Smithsonian Wants to Show Americans Different Side of Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Ask Americans what they know about Kazakhstan and many may struggle to answer. The Smithsonian hopes to change that, not through politics or economics, but through culture. In an interview with The Astana Times, Halle Butvin, director of strategic initiatives and external affairs at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, discussed…
Thai Foreign Minister Calls Kazakhstan Strategic Partner as Multilaterism Under Pressure
ASTANA – Thailand sees Kazakhstan as a strategic partner at a time when the rules-based international order is under growing pressure and multilateral cooperation is weakening, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said in an interview with The Astana Times. Phuangketkeow is paying the first official visit to Kazakhstan on June 24-27,…
Kazakhstan Backs EU’s New Connectivity Platform
ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Issetov participated in a high-level ministerial meeting on June 23 in Brussels, marking the launch of the Connectivity Agenda Platform, an initiative aimed at facilitating the coordination of investments and policy action across Central Asia, the South Caucasus, the Black Sea region and the European Union. The platform…
Bektenov Highlights Kazakhstan’s Growth Agenda at Summer Davos
ASTANA – Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov took part in the World Economic Forum’s 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, China, highlighting Kazakhstan’s economic reforms, investment opportunities and ambitions in digital technology and innovation. The forum, known as Summer Davos, brought together more than 1,700 leaders from business, government and academia. The agenda…
Uzbekistan’s World Cup Dream Meets Ronaldo’s Record-Breaking Night
ASTANA – Thousands of fans across Central Asia watched on June 23 as Uzbekistan faced Portugal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Cristiano Ronaldo made history by scoring in his sixth World Cup tournament. An absolute world record! Portugal won 5-0, rebounding from last week’s draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uzbekistan got…
Kazakhstan Seeks New Investment as Tokayev Meets European Executives
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a series of meetings with top EU officials and senior executives from major European companies during his visit to Brussels on June 23, seeking to attract new investment and diversify the strategic partnership, reported the presidential press office. Tokayev met with European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš…
Tokayev’s Brussels Visit Yields $12 Billion in EU Deals
ASTANA – Commercial agreements worth over $12 billion were signed in Brussels, underscoring the growing economic partnership between Kazakhstan and the European Union, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on June 23 in Brussels. Addressing the Kazakhstan-EU business roundtable as part of his official visit, Tokayev said the deals serve as evidence that Kazakhstan-EU cooperation is moving…
Dutch Investors Keen to Explore Areas Beyond Oil and Gas as Cumulative Investments Hit $124 Billion
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is seeking to broaden economic cooperation with the Netherlands beyond the oil and gas sector, highlighting opportunities in agriculture, water management, logistics and infrastructure development during the Kazakhstan–Netherlands Business Council in Astana on June 23. “The Netherlands is by far the biggest foreign direct investor in Kazakhstan. Bigger than numbers two and…
Ancient Turkic Runic Inscription Discovered in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Archaeologists from the Margulan Institute of Archaeology, working with local heritage preservation specialists, discovered an ancient Turkic runic inscription in the Burkhansai gorge in Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl Region. The discovery was made during an archaeological fieldwork conducted as part of a research project on the ancient and medieval history of the Syr Darya and…
AIFC Report Maps Capital Market Trends Across Four Eurasian Economies
ASTANA – AIFC Insights has published the first region-wide comparative study of capital markets in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Azerbaijan. According to the report, Kazakhstan has the most developed capital market ecosystem among the four countries, supported by more than $110 billion in sovereign savings and a comparatively mature market infrastructure. The report…
Tokayev Calls Judicial Digitalization, Investor Rights Key to Turkic Cooperation
ASTANA – Judicial digitalization and the protection of investor rights are becoming increasingly important areas of cooperation among Turkic states, as countries across the region seek to modernize legal systems and boost economic competitiveness, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during a meeting with chairpersons of supreme courts of member countries of the Organization of Turkic States…
Lufthansa to Suspend Flights to Kazakhstan in Winter
ASTANA – Lufthansa announced on June 18 that it will temporarily suspend flights for the 2025–26 winter schedule, marking the second consecutive year the airline has halted its winter service on the Frankfurt–Almaty–Astana route. The company attributed the decision to its “comprehensive assessment and optimization of the route network,” reported the company’s press service. “Particular…
Almaty Kairat Bids Farewell to Dastan Satpayev Ahead of Chelsea Transfer
