Public Service Centres Reduce Kazakh Bureaucracy, Help Investors

ASTANA – In the next few years, Kazakh citizens will receive all needed public services, which total more than 700, through public service centres. The newly established one-stop shops...


Cadet Corps Future Graduates Start Military Internships in Armed Forces

ASTANA – About 200 cadets who will graduate this year started their internships in military units and formations of Kazakh Armed Forces on Jan. 11, according to the Ministry...


Kazakhstan Welcomes Lifting of Sanctions on Iran

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on January 17, welcoming the EU and US announcements on lifting economic sanctions imposed on Tehran in 2005. The...


Top Kazakh Think Tank Anticipates 10 Most Important Events in Central Asia in 2016

ASTANA – The Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of Kazakhstan (KazISS) presented Jan. 14 an overview of the ten most important events in 2016 which are...


UNDP Helps Find Solutions in Afghanistan, the Region

ASTANA – Afghanistan has long suffered from chronic instability and conflict during its modern history, depriving its economy and infrastructure of opportunities to grow and causing many of its...


Nazarbayev, Poroshenko Discuss Situation in Ukraine, Bilateral Ties

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev spoke by telephone Jan. 12 with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the Akorda press service reported. The presidents exchanged opinions on the situation in...


Deputy FM Promotes Presidential Initiatives, UN Security Council Bid in New York

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Ashikbayev promoted the international initiatives of President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Kazakhstan’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council...


Kazakh NGOs Support Initiative to Dissolve Mazhilis, Hold Early Election

ASTANA – The Jan. 13 initiative of the deputies of the Mazhilis (lower chamber of Parliament) to ask President Nursultan Nazarbayev to dissolve the chamber and set early parliament...


Astana Condemns North Korea’s Nuclear Test

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry moved quickly to deplore the announcement by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) that it had successfully conducted a hydrogen bomb test on...


Once Again, An Idea for Former Semipalatinsk Test Site to Become Tourist Attraction

ASTANA – Kurchatov, a formerly secret town in the East Kazakhstan region that was the administrative centre for the adjoining Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, is seeking new ways to...


Win Streak Puts Barys within Shot at Playoffs, Team Ranks Seventh in Eastern Conference

ASTANA – The last week of 2015 and the first one of 2016 saw the Barys Astana hockey club winning five out of its six encounters in the regular...


Mazhilis Asks President to Dismiss Chamber, Set New Parliamentary Election

ASTANA – The deputies of the Mazhilis (lower chamber) of Kazakhstan’s Parliament voted unanimously Jan. 13 to ask President Nursultan Nazarbayev to dissolve the chamber and set early parliament...


Regions of Kazakhstan Join Construction of EXPO 2017, As Medical Staff Learn English

ASTANA – The government administrations and a number of district manufacturers from the Kostanai, Pavlodar and Karaganda regions signed memorandums of cooperation with the Astana EXPO 2017 national company...


Plan of the Nation – the Path to the Kazakhstan Dream

On Jan. 1, the practical phase of the implementation of the Plan of the Nation “100 concrete steps on the implementation of the five institutional reforms” was launched. Fifty-nine...


Issekeshev Appointed Investment Ombudsman, One Stop Shop for Investors Expands

ASTANA – In connection with Kazakhstan’s aim to become one of the top 30 most developed countries in the world, the government is striving to ensure effective efforts to...


Astana Opera Stages Sold Out Shows in Italy

Tickets quickly sold out for the Astana Opera’s recent performances of “La Boheme” at the Carlo Felice ancient Italian theatre, reported the press service of the Astana-based opera house....


Astana EXPO 2017 Announces Winners of Journalism Competition

ASTANA – The country’s national company Astana EXPO 2017 announced the winners of its first competition among local journalists on Dec. 24. The competition, which began in June, was...


Container Trains Begin Operation Along Lianyungang-Duisburg Route

ASTANA – Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov concluded his December 2015 visit to China by launching the first container train on the nation’s Lianyungang route, which continues through the...


Kazakh Air Force Celebrates New Year by Keeping Country Safe

Kazakh Air Force Pilots continued this year their tradition of celebrating New Year’s Eve up in the sky while guarding the country, reported kazpravda.kz. While the whole world gets...


Almaty to Build Skateboard Parks, BMX Tracks

ASTANA – Almaty city plans to build skateparks, BMX trails and bicycle tracks in 2016, Almaty Akim (Mayor) Bauyrzhan Baibek announced during a Dec. 29 online conference on the...


Poltoranin Wins World Cup Stage to Claim Top 5 Spot Overall

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Alexey Poltoranin took three podiums out of eight races, which had starts this year and won a World Cup Stage during the International Ski Federation (Fédération...


Kazakh Team Wins Category at Africa Eco Race 2016

ASTANA – Kazakh Kanat Shagirov and co-driver Vitaliy Yevtyekhov won the cars category at the annual Africa Eco Race 2016 on Jan. 10. They drove a Toyota Hilux Overdrive...


Air Medical Service Has Busy Year

The past year was a busy 12 months for Kazakhstan’s Air Medical Service team, which flew more than 2,000 flights during the past year. More than 6,000 times, the...


BI Group Receives Altyn Sapa Presidential Award

ASTANA – BI Group, the largest investment and construction company in Kazakhstan, was the winner of the Altyn Sapa Presidential Award in “the best enterprise providing services” category and...


Kazakh Cinderella Designer Opens Store in Paris, Launches International Brand

ASTANA – People yearn to hear success stories in the per aspera ad astra (to the stars through difficulties)genre, especially in light of consumerism and the constant demand for...


