Articles by Aiman Nakispekova

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Association for the Development of Artificial Intelligence, also known as Qaz.AI, is working with government and industry leaders to shape new rules for AI as officials seek to encourage innovation while guarding against manipulation and other risks, said Temirlan Ziyatov, the association’s chairman, in an interview with The Astana Times. In a…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will pay a state visit to Pakistan on Feb. 3–4, where he is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari and attend the Kazakhstan-Pakistan business forum. The talks will focus on strengthening political dialogue and expanding trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian cooperation. According…

ASTANA – Space exploration and environmental risks are increasingly intertwined as defunct spacecraft turn into uncontrolled debris orbiting Earth. Dr. Dmitry Sizov, an aerospace engineering expert at Astana-based Nazarbayev University, discussed the growing threat of space debris and its global implications during a lecture at the university on Jan. 29. Space pollution problem  As space…

ASTANA – The government has approved the Children of Kazakhstan program on Jan. 27, aimed at consolidating and systematizing existing mechanisms to protect children’s rights across key sectors. The five-year program was developed by the Ministry of Education, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights, and relevant ministries. It aims to improve the consistency and effectiveness of…

ASTANA – International magazine Vogue has included Kazakhstan in its list of the world’s 14 best travel destinations for 2025, the publication reported on Dec. 18. In its annual roundup, The 14 Best Places Vogue Editors Visited in 2025, the editors highlighted destinations that made the strongest impression during their travels over the past year.…

ASTANA – The ethnic history of the Kazakh people is complex, shaped by centuries of migration, cultural interaction and political change across Central Asia. Modern historical sources and DNA research now offer new insights into how the Kazakh nation emerged and how traditional genealogies, known as shezhire, can be verified scientifically. In an interview with…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan entered 2026 with a renewed focus on political reforms and governance priorities following President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s address at the kurultai in Kyzylorda on Jan. 20. In his January interview, Tokayev described the coming year as decisive, citing a planned constitutional reform referendum and large-scale amendments comparable to adopting a new constitution. Ljubica…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s national currency strengthened in 2025. But analysts warn that structural pressures could lead to gradual weakening in 2026. The tenge gained 1.3% in December, closing at 505.73 per U.S. dollar, according to the National Bank of Kazakhstan. Average daily trading volume on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange rose to $359 million, up from…

ASTANA – Kazakh musicians, including a symphony orchestra, a chamber choir, and a ballet troupe, will perform at the 35th Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival (LGMF) 2026, one of the longest-running international music festivals, scheduled for Jan. 16-25 in India. The festival tour will cover five major cities, including New Delhi, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore,…

ASTANA – Whether a real conflict existed between Genghis Khan and his eldest son Jochi remains one of the most debated questions in early Mongol history, historian Artem Porsin said in an interview with Kazinform.  According to Porsin, a PhD historian and chief research fellow at the Research Institute for the Study of the Ulus…

ASTANA – Social media has surpassed traditional platforms as the country’s primary source of information, driven by the rapid expansion of mobile internet and the increasing popularity of short-form content. For many young Kazakh citizens, social networks are no longer just communication tools – they have become central to daily life, shaping how people learn,…

ASTANA – Eight leading OPEC+ producers agreed to maintain current oil output levels through February and March 2026, extending a pause on production increases due to seasonal factors, according to a statement released after the group’s meeting on Jan. 4. Algeria, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also reiterated…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan in 2025 was marked by major political, economic, technological and cultural developments that directly affected daily life. The Astana Times rounds up some of the most widely read domestic stories of the year. Digital transformation at the forefront Digitalization dominated Kazakhstan’s domestic policy agenda in 2025, as the country accelerated its ambition…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan attracted $10.55 billion in investment in the first six months of the year, underscoring the country’s continued investment appeal despite ongoing geopolitical instability. In an interview with Kazinform, the experts outlined key trends, challenges and prospects shaping Kazakhstan’s investment landscape. Top investing countries and sectoral trends According to the National Bank of…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s civil aviation sector recorded steady growth in 2025, driven by improvements in safety, passenger traffic and international cooperation, said Chair of the Civil Aviation Committee Saltanat Tompiyeva in an interview with The Astana Times. In September, Kazakhstan passed an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation security audit, achieving a 95.7% compliance rate…

ASTANA – Kazakh films are gaining a growing audience across Central Asia, as the country’s film industry builds on a preserved production base and a new generation of trained professionals to secure a place on the global cinematic map. According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Information, domestic films earned more than 22 billion tenge…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan unveiled the E-museum digital portal at the National Museum of Kazakhstan on Dec. 24, marking a step toward creating a unified online space for museums nationwide, reported the Ministry of Culture and Information. The E-museum portal consolidates museum collections nationwide into a single digital platform, providing scholarly descriptions of cultural artifacts and…

ASTANA – Fourteen-year-old Kazakh tennis player Ahmadi Makhanov has been named Overseas Player of the Year (non-European category) by the Tennis Europe Tour, reported the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation (KTF) on Dec. 24. Makhanov posted consistently strong results throughout 2025, finishing the year 24th in the Tennis Europe under-16 rankings. He won one singles title at…

ASTANA – The Kyrgyz Republic commissioned its first solar power plant in the Kemin district of the Chui Region on Dec. 24, with President Sadyr Japarov attending the launch ceremony, according to the president’s press service. The 100-megawatt facility is expected to generate around 210 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually and reduce carbon dioxide…

ASTANA – Exports of Georgian goods to Kazakhstan reached $849.9 million in January-November, up 6.8% from the same period in 2024, placing Kazakhstan among Georgia’s top three export destinations, according to preliminary data from Georgia’s National Statistics Office (Geostat), reported Kazinform on Dec.24. Kazakhstan accounted for 12.8% of Georgia’s total exports, making it the country’s…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan established three new special economic zones, including Korkyt Ata, Aktobe and Atyrau in 2025 as part of efforts to strengthen investment attraction, announced QazIndustry, the national operator for special economic and industrial zones on Dec. 25. The country also expanded the territories of several existing special economic zones, such as Turan, Aktau…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has ranked among the top ten countries worldwide in reducing mortality from noncommunicable diseases. According to the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Europe, the rate fell by 25% by 2025, reported 24.kz news agency on Dec.22. The Ministry of Health attributed the progress to expanded prevention programs, earlier diagnosis and improved…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has established a State Debt Management Council to improve coordination of public borrowing and develop the government securities market, the Ministry of Finance reported on Dec. 22. The consultative body was created jointly by the Ministry of Finance, the National Bank of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of National Economy. The council will…

ASTANA – The Light Rail Transit (LRT) system is expected to complete its testing phase and enter full operation within the next few months, Astana mayor (governor) Zhenis Kassymbek said at a briefing at the Central Communications Service on Dec. 22.  The LRT has been operating in test mode since September. Kassymbek said all rail…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will become the world’s second-largest producer of gallium after Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) signed a long-term supply agreement with Mitsubishi Corporation RtM Japan Ltd. during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state visit to Japan, reported the ERG’s press service on Dec. 20. The project is one of ERG’s key initiatives focused on critical minerals.…