Articles by Ayana Birbayeva

ALMATY – The Caspian Sea has dropped by around two meters since the 1990s, highlighting the scale of environmental challenges facing the region, officials said at an April 23 panel session on the Tehran Convention held as part of the Regional Ecological Summit 2026 (RES)  in Astana. Discussions centered on the worsening environmental situation in…

ASTANA –  Central Asian leaders declared March 26 as an International Day of the Aral Sea and the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers to raise global awareness of the region’s environmental challenges, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at an April 22 summit of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) in Astana. In…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Mongolia plan to resume direct flights and expand transport connectivity, as President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, who arrived in Astana for a state visit on April 21. Both sides also target increasing bilateral trade to $500 million. The leaders discussed restoring flights between Astana and Ulaanbaatar…

ALMATY – Astana has adopted a citywide concept of inclusive policy aimed at creating an accessible environment across nearly all areas of urban life, Astana Mayor Zhenis Kassymbek said during an April 21 government meeting reviewing social policy initiatives. He also announced a 12% increase in funding for inclusion and rehabilitation measures in 2026. According…

ALMATY – Books shape the mind, but they often mean more than just a source of knowledge. For many, they are tied to warm memories of childhood reading, familiar pages, and illustrations that bring stories to life and immerse readers in entirely different worlds. This connection between literature and visual art lies at the heart…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan ranked 29th globally in employment levels in 2025, with 67% of its population aged 15 and above engaged in work, according to data from the International Labour Organization’s (ILOSTAT) World Employment and Social Outlook: May 2025 Update.  The report places Kazakhstan alongside countries such as New Zealand, Singapore, and Thailand, which recorded…

ALMATY – Turkish investment in Kazakhstan has surpassed $6 billion over the past two decades, with new oil and gas projects under discussion between KazMunayGas and Turkish Petroleum Corporation, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said at the 14th intergovernmental commission meeting, co-chaired by Vice President of Türkiye Cevdet Yılmaz on April 15.  The meeting brought together…

ALMATY – The women’s national tennis team of Kazakhstan has officially booked its place in the final stage of the Billie Jean King Cup, following a dramatic and hard-fought victory over Canada in a tie that will be remembered as one of the most intense encounters in recent team tennis history, reported the Kazakh Tennis…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s transport and logistics sector reached 12.2 trillion tenge (US$26.5 billion) in output in 2025, as the government ramps up efforts to expand the country’s transit potential, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said at an April 13 government meeting. According to him, road transport remains a key pillar, with 353 million tons of cargo…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan accounts for nearly 68% of all foreign direct investment (FDI) accumulated in Central Asia, highlighting its position as the region’s primary destination for international capital, according to the recent United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) World Investment Report. The total stock of foreign investment in Kazakhstan has reached $151.3 billion,…

ALMATY – All 71 referendum polling stations abroad have completed their work, with 12,740 Kazakh citizens voting in 54 countries, resulting in an 88.6% turnout, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.  In the United States, where 3 polling stations operated at Kazakhstan’s diplomatic missions, a 100-year-old citizen of Kazakhstan, Arnold Greenfeld, also took part in…

ALMATY – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke about the goals of Kazakhstan’s proposed new Constitution and answered questions on political reforms and foreign policy during a briefing with journalists after casting his vote in the national referendum on March 15.  Responding to questions from journalists, Tokayev emphasized that the work on the Constitution document had been…

ALMATY – More than 10,000 passengers have been transported from Middle Eastern countries to Kazakhstan since the escalation of tensions in the region, according to the Kazakh Civil Aviation Committee.  A total of 61 flights have been operated, bringing 10,033 passengers back to Kazakhstan. The flights have been carried out by airlines including Air Astana,…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan is introducing a digital ecosystem for the construction sector, including the launch of a Unified Construction Portal designed to bring previously fragmented planning and oversight processes into a single transparent system, said Minister of Industry and Construction Yersayin Nagaspayev at a March 10 government meeting.  According to Nagaspayev, the digitalization of the…

ALMATY – Global adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) continued to grow in the second half of 2025, rising by 1.2%, compared with the first half of the year, with roughly one in six people worldwide now using generative AI tools, according to analysis released by the Microsoft AI Economy Institute in January. Researchers track…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered remarks at a ceremonial event on March 6 in Akorda dedicated to International Women’s Day, congratulating women across the country and recognizing their contribution to Kazakhstan’s development. “Today at Akorda I express my sincere gratitude to all women of Kazakhstan. Our women work successfully for the benefit of the…

ALMATY – Swiss companies are showing growing interest in expanding cooperation with Kazakhstan in the transport and logistics sectors, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs’ (SECO) press service told Trend news agency.  According to SECO, Kazakhstan plays a central role in developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, which…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s exports of agricultural products reached $7 billion in 2025, marking a 37% increase year-on-year, said Vice Minister of Agriculture Yerbol Taszhurekov, speaking at a briefing at the Central Communications Service on March 5. Taszhurekov said the processing of agricultural products is becoming one of the main drivers of growth in the country’s…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan plans to attract financing from the World Bank for several large infrastructure and development projects after the Mazhilis (Parliament’s lower chamber) ratified the framework partnership agreement between the Kazakh government and three organizations within the World Bank Group, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Finance Corporation and the Multilateral…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan recorded stable execution of tax revenues to the national budget in the first two months of 2026, with collections exceeding planned targets, according to data released by the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance as of March 1. Over January–February 2026, tax revenue fulfillment reached 113.7% of the plan, with…

ALMATY – Eight OPEC+ countries, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman, agreed to gradually resume oil production adjustments during a virtual meeting held on March 1, reported the organization’s press service. The countries that had previously announced additional voluntary production adjustments in April and November 2023 reviewed global…

ALMATY – Dimash Qudaibergen presented the keys of the car to Olympic figure skating champion Mikhail Shaidorov during a special ceremony held in Almaty, following the athlete’s return home. The ceremonial handover took place on March 1, marking what organizers described as a symbolic gesture of national pride and support for Shaidorov’s historic achievement. “Not…

ALMATY – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has held a series of high-level contacts with leaders of Middle Eastern countries amid escalating tensions in the region, reaffirming Kazakhstan’s support for dialogue and diplomatic resolution of international conflicts. Tokayev sent a message to the King of Jordan Abdullah II, conveying support and solidarity with the brotherly people of…

ALMATY – Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev, together with his counterparts from Central Asian countries, met with members of the United Kingdom’s Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Cooperation with Central Asia on Feb. 25 to discuss strengthening interparliamentary engagement and expanding regional cooperation. Addressing British lawmakers, Kosherbayev underscored the importance Kazakhstan attaches to its…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev took part in a Feb. 25 roundtable discussion with representatives of the British business community during his official visit to London, the United Kingdom, focusing on expanding trade, investment and strategic cooperation between the two countries. Focus on critical minerals and investment climate Participants discussed prospects for expanding…