20th Anniversary of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea: Status and Prospects for Cooperation

Water is the foundation of life and secure access to it is essential for a country’s development. Kazakhstan faces acute water shortages in parts of the country and new...


Gymnastics Championship Discovers New Talent

ASTANA – The Kazakhstan national rhythmic gymnastics championship was held in the capital on April 13 and gathered young athletes who demonstrated their skills and gained experience in major...


Kazakhstan Equestrians Prepare for 2014 World Championships

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s equestrian team is hard at work preparing for the prestigious World Equestrian Games to be held in France in 2014. “It’s like the World Football Championship...


Kazakhstan’s Knights Prepare for Medieval Battle of Nations

ALMATY – Would-be Medieval warriors from Almaty, Pavlodar, Petropavlovsk and Stepnogorsk are preparing to defend the honour of Kazakhstan at the fourth international medieval Battle of the Nations competition...


Government Fights New Age of Terror

Today, no one argues that terrorism is global in scope. Kazakhstan, as part of the civilised world, can not avoid having to deal with the manifestations of this extremely...


National Bank Celebrates 20 Years of Achievements

On April 14, the National Bank of Kazakhstan officially marked its 20th anniversary. June 20, 1991 was a decisive date in the history of our banking system. That was...


Finland President Pays First Visit to Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö paid his first state visit to Kazakhstan on April 17 which focused heavily on expanding already growing commercial ties into areas such as...


G-Global Platform Brings Forum Debates to the World

The G-Global platform has launched a new project that will carry the debates of the sixth Astana Economic Forum and the World Anti-Crisis Conference in Astana to a global...


Kazakh Science Students Head to Arizona for Science Fair

ASTANA – Four high school students from Kazakhstan will fly to Phoenix, Arizona as finalists in an international science and engineering competition for teenagers. Senior high school students from...


Kazakh Defence Minister Visits Afghanistan

ASTANA – On April 10, Defence Minister Adilbek Dzhaksybekov paid his first official visit to Afghanistan where he met with President Hamid Karzai, his counterpart and other officials. “President...


India Gate Offers Classic Dishes on Right Bank

ASTANA – Astana does not have many restaurants specialising in Indian cuisine, but India Gate on the Right Bank of the Yessil River is a good place to start....


HackDay to Gather Top IT Creatives for Innovation Competition

ASTANA – On May 10-11, Almaty will host hundreds of top IT professionals and creatives from around the region for a 24-hour completion of creativity and innovation known as...


Festival Shares Kazakh Films with Chinese Audience

Kazakhstan’s Cinema Week dedicated to the 21st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and China was held April 17-22 in Beijing. The event was organized by...


Officials: New Laws Protect Freedom of Religion

ASTANA – New regulations and legislation issued over the last two years are succeeding in maintaining freedom of religion in Kazakhstan while preventing abuse by extremist groups, top officials...


Kazakhstan Off-Road Rally Drivers Win in Abu Dhabi

ASTANA – Off Road Kazakhstan, a rally team consisting of Denis Berezovsky and Alexey Nikizhev, won the Аbu Dhabi Desert Сhallenge 2013 in the T2 class. The race took...


New Class of Professional Managers to Form Elite of Civil Service

The advanced state of Kazakhstan’s civil service is recognised around the world. A clear confirmation of that positive international reputation is the United Nations Development Programme initiative to establish...


Young Fashion Designers Bring Tradition up to Date

TURKESTAN – Students of the Design and Fine Arts department of International Hodja Akhmet Yassavi Kazakh-Turkish University are engaged in designing stylish 21st century clothes that reflect national traditions....


Karaganda Fights Back against Hazardous Waste

KARAGANDA REGION – The Karaganda region has declared war on the 2.7 billion tons of hazardous waste, or hazmat (hazardous material) on its territory. The Karaganda region covers one...


New Book Uncovers Oskemen’s History

EAST-KAZAKHSTAN REGION – A new book chronicles the history of Oskemen, also known as Ust-Kamenogrosk, for more than 260 years to the beginning of the 20th century. The book,...


German Company Invests in Modular Construction in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – A major German company is investing big in modular construction in Kazakhstan. On March 28, the KAZNEX INVEST Agency and the Chandler Modular company from Germany held...


Spring Festival Celebrates Japanese Culture

ASTANA – On April 10-11, a Japanese Spring Arts Festival was held in Astana. Popular jazz pianist Ayako Shirasaki starred in a concert on April 10 in the Astana...


Scientists Develop Kumis Products for Export

Kumis, a mildly alcoholic drink made from fermented mare’s milk, is the popular national beverage of Kazakhstan. Now experts are working to make it an export success in Europe...


Kazakhstan Offers Condolences to Americans Following Boston Marathon Bombings

ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan sent a letter of condolences to U.S. President Barack Obama today in connection with the bombings in the city of Boston. According...


Afghans Appreciate Kazakhstan’s “Very Honest” Approach

The following is an interview with Dr. Sohrab Ali Saffary, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the Republic of Kazakhstan How do you see...


European Commission Proposes Simplified EU Entry for Foreign Students

ASTANA – The European Commission proposes to simplify the procedure of entry to the European Union (EU) for students and young researchers from non-EU countries. The European Commission considers...


