Exhibit Shows Natural Wonders of Martuks District

AKTOBE – The Zhasyl Olkem (“green corner” in Kazakh) exhibition at the Aktobe regional historical museum is currently displaying photographs, videos and other artefacts relating to the natural beauty...


Petrol Prices Will Rise by Late Fall, Experts Say

ASTANA – According to experts, Kazakhstan will have to match Russia’s fuel prices in the next six months. Its northern neighbour has now increased fuel prices by 30 percent...


Kazakhstan Invites International Experts to Analyse Financial Sector

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has successfully completed the first five-year plan under the Strategy of Accelerated Industrial and Innovative Development aimed at boosting its economy. Now President Nursultan Nazarbayev has...


Activists Commemorate UN International Day Against Nuclear Tests

ASTANA – A group of senior citizens in the area of the Semipalatinks nuclear test site, which was devastated by Soviet-era nuclear weapons testing, gathered in Astana Aug. 29...


Communications Briefing Focuses on Nuclear Weapons, Environmental Issues

ASTANA – The Aug. 28 briefing of the Central Communication Service (CCS) brought together prominent figures in environmental and nuclear issues for an interactive briefing on environmental safety, the...


Olympic Training Centre Construction Begins in Pavlodar

ASTANA – Construction officially began on Aug. 22 in Pavlodar on the Sports City Olympic Village, which will serve as a centre for the preparation and training of Kazakhstan’s...


UNICEF Representative Discusses Efforts to Relieve Nuclear Weapons Test Suffering

ASTANA – UNICEF Representative in Kazakhstan Jun Kukita focused during his Aug. 28 briefing at Kazakhstan’s Central Communication Service (CCS) on the United Nations International Day Against Nuclear Tests...


Kazakhstan Issues Stamp Honoring International Day Against Nuclear Tests

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s national postal carrier KazPost and Ministry of Foreign Affairs introduced on August 28 a postage stamp commemorating the United Nations International Day Against Nuclear Tests, which...


Sightseers Cruise Astana in Double-Decker Buses

ASTANA – The Astana Bus Tours project has introduced two new double-decker sightseeing buses that will take visitors and locals past some of Astana’s most unique buildings and tourist...


New Astana Opera Hall Seeks World-Class Instruments

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s new opera hall, Astana Opera, announced on Aug. 13 that it would like companies to bid to sell the opera house the instruments it needs to...


Shakhter Karaganda Heads from Champions League to Europa League

ASTANA – On Aug. 28, Karaganda Football Club “Shakhter” lost to Scotland’s Celtic with a score of 3 – 0 in the return match, which took place at Celtic...


Biker and EXPO Ambassador Petrukhin Meets Officials in Paraguay

After finishing his mission promoting Kazakhstan and EXPO 2017 in Brazil, the president of the Geographical Society of Kazakhstan and the famous biker Dmitry Petrukhin arrived at the border...


EXPO 2017 Design Firm Finalists Announced Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architects Among Favourites

ASTANA – American firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architects are the frontrunners among the 10 finalists announced Aug. 26 in the competition to design the pavilions for EXPO...


Sapiyev Named First Goodwill Ambassador for Sport From Kazakhstan

ASTANA—Kazakhstan’s 2012 Olympic boxing champion Serik Sapiyev was named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Sport on Aug. 24 at a ceremony held at the Kazmedia Centre in Astana. The Val...


Environmental and Arts Festival Draws Many to Almaty Mountains

ASTANA – Children and adults of all ages gathered Aug. 23 in a large tent city at the Fishing Dream fishing site in the Almaty mountains for the three-day,...


Astana Hosts International Forum on Rapprochement of Cultures

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and UNESCO joined forces on Aug. 23 to host an international forum dedicated to the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures and to promote international...


The ATOM Project Presented at UN

NEW YORK – On Sept. 4 as part of the commemorations of the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United...


Xi Jinping Calls For Regional Cooperation Via New Silk Road

ASTANA – Speaking to students and faculty at Nazarbayev University on September 7, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for enhanced regional cooperation along a “new Silk Road.” He also...


Famed Poet and Ambassador to UNESCO Sees Cultural Rapprochement as Art of Life

ASTANA – Famed poet and Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to UNESCO Olzhas Suleimenov participated in the forum held in Astana on the occasion of the inauguration of the International...


Business News in Brief

Oil production at the giant Kashagan oilfield started on Sept. 9, KazMunayGas Chairman Sauat Mynbayev said. “We are expecting the start in two days. That is the first,...


Economy news in brief

Beineu-Bozoi-Shymkent gas pipeline, symbolically launched by the presidents of Kazakhstan and China on Sept. 7, runs through Mangystau, Kyzylorda and South Kazakhstan regions. Its total length is 1,477...


External news in brief

In a very symbolic development for Kazakhstan, the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked it 50th out of 148 countries in its global competitiveness rating of world economies for 2013-2014....


Doors of Opportunity Open with Early Professional Orientation Programme

Children from broken homes and orphanages in Almaty are now receiving support from Chevron to study vocations in an effort to improve their adult lives. Through the “Early...


Akan Satayev to Direct Canadian Film “Hacker”

Kazakhstan’s director Akan Satayev will lens the Canadian drama thriller “Hacker,” the first official teaser for which was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September...


Strategy 2050: Kazakhstan’s Way in Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction

President Nursultan Nazarbayev, in his address to the nation, Strategy Kazakhstan 2050: New Political Course of the Established State, positively assessed the way the country has developed since...


