EBRD Senior Economist Sees “Stable Growth” for Kazakh Economy in 2014

ASTANA – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) presented its annual Transition Report in Astana on Jan. 30. The report, entitled “2013 Transition Report: Stuck...


Defining the Contours of Kazakhstan’s Diplomacy up to 2020

During the two decades of Kazakhstan’s independence and under the leadership of its first President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the country has achieved major breakthroughs in its political and...


Astana Technology Leader to Be National Innovator

ASTANA – In the near future, the Kazakh-Czech Technology Centre (KCTC) in the capital, which was founded as a part of several investment projects, will become one...


Kazakhstan Wins Bronze at Bandy World Championships

Kazakhstan defeated Finland 5:3 to win the country’s fifth bronze medal in history in Bandy World Championships. This year’s championship took place from Jan. 26 through Feb....


Ministry Presents Plan to Combat Climate Change

ASTANA – The Kazakhstan Climate Change Control Programme (KCCCP) was presented in Astana at a recent international climate change conference attended by representatives of the Ministry of...


Government Approves Long-Term Waste Management Plan

ASTANA – The government approved a programme for the modernisation of solid waste management for 2014-2050 at a meeting chaired by Kazakhstan Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov on...


Immunodeficiency Drugs to Be Produced in Akmola Region

AKMOLA REGION – The Project on Technologies’ Commercialization of the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan with the support of the World Bank and the Government...


Kazakh Pop Artist Displays Work, Raises Money for Charity

ALMATY – An exhibition of the work of famous modern Kazakhstan pop artist Serik Buksikov was held in Almaty as part of the “Dream and Wings” charity...


In Astana, Dutch FM Focuses on Bilateral Ties, Nuclear Summit Preparations

ASTANA – Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans visited the capital of Kazakhstan on Feb. 3 for a series of high-level meetings focused on expanding economic cooperation and...


Ambassador Umarov to Take Part in Panel Discussion on Kazakhstan in US

Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the United States Kairat Umarov will join a panel of experts for the panel discussion, “Kazakhstan and Central Asia: History, Culture, Politics and...


Abu Dhabi Plaza Construction on Schedule for EXPO 2017

ASTANA – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and New Technologies Asset Issekeshev on Jan. 29 held a meeting on the Abu Dhabi Plaza project, which...


FM Idrissov Discusses Stronger EU Relations in Hungary and Latvia

RIGA – A delegation led by Kazakhstan Minister of Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov visited Hungary and Latvia Jan. 28-29 where they met with country leaders to discuss...


Kazakhstan 2050 Movement Seeks to Promote Patriotism

During the Nov. 29, 2013 forum of graduates of the Bolashak scholarship programme, dedicated to the programme’s 20th anniversary, President Nursultan Nazarbayev proposed creating a national movement...


Country Pays Its Respects to National Poet Ongarsynova

ASTANA – Kazakhstan paid its last respects to poet and Kazakhstan State Prize laureate Fariza Ongarsynova on Jan. 27. Hundreds of people came to the Korme Exhibition...


Astana to Host 2014 World Junior Chess Olympiad

ASTANA – Astana will host the World Junior Chess Olympiad in October 2014 that is expected to attract youth from more than 50 countries, according to the...


Saiga Population Increasing, More Conservation Work Planned for This Year

ASTANA – “The population of Saiga in Kazakhstan is growing, reaching 187,000 in 2013,” Minister of Environment and Water Resources Nurlan Kapparov said at a department meeting,...


Nuclear Medicine Centre to Open in Semey

Kazakhstan’s first nuclear medicine centre is to be constructed in Semey. “It was proposed to build such a radiological facility back in 2003, based on the existing...


Felt Art Exhibit Opens at Ramada Plaza Hotel

ASTANA – An exhibition of original work by Zamzegul Oralbayeva, as well as crafts from a children’s village supported by the Dara Arulary (Women of the Steppe)...


Nurlan Alimzhanov: My Way into the Cinema

ASTANA – Nurlan Alimzhanov, who played the role of Nursultan Nazarbayev in the epic, “The Way of the Leader,” is one of seven recipients of the Zhas...


Astana Demonstrates Progress on Green Economy at Energy Summit

ASTANA – Minister of Environment and Water Resources, Nurlan Kapparov led a Kazakhstan delegation to the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 20-22....


