Articles by Dana Omirgazy

ASTANA – Last year, Kazakhstan’s gas sector achieved historic production levels, reaching 68.1 billion cubic meters, but rising imports and accelerating domestic tariffs highlight structural challenges in meeting internal demand. Kazakhstan’s natural gas production, including associated petroleum gas, surged 15% in 2025 compared with 2024, reaching 1.5 times the level a decade earlier. In monetary…

ASTANA – Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev met with President Emomali Rahmon and Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin of Tajikistan on Feb. 16 to discuss deepening bilateral cooperation, as part of his official visit to Dushanbe. During the meetings, the officials reaffirmed the strategic nature of Kazakh-Tajik relations, emphasizing friendship, mutual trust, and alliance under the…

ASTANA — The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), acting as the lead financial institution, and Eurasian Bank have provided $180 million in long-term debt financing to modernize and expand the Ust-Kamenogorsk Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHPP), part of the Kazakhstan Utility Systems Group. The EDB also provided grant financing to support the preparation of the…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is undertaking a major expansion of its oil refining, gas processing, and petrochemical industries, aiming to boost oil processing capacity from 18.4 to 40 million tons per year, eliminate domestic fuel shortages by 2033, and increase production of value-added petrochemical products for both domestic use and export, the Deputy Minister of Energy…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s agricultural processing sector continues to show steady growth and rising export potential, said Agriculture Minister Aidarbek Saparov during a Feb. 17 government meeting, reporting on the results of 2025. Last year, food production reached 3.9 trillion tenge (US$7.9 billion), up 8.1% year-on-year. Investments in fixed capital more than doubled to 389.4 billion…

ASTANA – Award-winning Kazakh professional sumo wrestler Ersin Baltagul has announced plans to open a children’s sumo school in Kazakhstan, aiming to develop young talent and promote the sport nationwide. Baltagul, known in Japan as Kinbozan, said the future of Kazakh sumo depends on creating proper conditions for young athletes to train and grow. “We…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev honored the winners of the UAE SWAT Challenge 2026 international tournament on Feb. 16, praising their performance as a testament to Kazakhstan’s growing prestige on the global stage. Congratulating the teams, Tokayev said they had demonstrated the “unwavering spirit of Kazakh warriors” in one of the world’s most demanding law…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will hold a nationwide referendum on a new Constitution on March 15, with more than 12.4 million citizens eligible to vote and 20.8 billion tenge (US$42 million) earmarked for organizing the process. Preparation and conduct of the referendum have been entrusted to the Central Election Commission (CEC), which will function as the…

ASTANA – The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has announced that the 51st UEFA Congress will take place on March 4, 2027, in the Kazakh capital. The decision was made during the 50th UEFA Congress on Feb. 12 in Brussels, attended by David Loria, Secretary General of the Kazakhstan Football Federation (KFF). The UEFA…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met on Feb. 12 with Mohamed Abdelsalam, secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Elders and the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, reaffirming Kazakhstan’s strong support for interreligious dialogue and peaceful coexistence. Tokayev welcomed the opening of its representative office in Kazakhstan, the first in Central Asia. He stressed that promoting…

ASTANA – Air Astana will launch a new route between Astana and Guangzhou starting June 2. Flights on this route will operate twice weekly using Airbus A321LR aircraft. The new service is expected to strengthen trade, economic, business, and tourism cooperation between the two countries, reported the Transport Ministry on Feb. 10. Starting March 29,…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan saw a net migration of 16,153 people in January-December last year, with 23,761 arrivals and 7,608 departures. Compared to 2024, arrivals decreased by 20.7% while departures fell by 40.5%. The majority of migration involved CIS countries, accounting for 81.8% of arrivals and 71.8% of departures, the Bureau of National Statistics reported on…

ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree on Feb. 11 to hold a national referendum on March 15 for the adoption of Kazakhstan’s new Constitution. The final draft of the new Constitution was presented to President Tokayev by Chairperson of the Constitutional Commission and Constitutional Court Elvira Azimova, Deputy Chairperson of the Constitutional Commission…

ASTANA – Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) in Africa and Enterprise Générale du Cobalt (EGC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the Mining Indaba on Feb. 10 in Cape Town. This memorandum forms part of a public-private partnership intended to enhance the formalization, professionalization and accountability of artisanal and small-scale mining…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Anti-Fraud Center has recorded more than 111,000 incidents since its launch in July 2024, with over 90,000 cases classified as fraud, officials said at a recent briefing. The data was presented by Ainura Izmaylova, director of the Anti-Fraud Department at the National Payment Corporation. The platform facilitates prompt coordination between financial institutions…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, ranked third in the WTA, recorded the 400th match win of her professional career in the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Doha, Qatar. She defeated China’s Wang Xinyu, 6-2, 6-4. The win advances Rybakina to the round of 16, reported the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation’s press service on…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov finished fifth in the men’s short program at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy, earning 92.94 points on Feb. 10. Ilia Malinin of the United States leads the standings with 108.16 points, followed by Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama with 103.07 and France’s Adam Siao Him Fa with 102.55. After his…

ASTANA – Almaty was awarded the Best Urban Tourism Promotion prize at OTM Mumbai 2026, one of Asia’s largest international tourism exhibitions, highlighting the city’s effective international promotion strategy and strong global appeal. The event brought together leading players in the tourism industry, including tour operators, airlines, hotel brands, and national tourism offices, the Almaty…

ASTANA – The Government, through the Energy Ministry, is developing a national project for coal-fired power generation to address long-term energy shortages and modernize aging power capacity. The draft National Plan for the Development of Coal-Fired Power Generation through 2030, presented to experts at a roundtable discussion, has a preliminary estimated cost of over 8…

ASTANA – The National Bank of Kazakhstan will release a new collectible coin, OLYMPIC GAMES 2026. SHORT TRACK, as part of its Sports series. The 1,000-tenge coin is made of 925 sterling silver, produced using color printing technology, and is issued in proof quality. It weighs 20 grams, has a diameter of 37 millimeters, and…

ASTANA – The Astana Times has made a selection of articles on Kazakhstan featured in international media worldwide this week. Today’s foreign media digest covers Kazakhstan’s relations with the European Union, multivector foreign policy, nuclear energy development, regional business cooperation in Central Asia, and the elevation of ties with Pakistan to a strategic partnership. Thirty-three…

ASTANA – Two representatives from Kazakhstan have been appointed as referees for the 2026 Winter Olympics, officiating in figure skating and freestyle moguls, according to the International Olympic Committee. Official documents show that Kazakhstan will be represented among referees in two of the 16 medal sports on the Olympic program.  In figure skating, Nadezhda Paretskaya…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is set to establish its first modern aluminum wheel manufacturing plant after signing a trilateral memorandum with U.S.-based Open Element and South Korea’s Hands Corporation on Feb. 4. Kazakh First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar met with Open Element CEO Mustapha Akkari and Hands Corporation Chairman Seung-Hyun Chang to discuss investment cooperation…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Zangar Nurlanuly has climbed in the ITF Juniors world rankings, moving from 12th to 9th, following his performance at the 2026 Australian Open. The 17-year-old made history as the first Kazakhstan’s tennis player to reach the Australian Open junior singles semifinals. Last fall, he also reached the US Open Juniors semifinals, becoming…

ASTANA – A delegation from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defense, led by Major General Mereke Kuchekbayev, Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, conducted an inspection visit to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) mission area on the Golan Heights. During the visit, the delegation met with the UNDOF command to discuss the implementation of the mission’s…