IMF Mission Concluding Statement Finds Countercyclical Policies, Work With Multilateral Development Banks Laudable; Urges More Structural Reforms

ASTANA – The Concluding Statement by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation that visited Kazakhstan from May 13–26 found slowing growth and tightening financial conditions in the...


Supreme Court Revises Educational, Training Requirements for Judges

ASTANA – Requirements for judges were revised recently by the Kazakh Supreme Court with due consideration of five institutional reforms of President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The new standards...


Kazakhstan Unveils 100 Concrete Steps to Implement Institutional Reforms

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is embarking on some of the most ambitious reforms in its independent history as President Nursultan Nazarbayev moves to implement his election campaign platform...


EBRD Finances Modern Trams in Pavlodar

ASTANA – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has provided a 2.5 billion tenge (US$13.4 million) loan to replace obsolete rolling stock in the city...


Kazakhstan Opening Itself to Africa

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is working to expand its cooperation with African nations across the board, Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov told  a number of African...


UNDP Seeks Stronger Kazakh Partnership, Says Country Key to South-South Cooperation

ASTANA – The UN Development Programme is pursuing a stronger partnership with Kazakhstan, believing that the country can be a strong player in south-south cooperation and an...


Kazakh Literature Needs English Translations, Says Kazakhstan PEN Club President

WASHINGTON – Bigeldy Gabdullin, president of the PEN Club of Kazakhstan, arrived in the United States recently with a special mission. He says he wants to open...


11 Transplants Conducted in Kazakhstan this Year As Doctors Urge Societal Change

Four heart transplant operations have been conducted in Kazakhstan this year, said Director General of the National Scientific Medical Centre Abai Baigenzhin at the First Congress of...


Astana Arlans Oust Russian Boxing Team to Advance to WSB Finals

ASTANA – The Astana Arlans beat the Russian Boxing Team 5:0 and 4:1 (9:1 on aggregate) in two encounters at the Daulet National Tennis Centre in Astana...


Kazakhstan Eyes New Opportunities in Africa

ASTANA – More than 20 permanent representatives to the United Nations (UN) from Africa arrived recently from New York to discuss cooperation between Kazakhstan and African states...


Almaty, Astana Mark International Olympic Day as Bid Preparations Intensify

ASTANA – Tens of thousands of residents of Almaty, Astana, Oral and other cities enthusiastically took part in bike rides and other events May 23 to celebrate...


Renowned British Composer Performs Kazakh Pieces in Almaty, Astana

The Almaty Symphony Orchestra, directed by well-known virtuoso violinist Marat Bisengaliev, recently performed Abai, Shakarim and Tlep by Karl Jenkins, a British composer named one of the...


Roadmap 2020 Continues to Create Jobs in 2015

The intermediate results of the Road Map 2020 programme’s implementation were announced during a recent Central Communication Service press conference in Astana, including the funds allocated for...


Kazakhstan to Provide $200,000 in Humanitarian Aid to Nepal

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will provide $200,000 in official humanitarian assistance to Nepal, as decided May 25 by the commission on international humanitarian aid chaired by First Deputy...


Mexico to Open Embassy in Kazakhstan in 2015

Mexico plans to open its embassy in Kazakhstan this year, according to a May 20 announcement during the presentation of credentials to Secretary of State of Kazakhstan...


ICRC Seeks Increased Dialogue with Kazakhstan on KazAID, Humanitarian Work

ASTANA – As Kazakhstan develops as a regional player and establishes its national development aid agency as a donor, international development and aid organisations are keen to...


Syrian Opposition Groups Meet in Kazakhstan’s Capital

ASTANA – Representatives of some Syrian opposition groups began their talks in Kazakhstan’s capital on May 25, the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on May 25,...


Nazarbayev Announces Astana International Financial Centre, Addresses Economic Challenges at AEF

ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev made a few bold announcements to the delegates of the Astana Economic Forum (AEF) at the forum’s main plenary session...


Kazakhstan Strives for Stability in Afghanistan

Following political consultations held in Kabul May 9 between the foreign ministries of Kazakhstan and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (IRA), Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani is...


UN Rights Report Positive, Says Culture Ministry Official

The freedom to openly express your beliefs and adhere to your chosen faith is a fundamental human right. The United Nations Special Rapporteur gave his report on...


The Time for Courage and Vision for Middle East Peace Is Now

The search for peace in the Middle East is, once again, at a crossroads. Negotiations on the two-state solution have stalled. The region, meanwhile, is threatened by...


Kazakh Consortium to Produce Energy-Saving, Eco-Friendly Lightbulbs

ASTANA – The SuluNur Kazakhstan scientific-technological consortium has begun production of energy-saving light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, which are as effective as 250-watt glow bulbs, but require only...


Building Reading Culture in Kazakhstan One Book Club at a Time

ASTANA – Amid modern Kazakhstan’s ubiquitous gadgets and the increasingly slivered style of communication everywhere, some of the country’s urban residents are taking the time to step...


Second Phase of Kazakh-World Bank Commercialisation Project Announced at AEF

ASTANA – A new phase of the multi-million dollar commercialisation collaboration between Kazakhstan and the World Bank was announced this week at the Astana Economic Forum during...


Report Says Kazakhstan’s Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts Should Redouble

ASTANA – Kazakhstan, a country that is a source, a destination and a transit country trafficking in persons has done a lot to combat this problem, yet...


‘Good Life’ Food Festival Organised by Ritz-Carlton Brings Together Int’l Chefs to Almaty

Almaty residents will have a rare chance to try various international cuisines, take part in master classes and simply enjoy good company at The Ritz Carlton, Almaty...


Capacity Building, Investment, Local Partnerships Among Opening Topics at AEF

ASTANA – At the initial side event panel on official development assistance (ODA) at the Astana Economic Forum, international aid experts called for a post-Millennium Development Goals...


World Bank Updated Forecast Predicts 2016-17 Kazakh Economic Growth Recovery

ASTANA –The spring 2015 edition of the biannual Kazakhstan Economic Update of the World Bank titled “Kazakhstan – Low Oil Prices; an Opportunity to Reform” forecasts a...


Almaty Honours Kazakh Historian Persecuted Under Stalin with Memorial Plaque

On May 15 in Almaty, a memorial plaque was dedicated to prominent Kazakh historian Ermukhan Bekmakhanov, who would have turned 100 this year. Bekmakhanov was repressed under...


Cossacks Ancestry of Astana: Guarding Identity, Shielding Customs

ASTANA – To this day, Kazakhstan has numerous descendants of Cossacks who became part and parcel of the multi-ethnic fabric of the country’s society. They mostly hail...