Reviving the Great Silk Road in Structure and Administration

Since the time of Alexander the Great, trade has played a crucial role in the development of the Eurasian continent. The web of trading routes called the...


National news in brief

Two bus terminals with capacities of 4,500 people a day will be built in Astana by 2017. This decision was made at a meeting of city authorities...


FM Idrissov discusses bilateral, EU relations in Vilnius

Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov visited the Lithuanian Republic on Jan. 27 where he met with top country officials to discuss bilateral relations as well as ties...


Kazakhstan-India Ties: Facts and Perspectives

India celebrated her Republic Day on Jan. 26 with a traditional parade on the Indian Gate in New Delhi and festivities all over the country. Japanese Prime...


President Nazarbayev Holds Key Meetings in Davos

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev participated in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 22-23 and called the gathering a useful platform for the exchange of...


Improving People’s Welfare the Main Goal of Kazakhstan Way 2050

  President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s State of the Nation address, “Kazakhstan’s Way 2050: Common Goal, Common Interests, Common Future,” outlined specific contours and implementation phases for the ambitious...


Ilyaev Exhibits Works in Astana’s Museum of Modern Art

ASTANA – A jubilee exhibition of Sultan Ilyaev’s “Repetition” is being held in the capital’s Museum of Modern Art. Ilyaev was born in 1954 to a family...


Gazizа Zhubanovа State String Quartet Performs in Astana

ASTANA – The Gaziza Zhubanova State String Quartet performed recently at the Nazarbayev Centre on Jan. 22. The quartet consists of young musicians who have won numerous...


Family Achieves Small Business Ambitions

ALMATY REGION – Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev called entrepreneurship the main instrument of industrial and social modernization of Kazakhstan and a solid economic foundation for the Society...


Ninth Edition Record Book Chronicles Accomplishments of Kazakh Nationals

ALMATY – The ninth edition of Kazakhstan’s record book, also known as the Kazakh Encyclopedic Information Reference Book or the Kazakhstan Book of Honour, was unveiled recently...


Syrian People are Victims of Geopolitics

The Syrian Civil War, the ongoing armed conflict in Syria between forces loyal to the Ba’th government and those seeking to oust it, is nearing its third year carrying...


Competition Seeks to Boost Akmola Region Winter Tourism

KOKSHETAU – Thirty tourism-related organizations in the Akmola region will have the opportunity to compete in this year’s “Best Winter Tourism Project” competition, according to a Jan....


$112 Million Needed for Construction of Kazakh Terminal in Lianyungang

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will need to spend more than $100 million to build a terminal in the Chinese port of Lianyungang, said a Jan. 16 report by...


Business news in brief

Issues regarding development of small and medium business and implementation of related instructions of the President were discussed at a Jan. 22 media briefing with Mazhilis (lower...


External news in brief

Kazakhstan welcomed the commencement of implementation of the Joint Action Plan on Iran’s nuclear programme, which was adopted by the E3+3 and Iran on Nov. 24, 2013...


President Says EXPO 2017 Construction Should Utilize Domestic Companies

ASTANA – Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev during a Jan. 21 meeting with Astana EXPO 2017 National Company Board Chairman Talgat Yermegiyayev directed that the construction of EXPO...


Kazakhstan Improves Score on Int’l Economic Freedom Index

WASHINGTON – Kazakhstan improved its position over last year on the Heritage Foundation’s 20th annual Index of Economic Freedom released Jan. 14. The study, released by the...


Kazakhstan Institute Developing Eco-Friendly Plant Protection, Research May Apply to Efforts to Prolong Life

ALMATY – The Kazakh Research Institute of Plant Protection and Quarantine (KazRIPPQ) with the support of KazAgroInnovation and the Kazakhstan Ministry of Agriculture is now conducting extensive...


Kazakh Crews in Top 20 in Dakar 2014

ASTANA – The final stage of this year’s 35th annual Dakar Rally, a South American adventure beginning in Rosario, Argentina, finished on Jan. 18 in Valparaiso, Chile....


Astana Celebrates Epiphany Day by Jumping in Freezing Waters

ASTANA – Thousands of Astana residents flocked to the Yessil River in temperatures below freezing on Jan. 19 to commemorate the Russian Orthodox Church’s Epiphany Day by...


