Articles by Aizada Arystanbek

New Kazakh Film “The Horse Thieves” Starring Samal Yeslyamova Is Released in French Theaters

NUR-SULTAN – The new Kazakh film “The Horse Thieves. Roads of Time” starring Samal Yeslyamova has been released in theaters across 21 cities in France, reported Kazinform on July 29. The film tells a tale of a close-knit family whose serene life is shaken when a gang of horse thieves kills the father of the…

Kazakh Government Offers Incentives for Businesses to Implement Safety Measures As Coronavirus Cases Rapidly Rise in Kazakhstan

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government has introduced plans to include more business enterprises in the Ashyq project and offer more lenient working hours for businesses who follow sanitary measures, as the coronavirus incidence rate has increased by 5.2 times since June. The Kazakh Ministry of Healthcare issued an official statement from the Chief Sanitary Doctor…

AERC Expects Kazakhstan’s Real GDP to Continue Its Recovery, Warns About Consequences of New Coronavirus Wave

NUR-SULTAN – The Applied Economics Research Centre (AERC) shared its macroeconomic report on Kazakhstan on July 26, projecting the country’s 2021 real GDP growth to reach about 3.9 percent and expressing concern that the economic recovery could be affected by a new coronavirus lockdown. The experts at the AERC rely on three main factors for…

Kazakhstan’s Share of Bitcoin Mining Increases Sixfold Surging to Third Place Worldwide

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s bitcoin mining has dramatically surged into third place on the global market as the country’s share reached 8.2 percent in April, reported the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance on July 15. The sixfold increase occurred in Kazakhstan between September 2019, when the country’s mining share was 1.9 percent, and this Spring.  For…

Trade Between Kazakhstan and Central Asian Countries Grows 35% Since 2020

NUR-SULTAN – Trade between Kazakhstan and Central Asian countries grew by 35 percent over the year, according to the report of the Kazakh Bureau of National statistics for January-May 2021. Kazakhstan’s trade with other Central Asian states reached $2.3 billion for the first half of the year, which represents a 34.7 percent increase from the…

Bank Accounts for Cryptocurrency Will Be Available in Kazakhstan As Country Expands Its Crypto Mining to Global Market

NUR-SULTAN – Opening a bank account for cryptocurrency will soon be a possibility in Kazakhstan. Kazakh citizens will have the opportunity to invest in bitcoin, sell cryptocurrency on the exchange market and transfer their income into money, reported 24.kz on July 25. The Kazakh Association of Blockchain and Data Center Industry reported that crypto exchanges…

Eurasian Economic Commission and Islamic Organization for Food and Security Join Efforts to Promote Agricultural Development

NUR-SULTAN – The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) and the Islamic Organization for Food and Security (IOFS) signed a memorandum of understanding promoting agricultural development and improving food security among the state members of the IOFS on July 22 in Moscow, reported the press service of the EEC. The event was attended by representatives of the…

Kazakhstan and Russia Sign Agreement for Manufacturing New Multipurpose Aircraft on Domestic and International Markets

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh and Russian businesses, the Ural Civil Aviation Plant and the Kazakhstan Aviation Industry (KAI), signed a $13.5-million agreement for manufacturing new light multipurpose aircraft Baikalat at the 15th International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2021 in Zhukovskiy, Russia, reported the press service of the salon on July 21. Per the agreement, KAI acquired…

Forbes Names Kazakh Olympic Uniform Among Most Stylish At Tokyo Games

NUR-SULTAN – On July 20, American magazine Forbes named Kazakh National Olympic Team’s uniform among its list of the most stylish uniforms at this Summer Olympics in Tokyo. “The signature turquoise and blue color palette is reminiscent of the endless sky above the Kazakh steppes. Such a style-savvy presentation solidifies fashion capital status for Astana…

IT Company Kazdream Develops First Digital Voice Assistant in Kazakh

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh IT company Kazdream has developed the first-ever digital voice assistant that recognizes the Kazakh language, reported Qazaqtv.com on July 21.  The device is an analog of Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, the new technology is capable of supporting conversation, giving advice and answering questions about the weather or the exchange rate in…

Kazakh Athletes Remain Under Strict Sanitary Measures As Tokyo Olympics Set to Begin Tomorrow

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh National Olympics Committee announced on July 21 that Kazakh athletes who have arrived at Tokyo for the Summer Olympics all remain under strict sanitary measures with no COVID-19 cases reported among the national team members ahead of the launch of the Olympics on July 23. Members of the medical scientific group are…

Kazakh Chess Grandmaster Eliminates World’s Number Two Player at World Cup Championship

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s top chess player Rinat Jumabaev advanced to the fourth round of the World Cup in Sochi on July 19 by eliminating the world’s number two player from the U.S. Fabiano Caruana, reported the press service of International Chess Federation (FIDE). The first game between the two players ended in a solid draw.…

Kazakh Singer Rukhiya Baydukenova Wins Slavic Bazaar International Arts Festival (Video)

