National Universiade to Check Readiness for Winter Universiade 2017

Kazakhstan’s National Universiade, a nationwide university sport competition taking place Feb. 6–13 in Almaty, will help test out preparations for the 2017 World Winter Universiade also to be held...


Kazakh Snowboarding – Young and Promising, Says Head of Almaty Federation

ASTANA – Snowboarding, one of the most fascinating and breath-taking winter sports, is relatively new in Kazakhstan but already very promising. President of the Almaty Federation of Freestyle and...


Golovkin: Match against Alvarez Might Take Place in September

ASTANA – During a recent press conference in Astana, Gennady Golovkin named Mexican Saul Alvarez as a potential opponent this year. “I think that the fight against Alvarez is...


New Semey Store Accepts Payments in the Form of ‘Thank You ’

ASTANA – A new store has opened in Semey where certain customers don’t need money to make a purchase. The store called “All for Thanks” allows residents of Semey...


Giant Robots – Pavlodar’s New Landmark

Iron giants created by a group of car mechanics are now guarding one of Pavlodar’s auto repair shops. The idea to creatively convert waste parts into robots came to...


Samruk Kazyna Expects $25 per Barrel of Oil, 400 Tenge per Dollar Exchange Rate

ASTANA – The best-case scenario of the Samruk Kazyna National Welfare Fund is the cost of oil at $35 per barrel and an exchange rate in the range of...


Air Astana President Reveals New Routes, Cost Mitigation Measure in Corporate Social Responsibility Report

Air Astana presented its 2015 corporate social responsibility report Jan. 27 in Astana. The document focused mainly on environmental and safety issues, economic contributions, services and community-based initiatives, as...


Nazarbayev Urges Intensification of Foreign Economic Activities

ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev placed great emphasis on strengthening the economic component in the work of Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry and its missions abroad at an extended board meeting...


Astana Snowmobile Rental Allows Capital Residents to Enjoy Nature

ASTANA – The Kazakh capital, which is widely-known for its frosty winters, has plentiful entertainment during its six-month winter, such as skating, skiing and even swimming in the frozen...


President Sets Country on Course toward Oil and Gas Independence, Urges Wealthy to Return Money to Country

ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev discussed the government goal of making Kazakhstan independent of oil and gas imports by 2018, urged the entire business community to take...


Over 3,000 Saiga Horns Seized in 2015

ASTANA – According to Chairman of Committee of Administrative Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan Maksat Baibolov, the damage from the poachers in 2015 totalled 618...


Kremnii Kazakhstana Sold for More Than $36 Million

ASTANA – The Investment Fund of Kazakhstan (IFK), a subsidiary of Baiterek Holding, sold 100 percent of Kremnii Kazakhstana (Silicium Kazakhstan) LLP shares to the Tau-Ken Samruk National Mining...


Kazakh Specialists Restore Ancient Artefacts Dated from Third Century B.C.

Artefacts dating from the third century B.C. have been restored over 16 years by specialists under the supervision of art restorer Krym Altynbekov, reported Kazpravda.kz, citing MIR 24 TV...


New Kazakh Transit Route Links China to Iran

A ceremony of sending of a demonstrational container train from China to Iran through Kazakhstan was held Feb. 1 in Yiwu city, the Province of Zhejiang in East China,...


Ak Zhol Party Cautious About Electoral Prospects, Reiterates Pro-Business, Anti-Crisis Agenda

ASTANA – The Ak Zhol (Bright Path) Democratic Party of Kazakhstan approved a list of 35 candidates during its Feb. 3 congress. The slate will run in the March...


Kazakh Privatisation Will Help Cushion the Impact of Current Economic Slowdown

The current economic turmoil, which we see played out daily on our TVs and in newspapers and stock markets across the world, is setting new challenges for every country....


Kazakhstan, Germany Work to Increase German Involvement in EXPO 2017

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Germany Bolat Nusupov met with Dietmar Schmitz from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and General Commissioner of the German Pavilion...