Living Donor Liver Transplant Performed in Municipal Almaty Hospital

ALMATY – A liver transplant between related patients, with a living donor, was performed in Almaty’s Municipal Hospital No. 7. This is not the first such transplant...


Centre of Applied Arts Opens in Turkestan

TURKESTAN – In Turkestan’s new centre of arts and crafts near the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yassawi, visitors can see the process of making traditional handicrafts as...


Almaty Educates Public about National Job Programme

ALMATY – The city’s municipal employment centre in 2013 conducted an outreach campaign to educate its residents about Kazakhstan’s Employment 2020 initiative. The centre distributed print and...


IDB Forum Focuses on Private Sector Investment, Supporting SMEs

ALMATY – Government officials, bankers and experts from 11 member countries of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) converged on Almaty on Jan. 14-16 for a forum assessing...


Kazakhstan to Participate in FITUR Tourism Exhibition

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will take part in the 34th International Tourism Exhibition FITUR Jan. 22-26 in Madrid, according to the press service of the Committee of Tourism...


15th Session of KazEnergy Council Focuses on Current and Emerging Challenges

ASTANA – The 15th session of the KazEnergy council under the chairmanship of Timur Kulibayev took place on Jan. 16 in Astana. The council is an advisory...


Government Develops National Export Strategy

ASTANA – The head of state has repeatedly said that Kazakhstan should not remain a raw materials source for the world’s economically developed countries, but rather build...


Kazakhstan Will Build Schools in Osh and Bishkek

ASTANA – Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a number of bills into law on Jan. 14, including a bill ratifying an agreement authorizing the construction of a...


Kazakhstan, Israel Strengthen Military Cooperation

Defence ministers of Kazakhstan and Israel signed a security cooperation agreement on Jan. 20 in Tel Aviv. The agreement formalises military and defence industry ties between the...


Pavlodar Plant Prepares to Produce Euro 5 Fuels

PAVLODAR – The Pavlodar Petrochemical Plant is continuing its modernization and expansion programme meant to prepare the plant to produce Euro 4 and Euro 5 fuels. Euro...


Recent Study Reveals Sense of National Unity

ASTANA – Thanks to its internal policy, Kazakhstan has maintained its ethno-political balance in the new century and has retained its national characteristics, culture and statehood. This...


Medical Manufacturing Plant Creates Jobs in Aisha Bibi Village

ZHAMBYL OBLAST – A new pharmaceutical manufacturing plant built as part of the government’s Business Road Map 2020 Programme in the village of Aisha Bibi is now...


Mazhilis Approves Kazakhstan-Vietnam Investment Protection agreement

ASTANA – A plenary session of Kazakhstan’s lower chamber of parliament, the Mazhilis, on Jan. 15 approved a bill titled “On ratification of the Agreement between the...


Emir of Qatar Visits Astana to Promote Economic Ties

ASTANA – The leaders of Kazakhstan and Qatar met in Astana on Jan. 19 during Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani’s official visit to Astana....


Country Plans Housing Inventory Expansion

ASTANA – This year, 6.9 million square metres of housing will be commissioned in Kazakhstan. “As part of the Affordable Housing 2020 programme, developed by the President,...


Monotown’s Development Plan Spurs Economic Growth

AKTOBE REGION – An ore mining and processing enterprise of TNK KazChrom is developing a large industrial centre in the once single-industry mining town of Khromtau that...


President Urges Country to Use “Window of Opportunity” of Next 15 Years

ASTANA – In his widely anticipated State-of-the-Nation address on Jan. 17, President Nursultan Nazarbayev outlined in detail his vision of how Kazakhstan, a country only 22 years...


Astana Pro Cycling Team Sets Sights on 2014 Tour de France Success

ASTANA – London Olympics 2012 gold medalist and Astana Pro Cycling Team manager Alexander Vinokourov during a Jan. 14 press conference set out an ambitious goal for...


Participants Assess Effectiveness of Coordination Consultation Conference, Note That Many 2013 Recommendations Were Accepted

ASTANA – The Kazakhstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted an event on Jan. 14 to summarise the 2013 results of the Coordination Consultation Conference held under its...


Food Security Organisation to Be Set Up in Astana

The Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS) of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is to be established in Astana. The institution was first proposed by Kazakhstan...


