Kazakh President Says Sports and Horse Meat Keeps him Healthy

During a TV interview aired Dec. 13, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev was asked which diet he follows to stay in shape. “According to internet sources, many heads of state...


Music Will Keep Us Alive, Otyrar Sazy Conductor Says

Dinzukhra Tlendiyeva, artistic director and principal conductor of the Otyrar Sazy Orchestra, gives performances on the country’s main stages dedicated to the 90th anniversary of her father, Nurgisa Tlendiyev,...


Artist Promotes Positive, Moral Lifestyle

Last year, illustrator and painter Ansagan Mustafa made a debut with an exhibition called “Soile suret” in Astana, featuring highlights of her work between 1995 and 2012. The same...


Kazakhstan, EU Sign Landmark Agreement

ASTANA ­– Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini signed a new Kazakhstan-EU agreement on enhanced partnership and...


President Nazarbayev Notes Timeliness of EXPO 2017’s Future Energy Theme

ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev had an informal interview with national TV journalists Yerlan Iginisov of 24KZ and Beisen Kuranbek of Kazakhstan that was shown on Dec. 13. As...


Kazakh Junior Hockey Team Takes Bronze in IIHF World Championship, Stays in Division I

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s junior national ice hockey team beat hosts Austria 5:2 to win bronze at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship under 20, Division I Group A, on...


Kazakh President Establishes New Civil Service Ministry

ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a decree to establish the Ministry of Civil Service to improve the civil service and counter corruption, the Akorda’s press service reported on...


Nazarbayev Launches Projects in Key Economic Sectors

ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev launched 18 new industrial projects in eight priority fields of the economy during New Kazakhstan Industrialisation and the Results Achieved in 2015 national teleconference...


Kazakh Woman Ranks Second at World Bodybuilding Championship

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Ulpan Nurbekova won silver at the World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Federation (WBPF) World Championship, Vesti.kz reported Dec. 10. Competitions were held in Thailand’s capital city,...


City’s Biggest Ice Town Attracts Attention

ASTANA – Ice towns and rinks have become traditional entertainment places for city residents and guests. This year, the capital is presenting four areas with different sculptures and slides,...


When Hollywood Iconic Characters Start Speaking Kazakh

ASTANA – What a pleasure it is to have one’s favourite films professionally dubbed instead of having to read subtitles. Dubbing particularly enhances the experience for children to have...


Curling: A Sport for Everyone and for Life, Says National Association Head

ASTANA – Curling is considered to be an unusual sport for Kazakhstan. It first appeared in the country in 2003, yet the national team has already shown good results....


Behind Scenes of “La Bayadère,” Astana Opera’s Last Premiere of the Year

ASTANA – On the eve of the New Year, the main holiday season throughout the world, the Astana Opera is planning to close 2015 with a grand and extraordinary...


Baigazin’s “Over the City” Film Project Receives Hubert Bals Fund Grant

ASTANA – The “Over the City” film project directed by Emir Baigazin received a prestigious grant amounting to 10,000 euros from the Hubert Bals Dutch fund. The grant is...


Universiade 2017 to Help Position Kazakhstan as Major International Event Host

ASTANA – Although Almaty lost the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics to Beijing, the country hopes to be in contention in the future. And the upcoming Universiade...


Tennis Centre Opens in Kostanai

ASTANA – A tennis centre created for children opened Dec. 12 in Kostanai, the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation press service announced. During the opening ceremony, the region’s akim (mayor) Arkhimed...


Naval Forces Commander-in-Chief Awards Country’s Best Military Sailors

ASTANA – In Aktau, Commander-in-Chief of Kazakhstan’s Naval Forces and Armed Forces, Rear Admiral Zhandarbek Zhanzakov summed up the activities of these troops for the current year, according to...


Developing New Understanding of Research

The Stratagem project was awarded a special sponsor’s prize from multimedia company AVID at the Reimagine Education Awards. The higher education event, organised annually by QS World University Rankings...


State Pensions Are Secure, Says President

Talking with journalists for an interview televised Dec. 13, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev explained the reason for the transition of the United Accumulated Pension Fund to the private sector,...


SCO Prime Ministers Meet in China, Focus on Boosting Economic Ties in Times of Crisis

The 14th meeting of the Council of heads of government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states took place Dec. 14 in Zhengzhou (Henan province), China, reported the...


Kazakhstan Jumps 14 Positions in UNDP Human Development Index

ASTANA – Kazakhstan jumped 14 places compared to last year to be ranked 56th out of 188 in the 2015 UNDP Human Development Report released Dec. 14. Kazakhstan was...


Thirty-Five Kilometre Ring Road to be Constructed Around Astana

ASTANA – A 35-kilometre ring road is projected to be constructed in the capital of Kazakhstan between 2017-2019, according to astana.gov.kz. “Today, as part of the construction of a...


Kazakh President Welcomes Paris Agreement on Climate Change

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev welcomed Dec. 15 the adoption of the final document of the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework...


Samruk Kazyna Top Management to Be Reduced by Nearly Half as Fund Undergoes Transformation

ASTANA – The top management of the Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund will shrink from 16 to 9 managing directors as part of its transformation process, Chair of the...


Kazakh Producer Offers Top-Quality Organic Milk, Positive Conditions for Employees

ASTANA – In spite of the fact that more and more milk producing companies use milk powders, some rare companies still produce organic milk using up-to-date equipment while providing...


President Congratulates Independent Kazakhstan on Independence Day

ASTANA ­– On the eve of the 24rd anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence, President Nursultan Nazarbayev addressed and congratulated the people on the country’s national holiday at the State Opera...