Nazarbayev Signs Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Ratification into Law

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has passed the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) ratification agreement into law, the Akorda press office reported Jan. 27. According to the agreement...


Tumbling Oil Prices, Global Economic Uncertainty Could Draw Kazakhstan and Iran Closer

ASTANA – Headlines with the word “oil” often steal clicks these days, especially in oil-exporting Kazakhstan, as commodity prices and its national currency are directly correlated with global crude...


Chairman of Georgian Ethno-Cultural Association: Georgians Chose Kazakhstan as Home

ASTANA – The fates and paths of different ethnic groups living in Kazakhstan crisscrossed the steppes for numerous reasons – most were deported and repressed under the Stalinist regime....


Communist People’s Party Nominates 22 for Mazhilis, Seeks to Increase Presence in Chamber

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s capital hosted the extraordinary congress of the Communist People’ Party (CPP) of Kazakhstan on Feb. 2. The congress delegates announced their programme for the March 20...


EBRD Advises Kazakhstan to Focus on Preparing for Better Times

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s economic growth rates will remain low and the impact of the negative environment is intensifying while structural reforms are slowly advancing, according to a recent analysis...


Auyl Party Will Focus on Integrated Rural Development

For a comprehensive solution to most problems of villages, the Auyl Social Democratic Party during its 12th congress on Feb. 1 considered it was needed to develop and implement the...


Kazakh National Business ‘Champions’ to Discuss Expanding Exports to Iran

ASTANA – A Kazakh-Iranian business forum will be held Feb. 7 in Tehran, Iran, according to the Baiterek National Holding press service. Organised by Baiterek, the meeting is supported...


New Law Allows Foreign Agricultural Businesses to Lease Kazakh Land for 25 Years

ASTANA – Kazakh authorities recently amended the agricultural sector legislation, allowing the country to prolong land leases, facilitate tax administration and provide investment preferences for foreign investors, reported LS,...


Kazkommertsbank, BTA Bank Merger Named 2015’s Best M&A Deal in CIS

ASTANA – The merger of Kazakhstan’s large banks Kazkommertsbank (Kazkom) and BTA Bank was assessed as “the best M&A (merger and acquisition) deal of 2015 in the Commonwealth of...


Kazakh Goal to Continue Assisting Africa

Kazakhstan’s continued institutional development assistance to African countries was greatly appreciated during the 26th African Union (AU) heads of state and government assembly, the country’s foreign ministry said in...


Nationwide Social Democratic Party Seeks Participation in Parliamentary Election

ASTANA – The Nationwide Social Democratic Party (NSDP) ruled during its congress on Jan. 30 in Almaty that the party should seek participation in Kazakhstan’s early parliamentary election set...


Kazakhstan’s Housing Construction Bank Develops Anti-Crisis Programme

ASTANA – The Housing Construction Bank of Kazakhstan (HCBK), which is a subsidiary of Baiterek Holding, has developed a new anti-crisis programme, Svoi Dom (“Own House”), until 2020 to...


Nazarbayev: Central Asia Should Remain a Region of Cooperation, Stability

ASTANA – During the Nur Otan Party’s 17th congress on Jan.29, President Nursultan Nazarbayev placed great emphasis on the stability of Central Asia necessary to pursue peace and security. “Kazakhstan once...


Global Ban on All Nuclear Armed Cruise Missiles Needed, Top Disarmament Expert Says

ASTANA – Andy Weber, who stepped down last summer as U.S. State Department Deputy Coordinator for Ebola Response, has more than 30 years under his belt of working to...


Kazakhstan Getting Ready for Election

ASTANA – All political parties taking part in the March 20 early parliamentary elections will be required to pay a mandatory election fee for their candidates, according to Central...


Nur Otan Party Adopts New Election Programme, Approves Party List

ASTANA – The Nur Otan Party adopted a new election programme, “Kazakhstan-2021: Unity. Stability. Creation,” during its 17th congress chaired by Kazakh President and the party leader Nursultan Nazarbayev...