Barys Players Join KHL Stars on Ice in Bratislava

BRATISLAVA – The Continental Hockey League’s (KHL) Western Conference won the league’s All-Star game for the first time in six years, defeating the Eastern Conference 18-16 in...


Presidential Astana Dakar Team Chases Adventure in South America

While most of Kazakhstan is covered with snow and fighting gusty winds, the Presidential Astana Dakar Team races through dust, mud and sand on the other side of...


New TV Channel on Travelling and Active Lifestyles to Be Launched

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s TV viewers will see the launch of a brand-new TV channel, Turan TV, on Feb. 1. Kazakhstan’s first TV channel dedicated specifically to promoting...


Ice Holes Readied for Water Consecration on Epiphany Day

PAVLODAR – This winter, the ice hole for Russian Orthodox Epiphany Day in Pavlodar will be made on the Usolka River tributary, where the water is shallow...


Cancer Fund’s Newest Project Provides Mobile Palliative Care

ALMATY – The public fund Together Against Cancer, which recently marked its five-year anniversary, has launched a new project to create a mobile team of palliative care...


National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Seeks Protection Within Integration

ASTANA  – The idea of an economic union of Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus was first proposed by President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, who thought the initiative would...


New Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan Presents Credentials to UN Secretary General

Kairat Abdrakhmanov, the newly appointed Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the United Nations, presented his credentials to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in New York on Jan....


Energy Cooperation between Kazakhstan and China

Energy cooperation is an important aspect of bilateral economic trade between Kazakhstan and China. China’s economy, while growing at an unprecedented pace, is nonetheless encountering acute shortages...


Growing Global Nuclear Power Industry Requires Tighter Regulations

Energy security is a major issue for most countries. Resource-rich nations seek stable markets, transportation routes and high prices, while importers look for secure energy supplies at...


Bitumen Plant Commissioned in Aktau, Creating Another Link Between China, Kazakhstan

AKTAU – A bitumen plant capable of processing 1 million tons of oil and producing about 400 tons of high-quality bitumen officially opened in Aktau on Dec....


History of Kazakhstan Archived

ALMATY – On Jan. 14, 1994, a presidential decree on the creation of Kazakhstan’s Presidental Archive was signed. To celebrate the upcoming 20th anniversary of this archive,...


Documentary Series Highlights Atyrau Cultural Heritage

ATYRAU – The Atyrau broadcast television branch of the Kazakhstan television company presented the documentary, “From the Khazars to Kazakhs,” dedicated to the history of the region,...


Young Kazakh Singer Takes First Prize at Int’l Competition in Los Angeles

ASTANA – Farkhad Madenov, a second-year student at the College of the Kazakh National University of Arts (KazNUA), won the sixth Colibri Multicultural Competition of young performers...


Two Kazakh Writers Immortalized in Bronze

AKTOBE – A monument to prominent national writers Takhaui Akhtanov and Kuandyk Shangytbayev was opened in the Aktobe region on Dec. 30. A stone for that monument...


Couple Creates Smart, Underground Greenhouses

UST-KAMENOGORSK – Husband and wife team Nikolai and Lyudmila Zemlyany have created a garden of unique underground greenhouses in their village of Ukraina, near Ust-Kamenogorsk. The greenhouses,...


Folks Crafts Experiencing a Revival

The Altyn Orda House of Creative Design is bringing back ancient crafts and presenting them in a new light. Nowadays, it is hard to surprise people with...


Economic news in brief

Enterprises that are part of the Industrialisation Map in the Zhambyl region manufactured products worth 38.5 billion tenge (US$249 million) in 2013, Primeminister.kz announced. According to the...


External news in brief

As of Jan. 1, Belarusian companies may participate in public procurement in Kazakhstan. Their participation is regulated by the Dec. 2010 agreement on public procurement between the...


National news in brief

The implementation of the Balapan state programme will be extended until 2020, pursuant to a government resolution released on Jan. 9. Balapan was adopted in Kazakhstan in...


Kazakh Expat Gains Experience, Advocates for Home Country Abroad

ASTANA – While more and more foreigners are moving to Kazakhstan, tales of Kazakh expatriates abroad are still rare. Astana native Raushan Makhmutova, who has been working...


