Kazakhstan and Spain Forge Stronger Trade Ties, Opening Door to New Opportunities
ASTANA – On May 30, Astana hosted the 10th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic and Industrial Cooperation. Chaired by Kazakh Vice Minister of Trade and Integration Kairat Torebayev and Secretary of State for Trade of Spain Xiana Margarida Méndez Bértolo, the meeting reaffirmed the strong willingness to explore new opportunities for cooperation beyond…
Screen vs. Print: Kazakhstan’s TopIQ Platform Brings Digital Textbooks and Interactive Learning Content to Wider Children’s Audience
ASTANA – The TopIQ platform offers digital books to children and teachers, spearheading a digital revolution along with other startups in the Kazakh education sector by harnessing technologies to enhance education opportunities for children. Starting as an idea during the pandemic, the platform, developed by Almatykitap, one of the nation’s oldest publishing houses, has found…
Kazakhstan Should Make Use of Cooperation with China, Say Experts
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state visit to China was a major highlight of last week. The milestone China-Central Asia summit on May 19, which welcomed Tokayev and other Central Asian leaders in Xian, drew global attention, with leaders reaffirming their plans to strengthen cooperation with China. According to Kazakhstan’s experts, the country should…
Central Asia and EU Prioritize Sustainability, Connectivity, Economic Development Amid Complex Geopolitical Landscape
ASTANA – Cooperation between Central Asia and the European Union (EU) is taking a new turn amid the ongoing geopolitical shifts and will continue to grow with a focus on connectivity, sustainable growth and economic development, according to experts. “Since the Central Asian countries gained independence, we have had stable strategic relations with the EU.…
ADB Seeks to Address Intertwined Challenges in Central Asia and Caucasus Through Regional Cooperation
ASTANA – In recent years, the Central Asia and Caucasus regions have been facing a myriad of complex challenges that require concerted efforts and regional cooperation. Ranging from climate change impact to food insecurity and economic effects of geopolitical conflicts, these challenges are deeply intertwined and cannot be effectively addressed in isolation. Asian Development Bank…
IMF Regional Outlook Reveals Promising Growth Prospects for Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s economy is forecast to grow 4.3% in 2023, up from 3.2% in 2022, driven by the normalization of oil production and expansion of the country’s giant Tengiz field, said Subir Lall, Deputy Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund. Lall spoke in Astana on May…
We Are Heading Towards Just and Fair Kazakhstan, Says Respublica Party Chair
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s recent parliamentary election saw the emergence of new political forces that aim to create positive changes in the country. A young Respublica party, focused on economic development and entrepreneurship, has managed to navigate the complexities of the political landscape, securing seats in the Mazhilis (lower house of the Parliament) and bringing fresh…
Untapped Potential for Cooperation Between Kazakhstan and Jordan, Says Ambassador
ASTANA – Jordan and Kazakhstan have enjoyed strong diplomatic relations for over three decades, yet there is significant untapped potential, according to the country’s Ambassador in Astana Yousef Abdelghani. Abdelghani, who has been on his mission to Kazakhstan since 2019, sat down for an interview with The Astana Times to discuss the current state of…
Kazakh Prime Minister’s Visit to Iran Results in Commitment to Boost Trade to $3 Billion
ASTANA – Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov paid an official visit to Tehran on April 26, meeting with senior Iranian officials to enhance bilateral ties. Export contracts worth $60 million, bilateral documents in tourism, sport, youth work, customs training, and an agreement to develop transportation between the ports of Kuryk and Amirabad are among the…
Bike for Peace Global Nuclear Disarmament Movement Eager to Foster Cooperation with Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Bike for Peace, a global nuclear disarmament movement from Norway, is eager to foster cooperation with Kazakhstan, said Bike for Peace President Tore Naerland in an interview with The Astana Times. Naerland and the delegation from Norway were on a week-long visit to Kazakhstan April 13-22, meeting with senior officials and young people…
Gas Dilemma: Abundant Gas Industry in Kazakhstan Faces Critical Challenges
ASTANA – Kazakhstan, a vast and resource-rich country in Central Asia, is home to some of the world’s largest natural gas reserves. With such an abundance, the country’s gas industry plays a vital role in fueling economic development and energy security, both domestically and internationally. Yet, some critical challenges remain, including meeting domestic demand, export…
Experts Weigh In On Tokayev’s Warning of New Economic Abnormality and New Government Tasks
ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev chaired a meeting in Astana on April 19, focusing on the nation’s socio-economic development. He once again exhorted the government to work more efficiently to address the country’s urgent problems as it tries to navigate the challenging times externally and internally. The meeting, which took place less than a month…
Vinokurov Talks Development of Astana Qazaqstan Team, Challenges and Plans in Exclusive Interview
