Articles by Aibarshyn Akhmetkali

ASTANA – Recent social survey results highlight that while Kazakh families continue to cherish marriage-related traditions, support for costly weddings and outdated practices, such as bride kidnapping, has significantly declined, reported Ranking.kz monitoring website. The survey was conducted by the Kazakhstan Institute of Public Development (KIPD), a leading research and analytical center in social studies.…

ASTANA – With vast agricultural lands but inefficient irrigation systems, Kazakhstan might face major challenges when it comes to water scarcity. This article explores the use of transboundary rivers in Central Asia.  According to the World Meteorological Organization, up to five billion people may face water shortages by 2025, with Kazakhstan predicted to be among…

ASTANA – Central Asian designers reveal the next season’s trends and colors to fit best into the new 2025 year. According to Kazakh designer Yerlan Zholdasbek, world fashion trends are most often set by American and European designers, but Kazakh fashion has greater influence from Asian trends, particularly from Japan and South Korea. “They have…

ASTANA – Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to boost Kazakhstan’s efficiency, drive innovation, and enhance its global competitiveness but challenges remain from limited access to microchip technology and ambiguous regulatory framework, experts say. The road to AI prosperity might not be completely smooth, the article’s authors Vladimir Kuryatov warn, especially with limited access to…

ASTANA – In an interview with Ana Tili newspaper on Jan. 3, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed circulating opinions about a potential fundamental reform for Kazakhstan’s transition to a parliamentary system and early parliamentary elections, clarifying that such claims were not accurate. “A parliamentary system undoubtedly has its merits and historical roots in many European and…

ASTANA – The participants of the international consortium for the nuclear power plant construction in Kazakhstan will be determined in 2025, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in an Ana Tili interview on Jan. 3. During the national referendum on constructing a nuclear power plant in October 2024, Tokayev suggested that an international consortium of leading global…

ASTANA – Foreign exhibitions, festivals and theater tours that embrace the diversity and richness of Kazakh cultural heritage have strengthened cultural ties with other countries and promoted Kazakh culture abroad, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Information, wrapping up the 2024 events. Exhibitions in Venice and Paris This year Kazakh art was presented for…

ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev shared the key outcomes of 2024 in an interview with Ana Tili (Mother Tongue) newspaper on Jan. 3. Exactly one year ago, on Jan. 3, Tokayev gave an interview to Egemen Qazaqstan newspaper, where he outlined an ambitious economic course aimed at achieving a Just and Fair Kazakhstan and…

ASTANA – Betashar, a centuries-old custom of unveiling the bride, provides insight into Kazakh weddings, uniting families and communities. Like any significant celebration, Kazakh weddings are filled with traditions and nuances that might seem like something of a mystery for a foreign eye. One such tradition is betashar, the unveiling of a bride’s face, a…

ASTANA – Dec. 25 marked the 85th anniversary of Kazakh poetess Fariza Ongarsynova, who had a vital presence in Kazakh poetry known for her deep exploration of the female heart and soul.  Her collections of poetry such as “Troubled Times” (1972), “Wild Waves” (1973), and “I Am in Your Heart” (1975), laid out new poetic…

ASTANA – The Kazakh youth is driving change in the country and represents it across different sectors regionally and globally. As the year draws to a close, The Astana Times is highlighting young Kazakh change makers in science, art, music, sport and humanitarian activities, who stand up for what is right, work to make a…

ASTANA – Private gardeners and associations are making efforts to revive the aport apple—a national treasure with its rich red color and vibrant flavor—bringing it to tables across Kazakhstan and beyond. These legendary apples once blanketed the mountainous regions near Almaty, but with urbanization, only a few orchards remain, putting the once-abundant fruit at risk.…

ASTANA – In Kazakhstan, 90 million hectares of land are affected by degradation, demanding urgent action, according to experts at an international conference organized by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Kazakhstan and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with the support of the Kazakh Ministries of Agriculture and Ecology and Natural Resources…

ASTANA – Modernization of grid infrastructure might become a key element driving the adoption of green energy in Kazakhstan, according to Sultan Valikhanov, an expert at the EconomyKZ portal. “Green electrification is not just an environmental necessity. It is a chance for Kazakhstan to reach a new level of sustainable development. Using international experience, the…

ASTANA – The significance of the first comprehensive dictionary of Turkic languages, the “Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk” (Compendium of the languages of the Turks) was discussed at an international conference organized by the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation on Dec. 13  at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France. The conference, titled Mapping the World in Lexicography: the…

ASTANA – Astana has become the first city in Kazakhstan and Central Asia to receive sustainable development certification, reported akimat (city administration) press service on Dec. 13. The city was evaluated based on the ISO 37120 standard on Sustainable Development of Communities under Indicators for City Services and Quality of Life. The certification was conducted…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Morocco signed agreements on the extradition of criminals, on legal assistance in criminal cases, and on the transfer of convicted persons during Kazakh Prosecutor General Berik Assylov’s working visit to Morocco on Dec. 13, reported the prosecutor’s press office. According to Assylov, the conclusion of such agreements is extremely important for…

ASTANA – Kazakh boxer Ablaikhan Zhussupov secured the gold medal of the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, after the revision of the fight against Khavasbek Asadullaye, reported Sports.kz. Uzbek boxer was disqualified for biting Zhusupov during the final bout of the light middleweight (71 kilogram) final. In a controversial moment during…

ASTANA – Geological studies in 2024 identified 60 promising areas with inferred resources of noble, non-ferrous and ferrous metals, said Chairman of the Committee of Geology of Kazakh Ministry of Industry and Construction Erlan Akbarov during the press conference at Central Communications Service on Dec. 12. As a result of geological exploration, 27 solid mineral…

ASTANA – Gold reserves on Kazakhstan’s state balance have increased by 522 tons in 2024, said Chairman of the Committee of Geology of Kazakh Ministry of Industry and Construction Erlan Akbarov during the press conference at Central Communications Service on Dec. 12. The increases span a wide range of other minerals and energy resources, including…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan summed up the achievements of its three-year membership in the United Nation’s Human Rights Council (HRC), resulting in the adoption of two resolutions – on children’s rights in education and on the elimination of domestic violence –  in Geneva on Dec. 10, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service. Over the past…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan can make significant discoveries of new hydrocarbon deposits, with geologists identifying 15 sedimentary basins containing an estimated 76 billion tons of conditional fuel resources, said Chairman of the Committee of Geology of Kazakh Ministry of Industry and Construction Erlan Akbarov during the press conference at Central Communications Service on Dec. 12. Kazakhstan’s…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s renewable energy sector demonstrated steady growth in 2024, though energy storage systems remain a key challenge, said experts during a roundtable discussing Kazakhstan’s progress in renewable energy development in 2024 on Dec. 11 in Astana. The roundtable was organized by the Qazaq Green association with the support of the Kazakh Ministry of…

ASTANA – On Human Rights Day, marked on Dec. 10, a scientific-practical conference in Astana evaluated Kazakhstan’s progress in human rights protection and addressed the challenges that remain. Organized by Kazakhstan’s Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights together with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Kazakhstan, the Commission on Human Rights under the…

ASTANA – Astana Ballet theater premiered “December Rain” ballet on Dec. 6, which tells the extraordinary romantic biography of Frederic Chopin on the journey towards death. Anyone familiar with classical music, almost certainly, has encountered a piece by Chopin, but not many know his life story and his passionate, unconventional love affair with the extravagant…