Students Visit Famous Battle Sites in Pavlodar

PAVLODAR – Participants in the Batyr Zholy (“Road of Warriors”) historical campaign recently visited famous battle sites in the Mai region. The area, called Kalmak kyrylgan zher, or the...


Famed Cellist Appointed Almaty Philharmonic Art Director

New Director of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Zhambyl Kazakh State Philharmonic Renat Salavatov Renat Salavatov, Honored Artist of Russia, People’s Artist of Tatarstan and chevalier...


The Japanese Spirit of Silk

ASTANA – For the first time, a unique kimono exhibition “The world through the eyes of the Kimono Master Kubota Itiku” was showcased in Astana from Sept. 6 to...


Astana Opera: A New Test for Alfiya Karimova

Recently, Kazakhstan became home to Alfiya Karimova, who was sinning on the platforms of the best theaters in Russia. Currently, she is proud of her work at the...


Constitution Serves as Basis of Kazakhstan’s Development Strategy

For nearly two decades, the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan has represented the nation’s poli-legal system, as well as Kazakh statehood and sovereignty. The document establishes national...


Kazakhstan’s Akan Satayev to Direct Canadian Film ‘Hacker’

Kazakhstan’s director Akan Satayev will lens the Canadian drama thriller “Hacker,” the first official teaser for which was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 6....


Ban Ki-moon Urges CTBT Entry into Force ahead of August 29

ASTANA – United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for greater international efforts to end nuclear weapons testing and to promote movement toward a world free from nuclear...


In Search of Golden Mean

When Kazakhstan became independent in December 1991, a lot of people both within and without doubted that it would exist for very long. And for good reason; in fact,...


Kazakhstan and Jordan: 20 Years of Cooperation, New Horizons Ahead

The diplomatic relations between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan were established 20 years ago, on February 8, 1993. Jordan has traditionally played an important...


Artefacts from Kang-Kü Era Discovered near Arys River

SOUTH-KAZAKHSTAN REGION – An archaeological expedition of the Central State Museum has discovered a rare burial site dating back to the second century B.C. on the banks of the...


Atyrau Archaeological Expedition to Gather Data, Launch Research Centre

ATYRAU – A research centre for historical and archaeological studies will be opened in Atyrau this fall, Deputy Governor (Akim) of Atyrau oblast Shyngys Mukan said during the opening...


Survey Shows Customer Dissatisfaction with Local Services, Highlights Necessary Improvements

ASTANA – Astana and Almaty retail trade networks are not making enough of an effort to improve the quality of their services, said 52 percent of customers surveyed in...


Almaty to Bid to Host 2022 Winter Olympics

Almaty will bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Sport and Physical Education Agency Chairman Yerlan Kozhagapanov said on Aug. 18. The decision for Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city...


Unified National Pension Fund Gets Ready to Grow Fourfold

“The creation of a Unified Accumulation Pension Fund based on the State Pension Accumulation Fund (SPAF) is quite feasible given its technical framing, experience and the professionalism of specialists,”...


Additional Berel Burial Sites Excavated

ASTANA – Excavation work at three more ancient royal burial sites in Eastern Kazakhstan have been completed as part of a project to create an open-air museum and youth...


Astana Aqua Park Hosts St. Petersburg Wax Museum Exhibit

ASTANA – An exhibition from the St. Petersburg Wax Museum opened to the public on Aug. 11 at Astana’s Aqua Park. The centrepiece of the exhibit are figures of...


Astana Dakar Team Readies for Next Challenge

ASTANA – With courage, speed and determination, Dakar rally drivers battle with thick sand baking sun and unfamiliar terrain, not to mention their opponents, to bring glory to their...


Astana Barys Wins Third President’s Cup

ASTANA – The annual Cup of the President of Kazakhstan open ice hockey tournament was held in early August. It was the fourth tournament of the international season and...


Kazakhstan Team Wins 13 Medals at 15th World Police and Firefighters Games

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s five-person team at the 15th World Police and Firefighters Games held in Belfast came home with 13 medals: five gold, three silver and five bronze. The...


Kazakhstan Scholars Want to Broaden Knowledge of National History

ASTANA – In early June at Eurasian National University (ENU) at an expanded meeting of an interdepartmental working group, State Secretary Marat Tazhin announced a presidential directive to establish...


Semirechye Portraits Exhibition Opens in Almaty

ALMATY – Pavel Marikovsky’s impressions of the nature of Semirechye, which he explored, described and popularised in numerous books, are now on display in 38 canvases in Almaty. Marikovsky...


National Bank, State Agencies Develop Islamic Financing Regulations

In 2009, Kazakhstan’s law on the organisation and activities of Islamic banks and the organisation of Islamic financing was adopted. Then in July 2011, a law authorising the issuance...


Master Plans for Agribusiness 2020 Programme Developed

As part of the Agribusiness 2020 programme, the Ministry of Agriculture has developed 15 master plans for each agricultural sector and is and preparing a map of regional specialisation....


Message of CCTS Summit: Strengthen Ties, Continue Positive Trends

ASTANA – At the third summit of the Cooperation Council of the Turkic-Speaking States (CCTS) on August 16, presidents of the CCTS’s four founding states, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and...


South Korea, Kazakhstan Relationship Evolving as Kazakhstan Develops

ASTANA – South Korea Ambassador to Kazakhstan Joohyeon Baik told The Astana Times during a recent face-to-face and follow-up email interview that he hopes his country’s experiences will help...