Articles by Assel Satubaldina

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Germany are seeking to expand cooperation across key strategic sectors, with Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and German Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche, discussing investment, industry, energy, transport logistics and critical minerals on June 29 in Astana. “For Kazakhstan, Germany is one of its key trade, economic and investment…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan ranked 24th in the KidsRights Index 2026, becoming the only country from Eastern Europe and Central Asia to enter the global top 25 and outpacing its Central Asian neighbors in the annual ranking of children’s rights. The index was released on June 24 by KidsRights, an Amsterdam-based international children’s rights organization, in…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Parliament met for the last time in its current form on June 30 as President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev framed the country’s constitutional overhaul as a new stage in political modernization and marked the close of a three-decade institutional chapter.  A new Constitution takes effect on July 1 and is set to replace the…

ASTANA – Citizens of Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates could soon face fewer bureaucratic hurdles when driving in each other’s countries after Kazakh Minister of Internal Affairs Yerzhan Sadenov and UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan signed a memorandum on the mutual recognition and exchange of…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is looking to deepen cooperation with Indonesia as part of a broader effort to strengthen ties with the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region, Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev said during a meeting with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Anis Matta on June 29, who arrived in Kazakhstan on a working visit. “Kazakhstan’s close…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Georgia moved to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, energy, transport and digitalization, as Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov met with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on June 30. The talks focused on trade and economic cooperation, investment, transport and logistics, energy, and digitalization, reported the Prime Minister’s press office. “Your official…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are advancing plans for the Caspian Green Energy Corridor that would allow renewable electricity generated in Central Asia to reach European markets. The Astana Times takes a closer look at the project’s scale, economics and strategic significance. The project stems from the agreement, signed by the leaders of Kazakhstan,…

ASTANA – Ask Americans what they know about Kazakhstan and many may struggle to answer. The Smithsonian hopes to change that, not through politics or economics, but through culture. In an interview with The Astana Times, Halle Butvin, director of strategic initiatives and external affairs at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, discussed…

ASTANA – Thailand sees Kazakhstan as a strategic partner at a time when the rules-based international order is under growing pressure and multilateral cooperation is weakening, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said in an interview with The Astana Times.  Phuangketkeow is paying the first official visit to Kazakhstan on June 24-27,…

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Issetov participated in a high-level ministerial meeting on June 23 in Brussels, marking the launch of the Connectivity Agenda Platform, an initiative aimed at facilitating the coordination of investments and policy action across Central Asia, the South Caucasus, the Black Sea region and the European Union. The platform…

ASTANA – Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov took part in the World Economic Forum’s 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, China, highlighting Kazakhstan’s economic reforms, investment opportunities and ambitions in digital technology and innovation. The forum, known as Summer Davos, brought together more than 1,700 leaders from business, government and academia. The agenda…

ASTANA – Thousands of fans across Central Asia watched on June 23 as Uzbekistan faced Portugal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Cristiano Ronaldo made history by scoring in his sixth World Cup tournament. An absolute world record! Portugal won 5-0, rebounding from last week’s draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uzbekistan got…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a series of meetings with top EU officials and senior executives from major European companies during his visit to Brussels on June 23, seeking to attract new investment and diversify the strategic partnership, reported the presidential press office. Tokayev met with European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš…

ASTANA – Commercial agreements worth over $12 billion were signed in Brussels, underscoring the growing economic partnership between Kazakhstan and the European Union, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on June 23 in Brussels. Addressing the Kazakhstan-EU business roundtable as part of his official visit, Tokayev said the deals serve as evidence that Kazakhstan-EU cooperation is moving…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is seeking to broaden economic cooperation with the Netherlands beyond the oil and gas sector, highlighting opportunities in agriculture, water management, logistics and infrastructure development during the Kazakhstan–Netherlands Business Council in Astana on June 23. “The Netherlands is by far the biggest foreign direct investor in Kazakhstan. Bigger than numbers two and…

ASTANA – Archaeologists from the Margulan Institute of Archaeology, working with local heritage preservation specialists, discovered an ancient Turkic runic inscription in the Burkhansai gorge in Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl Region. The discovery was made during an archaeological fieldwork conducted as part of a research project on the ancient and medieval history of the Syr Darya and…

ASTANA – AIFC Insights has published the first region-wide comparative study of capital markets in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Azerbaijan. According to the report, Kazakhstan has the most developed capital market ecosystem among the four countries, supported by more than $110 billion in sovereign savings and a comparatively mature market infrastructure. The report…

ASTANA – Judicial digitalization and the protection of investor rights are becoming increasingly important areas of cooperation among Turkic states, as countries across the region seek to modernize legal systems and boost economic competitiveness, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during a meeting with chairpersons of supreme courts of member countries of the Organization of Turkic States…

ASTANA – Lufthansa announced on June 18 that it will temporarily suspend flights for the 2025–26 winter schedule, marking the second consecutive year the airline has halted its winter service on the Frankfurt–Almaty–Astana route.  The company attributed the decision to its “comprehensive assessment and optimization of the route network,” reported the company’s press service.  “Particular…

ASTANA – Kazakh football club Kairat honored 17-year-old forward Dastan Satpayev ahead of his move to English club Chelsea, marking the end of a chapter for one of the country’s most promising young talents. On June 17, Satpayev made his final appearance for Kairat in a match against Kyzylzhar in Almaty as part of Kazakhstan…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has formally approved the establishment of a United Nations Regional Center for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty after President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a ratification law on June 17, paving the way for the first UN regional SDG center. The law ratifies a memorandum of understanding signed…

ASTANA – Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov highlighted the urgency of deepening regional cooperation, as he addressed the fifth Tashkent Investment Forum on June 17. Speaking at the forum, which gathered more than 10,000 participants from 102 countries, Olzhas Bektenov said Kazakhstan supports deeper cooperation among Central Asian countries to unlock the region’s economic potential,…

ASTANA – Uzbekistan marked its FIFA World Cup debut with a historic milestone on June 17 as Abbosbek Fayzullayev scored the nation’s first-ever World Cup goal, but Colombia pushed further with a 3-1 victory in their Group K opener. Uzbekistan and Colombia faced off in their opening Group K match at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium…

ASTANA – Belgian heavy-lift and transport company Sarens plans to invest up to $56 million in a logistics and commercial hub near Kazakhstan’s border with China, a project that could help ease cargo bottlenecks and strengthen the country’s role as a key transit corridor between Asia and Europe, said Hannes Van Nedervelde, construction director at…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Canada are seeking to expand cooperation beyond traditional trade and resource industries, harnessing opportunities presented by emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and digital innovation, officials and business leaders said at the seventh meeting of the Kazakhstan-Canada Business Council in Astana on June 10. “Kazakhstan and Canada are separated by thousands…