Kazakh Ambassador discusses cooperation with Utah

NUR-SULTAN – Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the United States Yerzhan Kazykhanov paid a working visit to Utah Jan. 15-17, where he met with Utah Governor Gary Herbert, President of...


AIFC to establish Fourth Industrial Revolution affiliation centre

NUR-SULTAN – As part of the 50th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos (Switzerland), the Kazakh government, Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) and WEF signed a tripartite...


Tokayev’s visit to UAE will boost cooperation, says Kazakh envoy

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s first visit to the United Arab Emirates, which is also his first visit to the Middle East as head of state, will boost...


Kazakh President calls for a new economic course

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for a new economic course and instructed the government, his administration and the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs at a Jan....


Nazarbayev University scientists develop mobile app for coeliac disease awareness

NUR-SULTAN – Nazarbayev University (NU) scientists have developed CeliacTest, the first mobile application with a short questionnaire that can identify the risk of a person having coeliac disease, a...


EU and Central Asia: new opportunities to work together for a green future

On 28 January 2020, friends from Central Asia, Afghanistan and the European Union will gather in Berlin for a conference organised by the German Foreign Ministry, entitled “Green Central...


Ministry of Internal Affairs urges Kazakhs to register foreign vehicles

NUR-SULTAN – The Ministry of Internal Affairs urged Kazakhs Jan. 14 to register their foreign vehicles. It emphasised the need to register vehicles imported from Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, noting...


Kazakh Senate should create Agribusiness Complex Council, says Nazarbayeva

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Senate should create an Agribusiness Complex Council, said Speaker Dariga Nazarbayeva at the Jan. 17 meeting with agriculture sector representatives. “We need to create a...


U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan to hold fourth annual spelling bee

NUR-SULTAN – The United States Embassy in Nur-Sultan will hold its fourth annual spelling bee across the country during February and March. The embassy, in partnership with American Corners...


Kazakh government to implement new approaches for targeted social assistance, compulsory medical insurance

NUR-SULTAN – Deputy Prime Minister Berdibek Saparbayev, speaking during a recent conference call, instructed government bodies to create a regional schedule for compulsory health insurance coverage, increase the population’s...


Kazakh-Slovak roundtable encourages increased bilateral economic cooperation

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh and Slovak officials hosted a business roundtable Jan. 21 in Nur-Sultan to discuss bilateral trade and economic cooperation as well as to sign memorandums of understanding....


Rakhmonov to make UFC debut in March, says manager

NUR-SULTAN – After a six-month pause, Kazakh fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov will make his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut in March, said his manager Sayat Abdrakhmanov. In August, Rakhmonov became...


Schengen visa fees to increase to $88 for Kazakhs starting February

NUR-SULTAN – Schengen visa fees will increase for Kazakh citizens from $66 to $88 for adults and from $38 to $44 for children from ages six to 12 as...


More than 50,000 Kazakh volunteers at work in the country

NUR-SULTAN – The practice of volunteering in Kazakhstan is developing rapidly, Chair of the Civil Society Affairs Committee of the Ministry of Information and Social Development Aliya Galimova said...


Transit of goods through Kazakhstan grew 23 percent in 2019

NUR-SULTAN – The transit of goods through Kazakhstan grew 23 percent to 664,000 containers and total transit revenues for Kazakhstan reached more than 450 billion tenge (US$1.2 billion) in...


Kazakh President stresses modern-day relevance of Abai’s ideas

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev published Jan. 9 an article titled “Abai and Kazakhstan in the 21st Century” in the Egemen Kazakhstan newspaper in honour of Kazakh poet,...


FM visits Brussels in advance of start of new Kazakhstan-EU cooperation agreement entry into force

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi made his first visit to Brussels Jan. 20 to participate in the 17th meeting of the Cooperation Council of the Republic of...


Abai’s 175th anniversary to be celebrated throughout 2020

UR-SULTAN – The Central Communications Service held a briefing Jan. 16 outlining preparations for poet Abai Kunanbayev’s 175th anniversary, reported the Ministry of Culture and Sport website. The 82-point...


Kazakhstan-Japan co-production “The Horse Thieves. Roads of Time” released in Japanese theatres

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakhstan-Japan co-production “The Horse Thieves. Roads of Time” was released in Japanese cinemas Jan.18. Japanese director Lisa Takeba and actor Mirai Moriyama attended the first screening...


Tchibo Kazakhstan launches first coffee shops with convenience stores, promotes green business ideas

NUR-SULTAN – Tchibo Kazakhstan has opened its unique three-in-one model of coffee and coffee machines/home goods/coffee shops in the capital and Almaty. The company promotes family business values and...


Kazakh national resources ministry bans hunting of wolves in five regions

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources recently banned the hunting of wolves in the steppe areas in the Akmola, Karaganda, Kostanai, Pavlodar and West...


Kazakhstan regional road conditions continue to improve, 68 percent considered in good condition

NUR-SULTAN – The condition of regional and district roads in Kazakhstan improved by 3 percent in 2019. In 2018, the share of good or satisfactory roads in regions was...


Short documentaries portray self-made Kazakhs in Europe and China

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh travel blogger Kuat Bolatov has produced short documentaries about the lives of self-made Kazakhs living in Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, as...


SPACES.nur-sultan city festival to bring in new exhibitions and workshops

NUR-SULTAN – SPACES.nur-sultan city festival that features exhibitions, lectures and workshops is to take place over the weekends from Jan. 24 to Feb. 7. “The team is convinced that...


More than 91,000 Kazakh school students take first round of paid Unified National Testing 

NUR-SULTAN – More than 91,000 Kazakh school students took the first round of paid Unified National Testing (UNT) Jan. 16-20 at 99 exam venues throughout the country. Students with...


