Almaty Marathon continues run as Central Asia’s largest sporting event

ASTANA – More than 14,000 people from 38 countries gathered April 22 in Almaty to take part in the Almaty Marathon, the largest sporting event in Central Asia. Over...


We need more livestock, says Kazakh agriculture vice minister

ASTANA – Kazakhstan needs to increase its livestock population, according to First Vice Minister of Agriculture Arman Yevniyev. The ministry expects the new cattle farming development programme will raise...


Kazakh FM attends SCO ministerial ahead of June summit, meets Chinese counterpart

ASTANA – Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member state foreign ministers agreed April 24 on the agenda of the SCO summit to be held this June in Qingdao, Kazakh Foreign...


Medical equipment database to improve healthcare facilities planning and procurement

ASTANA – A national medical equipment database will be created as part of the Densaulyk (Health) development programme, reported Minister of Healthcare Yelzhan Birtanov at the April 24 government...


Risks of natural disasters in Central Asia: how to move from response to prevention?

The forthcoming meeting of the Heads of disaster management authorities of the Central Asian states, which will be held on April 27, 2018 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, is a good...


Romania, Kazakhstan interested in multiple partnerships, Romanian MP says

ASTANA – What do Kazakhstan and Romania have in common? Which areas are best for cooperation for the two states? Tamara-Dorina Ciofu, member of the Chamber of Deputies of...


AIFC discusses perspectives of cooperation at Boao Forum for Asia

GUEST COMMENTARY ASTANA – A delegation from Kazakhstan delegation participated in the annual Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Hainan Province, China, earlier in April. This year’s topic was...


Kazakhstan’s diverse history contributes to a united present

When commentators identify Kazakhstan’s achievements since independence, the focus is often on the economy and growing international status. These are, of course, both areas which deserve to be celebrated....


FC Astana ties with FC Kairat in Kazakhstan Championship’s central match

ASTANA – The main event of the past football weekend was the match of Kazakhstan’s championship fifth round between the country’s two strongest clubs, FC Astana and FC Kairat...


Kazakh anti-nuclear activist calls US-North Korea summit ‘unprecedented’, cautious about outcome

ASTANA – This year is a milestone for global nuclear non-proliferation efforts with a much-anticipated meeting of South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un...


Kazakhstan launches 72-hour visa-free regime in Astana, Almaty for Indian citizens flying local airlines

ASTANA – Indian citizens flying thorough Kazakhstan with local airlines can enjoy a 72-hour visa-free stopover in Astana and Almaty from April 23 until Dec. 31, according to a...


External news in brief

During his first visit to Kazakhstan, International Anti-Corruption Academy Dean and Executive Secretary Martin Kreutner met with Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov to discuss education-related issues in the fight...


National news in brief

Burabai Summer Fest, an international children’s and youth TV festival, will be held June 22-July 3 in the Shchuchinsk-Burabai resort zone north in Astana, said Akmola region culture and...


Economic News in Brief

The growth of social and economic indicators of Astana and new approaches to tax administration allow the city to occupy a leading position in ensuring the growth of the...


Business news in brief

KMF, a microfinance organisation, and International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, signed a memorandum allowing the former to take a three-year, $82 million syndicated...


Neupusti.net EdTech company initiates start-up competition for Uzbek youth

ASTANA – Almaty-based Neupusti.net online work database for youth recently launched the Silk Way Start-ups competition for Uzbek youth as part of the South-South Youth Leadership Initiative in advancing...


Family holiday park to open in Aktobe on Children’s Day

ASTANA – A new outdoor family park, the largest in the western Kazakhstan with more than 50 types of entertainment, is under construction in Aktobe. The opening ceremony will...


KAZGUU University enters top 50 universities following Jessup competition

ASTANA – KAZGUU University has entered the top 50 universities based on the results of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. The university team participated March...


Astana to host World Mining Congress in June

ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry for Investment and Development will organise the 25th World Mining Congress, a large-scale event dedicated to mining and metal sector, June 19-21 in Astana....


Spina Bifida Public Association: raising awareness and breaking stigma

ASTANA – Spina Bifida Public Association (SBPA) was founded in 2015 by parents of children born with the disease to inform medical specialists, parents and the general public about...


Kazakh FM visits Turkey, discusses preparations for presidents’ summer meeting

ASTANA – During a two-day official visit to Ankara April 19-20, Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other top officials to discuss...


Ethics board to both prevent corruption and protect civil servants’ rights

The original meaning of the term of ethics was joint housing and the rules generated by co-residence, norms that unify the society, overcoming individualism and aggressiveness. With social development, the...


Central Asia must build relationships, seek solutions from inside out

Central Asia sees a new reality unfolding. Central Asia itself must progressively build its new regional identity. Up until now, it has been built from the outside. The region...


Kazakhstan, UNDP organise seminar for Central Asian journalists and political scientists at UN headquarters

NEW YORK – The Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised a seminar April 9-13 in New York to acquaint journalists and political scientists from Central Asia with the work...


Kazakhstan resolves all Central Asian border issues, announces Kazakh President

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s national borders with all bordering Central Asian nations have been legally delineated and all border issues have been resolved, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced after a...


Seven Veils of Eurasia exhibit reveals magical world of ballet

ASTANA – “Seven Veils of Eurasia,” an exhibit dedicated to the work of Russian photographer Alexei Kritsov and Belarusian sculptor Andrej Ostashov, opened April 12 in the ForteBank Kulanshi...


