A Healthier Kazakhstan: Cutting Sugary Drinks with Smart Taxes

The consumption of sugary drinks in Kazakhstan is soaring. Between 2018 and 2023, per capita sales of sugar sweetened beverages rose by 50%, largely due to rising intake by...


Kazakhstan Increases Trade Ties with Turkmenistan 

ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to boost exports to Turkmenistan by nearly $120 million across 80 commodity items, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced during expanded-format talks with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov...


Kazakh Servicewomen of Airborne Assault Troops Conquer Himalayas

ASTANA – Corporals Balzhan Mussatayeva and Marzhan Sairanova of Kazakhstan’s Airborne Assault Troops performed complex parachute jumps from 3,200 meters above sea level in the foothills of Himalayas during...


Kazakhstan Remains Reliable Ally of Turkmenistan, Says President Tokayev

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has been and remains a reliable ally of Turkmenistan across key sectors, including energy, transport, logistics, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during a...


Kazakhstan Prioritizes Friendly Relations with Turkmenistan

ASTANA – Kazakhstan prioritizes friendly relations with Turkmenistan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at an Oct. 10 meeting with Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov...


Organization of Turkic States to Establish Unified Information System for Accessible Medical Services

ASTANA – Health Ministers of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) signed a protocol of intent to create a unified information system, called Türktransplant, during their fourth meeting chaired...


Kazakhstan Expands Trade, Economic, and Investment Cooperation with US

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Kuantyrov discussed expanding strategic cooperation with the United States, particularly in trade, economic, and investment sectors at an Oct. 9 meeting with...


Manufacturing Industry Production Grows in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s manufacturing industry recorded a production volume of 14.9 trillion tenge (US$30.3 billion) in the first eight months, which is 4.9% more compared to the same period...


Kazakhstan Intensifies Efforts to Preserve Northern Aral Sea, as Water Levels Rise

ASTANA – For the first time in five years, Kazakhstan has nearly fulfilled its water delivery target to the Aral Sea during the irrigation season, supplying 977 million cubic...


Kazakhstan, Hungary Strengthen Inter-Parliamentary, Cultural Ties

ASTANA — Yerlan Koshanov, Chairman of the Mazhilis, the lower house of Kazakhstan’s Parliament, made an official visit to Hungary on Oct. 6, where he met with the country’s...


Qatar’s Lesha Bank Finalizes Acquisition of Kazakhstan’s Bereke Bank

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Baiterek National Holding and Qatar’s Lesha Bank announced on Oct. 8 the completion of the transaction, transferring full ownership of Bereke Bank with the sale of...


Kazakhstan, Netherlands Boost Ties at First Business Council 

ASTANA—Kazakhstan and the Netherlands convened the first Kazakh-Dutch Business Council on Oct. 9, focusing on joint efforts to enhance transport, logistics, innovation and green energy cooperation in Astana. The...


Kazakh, Foreign Airlines Operate 778 Weekly Flights in 32 Countries

ASTANA – Kazakh and foreign airlines operate 778 weekly flights to 132 destinations in 32 countries, reported the Transport Ministry’s press service on Oct. 8. Kazakhstan has direct flights...


Kazakhstan’s CodiPlay Becomes Central Asia’s First Ed-Tech Startup to Earn Prestigious Finnish Quality Certification

ASTANA—Kazakhstan’s ed-tech startup CodiPlay has become the first project in Central Asia to receive the Finnish Quality Certificate from Education Alliance Finland, a certifier of ed-tech solutions. This certificate...


Kazakhstan to Host World Judo Championships in 2027

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will hold the World Judo Championships in 2027, according to an agreement reached between Kazakh Minister of Tourism and Sports Yerbol Myrzabossynov and President of the...


Kazakhstan Ranks Among Top Ten Nations With Highest Increase in Gold Reserves

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is placed seventh on the list of nations most actively expanding their gold reserves. A review of the 10-year period from 2013 to 2023 reveals that...


Swiss Company Launches Major Reforestation Initiative Across 14,500 Hectares in Akmola Region

ASTANA – A Swiss company launched a pilot project in the Akmola Region, aiming to reforest an area of ​​14,500 hectares, said Kazakh Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources...


Steppe Fires Contained in Pavlodar, Karagandy Regions

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s firefighters have localized steppe fires in the Karagandy and Pavlodar Regions on Oct. 8. Evacuated citizens returned to their homes after almost three days. According to...


Global Religious Leaders Convene in Astana to Discuss Conflict Resolution

ASTANA – World’s religious leaders came together for the 22nd meeting of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana on Oct. 8...


UN, Kazakh Officials Discuss Cooperation Framework for Next Five Years

ASTANA – The United Nations Country Team in Kazakhstan and the Kazakh government held a workshop on Oct. 8 to define key priorities for the upcoming UN Sustainable Development...


Kazakhstan to Auction Recovered Assets for Social Impact Projects

ASTANA – The Recovered Asset Management Company in Kazakhstan has announced auctions on Oct. 9 and 11, allowing each participant to contribute to supporting social projects, reported the company’s...


Forum in Milan Launches First Trade and Economic Mission of Kazakh Companies

ASTANA – The first trade and economic mission of Kazakh companies to Italy was launched during the Kazakh-Italian business and investment forum, which takes place on Oct. 7-9 in...


Wildfires Contained in Northern Kazakhstan, Central Region Struggling

ASTANA—Kazakh firefighters have localized a wildfire in the Pavlodar Region that spread to the Bayanaul National Park from the Karkaraly district in the Karagandy Region on Oct. 6, Minister...


Kazakhstan’s Official Referendum Results Out: 71% Back Nuclear Power Plant Proposal

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Central Referendum Commission has officially announced the results of an Oct. 6 national referendum at an Oct. 8 meeting, revealing 71.12% support the construction of a...


