FC Astana to start UEFA Champions League qualification in Latvia

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s football clubs are set to start qualification rounds in the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League in July. The four teams representing the nation...


Modernisation of social and cultural spheres: global experiences and Kazakhstan

Systemic modernisation implies a whole range of economic, cultural, social, political and other transformations aimed at integrating a nation into the progressive course of global development. Though it is...


National Bank chief lays out plans to improve banking sector

ASTANA – The National Bank of Kazakhstan (NB) recently announced the conditions for the shareholders on the mandatory injection of funds into the capital. This was stated during the...


Kazakhstan continues with green energy investments

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has continued investments in renewable energy sources and will to expand these volumes as it moves forward. So far, the investment share does not exceed 1...


Kazakh ethno village opens doors to EXPO 2017 tourists

ASTANA – EXPO 2017 guests will have a unique opportunity to explore the ancient culture of nomadic civilisation, as Ethno Auyl (which stands for Ethno Village), an unusual cultural...


EU and Central Asia ministers of education agree to expand cooperation

ASTANA – The Astana Declaration was signed June 23 at the second meeting of European Union (EU) and Central Asia ministers of education at the capital’s Rixos President Hotel...


Jackie Chan didn’t get paid for his trip to Astana

Actor, producer and director Jackie Chan did not ask for a payment nor a rider for his visit to Astana, said Kazakhstan broadcasting station chairperson Yerlan Karin. Karin said...


Part of Chinese Terracotta Warrior Army on display at National Museum of Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Astana visitors and residents have the opportunity to see a part of a unique historical monument that originates from the Chinese Qin dynasty. Four statues of the...


Nazarbayev opens World Kurultai of Kazakhs in Astana

ASTANA – Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev opened June 23 the fifth World Kurultai of Kazakhs in Astana, which takes place in the capital within the framework of EXPO 2017....


EXPO 2017 opens to success, offers path to the future

With EXPO now well under way, there are clear signs of lessons from the past few decades underpinning the objectives of this event. Hosting EXPO has, for instance, enabled...


New street named after Tatar Queen unveiled in Astana

ASTANA – President of Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and Astana Akim (Mayor) Asset Issekeshev participated in the June 12 opening ceremony of the street named after Kazan...


Finnair launches direct Helsinki-Astana flights

ASTANA – Finnair launched June 19 direct Helsinki-Astana-Helsinki flights. The flights will be Mondays and Fridays on modern Airbus 319 airliners.   The new flights initiate a partnership between...


American gives impressions of EXPO 2017 and personal ideas behind power of blogging

ASTANA – What is this trend known as blogging? What is its main aim compared to how corporate journalists write on a day-to-day base? Are they the independent media...


Eurasian Media Forum discusses media’s role in a changing world

ASTANA – More than 600 delegates from 60 countries gathered June 22-24 near the site of EXPO 2017 for the 14th Eurasian Media Forum (EAMF) to discuss the media’s...


ASTANA TOWER Business Center awarded BREEAM In-Use Excellent rating

Astana Tower Ishletme LLP announces that the ASTANA TOWER Business Center has obtained a BREEAM In-Use certification applied to existing non-residential buildings. The first A class office building met high international...


Astana basketball club hires new coach with NBA experience

ASTANA – Kostas Flevarakis has been hired as the new coach of BC Astana, Kazakhstan’s premier basketball team. He will replace Greek compatriot Ilias Papatheodorou, who guided the team...


Kazakh Foreign Investors Council discusses future energy in Astana

ASTANA – The 30th plenary session of the Foreign Investors Council under the President of Kazakhstan took place June 22 in Astana, bringing nearly 300 participants to the capital,...


Sanofi focuses on 5 key areas in Central Asia: diabetes, cardiovascular, consumer healthcare, vaccines and rare diseases

ASTANA – Sanofi, one of the world’s five largest pharmaceutical companies, is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Kazakhstan this year. In an exclusive interview with The Astana Times, Central...


Akan Satayev’s film named Best Feature Film at New York Eurasian Film Festival

ASTANA – “Road to Mother” directed by Akan Satayev won the Best Feature Film award at the June 16-18 fifth New York Eurasian Film Festival. The competition brought together...


GE highlights emerging trends and technologies at EXPO 2017

ASTANA – General Electric (GE), one of the global sponsors of the United States pavilion at EXPO 2017, hosted the June 21 forum Moving Forward, Fueling the Future. The...


Kazakh-built high-speed electric locomotives to be exported to Belarus

ASTANA – The Kazakh Invest National Company announced plans to export 20 passenger electric locomotives to Belarus at the recent meeting of the Trade Mission of Kazakh Producers in...


EBRD to continue supporting Kazakhstan in economic endeavours, says EBRD official

ASTANA – The Kazakh capital is readying to host the June 22 annual Foreign Investors’ Council (FIC), chaired by President Nursultan Nazarbayev and co-chaired by the president of the...


WSB final match to take place July 15 at Kazakhstan Arena in Astana

ASTANA – The Astana Arlans and Cuba Domadores, the two most decorated teams in the series, will contest July 15 for the World Series of Boxing (WSB) champion’s title....


Kazakhstan to reduce tax inspections

ASTANA – The Kazakh government will reduce the number of tax inspections 37.5 percent in 2017, Minister of Finance Bakhyt Sultanov said during a June 19 joint session of...


Forum presents Kazakh President’s model of national unity

ASTANA – The model of public accord and nationwide unity of led by President Nursultan Nazarbayev was presented at the forum of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan...