China’s Latest Five-Year Plan to Create More Opportunities for Cooperation, Says Expert

ASTANA – A seminar to discuss China’s 13th five-year development plan for the period 2016-2020 was held Jan. 28 in the city’s Beijing Palace Hotel. The event was conducted...


Impact of Lifting of Sanctions on Iran Discussed in Astana

ASTANA – The opportunities presented by the fact that sanctions on Iran are being lifted under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) were discussed at a special briefing...


National Bank of Kazakhstan Chairman Speaks on Current Issues, Activities

ASTANA – National Bank of Kazakhstan Chairman Daniyar Akishev held a press conference Jan. 21 dedicated to the results of 2015, current issues of monetary policy and the bank’s...


Kazakhstan Moves Up Three Slots on Latest Corruption Perception Index

ASTANA – Kazakhstan last year scored 28 points, moving from 126th in 2014 to 123th place in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index. Based on expert opinion from around...


Regional Economic Integration Is Key to Development Success in Central Asia and the Caucasus

As the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus celebrate the 25th anniversary of their independence, structural reform has become critical. The key to meeting many of the challenges,...


Winter Universiade – a Time of Opportunity

In exactly one year’s time, January 29, 2017, Kazakhstan will be welcoming some of the finest young athletes from around the world. This will, of course, be for the...


Astana EXPO 2017 Chairman Briefs President Nazarbayev on Exhibition Preparations

ASTANA ­– Astana EXPO 2017 national company chairman Akhmetzhan Yessimov updated President Nursultan Nazarbayev Jan. 26 on the status of preparations for the upcoming international exhibition. Yessimov indicated 70...


New Parasat Technology Centre Head Brings MIT Degree, Oil Industry Experience

ASTANA – Kanysh Satpayev Kazakh National Research Technical University announced Jan. 20 the appointment of Dastan Kozhabekov as Chairman of the Management Committee of the Parasat National Science and...


Kyrgyzstan Pays off Debt to Kazakhstan for Natural Gas Supply

The press service of the national company KazTransGas recently announced that Kyrgyzstan has paid off its debt to Kazakhstan for natural gas consumed after 2004. The total amount of...


Kazakhstan to Supply Jordan with Military Hardware

Kazakhstan and Jordan recently signed a cooperation agreement under which Kazakhstan will supply defence industry products, such as optical devices for night vision and sights as well as 12.7...


Disabled Citizens Should Be Represented in Legislative Bodies, Say NGOs

A number of representatives of different Kazakh non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for the rights of persons with disabilities recently announced their willingness to attain places in legislative bodies of the...


Almaty, Astana Flights to Balkhash and Alakol Resorts to Begin in Summer

ASTANA ­– The Kazakh Ministry for Investment and Development announced recently that twice-weekly flights will begin from Astana and Almaty to the Balkhash and Alakol resorts in the summer....


Barys Risks Missing on Gagarin Cup Playoffs

ASTANA – HC Barys Astana will host Traktor Chelyabinsk Jan. 27 in what will be the Kazakh team’s last home match in the regular season of the Continental Hockey...


Kazakhs Conquer another Dakar

The 38th Dakar Rally, the most extreme marathon on the planet, ended recently with Kazakhstan’s honour defended by the Presidential professional sports clubs Astana Motorsports cargo crew and Kazakhstan...


Astana-Schuchinsk Toll Road Collects $3 Million in 2015

ASTANA – In 2015, fees paid to the Astana-Schuchinsk motorway exceeded the plan and amounted to 1.142 billion tenge (US$2.98 million), reported Kazpravda.kz with reference to the press service...


2015 EBRD Investment in Central Asia Breaks Record

ASTANA – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) invested a record amount in the Central Asian region in 2015. Total investment in 2015 increased 75 percent reaching...


Astana Arlans Start Season with Win over Baku Fires

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s two-time World Series of Boxing (WSB) champions Astana Arlans beat the Baku Fires in its opening match of their defending championship 4:1, on Jan. 23 in...