Fondy Global enters Kazakh market

ASTANA – International online merchant service provider Fondy Global has entered the Kazakh market. The local partner company bought its franchise at the end of last month. “We received...


French Film Festival to be held in Astana and Almaty

The eighth French Cinema Today film festival, which traditionally presents the audience with the best novelties of French cinema, will be held April 22-25 in Kazakhstan. The festival will...


Modern micro district to be built for young families in Taraz

ASTANA – Young families and couples in Taraz will now be able to purchase an apartment in a new residential area with modern infrastructure. The Zhambyl region administration had...


Aktobe region teacher establishes ostrich farm

ASTANA – A teacher of physical education from the Aktobe region breeds African ostriches in his back yard. Sailaubek Matayev brought 20 exotic chicks in the summer of last...


Power station’s heat allows unique fish farm in Karaganda

ASTANA – Natur Produkt farm has been culturing rainbow trout at the Topar Lake 40 kilometres from Karaganda since last year. Close proximity to Karaganda GRES 2 power station...


Kazakhstan’s national futsal team reaches UEFA Euro Futsal 2018

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s national futsal team made it through the April 8 and 11 qualifying round of the European Championship in Almaty. Team Kazakhstan competed in the Almaty Arena...


Kazakhstan’s embrace of diversity helps build national unity

A strong sense of national identity is perhaps the most important resource a country can have. Societies which possess these feelings of pride and belonging can grasp opportunities more...


Kazakhstan’s anti-corruption legislation may become model for post-Soviet countries, say experts

ASTANA – Transparency International, the leading civil society organisation fighting corruption worldwide, released its Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) at the end of January concerning the level of perceived corruption...


Prosecutor’s office launches website allowing citizens to assess doctors’ performance

ASTANA – The Almaty prosecutor’s office has launched almatymed.kz to allow local residents to assess the work of polyclinics and their medical staff, 24.kz reports. “The new website was...


WorldSkills Kazakhstan regional contest winners determined in Taldykorgan

ASTANA – A regional practical stage of the two-day contest for professional skills was held recently at the Taldykorgan College of Service and Technology and the College of Industrial...


Education, individuals are the keys to Kazakhstan’s continuing success

Investment in our young people has been one of the guiding principles of Kazakhstan since the earliest days of independence. The Bolashak programme, set up as far back as...


Astana Opera House presents new concert format

ASTANA – The “Fantastic” symphony and concert featuring Italian oboist Gianfranco Bortolato premiered April 15 at the Astana Opera House. First oboe at the La Scala Opera House, the...


Kazakh PM promotes IT cooperation during U.S. visit

ASTANA­­ – Kazakh Prime Minister Bakhytzhan Sagintayev discussed opportunities for cooperation within Kazakhstan’s third stage modernisation with leading American innovation companies during an April 11-14 visit to the United...


Kazakhstan attracts record amount of foreign investment in 2016

ASTANA – In 2016, the gross inflow of the foreign direct investments (FDI) in Kazakhstan reached new heights, growing 40 percent compared to 2015 and surpassing the previous record...


Kazakhstan to increase lamb exports to China

ASTANA – Kazakh authorities are planning to increase the volume of lamb exported to China by the end of April, said Vice Minister of Agriculture Gulmira Issayeva at a...


Kazakh security agencies have prevented 12 terrorist attacks in recent years

ASTANA – Kazakh Special Forces prevented 12 terroristic and violent extremist acts in the nation in the past few years. Since the start of 2017, they have also been...


Scientists, Academics Discuss President’s Aim of Alphabet Switch, Raising Cultural Awareness

ASTANA – Leading academic and cultural voices met in Astana to discuss the Kazakh President’s goal of shifting written Kazakh from the Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet within 10...


Kazakhstan, China to launch China-to-Europe container train route through Kazakhstan

ASTANA –Kazakhstan Temir Zholy national railway company President Kanat Alpysbayev and Director General of China Railways Lu Dongfu signed an agreement April 13 in Beijing to launch a China-to-Europe...


Kazakh Education Ministry establishes working group to transfer alphabet to Latin

ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry of Education has created a working group to transfer the Kazakh alphabet based on the Cyrillic script to Latin, the ministry’s Science Committee Chairperson...


Kazakh President lays out principles for modernisation of nation’s identity

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev published April 12 a wide-ranging policy article, “Course towards the future: modernisation of Kazakhstan’s identity” in national newspapers outlining steps for modernisation of...


Study trip brings Dutch students to learn about Kazakhstan, people, EXPO 2017

ASTANA – Fifty geography students from the Netherlands’ Utrecht University visited Kazakhstan for their annual study trip. The Astana Times learned how they were enjoying the good old hospitality,...


EAEU defines macroeconomic policy, establishes temporary free trade zone with Iran; CSTO marks 25 years

ASTANA – Two regional organisations in the economic and security spheres, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), held their top-level meetings April 14...


Caspi Bitum plant increases efficiency with innovative storage, transport method

ASTANA – Aktau bitumen plant has developed an innovative way of storing and transporting bitumen, kazinform.kz reports. “Viscous road bitumen is packaged in Big Bag disposable transport containers and...


Astana to host SCO Interbank Association, Business Council meeting

ASTANA – The joint meeting of the Interbank Association and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Business Council will be held on the eve of EXPO 2017 in Astana. This...


Crowdfunding in Kazakhstan – finally a reality?