Kazakh e-government mobile app offers 83 services

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s electronic government mobile app offers 83 services to its citizens, announced  Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Kairat Balykbayev at a June 15 session of the...


Kazakhstan, World Bank are strong partners, says WB official

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and the World Bank (WB) are celebrating a partnership anniversary this year, for in the last 25 years the financial institution has funded 45 projects totalling...


Finnish President unveils national pavilion at EXPO 2017 in Astana

ASTANA – President of Finland Sauli Niinistö visited Astana June 20 for meeting Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and to jointly opening Finland’s pavilion at EXPO 2017. The opening ceremony...


Kazakh Deputy FM briefs OSCE Berlin conference on Kazakh connectivity initiatives

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko briefed the June 19-20 annual Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Asian Conference titled Common Challenges and Common Opportunities...


NU Career Centre assists graduates in landing a job

ASTANA – Nazarbayev University (NU) held its third graduation ceremony last month, awarding 728 bachelor’s and master’s degrees and for the first time presenting nine PhDs. With sheepskins in...


Kazakh TV launches series exploring country’s secret and beautiful places

ASTANA – The culture, history and nature of Kazakhstan remain a mystery for tourists and even some of its inhabitants. Kazakh TV has prepared five expedition shows which visit...


Hermitage collection of arms to be presented in Astana

ASTANA – Astana residents and visitors will have the opportunity to explore the country’s rich history of arms when the Hermitage collection of arms opens July 3 at  the...


Switzerland ready to assist Central Asian countries with water management

ASTANA ­– Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov and Swiss Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Didier Burkhalter discussed bilateral cooperation and took part June 19 in an international...


Kazakh Ministry for Investments and Development recaps foreign investments, new subsoil code, improving transport potential

ASTANA – A recap of the previous year’s work, including attracting foreign investments, a new subsoil code and improving the nation’s transport and logistics potential were the main talking...


Astana hosts Second Preparatory Meeting of OSCE Environmental and Economic Forum

ASTANA – The second preparatory meeting of the 25th Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Economic and Environmental Forum took place June 14-16 in Astana and concluded...


French connection: Kazakhstan’s modern history captured by French journalist

ASTANA – A book by French independent journalist Lise Barcellini highlighting Kazakhstan’s prominent figures and published by a private French publisher is intended to serve as a connection to...


Kazakh President proposes international currency, climate solutions at AEF

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said during a June 16 plenary session of the 10th Astana Economic Forum that the forum is being held at a historically crucial...


Monaco pavilion “Mirroring the Future” astonishes crowds at EXPO 2017

ASTANA – Monaco’s 3-million-euro pavilion “Mirroring the Future” leaves EXPO 2017 visitors in awe as it goes in sync with Principality establishments, marine world icons and its theme. “The...


New unified tariff expected to increase Kazakh-Kyrgyz railway cargo transport

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Mazhilis (lower chamber of Parliament) recently approved the ratification of an agreement between the Kazakh and Kyrgyz governments allowing Kyrgyz transporters to transfer through Kazakhstan to...


New Silk Way Business Forum discusses developing Eurasian transcontinental routes

ASTANA – Regional business leaders discussed developing transport and logistic systems on Eurasian transcontinental routes during the June 15 New Silk Way international transport and logistics business forum in...


Developers, software and cyber security specialists, IT managers in shortage, expert says

ASTANA – The Digital Kazakhstan state programme is available for every Kazakh citizen who has a computer with Internet access. A professional presentation and the draft programme can be...


Number of foreign companies in Kazakhstan increases 25 percent in the past year

ASTANA – The number of foreign businesses operating in Kazakhstan increased 25 percent in the last year to 3,400, according to finprom.kz. With the number of all businesses increasing...


Kieli Kazakhstan expedition to country’s sacred places takes off

ASTANA – The Kieli Kazakhstan (Sacred Kazakhstan) trip to the steppe country’s sacred places began from Nazarbayev University June 10. University Vice President Kanat Baigarin and General Director of...


International experts discuss sustainable energy, economic development at Astana Economic Forum

ASTANA – More than 4,000 participants from 100 countries gathered June 15-16 in Astana for the 10th annual Astana Economic Forum. The forum focused primarily on renewable energy and...


Polish delegation meets Kazakh State Secretary, opens exhibition

ASTANA – A delegation from Poland is on a three-day visit to Kazakhstan to visit EXPO 2017 and celebrate the June 17 Day of Poles. Headed by Deputy Senate...


Astana parks offer EXPO 2017 shows for visitors

ASTANA – Parks become attractive places in the summer where people can spend an hour or two or even a whole day with family or friends. The capital’s green...


Kazakhstan donates $300, 000 to UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy

ASTANA– Kazakhstan is slated to make a targeted contribution of $300,000 to the United Nations Trust Fund for Combating Terrorism. The funds will be used to implement the UN...


ICRC ready to cooperate with SCO member states, top official says

ASTANA – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is ready to cooperate with Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states with the recent monumental signing of joint memoranda...


Daytrip from Astana: Borovoye summer highlights

ASTANA – The period of EXPO 2017 coincides with peak holiday season in Kazakhstan. In Astana, for most of the population, that will mean trips to Borovoye. Borovoye, a...


UN Under Secretary-General: EXPO invites creative thinking and a search for new ideas

ASTANA – EXPO 2017 is bringing people from all around the world to Astana, connecting them through dialogue while focusing the world’s attention on the enormous opportunities in moving...