Astana couple creates business to foster child development

ASTANA – Married Astana couple Amir and Zulfiya Zhantassov have created the “Smart Monkey” kit to foster child development for children up to 10 years old. “My wife Zulfiya...


Central Asian farmers trained in latest agro-technologies as part of Kazakhstan’s development assistance

ASTANA – Almaty is hosting April 24-28 a “Improving the productivity and profitability of agribusiness through teaching innovative technologies of water and energy saving to farmers and agricultural specialists...


High water remains in regions across Kazakhstan as some residents return home

ASTANA – For the past several days, Kazakhstan has been struggling to control floods and high water in several regions. Some 2,000 homes have been flooded across the country,...


Cooperation between Kazakhstan, Qatar to have international impact

There are plenty of differences between Qatar and Kazakhstan as even the briefest glance at a map of the world will show. But despite these big contrasts in size,...


Astana Arlans win WSB group stage, reach playoffs

ASTANA – The Astana Arlans team of Kazakhstan earned a hard-fought 3-2 win over the China Dragons in the final match of the World Series of Boxing (WSB) group...


Kazakhstan calls for global reduction in military spending

ASTANA – Kazakhstan renewed its call for a cut in global military spending on the Global Day of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS) in an April 24 statement published...


Astana Piano Passion Festival Kicks Off

ASTANA – The fourth Astana Piano Passion Festival, an international festival of classical music and competition for young pianists, officially opened in Astana April 22. Young talents from different...


Kazakh, Chinese foreign ministries sign 2017-2019 cooperation agreement

ASTANA – Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov and Chinese Foreign Minister China Wang Yi signed a cooperation agreement between their ministries for 2017-2019 during their April 21 meeting in...


EBRD updates Kazakh strategy to reflect green economy transition

ASTANA – The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is updating its Kazakhstan strategy to highlight Kazakhstan’s Green Economy Transition as an example for other countries. Energy, resource...


BI Marathon Set for May 28 in Astana’s Triathlon Park

ASTANA – The annual BI Marathon is planned for May 28 in the capital’s Triathlon Park, and 300 people have already registered for the event. “This year the location...


National Bank has clear vision of banking sector development, says deputy chairman

This year, the National Bank of Kazakhstan plans to perform an independent assessment of banks’ asset quality in the country. Verification of the real situation in this sphere will...


New Astana railway station set to open June 1

ASTANA – Astana is set to open a new railway station ahead of the EXPO 2017 international specialised exhibition, to be called Nurly Zhol. The facility will open June...


More than 13,000 run in Almaty international charity marathon

ASTANA – An international charity marathon took place April 23 in Almaty. During the last several years, the event has become a landmark not only of Almaty, but of...


South Korea inspects its EXPO 2017 pavilion, will showcase latest energy technology

ASTANA – President and Chief Executive Officer of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) Jaehong Kim and Astana EXPO 2017 national company Chairman Akhmetzhan Yessimov agreed to cooperate on...


Singapore sees Kazakhstan as regional transport hub, says trade minister

ALMATY — Minister of State for Trade and Industry of Singapore Dr. Koh Poh Koon led a large business delegation to Almaty  April 19-22, as part of the Future China Advanced Leaders...


SCO foreign ministers lay groundwork for June summit in Astana

ASTANA – Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member state foreign ministers met April 21 in Astana to prepare for the June 8-9 meeting of the heads of member states. The...


Race car enthusiast plans to construct Lotus Seven

ASTANA – Artyom Abishev, a young race car enthusiast from Almaty, has decided to bring his hobby to a new level. He plans to push his project to construct...


Kazakh President praises EXPO 2017 preparations

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarvayev praised preparations for EXPO 2017 during an April 21 visit to the Expo site. “Official opening of the exhibition will take place on...


Kazakhfilm to complete filming of “Mir Mechty” in May

ASTANA – A feature film named “Mir Mechty” (“The World Of Dreams”) produced by the Aimanov Kazakhfilm studio by an order from Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Sports will...


Almaty, Astana children’s camps offer healthy activities

ASTANA – Summer is almost around the corner and it is time for the holidays all children anticipate. The Astana Times has compiled a list of the best children’s...


Saka stone houses in Central Kazakhstan shed light on Kazakh nomadic culture, archaeologist says

ASTANA – The study of the settlements of the Saka, also referred to as Scythians, ancient tribes that lived in what is now modern-day Kazakhstan, is one of the...


Kazakhstan improves four slots to 81st in WEF’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index

ASTANA – Kazakhstan improved its position by four spots to 81st in the latest World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index. The index is published biannually and...


Science, technology and math necessary for students to be globally competitive, says university director general

ASTANA – It seems economics and law have been eternally popular and cliché fields to study and work in former Soviet Union countries. The notion that one is guarantied...


Kyzylorda volunteers cultivate concern for others, present inclusive theatre production

ASTANA – A Kyzylorda volunteer organisation held a charity concert April 21 as part of the social programme to help rehabilitate and socialise individuals with physical challenges. The inclusive...


Ab-Initio training programme’s first cadets become captains

ASTANA – The six co-pilots of Air Astana, who first graduated from Air Astana’s of Ab-Initio training programme, recently became captains, reported Kapital.kz. Having flown six years as a...


Kazakh trade with EAEU member states grows

Kazakhstan’s trade with its allies within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is growing, according to the press service of the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan, outlining mineral products as...


Kazakh TV productions to be broadcast in Kyrgyzstan

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s leading producer of television miniseries, the National Tele-Radio Corporation Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan TV), has agreed to broadcast its work on the Kyrgyz tele-radio broadcasting corporation, the Kazakhstan...


Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan Sign Strategic Partnership Agreement, Border Accord

ASTANA – President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev discussed bilateral relations during Berdymukhamedov’s April 18-19 state visit to Kazakhstan. His visit corresponded with the 25th...


Chinese company to buy 51 percent of Kazakh automaker AllurGroup

ASTANA – China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) held negotiations and signed an agreement on the intention to acquire 51 percent of common shares of Kazakh carmaker...


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,...