ASTANA – The Government and the National Bank of Kazakhstan will seek to achieve real economic growth in the country of 4-5 percent next year, the two organisations said...
ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev, summing up the results of the first five years of the industrialisation programme on Dec. 25, confirmed that new industries, import substitution and manufacturing...
In his annual state-of-the-nation address in 2014, President Nursultan Nazarbayev declared that Kazakhstan should seek to introduce living standards of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD) member countries....
It is a little over a year since Kazakhstan formally announced its candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2017-2018. And it has been a...
As the year 2014 drew to a close, we interviewed Askar Shakirov, Kazakhstan’s Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman), to talk about achievements and challenges in this critical area and...
The Constitution of our country defines Kazakhstan as a democratic, secular, legal and social state. From the first days of independence the country’s leadership has paid great attention to...
ASTANA – The year 2014 was full of memorable sports stories involving Kazakh athletes. The Astana Times has chosen a few to highlight for our year-end sports review. Gennady...
GAITHERSBURG, MD – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has agreed to provide a five-year loan of 10 billion tenge (US$54.7 million) to Kazakhstan’s Bank CentreCredit for on-lending...
Astana Embassies End 2014 with Concerts, Cultural Events, Receptions Belgian Embassy Organises Sax Concerts in Kazakh Capital As part of the bicentenary anniversary celebration of Adolphe Sax’s birthday, the...
Kazakhstan is a country rich in oil and natural beauty. But to reach its aspirations under the Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy, it may be missing one vital resource – water....
ASTANA – “Zhusan,” a one-act ballet telling a story of the Great Steppe, premiered Dec. 10 and 11 on the stage of the Astana Opera. The performance highlighted the...
A new book, “Kazakhstan, the Centre of Eurasia,” was presented during the recent Fair Più Libri Più Liberi (More books, more freedom), one of the major Italian book fairs....
The history of European migration and settlement was in the limelight at the international conference, “The Great Migrations: The Colonisation of Europe,” held at the initiative of Kazakh scholars...
To celebrate the 23rd anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence, the Dina Nurpeisova Academic Orchestra of Folk Instruments from Atyrau held a major concert on Dec. 15 at UNESCO headquarters in...
ASTANA – More than 400 representatives of government, nongovernmental and youth organisations, the Parliament of Kazakhstan, culture, sports and the Kazakhstan 2050 National Movement attended a recent ceremony to...
The Football Federation of Kazakhstan presented Spaniard Carlos Martorell Bakes during a Dec. 20 press conference as the new coach of Kazakhstan’s youth football team (U-17). Bakes has a...
Almaty City Akim (Mayor) Akhmetzhan Yessimov said during a Dec. 19 Central Communications Service briefing that hosting the Winter Olympics in Almaty in 2020 would be profitable for the...
You are quite likely to be reading this with a fair share of your thoughts occupied with preparations for a Christmas dinner or a New Year’s party. If you...
SHYMKENT – Rixos Khadisha Shymkent, the first ever five star hotel in South Kazakhstan, opened with great fanfare on Dec. 20. The grand opening of the hotel saw about...
President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev visited Kiev on Dec. 22 for talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko and other officials seeking to reinvigorate bilateral political and economic cooperation...
ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev held his annual end-of-year news briefing covering a broad range of areas from the situation in Ukraine to Kazakhstan’s economic stimulus package, terrorism threats,...
HELSINKI – As Finland celebrated the Day of the Peacemaker last month, The Astana Times interviewed former President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari to talk about his...
ASTANA – Recognising the need to help build a more efficient and sustainable civil society in Kazakhstan, members of the Kazakh Parliament, representatives of various government ministries,non-governmental organisations (NGOs)...
ASTANA – The government of Kazakhstan will allocate 178 billion tenge (US$977.75 million) in 2015 and a further 143.3 billion tenge (US$787.14 million)in 2016 from the country’s National Fund...
In recent decades, Kazakhstan has become a rightful member of economic society. Moreover, our country is always advancing its leadership in all directions: political, economic and other fields. The...