ASTANA – The Astana Qazaqstan Team, a professional road cycling racing team based in Kazakhstan, aims to enter the world’s top 18 teams, said Alexander Vinokurov, former professional road cyclist and the team’s general manager, in an exclusive interview with The Astana Times. Astana Qazaqstan Team was founded in 2006 and has since then competed…
Key Takeaways from Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev’s Visit to Kazakhstan
ASTANA – During a visit to Kazakhstan on April 10, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan met with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, with the two leaders showing a solid commitment to strengthening bilateral relations. Key outcomes included the decision to establish a Supreme Interstate Council and six memorandums of cooperation to foster partnership in the development…
EU Seeks to Empower Central Asia’s Sustainable Water and Energy Future
ASTANA – Assisting the countries in Central Asia to promote efficient water and energy management is one of the key missions of the new Team Europe Initiative on Water, Energy and Climate Change for Central Asia presented by the European Union in 2021. Johannes Baur, Head of Сooperation at the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan, spoke…
Battle of Minds: First Game in World Chess Championship between Nepomniachtchi and Ding Ends in Draw
ASTANA – The first game of the 2023 World Chess Championship on April 9 between two chess titans, Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren, ended in a draw in what was a highly anticipated face-off in the championship hosted in Kazakh capital Astana until May 1. The championship organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) will…
President Tokayev Proposes Key Changes to Economic Policy to Boost Growth and Diversify Industries
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is set to change the focus of its economic policy, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in his address to the first session of the Kazakh Parliament on March 29, reported the Akorda press service. Tokayev outlined the key steps to tackle the challenges facing the nation following the March 19 election to the…
Kazakh Government Resigns, Amanat Party Set to Propose New Candidacy of Prime Minister Shortly
ASTANA – The government of Kazakhstan has resigned today, March 29, before the beginning of the new session of the Parliament of the eighth convocation, reads the presidential decree published on the Akorda website. Following the election to the Mazhilis, a lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament, on March 19, “the government shall resign its…
Kazakhstan, Belgium Share Parallel Destiny and Common Values of Peace, Says Belgian Ambassador
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Belgium share a parallel destiny and common values of peace, reflected in the diverse traditions of the two countries, said Henri Vantieghem, Ambassador of Belgium to Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan, in an exclusive interview with The Astana Times. From trade and investment to cultural exchange and political cooperation, Kazakhstan…
Kazakhstan Holds Strong for Better Future, as New Faces Come to Parliament
As the latest parliamentary election in Kazakhstan came to a close, the nation is abuzz with anticipation for what the future holds. With the votes tallied and the final results announced, it became clear that the election had produced a mix of familiar faces and newcomers. With the last year’s constitutional changes, Mazhilis, a lower…
(Almost) Final Turnout in Kazakhstan’s Election Hits 54.19%, as Some Voting Continues Abroad
ASTANA – A total 54.19 percent of eligible voters have cast their ballots in the parliamentary election in Kazakhstan as of 10 p.m. Astana time, as polling stations closed at 8 p.m. nationwide, announced Central Election Commission (CEC) Deputy Chairman Konstantin Petrov during a press briefing today. Voting ended at 9 p.m. local Astana time…
More than 14 Percent Voter Turnout Recorded So Far in Kazakhstan’s Parliamentary Election
ASTANA – Voter turnout in today’s parliamentary election has reached 14.21 percent as of 10 a.m. local Astana time, Central Election Commission (CEC) member Shavkat Otemisov announced at a press briefing on March 19. Kazakhstan is holding elections to the Mazhilis, the lower house of parliament, and maslikhats, local representative bodies, today. As of 10…
Kazakh Activist Calls for Support for Nuclear Test Victims at ICAN Forum in Oslo
ASTANA – Kazakh activist and director of the Astana-based Center for International Security and Policy Alimzhan Akhmetov called for support for victims of nuclear tests as he took part in the ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons) Act On It Forum in Oslo on March 9-10. ICAN, headquartered in Geneva, is a global civil…
Here’s What You Need to Know About Parliamentary Elections in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – As Kazakhstan gears up for the upcoming Mazhilis election on March 19, eyes are on the country’s changing political landscape, although some of these changes are not new to Kazakhstan. The Astana Times looks back at all the previous parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan since the country’s independence in 1991 to see how the…
Pre-Election Debates Gear Up One Week until Parliamentary Election in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – In the run-up to the parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan on March 19, the country’s seven political parties are engaging in a series of pre-election debates to showcase their policies and ideas to the public, with the latest airing on KTK TV channel on March 10. All seven political parties in Kazakhstan eyeing seats…