KazMunayTeniz, Rosneft Resume Exploration Works in the Caspian Sea

The press service of the Kazakh Ministry of Energy has recently announced plans to carry out additional exploration works in the Kurmangazy oil field located in the Caspian Sea....


President Nazarbayev Approves Ethics Code for Civil Servants

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a decree Dec. 29 approving a code of ethics for public employees. The code became effective Jan. 1 and an ethics commissioner...


Kazakh Breeders Export Large Yedilbayev Breed Sheep

ASTANA – Atyrau sheep stock breeders are growing 100-150 kilogramme sheep of the famous Kazakh Yedilbayev breed, 24kz reports. Each sheep can give up to three kilogramme of wool,...


Healthcare Budgeting in Kazakhstan Seeks Ways to Improve

ASTANA – Healthcare and its performance on the proper level are one of the prerogatives of a developed state. In today’s world, facing crisis times, effectiveness of budgeting becomes...


Rescue Teams Release Hundreds Trapped on Snowy Highways

Rescue teams have saved more than 600 people trapped on Kazakh roadways because of heavy snowfall in early January, among them 454 people have been evacuated, reported the Emergency...


Almaty Police use IMEI Codes to Disable Stolen Cell Phones, Deter Thefts

ASTANA –Policemen inAlmaty have begun disabling stolen mobile devices by International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) codes. Officials hope the effort will lower cell phone thefts by 25 percent at...


President Details Reforms, ‘Path to the Kazakhstan Dream’

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Plan of the Nation to create the pillars of a developed democratic and economically strong state came into effect Jan. 1. On Jan. 6, the Akorda...


EAEU Poised for More Work in 2016 as Kazakhstan Assumes Chairmanship

Given that the idea of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) was first proposed more than two decades ago by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, 2015 was hardly the best year for...


Nearly 2,000 People Take Part in Santa Claus Parade in Almaty

ASTANA – A large parade of people dressed as Ded Moroz or Ayaz Ata in Kazakh (character similar to Father Christmas or Santa Claus) was held in Almaty on...


Kazakh Art Studio Releases Comics about Zombie Apocalypse

ASTANA – Astana Triumph, a comic book about the zombie apocalypse, is the newest creation of Orazkhan Zhakup. The Almaty resident is the co-founder and editor of Khan Comics,...


Largest Martial Arts Academy in Central Asia Opens in Astana

ASTANA – Qazaq Batyry, Central Asia’s largest martial arts academy, which includes 10 training groups, recently opened in Astana, vesti.kz reported Dec. 19. “Our offers a variety of...


Iran Nuclear Deal, Kazakhstan’s Role were Bright Spots in Difficult Year

In what was a very challenging year globally, the breakthrough over Iran’s nuclear programme last summer was a rare high point. It was not just that the draft agreement...


No-Drilling Dental Cavities Treatment to be Available in Astana, Almaty

ASTANA –InnoDent, the technology for treating early-stage dental cavities without drilling, will be available in dental clinics such as Versailles, Dent Lux, Ambassador, Zhayik Dent, Anga, Smile and Mediker...


Short Documentary Portrays Lives of Kazakhs Working as Truck Drivers in US

ASTANA – A 23-minute documentary portraying difficulties Kazakh immigrants face working as truck drivers in the U.S. was released on Nov. 17, 2015 by Director Kanat Beisekeyev on his...


Eurasian Economic Commission to Welcome Dialogue with European Commission, Says Outgoing Chair

ASTANA – The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) became a globally-recognised entity during its first year of operation and in 2016 will continue to strengthen and seek to have a...


Shakespeare Lives

This year’s four hundredth anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare is not just an opportunity to commemorate one of the greatest playwrights of all time. It is a...


Police Forces to be Controlled by Akimats

A new law giving local agencies and local communities more control over local police activities came into effect Jan. 1. President Nursultan Nazarbayev approved the law in November 2015...


Astana Energy Companies Reduce Polluting Emissions

The Astana mayor’s office recently reported a 22 percent reduction of emissions’ volume from energy enterprises, leading to a “favourable” pollution rating. According to a city press release, 24,700...


Government Approves New Privatisation Plan for 2016-2020

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has approved a new list of privatisations in the public and quasi-public sectors, including shares of the 65 largest national companies that are part of holdings...


Economy Minister Discusses Oil Sector with Parliament, Says Petrol Prices Stable

Minister of National Economy Yerbolat Dossayev addressed the state of the country’s oil sector in remarks to Parliament, saying petrol prices in the country are stable. “Indeed, after the...


Looking Forward to No Less Interesting, Hopefully Less Challenging Year

It may not be – as is often wrongly suggested – an ancient Chinese curse but the saying “May you live in interesting times” nevertheless sums up in many...


Skriptonite Dominates Rap Scene

ASTANA – Adil Zhalelov, also known as Skriptonite, has quickly won the hearts of listeners with his fresh sound, great beat and true, sometimes explicit lyrics. The young and...


Kazakh Band Orda Wins Second Place in Türkvizyon Song Contest

ASTANA – The Kazakh band Orda took second place in the annual Türkvizyon Song Contest held Dec. 19 in Istanbul. The group performed “Olai Emes,” receiving 185 points. The...


Research: Aral Sea’s Age Doesn’t Exceed 24,000 Years

ASTANA – Research conducted by an international academic group has estimated the age of the Aral Sea does not exceed 24,000 years, reported the Nauka v Sibiri edition of the Russian...


Kazakh President Tells Ministry of Defence to Maintain Readiness to Meet Challenges

ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev met with the leadership of the Ministry of Defence of Kazakhstan on Dec. 28 to discuss the results of the armed forces activities in...