Iranian, Russian Companies Seek Cooperation with Kazakh Gold Affinage Plants

ASTANA – A trial delivery of gold from Iran and Russia has been delivered for refining to Kazakhstan. It is expected to increase supplies if the parties reach an...


Zhambyl Farmer Offers Unique Kumys Tours, Promotes Regional Tourism

ASTANA – Sauranbai Donenbayev, a resident of the Zhambyl region, has introduced kumys (mare milk) tours as a new tourist attraction. The new wellness tour includes a special treatment...


Samruk Kazyna Buys Shares of KMG Kashagan B.V.

ASTANA – A deal worth $5.5 million was struck March 9 between Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund and KMG Kashagan B.V. The action followed a corresponding decision made in...


New Speaker of Mazhilis Elected, Reshuffle in Executive

ASTANA – Former Akim (Governor) of Atyrau region, member of Mazhilis elected from the Nur Otan Party list Baktykozha Izmukhambetov was elected Chairman of a new convocation of the...


EXPO 2017 Tourism Products Presented at Russia’s Leading Tourism Industry Event

ASTANA – The Astana EXPO 2017 National Company presented to major Russian travel agencies a portfolio of EXPO 2017 tourism products at the March 23-26 XXII International Exhibition MITT...


Kazakh Steppe Once Again Calls Brave Knights to Battle

ASTANA – Knights wearing ancient armour and holding heavy swords and shields walk in the centre of the city. Is it a dream? No, it is the Blade of...


116 Passengers Survive Controlled Crash Landing at Astana International Airport

ASTANA – A Bek Air Fokker-100 plane with 116 passengers en route from Kyzylorda (South Kazakhstan) to Astana made an emergency landing at the Astana International Airport on March...


Cuban Ambassador: Kazakh President’s First Official Visit to Havana will Strengthen Ties

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Cuba are about to witness a historic moment: Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev will pay his first official visit to Havana on April 2-3. “We will...


Central Asia Fashion Show Spring 2016 Showcases 150 Brands from 16 Countries

ALMATY – More than 150 brands from 16 countries, including Germany, Italy, France and Spain, were presented at the recent Central Asia Fashion Spring 2016 international fashion exhibition at...


Tour Agencies: Kazakhs Travelling Less Overseas, More across Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Kazakhs are tending to take fewer trips overseas due to decreased purchasing capacity due to devaluation of the national currency tenge and the fact many destinations have...


Kazakhstan Intends to Continue Strategic Partnership with US, Ambassador in Washington Says

As announced earlier by Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry press service, President Nursultan Nazarbayev this week will take part in the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC. The fourth summit of...


Francophonie Week Introduces Kazakh Audiences to French Culture

ASTANA – In Kazakhstan and across the globe, the French-speaking world marks International Francophonie Day on March 20 with events intended to cover “all the diversity of the French...


Aktobe Region Investment Opportunities Presented to Diplomatic Business Club

ASTANA – Developing Aktobe region as an investment destination was the theme of the March 28 Diplomatic Business Club meeting. The event, held in the capital’s Rixos Hotel, was...


Heat, Mobility among Challenges Facing Kazakh Military Observers in Africa

ASTANA – Seven Kazakh officers, along with representatives from more than 30 countries, are battling heat and desert conditions to serve in UN peacekeeping missions in Western Sahara and...


Nuclear Security Summits Leave Massive Legacy But Work Must Be Continued

Our world, despite the worrying increase in tensions in recent months, has come a long way from the darkest days of the Cold War. Only the most pessimistic of...


Kazakhstan Allocates Additional $4.2 Billion to Develop Transport Infrastructure

According to the Ministry for Investment and Development’s Committee on Highways, 1.5 trillion tenge (US$4.2 billion) has been allocated to support domestic transport. It has allowed Kazakhstan to enter...


Vivaldi’s Masterpieces to be Performed at Astana Opera

The masterpieces of great Venetian composer, conductor and violinist Antonio Vivaldi will be performed in the Baroque Hall of the Astana Opera Theatre on March 29. The concert is...


Kazakh National Guard Saves Nearly 100 Trapped on Snowy Roads

The soldiers of the Aktobe regiment of the Kazakhstan National Guard rescued 96 people trapped on snowy highways, reported the press service of the National Guard. Because of the...


Kazpost Opens Second Self-Serve Centre in Astana

Kazpost recently announced the opening of its second automated postal service point in Astana. This is a new self-service format to send and receive packages. According to the Kazpost...


Hazrat Sultan Mosque Launches Online, 3D Tour

The Hazrat Sultan mosque in Astana has introduced a virtual tour on its website www.muslim.kz/ru/virtual-tour. The option offers virtual guests 3D panoramas of what is inside the biggest mosque...


Arlans Secure WSB Playoff Spot with 5-0 Thrashing of Puerto Rico Hurricanes

The World Series of Boxing (WSB) title holders Astana Arlans secured a spot in the WSB playoffs on March 26 in Petropavlovsk with a 5:0 victory over the Puerto...


Kazakhstan’s National Football Team Beats Azerbaijan in Friendly Match

The Kazakh national team beat their Azerbaijani counterparts 1-0 in a friendly match played April 26 in Antalya, Turkey. Midfielder Maksat Baizhanov kicked the winning goal. The Kazakhstan Football...


Afghanistan Confirms Participation in Winter Universiade 2017

ALMATY – Athletes from Bamyan province in Afghanistan will take part in upcoming sporting event in Almaty, according to the Organising Committee for the Winter Universiade. “We expect a...


President Addresses First Joint Session of New Kazakh Parliament, Sets Priorities

ASTANA – Following the election of members of the Mazhilis in the March 20 nationwide vote, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev addressed the first joint session of the Senate and...