Monument Dedicated to 25th Anniversary of Independence to Be Installed in Astana

A Monument dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence will be installed in Astana next year. Yedil Alimbekov from Almaty won a national contest, reports the city akimat...


Kazakh Organ Donation Faces Perception Challenges

ASTANA – Although most Kazakhs are still hesitant about organ donation, transplants are conducted to help those in need of a match. Yet the procedure faces problems, such as...


Akorda Discusses Energy Sector Development in Face of Current Global Economic Conditions

President Nursultan Nazarbayev recently met with government representatives to discuss the development of the energy sector of Kazakhstan under current economic conditions, reported the press service of the Akorda....


National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, US Business Council Sign Cooperation MoU

The National Chamber of Entrepreneurs (NCE) Atameken and the U.S. Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) signed a memorandum of understanding on Dec. 9 in Washington, according to the...


National Bank Issues New 100 Tenge Coins for New Year

The National Bank of Kazakhstan has issued four silver and two nickel silver alloy coins, according to the National Bank of Kazakhstan. “The National Bank of Kazakhstan on Dec....


Kazakhstan Weathers Difficult 2015, President Says in Year-End Interview

ASTANA ­– Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev discussed how Kazakhstan fared in 2015 during a recent interview with national television channels Kazakhstan and 24KZ. “During the years of independence, Kazakhstan...


Kazakh PM Visits China, Expands Economic Ties Further

Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov participated Dec. 12-13 in the third session of the Kazakh-Chinese Business Council (KCBC) in Beijing, China, and visited Hong Kong, reported the prime minister’s...


Interethnic Harmony One of Biggest Achievements of 24-Year-Young Kazakhstan

As Kazakhstan looks back on its 24 years as an independent country, there is a great deal to celebrate. Its rise from such a troubled start to an upper-middle-income...


A Dozen Ways to Diversify Kazakhstan’s Economy

Like many hydrocarbon-rich countries, Kazakhstan feels itself vulnerable to its “monoculture” economy, the lifeblood of its sustenance since independence – and a sort of dependence addiction. The recent plummet...


World Winter Universiade Praises Almaty’s 2017 Universiade Preparations

ASTANA – An International University Sports Federation (FISU) delegation led by Director of the World Winter Universiade at FISU Milan Augustin recently visited the venues to be involved in...


Charcoal Art Exhibit Reveals Mining World

Astana held a unique exhibition of charcoal drawings created by local artist and head of the Men Qazaqpyn (“I am Kazakh”) project Bakhytzhan Bukharbayev. The medium was extracted from...


Kazakhstan, China Sign $50 Billion Worth of Deals in 2015, Ambassador in Beijing Says

As Kazakhstan and China look back at the year of intensive diplomacy and economic cooperation and plan for next year, we interviewed Kazakh Ambassador to China Shakhrat Nuryshev to...


Kazakh Weightlifter Ilya Ilyin Wins Gold, Sets Two New World Records in Grozny

ASTANA –Kazakh two-time Olympic Champion and four-time world champion Ilya Ilyin, 27, set two new world records at the Fifth Russian Federation President Weightlifting Cup in Grozny, Russia on...


Airport for Tourists Flying to Alakol Lake to Be Built in Usharal, Says Official

ASTANA – The Kazakh government plans to build an airport in the town of Usharal in the Alakol District of the Almaty Region in south-eastern Kazakhstan to accommodate tourists...


Global Ecological Fund Expected to Allocate $9 Million for Forest Ecosystem Management

ASTANA – Kazakhstan, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), submitted an application for $9 million to the Global Ecological Fund (GEF) for the purpose of forest...


Netherlands Interested in 100 Concrete Steps, Nurly Zhol, Kazakh Ambassador Says

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte visited Astana Dec. 2 for a trip heavily focused on economic cooperation. We interviewed Mainyura Murzamadiyeva, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador in The Hague, to discuss the...


“Mistress” Takes Almaty by Storm

Passionate, sensual and sexy. Although it sounds like a perfect recipe for a powerful aphrodisiac, there is a way to experience these same feelings without actually getting it on:...


KAZ Minerals Produces First Cathode Copper in East Kazakhstan

The KAZ Minerals mining group has produced the first cathode copper at the Aktogai ore deposit located in East Kazakhstan. According to the company’s forecast, the level of annual...


FISU Evaluates Preparations for 2017 Universiade; Praises Sport Development Efforts in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – A delegation of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) led by the recently elected FISU President Oleg Matytsin paid a working visit to Kazakhstan to learn about...


Kazakhstan Marks Human Rights Day

ASTANA – A round table discussion devoted to Human Rights Day organised by the Human Rights Commission under the President of Kazakhstan took place in Astana Dec.10. The round...


Experts Say More Efforts Needed by Government and Individuals to Protect Kazakh Cyberspace

ASTANA – Cybercrime happens routinely. Kazakhstan passed a law on information privacy two years ago and continues to expand efforts to support cybersecurity, but it seems like ordinary residents...


ISTC Opens Headquarters in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Kazakhstan became an official host state for the International Science and Technology Centre (ISTC) as of Dec. 9, when the agreement on the continuation of ISTC activities...


International Experts Discuss EXPO 2017 Topics at COP 21

PARIS – Scientists, business representatives and officials engaged in lively discussions in Paris Dec. 7 at the Future Energy Forum at the UN Education, Science and Culture Organisation (UNESCO)...


Mongolia Officially Confirms Participation in Astana EXPO 2017

ASTANA – Mongolia officially confirmed its participation in EXPO 2017 in Astana with the signing of the formal agreement by Mongolian Minister of Energy and Commissioner of the Mongolian...