ASTANA – Crowdfunding has become a usual thing to people in developed countries. Kickstarter was launched in 2009 and today is one of the most famous crowdfunding platforms in...


Celebrating 25 years of friendly and warm relations between Kazakhstan and New Zealand

This spring Kazakhstan and New Zealand mark 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. Ahead of the symbolic date, The Astana Times talked to both Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to...


PwC director explains new Kazakh work permit rules for foreign citizens

ASTANA – Last year, the Kazakh government issued more than 36,000 work permits for foreign nationals, according to the prime minister’s official website data. Around one-third, or slightly more...


Regional internal migration launched, more than 630,000 jobs to be created this year

ASTANA – The government has identified seven regions to stimulate voluntary migration, said Labour and Social Protection Minister Tamara Duissenova at the April 5 Increasing Labour Market Mobility business...


Clothing donation project brings warmth, hope to those in need

ASTANA – Almaty residents can donate clothes and items to the Teplo (Warmth) charity boxes to help people in emergencies. There are currently five collection points located at Esentai...


Astana improves services, enhances security to welcome EXPO 2017 visitors

ASTANA – In anticipation of the EXPO 2017 international specialised exhibition, the city administration is taking a holistic approach to preparing for the country’s main event in a decade....


Japanese Oki Dub Ainu Band to perform at Almaty’s music festival

ASTANA – As the May 20-21 Spirit of Tengri 2017 contemporary ethnic music festival in Almaty gets closer, one of its most anticipated guest performers, the Japanese Oki Dub...


Secret weapons of Uzbek businesswomen

ASTANA – Uzbekistan’s mostly male-dominated entrepreneurial arena is slowly being populated by women. According to the Uzbek statistics committee, the number of businesswomen in small and private entrepreneurships grew...


AIFC to launch its international stock exchange in fall

ASTANA – The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) is planning to launch the Astana International Exchange (AIX) this fall, which is expected to help create conditions for further economic...


Central Asian regional hub for countering global threats to open in Astana

ASTANA – The Central Asian Regional Hub for Countering Global Threats will be established in the capital within the Academy of Law Enforcement Agencies under the Prosecutor General’s Office....


U.S. filmmaker chronicles Kazakh eagle hunters in Western Mongolia

ASTANA – A stunning video named “Nomads of Mongolia” describing the life of Kazakh eagle hunters in Western Mongolia shot by U.S. filmmaker Brandon Li has been amazing YouTube...


ADB forecasts growth of Kazakh economy

ASTANA – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) released its forecast for the economic situation in Kazakhstan for 2017, projecting the country’s economic growth will accelerate as a result of...


Kazakhstan seeks to improve civil service through international partnerships

ASTANA – The Civil Service Development global and regional trends review highlighting civil service development and reform in North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, the Caucasus and the Commonwealth of...


Kazakhstan’s Modernisation 3.0 is to create a completely new, non-commodity economic model, minister says

The country has decided on a strategy: we need a new model for economic growth that will ensure global competitiveness; we need to expand the business environment and improve...


Social Health Insurance Fund CEO clarifies system for health contributions

ASTANA – The Kazakh Parliament is considering amendments to the law on compulsory social health insurance. If they are approved, contribution rates to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF)...


Kazakhstan’s hockey team prepares for World Championship Division One

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s hockey team is getting ready for the division one World Championship Division One tournament, which will be held in the capital of Ukraine, Kiev, April 22-28....


Kazakh national team reaches Davis Cup World Group playoffs

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s team reached the Davis Cup World Group playoffs defeating team China 4-1 in the Asia/Oceania zone on April 7-9. Kazakhstan was favoured going into the match...


Astana, Baku have significant potential to overcome economic challenges together, Kazakh envoy says

Kazakh Ambassador to Azerbaijan Beibit Issabayev recently sat down with The Astana Times to discuss the countries’ bilateral relations in the wake of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s April 3...


Kazatomprom, Areva to strengthen uranium mining cooperation

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s national atomic company Kazatomprom and French company Areva signed April 10 in Astana a major agreement to strengthen cooperation in uranium mining in Kazakhstan. The agreement...


CIS ministerial council condemns religious discrimination during meeting in Tashkent

ASTANA – The Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) agreed on a number of important documents and confirmed its commitment to interreligious equality...


Astana Arlans suffer first WSB season defeat in Uzbekistan

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Astana Arlans boxing club was defeated for the first time in the World Series of Boxing’s (WSB) new season. The Arlans lost 4-1 to the Uzbek...


Huge beluga fish caught in Atyrau, first reported this season

ASTANA – Fishermen of the Amangeldy production cooperative in Atyrau recently caught a huge beluga fish weighing 160 kilogrammes. The fish was caught in seine in the lower part...


Turgay geoglyphs can help reveal nomadic secrets, says discoverer

ASTANA – “Perhaps there are no monuments of global significance on our land like the Egyptian pyramids or the Colosseum, but the role of nomads in world history is...


Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan to produce Ravon Nexia R3

ASTANA – Kazakh SaryarkaAvtoProm and GM Uzbekistan recently signed an agreement to cooperate on production of the new model of Nexia R3 of the Ravon brand. The companies are...


Kazakhstan continues historic focus on science and innovation

It lasted less than two hours, but the impact of the first manned space flight on April 12, 1961 still rings around the world more than half a century...


Shymkent oil refinery completes first stage modernisation

ASTANA – The first stage of modernisation at the Shymkent oil refinery has been completed and new equipment is in place to produce only high-octane gasoline and diesel fuel...