Experts See No Military Solution to Afghan Conflict

ASTANA – On April 11, an international conference on “Regional Security and the Situation in Afghanistan” took place at the Center for Military and Strategic Studies here. The conference...


Inter-Parliamentary Union to Focus on Nuclear Disarmament

The Inter-Parliamentary Union is going to focus on global nuclear disarmament at its next assembly in 2014. The decision was taken when nearly 1,000 parliamentarians from 150 countries met...


Protecting Teenagers on the Internet

Today, Internet penetration in Kazakhstan has reached almost 50 percent. There are 49.5 internet users for every 100 citizens, compared to only 15 users per 100 in 2008. This...


Regional Integration Seen as Economic Priority

BAKU – Kazakhstan’s first deputy prime minister and minister for regional development Bakhytzhan Sagintayev, attended the World Economic Forum Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the South Caucasus and...


Head of Tennis Federation Sees Kazakh Players Winning Grand Slam Titles in Future

ASTANA – In 2007, the Head of state assigned Bulat Utemuratov the task to develop Kazakhstan’s tennis. As head of the national Tennis Federation, Utemuratov has done much for...


Kazakh Climber Successfully Ascends Highest Volcano of North America

ASTANA – Andrey Gundarev is known as the first citizen of Kazakhstan to ascend the highest volcano in the world called Ojos del Salado (6,893m) as part of the...


Time for Energy of the Future Is Now

In four years, Astana will host the international exhibition EXPO 2017, which is a symbol of industrialisation and represents a platform from which to demonstrate technical and technological achievements....


Country hosts festival of French-speaking nations

ASTANA – From March 15 to April 6, the Alliance Française (the French Alliance) and the embassies of five French-speaking nations are holding a cultural festival in Kazakhstan, called...


Singing ABC introduced in Astana

ASTANA – A rather fascinating educational guide “Danalyk alіppesі” (“ABC of Wisdom” in Kazakh) was recently presented at the Kazmediacenter here. This series include instructions, 12 magazines and an...


Capital’s ballet dancers score double success at international competitions

ASTANA – The soloists of the Kulyash Baiseitova National Opera and Ballet Theatre continue on promoting the capital of Kazakhstan abroad with their new victories. One soloist, Balkiya Zhanburchinova,...


Pink Flamingos Find Prairie in the North

ASTANA – Every April, pink flamingos flock to the heart of Kazakhstan, settling in the Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve near Astana, where they stay until late fall. The Korgalzhyn...


Country and People Share Same Destiny

ASTANA – “Motherland is not an empty word for me,” said Serik Rustambekov, chairperson of the Board of the Union of Architects of Astana, Honoured Architect of Kazakhstan and...


A Model for Curtailing Nuclear Proliferation

In February, Kazakhstan hosted a fresh round of talks between Iran and the group of six countries (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany) on...


Regional Cooperation Key to Peace and Stability

The most recent war in Afghanistan, known as Operation Enduring Freedom, has been going on since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C.,...


Economy News in Brief

• A conference entitled “Building a Green Economy in Kazakhstan” will be held on April 12, Central Communications Service Spokesman Altay Abibullayev said. Cabinet members, ambassadors and European Bank...


Business News in Brief

A three-day exhibition on modern building technology in Astana was held at the Korme complex in Astana from March 27 to March 29. It displayed construction techniques, finishing materials,...


Kazakh Pharmaceuticals Market Booms

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s domestic drug market experienced booming growth of up to 15 percent last year. Fueled by demand from a rapidly expanding middle class and a general rise...


External News in Brief

President Nursultan Nazarbayev paid an official visit to China on April 5 and held talks with new President Xi Jinping. They discussed the strategic partnership between the two countries...


Domestic News in Brief

On April 3, Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov reported to President Nursultan Nazarbayev on the country’s development in the first quarter of 2013. The president said the country needed to...


Iran Nuclear Talks in Almaty End Without Breakthrough, Parties Agree to Stay in Touch on Future Steps

ALMATY – Saturday, April 6, saw the end of the second round of talks on Iran’s nuclear programme held here, in Kazakhstan’s largest city. Though the first round of...


Exhibition Shows Space History, Ambitions

ASTANA – On April 9, a weeklong exhibition “Kazakhstan: A Space Harbour” opened at the Nazarbayev Center. The exhibition is timed to coincide with UN International Space Day marked...


Trilingual Education Touted as Right Way Forward

ASTANA – On April 4, Kazakh Humanities and Law University (KazHLU) in Astana held a roundtable discussion on the theme “Multilingualism in the educational environment: problems and prospects” with...


Aral Sea Rescue Fund Celebrates 20th Anniversary

ASTANA – The International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The anniversary marks two decades of mixed success in restoring ecological life and...


Of Astana, Its People and Beshparmak

Gareth Stamp is an expatriate citizen of the United Kingdom who has been living in Astana for two years. The Astana Times had the pleasure to talk to Mr....


Kazakhstan, Chevron Celebrate 20 Years of Partnership

ASTANA – On April 3, Chevron Oil celebrated the 20th anniversary of its operations in Kazakhstan at the Palace of Independence in the capital. “I would like to take...