Articles by Ayana Birbayeva

ALMATY – Germany’s carrier Lufthansa will resume regular flights to Kazakhstan starting March 29, restoring connections to Almaty and Astana from Frankfurt am Main, reported the company’s press service. The airline will operate five weekly flights to Almaty and four weekly flights to Astana. According to the airline, flights will operate on a circular routing…

ALMATY – The partnership between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom is increasingly grounded in trade, investment, production, skills and shared standards, Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev wrote in an article published in Intellinews on Feb. 19.  According to him, more than three decades after the establishment of diplomatic relations, cooperation between the countries is defined…

ALMATY – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington, outlining Kazakhstan’s commitment to global peacebuilding efforts and announcing concrete initiatives to support the stabilization and reconstruction of Gaza on Feb. 20, reported the Akorda.  Welcoming participants, President Tokayev expressed gratitude to the United States’ President Donald Trump for…

ALMATY – GITEX, one of the world’s largest technology exhibitions, will be held in Almaty for the first time on May 4–5, marking the city’s debut as a regional hub for the globally renowned tech brand, reported the city administration’s press service on Feb. 17. The upcoming GITEX AI Central Asia & Caucasus Kazakhstan was…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s Spiritual Administration of Muslims has officially announced that the first day of Ramadan in Kazakhstan in 2026 will fall on Feb. 19, with the first tarawih (night prayers during Ramadan) to be held on the evening of Feb. 18. Despite differing practices in some countries, where tarawih prayers may begin on Feb.…

ALMATY – Five strategic agreements and a full day of practical business training sessions marked the Dala.Camp Forum 2026 in Burabai on Feb. 14-15, where 250 industry representatives from 11 countries gathered to move Kazakhstan’s livestock sector from discussion to execution.  The signed agreements cover several key areas, ranging from the creation of production models…

ALMATY – More than 20,000 participants are expected to attend an international exhibition of green technologies and sustainable solutions, which will take place alongside the Regional Ecological Summit 2026 (RES) in Astana on April 22–24. The summit will serve as a major international platform for developing coordinated responses to climate and environmental challenges facing Central…

ALMATY – From classical painting to bestselling postcards, silk scarves and airplane amenity kits, Kazakh artist Indira Badambayeva has built a creative universe where Kazakh identity and fairy tales meet. In an interview with The Astana Times, Badambayeva reflects on discipline, independence, cultural imagery and why she believes artists should take full responsibility for their…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s special forces teams delivered a standout performance at the UAE SWAT Challenge, taking the lead in one of the world’s most prestigious tactical competitions and outperforming 109 teams from 48 countries. On the third day of the tournament, Kazakh units swept all three podium places in the Officer Rescue stage. Team Kazakhstan…

ALMATY – Both GEMA Asia Awards statuettes have now been delivered to Kazakhstan, as the country has earned its first-ever recognition at the prestigious competition. Local streaming platform Unico Play took home two major prizes for its marketing campaign promoting the original series “Qara Bekire” (Black Caviar). The project won gold for Best Integrated Marketing Campaign…

ALMATY – Kazakh chess star Bibisara Assaubayeva will become the first player in the country’s history to compete in the Women’s Candidates Tournament, marking a milestone moment for Kazakhstan’s presence in elite world chess. The three-time world blitz champion confirmed her participation during a meeting with journalists in Astana, describing the achievement as the result…

ALMATY – Output at Kazakhstan’s Tengiz oil field has recovered to around 60% of its usual production levels. It is expected to return to full capacity by Feb. 23, according to two industry sources cited by Reuters news agency on Feb. 9. Tengiz field, which accounts for 40% of Kazakhstan’s total oil production, was largely…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is taking decisive steps to strengthen its socio-economic and international potential in the face of a rapidly changing global economy, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at a Feb. 10 expanded government meeting. “Global economic growth is expected to slow, international trade is declining, and foreign investment in developing countries is shrinking. Protectionism, tariffs,…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev chaired an expanded government meeting on Feb. 10, during which officials reviewed Kazakhstan’s socio-economic performance in 2025 and outlined key priorities for the period ahead, while also emphasizing the country’s ongoing Constitutional reform. Constitutional reform framed as a nationwide process Opening the session, Tokayev said Kazakhstan has entered a period…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is advancing new investment, infrastructure, and technology partnerships with Chinese business leaders and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), following high-level talks on Feb. 9 between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Sunwah Group Chairman Cai Guanxian and AIIB President Zou Jiayi. The meetings underscored Kazakhstan’s focus on attracting strategic foreign investment, expanding transport…

ALMATY – Thousands of fans gathered at the Baluan Sholak Sports Palace in Almaty on Feb. 5 to celebrate the global premiere of the first episode of Voice Beyond Horizon, a new musical reality show initiated and headlined by Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen. The evening began with a video message compilation featuring international stars, including…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a working meeting with Kazakhstan’s Constitutional commission on Feb. 6 to review progress on drafting the country’s new Constitution. The meeting was attended by Chair of the Constitutional commission and Head of the Constitutional Court Elvira Azimova, Deputy Chair of the commission and State Counselor Erlan Karin, and commission…

ALMATY – KazTransOil has announced changes to its tariffs for oil transportation through Kazakhstan’s main pipeline system, effective from March 1, reported the company’s press service on Feb. 2.  Unloading oil from rail tank cars at the T. Kasymov pumping station will now cost 1,715.05 tenge (US$3.65) per ton, reflecting an increase of 969 tenge…

ALMATY – Almaty has officially been selected to host the 2029 Winter Asian Games, marking the return of one of Asia’s multi-sport winter events to Kazakhstan, reported the National Olympic Committee’s press service on Feb. 5.  The hosting agreement was signed in Milan, Italy, by the President of the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan Gennady…

ALMATY – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined connectivity and economic cooperation as the main pillars of Kazakhstan–Pakistan relations in a Feb. 5 interview with The News Pakistan, emphasizing trade expansion, transport corridors and regional stability. According to Tokayev, the partnership between the two countries is increasingly focused on delivering practical economic results. “Connectivity has indeed become…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan is heading into the 2026 Winter Olympics with a highly competitive team, and several athletes are positioned to deliver medal-winning performances, Kazakh Minister of Tourism and Sports Yerbol Myrzabosynov said during a government meeting on Dec. 30, 2025.  Selected in collaboration with national sports federations, the team includes athletes who have already…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan and Pakistan signed a Joint Declaration on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership and a package of intergovernmental agreements following talks between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during Tokayev’s state visit on Feb. 4, marking a major step forward in bilateral political, economic and investment cooperation. “This step elevates…

ALMATY – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in both narrow and expanded formats on Feb. 4 as part of his state visit to Pakistan, underscoring a shared commitment to deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries. “This is my first state visit as President of Kazakhstan, and I…

ALMATY – The development of Alatau City will be driven primarily by private investment under a new governance model designed to ensure long-term predictability for businesses, said Bolat Zhamishev, a member of the Alatau City Development Council, at a Feb. 4 meeting. According to Zhamishev, the model aims to create exceptional conditions for investors by…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan and Pakistan are expanding their trade relationship, aiming to increase bilateral trade to $1 billion in the medium term, following a Feb. 4 meeting between Kazakh Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev and Pakistani Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan.  The discussions took place on the sidelines of the Kazakhstan-Pakistan Business Forum,…