East Kazakhstan Region’s Deputy Governor Becomes a National Powerlifting Champion

ASTANA – Deputy Akim (Governor) of the East Kazakhstan region Dimitry Garikov recently became Kazakhstan’s powerlifting champion, reported Tengrinews July 8. Soon he will participate in the Asian Championship,...


H&M to Enter Kazakh Market in 2017

ASTANA – H&M, or Hennes&Mauritz AB, Swedish retail clothing company, plans to open its first store in Kazakhstan, along with Iceland, in 2017, according to Reuters. Presumably the new...


Kazakh Prime Minister Attends ASEM Summit in Mongolia

ASTANA ­– Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov travelled to Ulan Bator, Mongolia July 14-15 to attend the eleventh Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit and hold a series of bilateral meetings....


Aliya Yussupova Made Rhythmic Gymnastics Fashionable in Kazakhstan

Aliya Yussupova fell in love with rhythmic gymnastics when she was in firstgrade. Today, the famous Kazakh gymnast and two-time Olympian chairs the specialised gymnastics centre opened in the...


Dry Cargo Vessel Launched in Russia

ASTANA – The Zhibek Zholy, a dry cargo vessel with a capacity of 7,500 dead weight tonnage (DWT), was launched July 12 in Shlisselburg, Russia, reported the Kazakhstan Temir...


Kazakh Food Products to be Sold at American Walmart Stores

ASTANA – Kazakh food products will soon be added to the shelves of American Walmart stores. Samples of certain products have already been transferred to corporate headquarters for examination...


Kostanai Region to Boost Car Industry

ASTANA – The Allur Group of automotive companies recently announced plans to increase vehicle production and collaborate with the Chinese CMC Corporation to organise co-production to export its vehicles...


Karkaraly – Town of History and Nature

ASTANA – One of Kazakhstan’s oldest towns surrounded by rich nature and small wooden houses on narrow streets, Karkaraly reminds visitors of villages in Switzerland. The relaxing suburban getaway...


Canoeing and Kayaking Attract Astana’s Children

ASTANA – Less than a month remains until the Summer Olympics in Rio. While not many know that rowing sports are developing in the Kazakh capital, the nation’s canoeing...


‘Caspian Five’ FMs Discuss Upcoming Summit in Astana

ASTANA – Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov chaired the meeting of the foreign ministers of Caspian littoral states held in Astana July 13. Foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan,...


Five Caspian Foreign Ministers Meet in Astana

ASTANA – The foreign ministers of five Caspian Sea states are set to meet in Astana July 13 to discuss the draft Convention on the Legal Status of the...


Seven Stars of Kanat Saudabayev

Recently, Kazakhstan celebrated quite a significant event – the election to the United Nations Security Council, one of the most important statutory bodies responsible for global peace and security....


Kazakh Clubs Start Campaigns in UEFA Europa League Qualifications

ASTANA – For Kazakh football clubs, the time has come again to test themselves in the qualifying rounds of the European club tournaments. Unfortunately, the beginning of the 2016-2018...


Kazakhstan’s Olympic Team Seeks New Successes in Rio

ASTANA – More than 100 athletes will represent Kazakhstan at the Summer Olympics in Rio, and will participate in 26 of the 38 Olympic sports. At a meeting with...


Winners of Third Contest Among Int’l Journalists Reporting on Kazakhstan Announced

ASTANA – The Kazakh Foreign Ministry and Kazakhstan’s Chief Editors Club announced the winners of their third international journalism contest, “Kazakhstan through the Eyes of Foreign Media.”    ...


Golovkin to Fight Briton Kell Brook September 10

The world middleweight champion in the WBA (Super), IBO, WBC and IBF, Kazakh boxer Gennady Golovkin have agreed to fight Kell Brook September 10 at London’s O2 arena. Golovkin...


Kazzinc: Human Capital as Key Competitive Advantage

ASTANA – Kazzinc is a major fully integrated zinc producer with considerable copper, precious metals and lead credits and a manufacturer of 23 types of finished products. The company...


Director of Astana’s Gorky Russian Drama Theatre Talks Past Achievements and Demand for Theatres

ASTANA – Honoured Art Worker of Kazakhstan and director of Astana’s Gorky State Academic Russian Drama Theatre Erkin Kassenov discussed the Central Asian nation’s theatre audience; past achievements, including...


Ardana Botay – Kazakhstan’s Female Military Pilot

ASTANA – Ardana Botay, a senior pilot and flight navigator at Kazakhstan National Guard’s 3656 military base, is one of few women in the country who decided to tie...


Dutch Ambassador Sees Long Term Cooperation in Energy, Agriculture, Space Observation

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s real natural resource to depend on in the future is its atmosphere of tolerance, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Kazakhstan Hans Driesser told The Astana Times...


Kazakh Street Artist Draws Attention to Social and Environmental Issues

ASTANA – Kazakh social networks exploded in June from the reposts, comments and likes for a video posted by Kazakh street artist Pasha Cas. The video presents his new...


Beibit Ystybayev Wins Kazakhstan Barysy Tournament

ASTANA – Beibit Ystybayev won the National Tournament of the “Kazakh Kures” or Kazakh wrestling called “Kazakhstan Barysy” for the third time on July 3 at the capital’s Saryarka...


Astana Is Flagship of Kazakhstan’s Green Future

Today we live in the age of modernity characterised by the triumph of a carbon economy. Like German green politician and publicist Ralph Fuecks predicted, the era of solar...


Kazakhstan Jumps Seven Positions on Social Progress Index

ASTANA – Kazakhstan placed 76th in the 2016 Social Progress Index, improving its position from last year’s 83rd position. The country remains in the lower middle tier, according to...