New rules for Kazakh currency exchange offices include authorised capital amount, data capture and office hour changes

NUR-SULTAN – The new rules for Kazakh currency exchange office operations include changes in the authorised capital amount, data capture and office hours, said National Bank Cash Management...


Ninety-seven percent of Kazakh population included in compulsory health insurance database

NUR-SULTAN – Ninety-seven percent of the Kazakh population is included in the compulsory health insurance database, reported PrimeMinister.kz. Since Jan. 1, hospitals nationwide have provided medical care according to...


Nur-Sultan residents discuss city memories in public philosophy talk

NUR-SULTAN – Capital residents discussed the meaning of nostalgia Jan. 11 during a public philosophy talk featuring Kazakh Humanities and Law University Senior Philosophy Lecturer Dmitri Melnikov. The event...


National Museum holds designer meeting, fashion shows

NUR-SULTAN – The Eurasian Designers Union held an open meeting Jan. 15-18 at the Kazakh National Museum, reported the museum press service. Participants were involved in seminars and lectures...


Asset Isekeshev appointed Security Council Secretary

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appointed Jan. 16 Asset Isekeshev Assistant to the President and Secretary of the Security Council, reported akorda.kz. Isekeshev, 48, replaced Kalmukhanbet Kassymov, who...


Anastasia Gorodko wins two dual moguls golds at FIS European Cup in Switzerland

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh athlete Anastasia Gorodko made her international debut by winning two gold medals in dual moguls Jan. 13-14 at the International Ski Federation (FIS) European Cup in...


Tokayev encourages youth to take innovative approach to government

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said Jan. 15 at a meeting with representatives of the Presidential Youth Personnel Reserve that the country needs civil servants who are not...


Kazakh travel blogger popularises country’s tourism 

NUR-SULTAN – Social networking has led to rising interest in tourism among the population, says Kazakh travel blogger Ulan Alimbek. He popularises travel by introducing people to interesting sightseeing...


Astana Opera to premiere Beethoven – Immortality – Love ballet staged by German choreographer 

NUR-SULTAN – The Astana Opera House is set to premiere “Beethoven – Immortality – Love” ballet staged by German choreographer Raimondo Rebeck Feb. 14 and 15 in the capital....


Epiphany bathing scheduled in Nur-Sultan, safety measures to be taken

NUR-SULTAN – The capital akimat (city administration) is preparing for Epiphany bathing Jan. 18-19, reported its press service. It is insisting people follow safety measures and consider weather conditions....


Digital Kazakhstan programme created 8,000 jobs in 2019

NUR-SULTAN – Digital Kazakhstan programme helped create 8,000 jobs last year, with the programme’s total economic effect exceeding 600 billion tenge (US$1.58 billion) for 2018 and 2019. The digital...


More than 250,000 Kazakh families receive social allowance since beginning of year

NUR-SULTAN – Approximately 367,000 families have been assigned social assistance and more than 250,000 have received the social allowance, said Deputy Director of the Department for Development of Social...


Central Asian country representatives discuss new extremism tendencies

NUR-SULTAN – Government, civil society and international organisation representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan met in Dushanbe, Tajikistan Dec. 17-18 for the fourth New Tendencies in Violent Extremism...


Kazakh para taekwondo athlete receives Paralympic license

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh para taekwondo athlete Nurlan Dombay, the world ranking leader in the K43 category (up to 75 kg) in accordance with Paralympic Games 2020 qualifications, has received...


Kazakhstan exempts micro and small businesses from taxes for three years

NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law exempting micro and small businesses from taxes for three years Dec. 28. The law, “On introducing amendments and additions to some...


Qatar Airways to launch direct flights from Doha to Nur-Sultan and Almaty

NUR-SULTAN – Qatar Airways will launch flights March 30 between Doha and Nur-Sultan. Qatar Airways will also launch from Doha to Almaty April 1, according to inbusiness.kz. “The opening...


External news in brief

Kazakhstan ranked 69th in 2019 Social Progress Index among 149 countries, improving its position from 71st place in 2018. Kazakhstan performed within the expected range in access to Nutrition...


Turkestan becomes centre of investments and business activity

More than a year and a half has passed since the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a decree establishing a new region (oblast) with...


National news in brief

Eight rehabilitation centres for children with disabilities and 16 additional inclusion support rooms will be opened as part of the agreement between the Foundation of the First President of...


Economic news in brief

The Kazakh banks which received 654 billion tenge (US$1.72 billion) from the state will be able to return the money ahead of schedule, reported finprom.kz. The banking sector is...


Business news in brief

Fifty high school students from Arys, which suffered explosions this summer, had the opportunity to master business basics during the winter break, reported inbusiness.kz Jan. 7. As part of...


UNDP, Bitfury to create Pavlodar forestland as Kazakhstan’s first carbon reducing initiative 

NUR-SULTAN – Bitfury, the world’s leading blockchain company, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will be the first big business to compensate for its carbon footprint...


Government commission finds icing most likely cause of Bek Air crash

NUR-SULTAN – A Kazakh government commission assessing the Dec. 27 crash of a Bek Air plane near Almaty has found icing to be the most likely cause of the...


Baiterek Holding creates venture capital fund, pursues long-term construction projects in 2020

NUR-SULTAN – Baiterek National Managing Holding, the Kazakh government’s key financial agent, will continue to pursue its long-term goals this year. It ended 2019 included in the environmental, social,...


With reforms on the way, coming decade looks positive for Kazakhstan

The increase in tensions in the Middle East is not just worrying for the region but the whole world. The fervent hope must be that dialogue can bring about...