New favourable home loan programme to begin in second half 2018

ASTANA – The National Bank’s  7-20-25 mortgage programme to provide favourable loans for Kazakh citizens to buy homes will begin in the second half of this year, Kazakh National...


Bollywood to shoot movie about Mangistau region

ASTANA – A Bollywood film company will shoot a movie about the Mangistau region famous for its historical sights, Akim (Governor) of the Mangistau region Yeraly Tugzhanov announced recently....


Astana to build waste recycling plant using French technology

ASTANA – Astana plans to build a garbage recycling plant using French technology by September 2019 that will use wet and dry fractions technology to process up to 75...


Astana, Paris agree to send 100 Kazakh graduate students to France

ASTANA – Ninety second-year master students and 10 doctoral students from Kazakhstan will be sent to French higher education institutions under the new joint Abai-Verne Programme. The agreement on...


Sergek has helped solve more than 500 crimes in Astana

ASTANA – Sergek video surveillance system has helped capital police solve more than 500 criminal offenses, including four murders. The system has contributed to reducing the number of offenses...


Kazakh clothing manufacturers fail to meet national demand, says report

ASTANA – Kazakhstan needs to increase its domestic clothing production to meet national demand, reports Energyprom.kz. In January, domestic manufacturers matched 19.3 percent of national demand for hosiery and...


Belt and Road Initiative: One Vision of Justice

In 2017, the United Arab Emirates and Kazakhstan celebrated 25 years of friendship and diplomacy. The UAE is Kazakhstan’s largest Arab trade partner, with close to $643 million in...


Hungarians, Kazakhs are almost relatives, says Hungarian cultural centre head

ASTANA – The people of Hungary and Kazakhstan, who share a nomadic past, are almost like relatives, said Hungarian Cultural Centre Head Aleksandr Papp. In a recent interview with...


New report reviews religion and secularism in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Kazakhstan can offer the world a completely different model of state secularism and may serve as an example for other Muslim-majority states, according to a recent study...


Young social entrepreneurs call for celebrating diversity through education, inclusion

ASTANA – The School for All is planning to expand by opening a new office in the capital to welcome more children of all abilities. Set up two years...


New Muslim identity must be shaped based on modernised Kazakh national culture, says Kazakh Naib Mufti

ASTANA – Kazakhstan, which has always promoted peace and dialogue between different nations and religions, is preparing for the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in October....


Israeli – Kazakh cooperation has considerable unfulfilled potential, says Israeli envoy

ASTANA – Israeli and Kazakh diplomatic relations, celebrating their 26th anniversary this year, have significant potential yet to be explored, according to Israeli Ambassador to Kazakhstan Michael Brodsky. Israel,...


Kazakh hospitals to do away with paper records, switch to electronic health passports

ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry of Health plans to do away with paper records beginning January 2019 by completely turning to electronic health passports. Half of Kostanai residents will...


Kazakh communication ministry to pursue 83 percent nationwide digital literacy by 2022

ASTANA – The Ministry of Information and Communication has developed a plan to increase Kazakhstan’s digital literacy rate to 83 percent by 2022. The goal to better equip the...


National campaign legalises more than 600,000 informal jobs

ASTANA – Labour and Social Protection Minister Madina Abylkassymova reported that 607,000 out of 2.7 million people had formalised their employment status since the beginning of the year at...


Hiring US forensic experts in Tokmadi case was Yerkin Tatishev’s idea

ASTANA – Yerkin Tatishev, the brother of late BTA Bank chair Yerzhan Tatishev, who was killed during a winter hunt in 2004, told Forbes.kz he was the one who...


Kazakhstan to build university hospitals in Almaty and Karaganda

ASTANA – The Kazakh government plans to build two university hospitals using public-private partnerships, Minister of the Healthcare Yelzhan Birtanov announced during a recent government meeting. The construction of...


Kazakh engineering capabilities, Dutch expertise support major developments in Kazakhstan

Witteveen+Bos is an engineering and consulting company based in the Netherlands whose affiliated company, Witteveen+Bos Caspian LLP, is currently serving as the main designer to complete the plans for...


Reconstructed Astana park will reflect Almaty region

ASTANA – Almaty region and BI Group are reconstructing the capital’s Arai Park in conjunction with the city’s 20th anniversary. The project will present the region’s remarkable sites in...


Eighty percent of Kazakhs with HIV to receive antiretroviral therapy

ASTANA – Eighty percent of Kazakhs who test HIV positive will receive antiretroviral therapy by the end of the year, reported BNews.kz. Only 54 percent of patients received the...


Three nature reserves to open as part of Sacred Kazakhstan initiative

ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to open three new nature reserves, Sacred Kazakhstan Science and Research Centre Head Berik Abdygaliuly announced at a recent exhibit dedicated to the one-year anniversary...


Kazakhstan announces support for inter-Korean summit

ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Kairat Abdrakhmanov expressed support for the upcoming summit between the Republic of Korea and North Korea at an April 17...


Akmola region reproductive dairy farm to provide jobs

ASTANA – A specialised reproductive farm to be established in Burabai area, Akmola region, will provide jobs for local residents and develop the Kazakh dairy industry. The industry is...


Traditional Kazakh belt wrestling tournament to be held in Almaty

ASTANA – Khalyk Barysy, the first national traditional Kazakh belt wrestling tournament, will be held May 7 as part of the Rukhani Zhangyru programme at the Sunkar International Ski...