Skiing is a sport that is popular around the globe and Almaty is quickly becoming known for its world-class skiing facilities. This city ringed by snowcapped peaks offers natural...
The recent 3rd International Conference on Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons has shown an encouraging trend – the growing realisation by the world community of the urgent need to...
ASTANA – Miquel Riera, the international sport director of FC (Football Club) Astana 1964, seeks to promote Kazakh players in Europe, especially in Spain. He has worked as a...
ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev held his annual end-of-year news briefing covering a broad range of areas from the situation in Ukraine to Kazakhstan’s economic stimulus package, terrorism threats,...
VIENNA – While attending the third International Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons in Vienna from Dec. 8-9, artist Karipbek Kuyukov made a lasting impression on delegates...
ASTANA – An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission in Kazakhstan recently commended the state’s actions to advance the economy’s potential through additional fiscal stimulus from the National Fund and...
The Astana EXPO 2017 National Company and Belarus Republican Union of Tourist Organisations signed a memorandum of partnership during the Dec. 11-12 visit of a Kazakh delegation to Belarus...
“The number of the prison population in Kazakhstan reduced by 4 percent,” Kazakh Deputy Prosecutor General Zhakip Assanov said at the Dec. 12 second forum on prison reforms titled,...
Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Karim Massimov held a meeting with Prime Minister of Tajikistan Kohir Rasulzoda on Dec. 15. They discussed bilateral trade and economic cooperation, including cooperation in...
A total of 13,543 property legalisation applications amounting to 103.3 billion tenge (US$562.86 million) had been received by Dec. 11 by the local executive commissions charged with accepting...
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, so said the Chinese philosopher Laozi . He was a wise man. For those who heeded his advice, successful...
ASTANA – Among the numerous nationalities that live in Kazakhstan, there is a very small community that has lived through some of history’s darkest times to preserve their language...
ATHENS – Greek government and Athens city officials joined more than 300 guests at Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens on Dec. 15 to celebrate the Kazakh Day of the...
The company Digital City Showcases recently announced the launch of its new Urban Infokiosk project, which will install self-service, touchscreen information terminals in shop windows that will provide information...
ASTANA – At a regular government meeting on Dec. 4 led by Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov, improving Kazakhstan’s standing in the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) was discussed. The...
ASTANA – Astana Akim (Mayor) Adilbek Dzhaksybekov explained to the public on Dec. 11 some of the features of the city’s 36 new public buses. The new buses have...
ASTANA – The Dec. 14 7th Winter Charity Ball at Radisson Hotel Astana raised 13 million tenge (US$70,815) for educational programmes for children from orphanages and low-income families, the...
A new high school opened on Dec. 9 in the 12th district of Aktobe is expected to address three-shift education in the region and allow students from overcrowded classes...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan Prime Minister Karim Massimov and his Chinese counterpart, Premier of the State Council Li Keqiang approved and signed $14 billion worth of accords on Dec. 14-15...
ASTANA – The Kazakh language is now among the offerings of the Google Translate online global translating system, founder and director of theWikiBilim Public Foundation Rauan Kenzhekhanuly announced on...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan “strongly condemns the act of terrorism committed in the Pakistani city of Peshawar on Dec. 16,” the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement...
ASTANA – Several important memoranda, including a memorandum to deepen atomic cooperation, were signed Dec. 14 during the official meeting of the Kazakh-Chinese Council, where Kazakh Prime Minister Karim...
WASHINGTON, DC – Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov visited the United States on Dec. 10-11 to meet with top American officials to advance bilateral relations and discuss challenges on...
ASTANA – The heads of the governments of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) states met in Astana’s Palace of Independence on Dec.15 to examine ways to deepen trade, economic...
Yulia Galysheva of Kazakhstan won the gold medal in dual moguls at the freestyle skiing World Cup races Dec. 13 in Ruka, Finland. Galysheva finished ahead of Olympic champion...