Sixth Winter Charity Masquerade Raises More Than 13 Million Tenge

ASTANA – The Sixth Winter Charity Masquerade Ball, one of the capital city’s most prestigious annual events, held Dec. 7, 2013 in Astana, raised more than 13...


Year in Review Poll Shows Curious, Proud Nation

ASTANA – According to a recent opinion poll by the Institute of Philosophy, Political Science and Religious Studies under Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Education and Science, the citizens...


Mayor Reports on Astana’s Growth, Challenges in 2013

ASTANA – Akim (Mayor) Imangali Tasmagambetov presented a report on the capital’s development at a Central Communications Service (CCS) briefing at the end of December, describing the...


Kazakh Language in Trial Version on Google Translate

ASTANA – The Kazakh language is being tested as part of Google’s translation service thanks in part to the efforts of Beeline Kazakhstan and WikiBilim Public Fund....


Russian Orthodox Christians Celebrate Christmas, Receive Presidential Greetings

ASTANA – On the 7th of January, together with millions of Orthodox believers around the world, Kazakhstan’s Orthodox Christians celebrated Christmas. Representatives of other religions along with...


Napoleon Bonaparte’s Life Showcased in Astana

ASTANA – Residents and guests of Astana have the opportunity to get acquainted with the life of French statesman, military leader and emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte at an...


Business news in brief

On Dec. 27, 2013 Akim (Mayor) of Astana Imangali Tasmagambetov elaborated upon the development of transportation infrastructure in the city at a CCS press briefing. “Over 330...


New Laws on Taxation and Social Benefits Come Into Effect

ASTANA – A number of new laws came into effect on Jan. 1, including laws raising taxes and increasing social benefits. Owners of expensive, high-engine-capacity vehicles will...


NTI Report Notes Progress in Security of Global Nuclear Materials, Says Major Challenges Remain

ASTANA – The 2014 NTI Nuclear Materials Security Index, which assesses nuclear materials security conditions in 176 countries and which was released on Jan. 8 by the...


2013 Brought Advancements to Kazakh Oil and Gas Industry

Development of the Caspian Shelf and new geological exploration will dominate headlines surrounding the domestic oil and gas industry in the coming years. Achievements and forecasts It...


Winter Fun: Skating on the Open Ice

ASTANA – While some dislike the fact that Astana sees some of the coldest winters in the world, many others take advantage of the capital’s cold weather....


Waterways Reconstruction Creates Agricultural Opportunities in S. Kazakhstan

SHYMKENT – A newly completed inventory of reservoirs and canals in southern Kazakhstan is helping authorities recalculate water facilities, assess their status and identify dams that badly...


Kazakhstan’s Olympians Receive National Athletic Wear

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s Sochi Winter Olympics athletes were given their first look at the team’s Olympic gear on New Year’s Eve, when performance athletic wear sets were...


Barys Beats Rival Ak Bars 2:1

Barys beat their rival, Ak Bars on their opponent’s home ice with a score of 2:1 after a very tense three periods. The team now only stands...


Major Botanical Garden Complex to Be Built for EXPO 2017

ASTANA – A State Botanical Garden with a parkland area of 97.5 hectares is one of the facilities to be constructed in the capital for the upcoming...


Almaty Naturalists Take First Place in International Ecological Competition

ALMATY – A team of young naturalists from Almaty took first place in the Rodniki (“Springs”) international competition of projects on ecology and local history held in...


Kazatomprom Becomes Shareholder of Caustic

PAVLODAR – State company NAC Kazatomprom acquired 40 percent of the ordinary shares of Caustic per President Nazarbayev’s orders on the creation of a high-grade chemical cluster...


Region’s Most Powerful Hydropower Plant Produces Green Energy

ZHAMBYL – The most powerful hydropower plant (9.2 MW) in the region was launched in May 2013 on the Tasotkel Reservoir by “A&T – Energo” and has...


New Emergency Hospital Opens in Semey, Joins Other New Medical Facilities in Region

SEMEY – An emergency hospital with the capacity to treat 325 patients officially opened in Semey at the end of December in a ceremony attended by East...


Businessman Gives $100,000 in Grants to Startups

ALMATY – Six startup companies received $100,000 in grants to develop their ideas under a “Build Your Business” contest financed by a prominent Kazakh businessman and organized...