Kazakhstan Uses Recovered Assets to Build Another School
ASTANA – The Kazakh government has allocated 1.4 billion tenge (US$2.7 million) from recovered illegally withdrawn assets to build a new school in Koksai village, the Zhetisu Region, the Prime Minister’s press service reported on Feb. 7. A similar amount was recently used to construct a school in the Ulytau Region. Koksai’s existing school, where…
Sixth EU-Central Asia Meeting: Despite Economic Growth, Afghanistan’s Situation Remains Dire
ASTANA — Despite the observed economic growth, the situation in Afghanistan remains dire — a quarter of the population is starving. This was noted at the sixth European Union (EU)-Central Asia meeting on Afghanistan, which took place in Dushanbe on Feb. 5. According to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service, the participating countries agreed that…
Kazakhstan Allocates $2.7 Million in Recovered Assets to Build New School
ASTANA – The Kazakh government has allocated over 1.4 billion tenge (US$2.7 million) from recovered illegally withdrawn assets to build a new school in the Ulytau Region, the Prime Minister’s press service reported on Feb. 5. The 80-seat school in Karazhal will improve the lives of local children, many of whom travel to other parts…
Almaty Museum of Arts Launches Official Website
ASTANA – Almaty Museum of Arts has launched an official website, offering a digital archive and database to provide researchers and contemporary art lovers access to its collection, the museum’s press service reported on Jan. 31. The website, developed by a Dutch studio, features information on upcoming exhibitions, the museum’s history, and its growing collection…
Italy Includes Mangystau in Travel Tour Catalog
ASTANA – An Italian tour operator has added eco-friendly routes of Kazakhstan’s Mangystau Region to its travel catalog alongside trips to Almaty and the Turkistan Region, Kazakh Tourism National Company reported on Feb. 4. Promoting new routes and expanding tourism ties between Kazakhstan and Italy were key points in a recently signed memorandum of cooperation…
Kazakhstan to Launch Flights to Mumbai in April
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s flagship airline Air Astana will launch additional flights to India on the route Almaty – Mumbai from April 20, reported the Ministry of Transport. Flights will be operated three times a week on Airbus aircraft. Thus, the number of passenger flights between the countries will be increased to 21 per week on…
WB Report Emphasizes Need to Increase Revenues for Sustainable Investment in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – The World Bank’s latest economic update on Kazakhstan, Funding the Future: Boosting Revenues for Lasting Investments, released on Jan. 30, presents a mixed outlook for the country’s economy, with a projected acceleration of growth from 4% in 2024 to 4.5-5% in 2025, driven by increased oil production and continued fiscal support. According to…
President Expresses Condolences After Deadly Plane Crash Near Washington D.C.
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was deeply saddened to hear about the numerous victims resulting from the plane crash near Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C., reported Akorda on Jan. 30. On behalf of the people of Kazakhstan and on his own behalf, Tokayev expressed sincere condolences to the U.S. President Donald Trump, the families…
Kambarata-1 to Become Central Asia’s Large Hydropower Plant
ASTANA – The officials of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Uzbekistan discussed the construction of the Kambarata-1 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) with a capacity of 1,860 megawatts at a Jan. 28 meeting in Tashkent. Kazakh Vice Minister of Energy Sungat Yessimkhanov said the plant will become one of the largest in Central Asia and contribute…
Kazakhstan Launches Language-Vision AI Model in Pilot Mode
ASTANA – The Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (NU ISSAI) at Nazarbayev University has launched Oylan, a multimodal AI model capable of processing both images and text in Kazakh, English, and Russian, reported the NU ISSAI’s press service. To train Oylan, NU ISSAI researchers created the largest AI dataset in Kazakhstan, comprising over…
Chevron Launches $48 Billion Tengiz Oilfield Expansion, Sets to Boost Global Oil Supply
ASTANA — Chevron has started production at its $48 billion expansion of the Tengiz oilfield in Kazakhstan. The expansion is expected to increase output to nealry 1 million barrels of oil per day, or approximately 1% of the global crude supply, reported Reuters on Jan. 24. Due to high sulphur levels and harsh weather conditions,…
Kazakhstan’s CICA Chairmanship Recognized by UN for Advancing Regional Cooperation
ASTANA — The Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA)’s achievements during Kazakhstan’s 2020-2024 chairmanship were circulated by UN Headquarters as an official document of the UN General Assembly and Security Council. Under the leadership of Kazakhstan, CICA has made major strides in advancing multilateral cooperation across Asia. Notable accomplishments include the effective…
Kazakhstan’s Ice Cream Exports Soar to Historic High
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s ice cream exports reached a record 9,800 tons from January to November 2024, a 70% increase compared to the same period in 2023, Data Hub’s press service reported on Jan. 21. This is the highest volume since 2002. Russia accounted for the largest share of exports at 69%, followed by the Kyrgyz…