ASTANA – Kazakh football club Kairat honored 17-year-old forward Dastan Satpayev ahead of his move to English club Chelsea, marking the end of a chapter for one of the country’s most promising young talents. On June 17, Satpayev made his final appearance for Kairat in a match against Kyzylzhar in Almaty as part of Kazakhstan…
Tokayev Signs Law Establishing UN Regional Center for Central Asia and Afghanistan
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has formally approved the establishment of a United Nations Regional Center for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty after President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a ratification law on June 17, paving the way for the first UN regional SDG center. The law ratifies a memorandum of understanding signed…
Kazakh PM Calls for Deeper Regional Cooperation at Tashkent Investment Forum
ASTANA – Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov highlighted the urgency of deepening regional cooperation, as he addressed the fifth Tashkent Investment Forum on June 17. Speaking at the forum, which gathered more than 10,000 participants from 102 countries, Olzhas Bektenov said Kazakhstan supports deeper cooperation among Central Asian countries to unlock the region’s economic potential,…
Uzbekistan Makes World Cup Debut, Scores Historic Goal Despite Colombia Defeat
ASTANA – Uzbekistan marked its FIFA World Cup debut with a historic milestone on June 17 as Abbosbek Fayzullayev scored the nation’s first-ever World Cup goal, but Colombia pushed further with a 3-1 victory in their Group K opener. Uzbekistan and Colombia faced off in their opening Group K match at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium…
Belgian Company Plans $56 Million Border Logistics Hub Near China as Kazakhstan Expands Transit Role
ASTANA – Belgian heavy-lift and transport company Sarens plans to invest up to $56 million in a logistics and commercial hub near Kazakhstan’s border with China, a project that could help ease cargo bottlenecks and strengthen the country’s role as a key transit corridor between Asia and Europe, said Hannes Van Nedervelde, construction director at…
Kazakhstan, Canada Push Beyond Trade Toward AI, Industrial Partnerships
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Canada are seeking to expand cooperation beyond traditional trade and resource industries, harnessing opportunities presented by emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and digital innovation, officials and business leaders said at the seventh meeting of the Kazakhstan-Canada Business Council in Astana on June 10. “Kazakhstan and Canada are separated by thousands…
Kazakh Aviation Specialists Join US-Led Air Cargo Security Training
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and the United States are deepening cooperation on aviation security, with Kazakh specialists completing training in New York on cargo risk assessment, aircraft inspections and border security procedures ahead of the planned launch of direct air service between the two countries. Kazakhstan’s civil aviation authorities and specialists from airports in Astana and…
Kazakhstan, Netherlands Reach Deals on $185 Million in Joint Projects
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and the Netherlands agreed to move forward with joint projects worth 160 million euros ($184 million) following a business forum on June 9 during Kazakh Trade and Integration Minister Arman Shakkaliyev’s visit to the Netherlands. The forum was held as part of the GreenTech Amsterdam 2026 international exhibition, and served as the…
Tajikistan Breaks Ground on $100 Million IT Hub Project
ASTANA – Tajikistan began the construction of an IT Hub Dushanbe complex on June 9, which is meant to become one of the country’s largest projects focused on digital technology and innovation. The total investment is expected at $100 million. The initiative is intended to support the growth of the digital economy through investments in…
Kazakhstan Secures Seat on UN Disability Rights Committee, First Time for Central Asia
ASTANA – Lyazzat Kaltayeva, an expert and disability rights advocate from Kazakhstan, was elected to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on June 9. She became the first representative from Central Asia to serve on the body that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities…
Kazakhstan Uses Financial Incentives to Drive ESG Adoption, Help Exporters Compete Abroad
ASTANA – ESG, which stands for environmental, social and governance, is no longer a reputational issue but a market access requirement, and companies that adapt quickly will gain competitive advantage, according to Nadira Abenova, ESG Specialist at the Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan. The Export Credit Agency supports non-resource-based exports in priority sectors through credit…
Investor Protection Committee Monitors $205 Billion in Projects as Kazakhstan Strengthens Investor Safeguards
ASTANA – The Investor Rights Protection Committee oversees more than 3,000 projects worth over 100 trillion tenge ($205.6 billion), with prosecutors assigned to help investors resolve disputes, address regulatory hurdles and coordinate with government agencies, committee chairman Bauyrzhan Yeraly said in an interview with The Astana Times. The committee was created in December 2025 and…
Kazakhstan’s Peacekeepers Adapt to New Threats as UN Missions Grow More Complex
ASTANA — More than 150 Kazakhstan’s peacekeepers are operating in increasingly complex security environments, facing asymmetric conflicts, blurred front lines and evolving threats that were difficult to imagine a decade ago, the Kazakh Defense Ministry told The Astana Times, as the world marks the International Day of UN Peacekeepers on May 29. The experience contributes…
