Articles by Saniya Sakenova

ASTANA – On the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Kazakh journalist and author of documentary projects Maya Bekbayeva presented her new book “Kazakhstan. Contribution to Victory” on April 23, revealing previously unknown stories and lesser-known facts about Kazakhstan’s role in the war, reported Kazinform. The book is the result of years…

ASTANA – One of the challenges people face when they arrive in a new country to live and work is getting a bank card. In Kazakhstan, foreign nationals also face the same struggle due to cumbersome regulations and sometimes unclear banking policies. The Astana Times delves deeper into the process of obtaining a bank card…

ASTANA – Amid international instability and rising costs of outbound tourism, more people are choosing to travel around Kazakhstan, domestic tourism expert Sofya Tastemirova said at the KOMPAS International Travel Market conference, held during the Kazakhstan International Travel Fair (KITF) Travel Forum on April 24 in Almaty, reported KITF’s press service. Tastemirova noted that in…

ASTANA – Recent years have become a period of closer ties between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan not only in politics and economics but also at the level of the expert community and societies, Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS) Yerkin Tukumov said during the fourth meeting of the Kazakh-Azerbaijani Expert Council on April…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the long-term, strategic impact of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan (APK) at its 34th session on April 24, which marked the 30th anniversary of the institution, reported Akorda. Promoting labor and unity Tokayev noted that the Assembly’s daily work may not always be visible but plays a…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received General Asim Munir, the Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Armed Forces, who arrived in Astana on an official visit on April 23, reported Akorda. They discussed cooperation in defense, military education, and the overall development of bilateral relations. President Tokayev emphasized that Kazakhstan regards Pakistan as a…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to train 500,000 schoolchildren, 300,000 students, 90,000 civil servants, 80,000 business representatives, and thousands of citizens from other areas in artificial intelligence (AI) skills over the next five years, said Daniya Akhmetova, the managing director of the Astana Hub International Technopark of IT Startups, at an April 17 press conference in…

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin proposed opening Kazakhstan’s trading house in Kabul during a meeting with Afghan Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar on April 22, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. Baradar welcomed the initiative and expressed Afghanistan’s intention to open its own trading house in…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov discussed the prospects for strengthening the multifaceted strategic partnership at an informal meeting in Turkistan on April 22, reported Akorda. President Tokayev thanked Berdimuhamedov for visiting Turkistan, the spiritual capital of Kazakhstan and a city of sacred significance…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi Mausoleum in Turkistan on April 21, reported Akorda. Berdimuhamedov’s visit includes an informal meeting and tours of several sites in the city. The leaders are expected to discuss prospects for strengthening the Kazakh-Turkmen…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has surpassed 3,000 installed 5G base stations nationwide, Kazinform reported on April 12, citing Kazakhtelecom, the country’s largest telecommunications company. Chief Innovation Officer at Kazakhtelecom Nurlan Meirmanov stated that the rollout is part of a consortium project with Mobile Telecom-Service, a joint company of Tele2 and ALTEL brands, and progress is ahead…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is implementing 24 infrastructure projects worth 1.9 trillion tenge (US$3.6 billion) in the Mangystau Region, Minister of Transport Marat Karabayev reported to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Aktau International Sea Port during the President’s visit to the region on April 18, according to Akorda. In 2024, the volume of cargo transportation along…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is preparing to upgrade its Concept for the Development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into a Strategy, announced Gizzat Baitursynov, the chairman of the AI and Innovation Development Committee at the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry during an April 17 press conference in the Central Communications Service (CCS). According to…

ASTANA – Thirty six wagons of humanitarian aid from Kazakhstan arrived at the Hairatan railway station in Balkh province, Afghanistan, on April 17, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. Some 2,200 tons of aid included vegetable oil, wheat flour, rice groats, tents, and blankets. An additional shipment of essential medicines will be sent by air.…

ASTANA – The Honorary Consulate of Belgium and the representative office of the Benelux Chamber of Commerce officially opened on April 17 in Aktau, marking a key step in strengthening trade, economic, investment, and diplomatic ties between Belgium and Kazakhstan, reported Benelux press service. Belgian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Henri Vantieghem highlighted the importance of the…

ASTANA – The possibility of opening an Al Jazeera correspondent office in Kazakhstan was one of the key topics of the meeting between the President’s Press Secretary Ruslan Zheldibay, Al Jazeera Media Institute Director Eman Al Amri, and Managing Director Issa Ali in Astana on April 15. According to Zheldibay’s Telegram channel, the discussions touched…

ASTANA – Automechanika Astana 2025, a major international exhibition, opened on April 15 in the Kazakh capital, bringing together 350 companies from 22 countries, including Germany, Italy, and Japan, reported the Kazakh Industry and Construction Ministry’s press service. The event serves as a platform for manufacturers, distributors, service providers, and industry experts from all over…

ASTANA – The International Center for Interfaith and Interreligious Dialogue in Kazakhstan and the Muslim World League (MWL) signed a memorandum of understanding on April 15 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to strengthen cooperation and international security. The roundtable focused on the role of religious leaders in building a just and sustainable world amid geopolitical instability,…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined main directions for Kazakhstan’s economic policy in response to shifting global market conditions caused by tariff conflicts, during a Security Council meeting on April 16, reported Akorda. According to Tokayev, the current global economic situation is unstable and requires readiness for any scenario of its development. “The government’s task…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law on April 15 prohibiting using budgetary and quasi-public sector funds to finance foreign legionnaires in sports, reported Akorda. The legislation, which introduces amendments to the law on physical culture and sports and the elimination of excessive legislative regulation, designates an authorized body responsible for defining priority and…

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu invited Kuwaiti investors to participate in major projects in Kazakhstan, pledging comprehensive support. Nurtleu participated in the third ministerial meeting of the Central Asia – Gulf Cooperation Council on April 15, reported the Foreign Ministry’s press service. At a meeting with Waleed Al-Bahar, a…

ASTANA – A delegation of 18 ambassadors of European countries visited Shymkent on April 11 to strengthen cooperation between the city and Europe, reported Shymkent’s Department of Tourism, External Relations and Creative Industry. Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko and EU Ambassador to Kazakhstan Aleška Simkić led the delegation which included ambassadors from countries ranging…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev commended Kazakhstan’s first peacekeeping contingent to the Golan Heights during a meeting with officers and soldiers of the National Peacekeeping Forces on April 14, following their successful completion of a year-long mission under the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), reported Akorda. Throughout the mission, the contingent of 139 personnel conducted…

ASTANA – A team of physician-researchers from Kazakhstan’s University Medical Center (UMC), led by internationally renowned cardiac surgeon Yuriy Pya, has presented the groundbreaking Alem innovation for donor organ preservation and transportation at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, being held from April 13 to Oct. 13, reported the Heart Center Foundation’s press service.…

ASTANA – Four Kazakh citizens have been repatriated to Kazakhstan after they were forced into labor in Myanmar, reported the Dunyo agency of Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry. Two Uzbek citizens have sought help from the country’s consulate to return home. There were also eight citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic.  They were lured to Thailand with promises…