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh singer Rukhiya Baydukenova became the Grand Prix winner of the 2021 Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk International Festival of Arts, also known as the Slavic Bazaar, on July 18, reported the press service of the festival. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev personally congratulated Baydukenova on her victory in a letter. The competition at the…

Almost 62% of Candidates For Rural Akims in Kazakhstan Are Self-Nominated

NUR-SULTAN –  The registration of candidates for rural akims (heads of local administrations) was completed on July 14 with 2,297 registered candidates in total, out of which 1,419 (61.8 percent) are self-nominated individuals, reported Aide to the Kazakh President Erlan Karin. “The new norms have created additional opportunities for active citizens to realize their own…

Number of Tourists in Kazakhstan Increased by 10% in 2021 As Domestic Air Travel Grows Dramatically

NUR-SULTAN – The number of tourists in Kazakhstan increased by 10.4 percent reaching 931,100 people over the year, reported ranking.kz on July 16. Kazakh national air carrier Air Astana also reported positive dynamics so far this year with a $91.9 million profit. This constitutes a drastic recovery for the company compared to last year’s $9.9…

Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve Conducts Largest Release of Bukhara Deers in Its History

NUR-SULTAN – The third and the largest release of the Bukhara deer took place in the Ile-Balkhash nature reserve of the Almaty region on July 12, reported the World Wide Fund (WWF) Representation in Central Asia. “Together with the WWF, 61 deers were planned for release, which is a record number for one year. Camera…

Almaty, Nur-Sultan and Zhambyl Region Host Two-Thirds of Foreign Companies Operating in Kazakhstan

NUR-SULTAN – Two-thirds of the 29,700 foreign enterprises registered in Kazakhstan are located in three regions, including the Almaty, Nur-Sultan and Zhambyl region, according to data released by the Kazakh Bureau of National Statistics on July 12. 20,564 out of 29,700 foreign companies are currently actively operating in the country, which is 11.6 percent more…

UNICEF and Kazakh Ministry of Information and Public Development Join Forces to Initiate New Critical Thinking Program for Children

NUR-SULTAN – The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)and the Youth Research Center of the Kazakh Ministry of Information and Public Development jointly initiated a new SAMGAU program for the development of critical thinking, teamwork, creative and soft skills among Kazakh adolescents and youth, reported the press service of the ministry on July 13.…

Kazakh Government Launches New Grant Project for Creative Youth

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government launched a new grant project titled Tauelsizdik Urpaktary (Generation of Independence) aimed at forming and supporting the creative youth community, according to the government’s official decree issued on July 8. The initiative, which will start on July 20, is set up to support talented and motivated Kazakh youth and help…

World Bank: Central Asian Economies Expected To Recover By 3.7% in 2021

NUR-SULTAN – The World Bank projected the recovery of economic growth in Central Asia at 3.7 percent in 2021 and 4.3 percent in 2022, reported the press service of the organization on June 8. The original prediction for Central Asian economic growth by the World Bank in 2020 was 3.1 percent.  The strongest economic growth…

Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs Presents New NGO Dialogue Platform at STEP UP Central Asian Forum

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented its advisory and consultative body titled “Dialogue Platform on Human Dimension” at the STEP UP (Solidarity for Transparency, Enabling Environment and Partnership) Forum of Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of Central Asia in Almaty on July 7-10, reported the press service of the ministry. Ambassador-at-Large of the Kazakh…

Kazakh National Olympic Team Possesses Advantage in Combat Sports, Cycling and Swimming, Thanks to Cultural Legacy

NUR-SULTAN – Ahead of the Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics, the Kazakh National Olympic Team consisting of 95 athletes is predicted to have an upper hand in martial arts, combat sports, including boxing and judo, cycling and swimming, reported the press service of the Kazakh National Olympic Committee on July 2. “Traditionally, we have always placed…

Astana Process Participants Express Conviction About Need for Diplomatic Solution to Syrian Conflict

NUR-SULTAN – The participants of the 16th round of talks on Syria, known as the Astana Process, have concluded their two-day meeting in Nur-Sultan on July 8 by stating their unwavering commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and expressing their conviction that there is no military solution to the Syrian conflict, reported…

Kazakh Company Launches CryptoCurrency and Quran Satellite Projects on Board of SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan-based Eurasian Space Ventures (ESV) company has launched its two projects, Biteeu and Divine,  using the space technology of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and in partnership with SpaceChain satellite network, reported the press service of ESV on June 30. Biteeu plans to become the world’s first space cryptocurrency exchange. Biteeu uses licensed…

16th Round of Talks on Syria Starts Off in Nur-Sultan

NUR-SULTAN – The 16th round of talks on Syria, known as the Astana Process, with the participation of the Syrian government and the Syrian armed opposition groups began in Nur-Sultan on July 7, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry press service. Delegations from Iran, Russia, and Turkey are also participating in the Astana Process as guarantor…