakhmanov outlines Kazakhstan’s priorities and peacemaking initiatives

NEW YORK – In his first appearance before the United Nations General Assembly as Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister, Kairat Abdrakhmanov outlined his country’s view of the world and...


Kazakh minister of information and communications addresses draft mass media law

ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of Information and Communications Dauren Abayev posted a video on his Facebook page Sept. 20 outlining the fundamental changes among the information and...


Kazakhstan’s fight against corruption aims to build a graft-free state, top official says

ASTANA – A Kazakh delegation recently attended the Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ACN) meeting in Paris. ACN, a regional programme established under the...


Regional IOM experts address Central Asian migrant vulnerabilities, violent extremism and integration needs

ASTANA – Representatives from the USAID analytical centre and International Organisation for Migration (IOM) met in the Kazakh capital Sept. 10 to address the problems faced by...


Kazakhstan introduces unified rules of conduct in mosques

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will create a pool of qualified imams whose activities will focus on targeted work with representatives of destructive currents, said Minister for Religious and...


Country’s cultural centre celebrates birthday with AlmaFest-2017

ALMATY – The annual festival AlmaFest, which attracts approximately 200,000 people annually, took place Sept. 17 in Almaty. The festival was part of Almaty Day, the city’s...


ADB and WB to establish infrastructure fund in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank have proposed establishing a municipal infrastructure fund in Kazakhstan. ADB intends to facilitate financing small utility...


AIFC governor talks blockchain development, mid-shore concept and head hunting

ASTANA – December will be a fascinating month for Kazakhstan’s financial sector, as the long discussed and awaited Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) will be officially presented....


Enhanced Kazakh-Uzbek relations offer opportunity for Central Asian regional cooperation

Against the backdrop of Kazakh boxer Gennady Golovkin’s fight and just because it happened over the weekend, President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s visit to Tashkent and its outcomes did...


American student finds family in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Vera Swanson was one of the 40 student ambassadors who worked at the United States Pavilion at EXPO 2017. Two years ago, she learned Kazakhstan...


As UN waits for Trump speech, reform and refugees take centre stage

NEW YORK – The United Nations General Assembly waits excitedly for President Donald Trump’s maiden speech on Sept. 19, during the organisation’s annual “General Debate”. Manhattan’s traffic...


Anticipated Golovkin-Alvarez bout ends in controversial draw

ASTANA – Kazakh boxer Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (37-0, 33 KO) fought Mexican fighter Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KO) to a controversial draw Sept. 16 at the...


Kazakhstan beats current champ Argentina to return to Davis Cup World Group

ASTANA – After a year-long hiatus, Kazakhstan’s men’s tennis team returned to the Davis Cup World Group by defeating Argentina in the playoffs. The Argentines, the current...


Nazarbayev’s visits to Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan strengthen Central Asian ties

ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s Sept. 16 state visit to Uzbekistan resulted in ten bilateral documents inked by Kazakh and Uzbek governmental bodies and state-owned companies. The...


Kazakh TV unveils fascinating new season

ASTANA – Kazakh TV is an image-building, nation’s leading educational channel about the dynamically developing Kazakhstan, its investment and tourist potential, global initiatives and cultural and historic...


Astana loses first UEFA Europa League match in Spain

ASTANA – FC Astana, the only Kazakh club in this year’s UEFA Europa League, lost 3-1 while visiting Spanish club Villarreal CF in its first group stage...


Kazakh President discusses EXPO 2017, OIC technology summit and other topics during press conference

ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev praised the outcomes of EXPO 2017 and stressed the significance of the recent first Organisation for Islamic Cooperation Science and Technology Summit...


Kazakh President’s initiatives to be presented at UN General Assembly

ASTANA – Heads of states and governments, foreign ministers, high-level representatives of UN member states and leaders of regional international organisations have gathered at the UN headquarters...


Almaty awards best landscapers

ASTANA – One hundred landscapers of Almaty took part in the recent competition for the title of the best, held by the Chisto po-Almatinsky (Clean as in...


Nazarbayev, head of National Scientific Cardio Surgical Centre discuss development of cardio surgery in Kazakhstan

President Nursultan Nazarbayev recently discussed the development of cardio surgery in Kazakhstan in a meeting with Chairman of the Board of the National Scientific Cardio-Surgical Centre Yuri...


Draft Latin-based Kazakh alphabet presented in Mazhilis, provokes heated public debate

ASTANA – Kazakh State Secretary Gulshara Adbykalikova, deputies, representatives of state bodies and the alphabet developers attended discussions in the Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament) Sept. 11...


The Decisive Step towards Modernisation of Kazakhstan’s Identity

The International Turkic Academy team has conducted comprehensive research on adopting a Latin script, studied what it took for several Turkic speaking nations to switch their alphabets...


Life after EXPO: What awaits buildings and infrastructure?

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev shared the future plans for the EXPO 2017 site during the event’s Sept. 10 closing ceremony. “Nur Alem and a number...


Government should control bitcoin operations, says Mazhilis deputy

ASTANA – Kazakhstan Mazhilis (lower house) deputy Amanzhan Zhamalov suggested placing bitcoin operations under the government control during a Sept. 13 Mazhilis plenary session. Referring to the...