Kazakhstan Ranks First Among China’s Central Asian Trade Partners in 2024
ASTANA – Kazakhstan ranked first among China’s trade partners in Central Asia in 2024, with trade turnover reaching $43.82 billion, Kazinform reported on Jan. 23, citing the Chinese General Administration of Customs. The Kyrgyz Republic followed with $22.71 billion, Uzbekistan ranked third with $13.78 billion, Turkmenistan placed fourth with $10.65 billion, and Tajikistan came fifth…
Nazarbayev University Showcases AI Innovations & Educational Startups at Bett Show 2025
ASTANA – Nazarbayev University (NU) presented its innovative AI solutions, including the Soyle App, ISSAI KAZ-LLM Kazakh language model, and Artisan Education – a startup revolutionizing self-paced learning in robotics and programming at the British Educational Training and Technology Show (Bett Show), which takes place on Jan. 22-24 in London. A global hub for educational…
Young Kazakh Forward to Join Chelsea Football Club in 2026
ASTANA – Dastan Satpayev, a 16-year-old forward from Almaty’s Kairat football team and the Kazakhstan youth team, is set to join London’s Chelsea Football Club in 2026, Tengri Sport reported on Jan. 21. An official announcement regarding his transfer is expected this week. However, Satpayev will remain with Kairat until he turns 18 and will…
Trade Turnover Between Astana and Tashkent Exceeds $4.2 Billion in 2024
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has become one of Uzbekistan’s largest foreign economic partners, ranking among its top three, with trade turnover reaching $4.22 billion in 2024, Uzbekistan’s Statistics Agency reported on Jan. 20. China remains Uzbekistan’s leading trading partner, with a trade turnover of $12.4 billion, accounting for 18.9% of the total. Russia is second, with…
President Tokayev to Chair Expanded Government Meeting Next Week
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will chair an expanded meeting of the Kazakh government on Jan. 28, reported Akorda. The meeting will sum up the outcomes of Kazakhstan’s socio-economic development in 2024 and formulate the key tasks for the government. Reports are expected from Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, National Bank Chairman Timur Suleimenov, and regional…
AZAL Plane Crash: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan & Russia Launch Joint Investigation
ASTANA – Joint investigations are underway into the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane near Aktau, in coordination with authorities of Kazakhstan and Russia, including the Prosecutor’s Office and law enforcement agencies, the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev told media, reported Trend on Jan. 20. Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev stated that…
Kazakh President Congratulates Donald Trump on Inauguration as US President
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sent a congratulatory telegram to Donald Trump on his inauguration as the 47th President of the United States, held on Jan. 20 in Washington. In the telegram, President Tokayev expressed confidence in the further strengthening of the partnership between Kazakhstan and the United States, emphasizing opportunities for cooperation in energy,…
More Than 1,000 Enterprises with Kazakh Capital Operate in Uzbekistan
ASTANA – Uzbekistan currently has 1,041 enterprises with Kazakh capital, which contributes significantly to its economy, the Uzbekistan Statistics Agency reported on Jan. 14. The number of foreign-invested enterprises in Uzbekistan has grown by 1.3 times over the past five years. China leads with 3,357 enterprises with full and partial participation, making up 21.8% of…
Kazakhstan Surpasses Japan in Mobile Internet Speed
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has surpassed Japan in mobile internet speed, securing the 57th position globally compared to Japan’s 58th, according to the Speedtest Global Index for December 2024. In particular, the median download speed in Kazakhstan was 53.76 megabits per second (Mbps), and in Japan, it was 53.54 Mbps. In terms of fixed broadband speed,…
New Flights to China, Vietnam, and Egypt to Launch from Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Air Astana and Egypt’s Air Cairo will open new flights to China, Vietnam, and Egypt this year, the Civil Aviation Committee reported on Jan. 20. From March, Air Astana will launch routes from Almaty to Nha Trang, Vietnam, with four weekly flights, and from Astana to Nha Trang with three weekly flights.…
Kazakh-China Rail Cargo Transportation Reaches Record 32 Million Tons in 2024
ASTANA – Cargo transportation by rail between Kazakhstan and China reached a historic high of over 32 million tons by the end of 2024, the Railway and Water Transport Committee of the Kazakh Transport Ministry reported on Jan. 16. Kazakhstan’s exports increased by one million tons to 13.7 million tons. The main export commodities included…
Astana to Host International Tournament Featuring World Track & Field Stars
ASTANA – The Kazakh capital will host the Astana Indoor Meet for Amin Tuyakov Prizes international athletics tournament on Jan. 25, featuring top athletes, including Olympic champions and world championship medalists. According to the National Olympic Committee’s press service, the massive event will mark the start of the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold 2025 series,…