Kazakhstan to Boost Tourism with More Flights and Subsidized Routes

ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to subsidize more than 20 routes, including nine tourist destinations, with 6.4 billion tenge (US$13.2 million) allocated for next year to promote tourism and enhance...


Int’l Observers Assess Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Plant Referendum as Transparent and Lawful

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant (NPP) was transparent and in accordance with the national laws and internationally accepted electoral standards, said international...


Kazakh-Slovak Business Forum Fosters Business Ties, Knowledge Exchange

ASTANA – Kazakh and Slovak officials and business executives expressed their readiness to expand economic and investment cooperation during an Oct. 5 business forum in Astana. According to the...


CIS Observers Recognize Kazakhstan’s Transparent Nuclear Plant Referendum

ASTANA – The delegates from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) observer mission shared their views on the voting procedure and citizen participation in Kazakhstan’s national referendum on nuclear...


Astana Hosts Asian Table Tennis Championships

ASTANA – The 2024 Asian Table Tennis Championships kicked off on Oct. 6 at the Astana-based Beeline Arena National Tennis Center, bringing together 210 athletes from 26 countries. The...


Kazakhstan Strengthens Control Due to Marburg Virus Outbreak

ASTANA – Kazakh Healthcare Ministry is strengthening control over the epidemiological situation, following the World Health Organization’s warning of the first confirmed Marburg virus disease outbreak in Rwanda, announced...


Kazakh MP Reflects on International Consortium for Nuclear Power Plant Construction 

ASTANA – International consortium for nuclear power plant construction goes in line with Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, said Nikita Shatalov, deputy of Mazhilis, the lower house of the Kazakh Parliament....


Nuclear Power Plant Gets Green Light in Kazakhstan 

ASTANA—The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Kazakhstan has announced the preliminary results of an Oct. 6 national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant.  “As of 8...


Overseas Voting in Nuclear Power Plant Referendum Completes 

ASTANA – All 74 precinct commissions of the nuclear power plant referendum abroad have completed their work. According to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, 9,976 Kazakh citizens cast their votes...


Prominent Kazakh Expert on Astana Think Tank Forum: Middle Powers and Future of Central Asian Integration

ASTANA – Astana will host the inaugural Astana Think Tank Forum 2024 on Oct. 16-17. Organized by the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS) as part of the Astana...


Nearly 70% of Voters Support Nuclear Power Plant Construction, Exit Poll Shows

ASTANA – Approximately 69.8 percent of people voted in favor of constructing a nuclear power plant, according to exit poll results announced at midnight on Oct. 7 by Alibek...


Preliminary Results Show Voter Turnout at Nearly 64% in Kazakhstan’s National Referendum

ASTANA — Preliminary results from an Oct. 6 national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan indicate a high level of civic participation, with regional...


Kazakh Citizens ‘Write History’ by Voting in National Referendum

ASTANA – Kazakh citizens “are writing history by expressing their opinions and positions on crucial strategic issues related to the country’s future,” said Daulet Urankhayev, an employee at UEFA...


Over 7,000 Kazakh Citizens Vote in Nuclear Power Plant Referendum Abroad

ASTANA – As of 7 p.m. Astana time, 7,358 Kazakh citizens abroad cast their votes in the national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant, marking a...


Int’l Observers Report No Violations at Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Power Plant Referendum

ASTANA – International observers noted a well-organized voting process during Kazakhstan’s nuclear power plant referendum on Oct. 6, reporting no barriers or violations. Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission has accredited...


Kazakh Citizens Head to Polls for Nuclear Power Plant Referendum

ASTANA—Kazakh citizens are heading to the polls on Oct.6 to vote in a public referendum on the construction of the nation’s first nuclear power plant. At polling station No....


Referendum Valid: Majority of Eligible Voters Turn Out for Kazakhstan’s National Referendum 

ASTANA – More than half of the eligible voters participated in the national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, reported the Central Election Commission...


Kazakh Citizens Vote in Referendum Abroad

ASTANA – Polling stations for Kazakhstan’s referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant were first opened in several Asian countries, including Japan and South Korea, on Oct....


Astana Honors Denis Ten with International Figure Skating Tournament

ASTANA—Nearly 100 ice skaters from around the world gathered at Barys Arena in Astana from Oct. 3-5 for the fifth Denis Ten Memorial Challenge tournament, commemorating a celebrated Kazakh...


CIS Observers Commend Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Referendum Process

ASTANA – The national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant is being conducted in full compliance with Kazakhstan’s laws governing referendums and election campaigns, said Leonid...


Kazakhstan Presents Its Human Rights Implementation Policy at UN

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s policy in the field of human rights was presented at the United Nations (UN) office in Geneva on Oct. 2, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign...


Voter Turnout Surpasses 39% in Kazakhstan’s National Referendum

ASTANA—The participation rate surpassed 39% in Kazakhstan’s national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant, which continues on Oct. 6 throughout the country.  “Overall, nationwide, as of...


Kazakh PM, Officials Cast Their Ballots in Referendum

ASTANA –  Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov was among the first to vote in the nuclear power plant referendum, casting his ballot at the Palace of Schoolchildren in Astana on...


President Tokayev Casts His Vote in Nuclear Power Plant Referendum

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev casts his vote in the national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant on Oct. 6.  “Undoubtedly, today will go down in...


Voter Turnout in Kazakhstan’s National Referendum Reaches Nearly 18%  

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) reported a 17.79% voter turnout as of 10 a.m. local Astana time in the national referendum on the construction of a nuclear...


Nuclear Power Plant Referendum Begins in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Kazakh citizens are heading to the polls on Oct. 6 to vote in the national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant. A total of...