Photographer Karla Nur: Theatre Positively Changing Way We Think

ASTANA – An appearance at the Astana Opera House has both national and international significance. Its productions amaze theatre goers of all ages and its marvellous building astonishes guests...


“Broadway Bound” Leaves Audience Fascinated

ASTANA – Audiences were dazzled by two shows presented in conjunction with Capital Day. The Dance Summit, featuring more than 50 Kazakh dancers and choreographers under the supervision of...


Holiday Inn Express to Open in Astana

ASTANA – A Holiday Inn Express will open in Astana in 2018, the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced. The hotel will be the sixth object under the IHG brand...


Kazakhstan’s Caspian Coastline Offers Various Vacation Options

ASTANA – The Caspian Sea may not be filled with beach resorts or be entirely suitable for recreational use, but entertainment, recreation and health facilities are available to provide...


Roadside Businesses Succeeding in Akmola Region

ASTANA – As national highways pass through the Akmola region, as well as dozens of regional and district roads, Kazakhstan business people have begun to develop roadside businesses. Zukhrab...


Kazakhstan’s Inflation Rate for First Half of 2016 was 4.6 Percent

ASTANA – The inflation rate in Kazakhstan for the first six months of 2016 was 4.6 percent, according to the press service of the Kazakh Ministry of National Economy....


Kazakhtelecom Announces New Major Shareholder Ahead of Possible IPO

ASTANA – Sobrio Limited has bought a 24.47 percent stake in national telecom operator Kazakhtelecom, the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) reported. “Sobrio Limited became a new major shareholder of...


Almaty Ice Palace Completed

ASTANA – Construction of the 12,000-seat Ice Palace, the main venue of the 2017 Winter Universiade to be held in Almaty, has been completed. Despite trimming the budget from...


Chevron, Partners Decision to Expand Tengiz Is Sign of Hope for Oil Industry

By any measure, the global economy is in a fragile state. Growth and confidence were already weak before the decision by the UK to withdraw from the European Union,...


Astana Celebrates 18th Birthday with a Week of Arts, Sport, Craft Shows

ASTANA – This year, the capital of Kazakhstan celebrated its 18th birthday. The official holiday is July 6, but the city celebrated for more than a week. Guests and...


Parliament Addresses Financial Sector, Citizens’ Issues

ASTANA – A joint meeting of the two chambers of Parliament took place June 30 under the chairmanship of Mazhilis speaker Nurlan Nigmatulin. Summing up the outcomes of the...


Air Astana Introduces New Flight to Tehran

The Air Astana national carrier introduced a new direct flight from Almaty to Tehran on June 30, reported the press service of the company. The flights will be available...


Newborn Figures in Astana History

ASTANA – A capital couple recently welcomed more than just a daughter into their lives. Saida Mukhamedyarova, born 1 am, July 4 in the city’s perinatal centre No. 1,...


Almaty Dombra Player Speaks About Historic Ties with Kazakhs, Interest in Instrument

ASTANA – Creative dombra player Andrey Fendrikov’s ties with Kazakh culture and people have been emerging for generations, as he traces his interest in the instrument to his grandmother....


Kazakhstan Continues Multi-Vector Foreign Policy in Conflict Resolution around the World

We have all experienced how uncomfortable it can be when mutual friends are in conflict.  No matter how trivial the dispute, life becomes more difficult as you yourself get...


Kazakhstan to Begin Exporting Cars to Russia, Central Asia

ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to begin exporting cars to Russia and Central Asian countries over the next several years. Car production in the country will be localised by 50...


Chevron Approves $36.8 billion Tengiz Field Expansion Project in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – A group of oil companies led by Chevron have approved a $36.8 billion plan to boost production at Kazakhstan’s Tengiz oil field, the largest oil field in...


Barys Hockey Club Shifts Emphasis Towards Recruiting Younger Players

Manager General of the Barys hockey club Alexander Koreshkov spoke recently on the new policy of the club and the team’s objectives for the KHL coming season at the...


New Local Plant Produces Pipes to Last Forever

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has established a large-scale production of plastic pipes used for water supply, as pressure pipes for hydroelectric power plants, and in pumping stations, aqueducts and other...


CSTO Foreign Ministers Discuss International Security

ASTANA – Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov participated July 4 in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) Foreign Ministers Council held in Yerevan, Armenia. The main objective of the...


Fitch Ratings Affirms KazMunayGas at ‘BBB’ with Stable Outlook

ASTANA – International rating agency Fitch Ratings has affirmed National Company KazMunayGas’s (NC KMG) Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘BBB’ with a Stable Outlook, according to a...


Peaceful Foreign, Domestic Policy Led to Kazakhstan’s Election to UN Security Council, Minister Says

ASTANA – Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov answered questions at the Central Communication Service (CCS) briefing July 5 devoted to Kazakhstan’s non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council (UNSC)...


Kazakhstan Celebrates Historic Moment as UNSC Seat Secured

It is no understatement to say that the news that Kazakhstan had been successful in its bid to attain a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council was...


Nazarbayev Visits Numerous Astana Facilities, Launched New Projects

ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev visited June 30 and was introduced to the work at the capital’s transport and logistics hub, GLB home construction factory, Tulpar  Talgo factory, Olympic...


Horseback Riding in Astana Expands

ASTANA – Summer weekends are perfect for spending time with family and savouring great outdoor activities like horseback riding. Contact with the horse has a calming effect and serves...


FM Idrissov Says Attracting Investment, Promoting Nuclear Disarmament Key Priorities

ASTANA – Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov talked about foreign policy economisation, the country’s role in nuclear non-proliferation, election to the UN Security Council and the new mobile app...