Articles by Dana Omirgazy

ASTANA – The Kazakh capital’s Kazanat Hippodrome will host the first national cuisine gastrofestival titled BaiQymyz – baptalgan kymyz on July 19-20, dedicated to kymyz, the traditional Kazakh drink made from fermented mare’s milk. The event will also feature an international scientific-practical conference titled Mare’s Milk and Kymyz – the Basis of Health and Longevity…

ASTANA – The Kazakh capital will host the international Phygital Games of the Future from July 18 to Aug. 1 next year. The event will bring together over 1,500 athletes from around 100 countries, competing in 13 disciplines that combine physical sports with digital gameplay.  Phygital disciplines include football, basketball, boxing, hockey, battle royale, and…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has launched four upgraded border checkpoints with China and Uzbekistan as part of a national effort to boost transit capacity and streamline trade. According to the State Revenue Committee of the Finance Ministry, the project aims to modernize nine checkpoints along the country’s borders with China, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The new checkpoints…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s film “Bauyryna salu” (Adoption) directed by Askhat Kuchincherekov won the Best Feature Film award at the 23rd edition of Ischia Film Festival, which was held from June 28 to July 5. The film premiered in 2023 at the San Sebastian Film Festival, earning praise from critics and audiences, reported the Kazakh Ministry…

ASTANA – The Jibek Joly (Silk Road in Kazakh) tourist train will launch its new season on Sept. 19, offering passengers a six-day cultural voyage through some of Central Asia’s most historic cities. The route will begin and end in Almaty, passing through Turkistan, Otyrar, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Tashkent. The route is designed to immerse…

ASTANA — Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has announced plans to create a new state nature reserve, Aral Ormany, in the Kyzylorda Region. This initiative aims to support forest reclamation and environmental restoration efforts on the dried bottom of the Aral Sea. Minister Yerlan Nyssanbayev conducted a working visit to the region on…

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest covers Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, the launch of a new supercomputer, human rights and more. Kazakhstan reinforces multivector foreign policy The Jamestown Foundation published an article on July 9 discussing Kazakhstan’s evolving foreign policy strategy. It highlights…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s airline SCAT will launch direct passenger flights on the Almaty–Minsk route twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, starting from Aug. 10. Currently, flights to Minsk are operated by the Belarusian airline Belavia from Astana, with a frequency of four flights per week, reported the Kazakh Transport Ministry on July 10. With…

ASTANA – By 2025, Kazakhstan has emerged as a regional frontrunner in digital transformation – not only in fintech and IT exports, but also in the delivery of public services, AI development, and broadband connectivity. Now ranking among the global top 10 for online government services, the country is rapidly becoming a model of digital…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Situational and Analytical Complex (SAC) project has secured first place in its category at the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2025. This year’s competition featured around 1,000 projects from countries around the world. The development was recognized as the best in the category titled Role of Governments and…

ASTANA – The Development Bank of Kazakhstan has placed two tranches of Eurobonds on international capital markets, including a $200 million tap of its April-issued dollar bonds and a new offering denominated in Kazakh tenge.  The dollar bonds, maturing in April 2030 with a 5.625% coupon, attracted strong interest from global investors, particularly in the…

ASTANA – Kazakh star Dimash Qudaibergen performed at the prestigious A Night with the Stars concert at the Ho Guom Opera House in Vietnam’s capital on July 6. Performing alongside legendary Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo and renowned Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais, Qudaibergen opened the evening with a powerful rendition of “SOS d’un Terrien en Détresse.”…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) President Salvatore Sciacchitano on July 8 to discuss ongoing developments and prospects for deeper cooperation in the aviation sector. Kazakhstan has become the first country in the region to establish an independent aviation administration. Tokayev and Sciacchitan agreed that this milestone has enhanced…

ASTANA – United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order on July 7 extending certain tariff rates until Aug. 1. Under the order, Kazakhstan will face a new 25% reciprocal tariff. The same tariff would apply to Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, and Tunisia. Higher rates would apply to other countries, with 30% on South…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s actor Bakhyt Khajibayev won the best actor award at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Film Festival on July 6 in the Chinese city of Chongqing. He was recognized for a leading role in “Operation Nabat,” a drama inspired by actual events. Khajibayev expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work on the film…

ASTANA – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu represented Kazakhstan for the first time as a partner country at the 17th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 7. Established in 2006, the BRICS owes its name to the initials of its five member states – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and…

ASTANA – North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC), the operator of the North Caspian project, has produced one billion barrels of oil since the Kashagan field start-up. The remarkable milestone was achieved on July 4, demonstrating stable operation and development of the North Caspian Project, which makes a significant contribution to Kazakhstan’s socio-economic development. NCOC Managing…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has established the Khorgos – Eastern Gate Special Economic Zone (SEZ), with its regulations and target indicators approved, according to a government resolution dated July 1. The SEZ is located in Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu Region and covers a total area of 5,431.5 hectares. It includes a port zone (air hub) spanning 840 hectares,…

ASTANA – Two hundred and thirty power plants are operating in Kazakhstan, including 156 renewable energy facilities with a total installed capacity of over three gigawatts (GW), said Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov during a July 4 meeting chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. According to the ministry, Kazakhstan produced 117.9 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in…

ASTANA — Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in the official opening ceremony of the new headquarters of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) on July 2. Together with CICA Secretary General Kairat Sarybay, he unveiled a commemorative plaque and attended the flag-raising ceremony by the honor guard. The President…

ASTANA – British actor and martial artist Scott Adkins has been announced as the third headliner for Comic Con Astana, Central Asia’s largest geek culture festival. Renowned for his dynamic roles in action films and Marvel projects, Adkins joins fellow Hollywood stars Andy Serkis and Esai Morales in this year’s stellar lineup. Adkins has earned…

ASTANA – The International Arbitration Centre (IAC) Eurasia Arbitration Week 2025 (EAW25) officially opened on July 1, bringing together the international arbitration community to discuss key developments and trends in dispute resolution. In its third year, EAW25 attracted around 400 participants, including leading practitioners, arbitrators, judges, academics, and representatives from business, government, and diplomatic institutions…

ASTANA – The Kazakh Foreign Ministry announced the opening of applications for the 10th edition of Kazakhstan through the Eyes of Foreign Media contest on July 1. The competition invites foreign journalists to submit their written or filmed works showcasing diverse aspects of Kazakhstan. Since 2014, the competition has recognized outstanding written and video materials produced…

ASTANA – The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Kazakhstan 2024 program, which has become a significant milestone in the development of women-led businesses in the country, was completed on June 30 in Almaty. The closing ceremony brought together the program participants, partners, and representatives of international organizations to celebrate the program’s significant achievements and the…

ASTANA – Comic Con Astana continues to unveil the lineup for Central Asia’s largest geek culture festival. Joining Andy Serkis on the list of headliners is Esai Morales – an American actor known for his roles in hit TV series “Ozark” and “Titans”, as well as the two most recent episodes of the “Mission: Impossible”…