Third-Year Medical Student Wins Kazakh Arui 2016 Beauty Contest

ASTANA – Twenty-year-old Almira Akhatova from the Atyrau region, who is a third-year student of the capital’s Medical University, won the final Kazakh Arui 2016 beauty contest held March...


Kazakh Pop Music Experiencing Heyday

ASTANA – Sitting at the core of mass culture, various genres of popular music attract different age groups. In Kazakhstan, pop culture depends enormously on mainstream television and radio...


Kazakh Opera Star Mukhamedkyzy Performs Concert Dedicated to Nauryz

ASTANA – A concert by Kazakh opera star Maira Mukhamedkyzy was held at the Astana Opera House on Nauryz March 22 in Astana. The singer who has performed on...


Kazakhstan Offers Plethora of Trekking Options

ASTANA – It is spring, just the right time for planning new destinations to breathe fresh air and finally spend more time outside. With its vast territory, Kazakhstan offers...


New Dating App Popular Among Kazakh Singles

ASTANA – A mobile application for online dating has exceeded the WhatsApp and Instagram applications on the number of downloads at the local branch of the app store. The...


Barsakelmes Nature Reserve Added to UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves

ASTANA – Located in the Sahara-Gobi Desert zone of the Aral Sea basin, the Barsakelmes Nature Reserve was added to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) during a...


Kazpochta Introduces Online Money Transfers

ASTANA – Kazpochta has introduced online money transfers allowing Kazakh holders of Visa payment cards to carry out money transfers through the Salem, Tenge! system to get cash in...


Kazakhstan Ready to be ‘Transit Bridge between Europe and Asia,’ Top Official Tells Asia Forum

ASTANA – First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Bakytzhan Sagintayev said during the March 24 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) that “Asia is turning into the main platform of global...


Why Are Astana’s Fitness Clubs Premium? Are They Worth the Money They Charge?

ASTANA – People need to have a choice between essential and overly-luxurious that adds up to the value. By trying to draw the line among luxury, comfort and the...


Almaty to Host Large Tech Business Startup Marathon

ASTANA – Tech Garden’s Startup Day will be held in Almaty March 30-31 as part of the Eurasian Skolkovo Tour, the event’s organisers said. The tour will include seminars,...


Top Gear’s Extreme G-Wagen Arrives in Almaty

ASTANA – Top Gear TV are shooting a series of episodes in Kazakhstan in late March and early April. Top Gear is a British television show about cars considered...


Kazakh-US Security Cooperation Discussed at Conference in Astana Think Tank

ASTANA – The military cooperation project for 2016-2017 has been developed between the Kazakh and American armed forces, according to the President of the Kazakh Ministry of Defence Centre...


OSCE, PACE Observers Note Progress in Kazakhstan’s Mazhilis Election, Point Out Areas for Improvement

ASTANA – Observers from three Western institutions, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) and...


Central Election Commission: Nur Otan Party Wins Landslide Again

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s governing party, led by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, won another massive victory while other parties from the legislature’s previous roster also retained their presence in Mazhilis (lower...


Parliamentary Election Yields No Surprises, Represents Vote of Confidence in Country’s Direction

For those hoping for political drama, Kazakhstan’s March 21 parliamentary elections were a major disappointment. The new parliament, when it meets again, will be similar in make-up to the...


International Observers Commend Kazakhstan’s Election as Transparent

ASTANA – On the day following the poll itself, foreign observers from various countries continued to share their impressions of the March 20 election. Most of them indicated the...


Kazakhstan Can be Proud of the Way It Conducted Elections

I am proud of Kazakhstan for the way we have carried out these parliamentary elections. I want to extend compliments to the more than 10 election observation missions from...


Foreign Observers Note Good Preparedness, Voters’ Interest in Elections

ASTANA – Foreign observers from Austria, Italy, the UK, Serbia, Bulgaria and Lithuania all agreed that there were no breaches observed, voting sites were well arranged and people were...


Exit Poll Says Nur Otan Wins Overwhelmingly in Kazakh Election as Parliament Retains Previous Makeup

ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev-led Nur Otan Party won 82 percent of the popular vote in the parliamentary election in Kazakhstan, according to exit poll results announced at midnight...


Nazarbayev Casts Vote in March 20 Election, Admits Possibility of Redistribution of Power

ASTANA – The President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev took part in the elections to Mazhilis (lower house of Kazakh parliament) and maslikhats (local legislatives) on March 20. He also...


Eurasian Group Improves Social Sphere in Kostanay Region

The Eurasian Group (ERG) concluded a memorandum on social projects realisation March 15 with the Kostanay region akimat (city administration). The document was signed by board chairman Aldiyar Kaztayev...


World Bank to Allocate $100 Million for Labour Market Development in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – The World Bank and the Kazakh Ministry of Health and Social Development launched a project for the development of professional skills and stimulation of job creation. The...


Governors Optimistic about People’s Participation in Election

ASTANA – The regional akims (governors) have been among the first voters to cast their ballots in elections to the Mazhilis (lower chamber of Parliament) and maslikhats (local legislatures)...


International Observers Note Orderly Process of Kazakhstan’s March 20 Parliamentary Election

ASTANA – The first international observers who shared their opinions on the voting day in Kazakhstan reported that they had not detected any significant violations. According to them, parliamentary...


Our Unity is Our Strength, Says Chairwoman of Veteran Organisation on Election Day

ASTANA – March 20 has been a special day for the Kazakh citizens as they exercise their right to participation in governing their country. On this day, Sagilya Yessenzholova,...


Kazakh Angel Investor Makes His Way in Start-Up Industry

ASTANA – Nurzhas Makishev, an angel investor born and raised in Kazakhstan, has invested his own money and funds he’s raised in more than 50 different start-up projects, including...