Kazakhstan Women’s Chess Team Wins Silver at World Chess Olympiad
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s women’s chess team won silver at the 46th World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, finishing the 11-round tournament undefeated with 18 points. China won gold, while India took bronze. Undefeated run Held from Sept. 16 to 27, the Olympiad brought together nearly 400 teams. Kazakhstan finished second among 189 women’s teams, recording seven…
Tokayev Orders Radical Military Reform
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for a radical reform of Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces, saying the safety and lives of service officers must be an unconditional priority for commanders at all levels, following the deaths of 14 military personnel during exercises in the Mangystau Region. Speaking at a meeting with the leadership of the…
Kazakhstan Appoints Myrzakhmetov as Defense Minister
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has appointed Aidos Myrzakhmetov as the Minister of Defense on Sept. 27. Myrzakhmetov was relieved of his previous position as part of his appointment as Defense Minister, Akorda reported. He graduated from the Military Academy of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan in 2002. Since January 2024, he has served as…
India, Kazakhstan Seek to Turn Strategic Partnership Into Deeper Trade and Investment Ties
ASTANA – India and Kazakhstan should translate their strong political partnership into deeper trade, investment, digital and energy cooperation, participants said at the India-Kazakhstan Strategic Dialogue on Sept. 24. During the India-Kazakhstan: Anchoring Regional Stability and Economic Integration in a Multilateral World session, speakers highlighted the gap between close political ties and relatively modest bilateral…
Tokayev Expresses Condolences Over Deaths of Service Members in Caspian Sea
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has expressed his condolences to the families and relatives of service members who died in a tragic incident during military exercises in the Mangystau Region on Sept. 24. Tokayev instructed the Government Commission to take all necessary measures to establish the circumstances of the incident and provide assistance to the…
Apple TV Launches in Kazakhstan
ASTANA — Apple TV has officially launched in Kazakhstan, giving users direct access to Apple Original films and series for the first time. The streaming service is included in all iCloud+ plans alongside Apple Arcade, with no separate Apple TV subscription required. The basic iCloud+ plan costs 499 tenge (US$1) per month and includes 50…
Foreign Minister Tileuberdi Reviews Ties With China, Russia and Kyrgyz Republic
ASTANA – Kazakhstan reviewed the current state and prospects of bilateral cooperation with China, the Kyrgyz Republic and Russia during separate meetings between Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi and the countries’ ambassadors on Sept. 17. With Kyrgyz Ambassador Kudaibergen Bazarbaev, Tileuberdi discussed political, trade and economic, water and energy, and cultural and humanitarian cooperation. The officials…
Kashagan Expansion Could Reshape Kazakhstan’s Oil Export Needs, Experts Say
ASTANA – Kazakhstan may face new oil infrastructure requirements in the next decade if plans to increase production at the Kashagan field significantly move forward, even as the country seeks to more than double domestic refining capacity by 2040. Experts say the timing of production growth, refinery projects and export infrastructure will be crucial. The…
Oil Transport via Kazakhstan-China Pipeline Rises to 13.1 Million Tons
ASTANA – Kazakhstan transported 13.121 million tons of oil through the Kazakhstan-China Pipeline in January-August, up 2% year-on-year, underscoring the route’s role in Kazakhstan’s oil transportation network and exports to China. Oil freight turnover along the route reached 11.879 billion ton-kilometers, increasing 3% compared with the same period last year, according to KazTransOil. The Kazakhstan-China…
Moving to Kazakhstan? Kazakhstan Introduces Kazakh Language Test Requirement
ASTANA – People seeking kandas (ethnic Kazakhs returning to their historical homeland) status or permanent residence in Kazakhstan must take an online KAZTEST as part of a new pilot system assessing applicants’ potential for integration and permanent residence. The pilot project came into effect on Feb. 16, introducing a new procedure that combines a Kazakh…
Kazakhstan Highlights Middle Corridor Growth and Digitalization at Batumi Forum
ASTANA – Kazakhstan highlighted the rapid growth of the Middle Corridor and the need to accelerate its digitalization at the Georgian International Maritime Forum in Batumi on Sept. 7-8. Kazakhstan Deputy Minister of Transport Zhanibek Taizhanov said freight volumes along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) rose 22% in January-August, while East-West transit increased 55%.…
China-Central Asia Trade Surpasses $100 Billion as SCMP Hosts Landmark Conference in Astana
ASTANA – Trade between China and the five Central Asian states has surpassed $100 billion, highlighting the region’s growing economic importance, as the South China Morning Post (SCMP) convened policymakers, business leaders, investors and innovators in Astana on Sept. 7 for its China Conference: Central Asia 2026. Co-hosted by SCMP and the Astana International Financial…
Kazakh Businesses to Trade Carbon Units on AIFC Exchange
ASTANA – Kazakh businesses implementing environmental projects will be able to trade carbon units on the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) exchange under a planned agreement with the international carbon standard Verra, AIFC Product Director Zhanbolat Kakishev said at Astana Finance Days (AFD) 2026. “We will sign an agreement with the Verra standard. This will…
AFD 2026 Delivers New Agreements, Market Instruments for Regional Growth
ASTANA – The Astana Finance Days (AFD) 2026: Delivering Impact. Capital in Action concluded with a series of agreements and new financial instruments to strengthen regional financial cooperation, sustainable finance, digital assets, aviation finance and access to capital. Held on Sept. 9-10, the forum brought together 8,000 participants from 90 countries, including representatives of major…
CPC Oil Loading Operations Resume After Drone Incident
ASTANA – Oil loading operations at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) marine terminal have resumed in normal mode after a Sept. 8 drone incident near the facility, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy said. Following the incident, loading operations at Single Point Moorings (SPM) 2 and 3 were temporarily suspended. The ministry said inspections of CPC’s cargo…
Rybakina Makes History as Kazakhstan’s First World No. 1
ASTANA – Elena Rybakina has made history for Kazakhstan, becoming the first athlete from the country to rise to the top of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles rankings, a breakthrough that puts Kazakh tennis at the summit of the sport. Rybakina secured the top position in the WTA live rankings after defeating China’s Qinwen…
EBRD Supports Alatau Zharyk’s Grid Modernization Program
ASTANA – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will provide a long-term loan of up to 102 billion tenge (US$224.2 million) to Alatau Zharyk Company (AZhC) to modernize its electricity distribution infrastructure and expand digitalization. The financing will help AZhC, a regional electricity distribution company supplying around 4 million people and around 50,000…
Kazakhstan Expands Air Links to Southeast Asia with New Singapore Route
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is continuing to broaden its aviation network across Asia, with SCAT Airlines set to launch flights from Shymkent to Singapore via China’s Sanya on Oct. 20. The new service comes amid a wider expansion of routes by Kazakh carriers to China and other Asian destinations. Via Sanya The Shymkent-Sanya flight will take…
Expert: Higher Foreign Currency Supply Supports Tenge Strengthening Amid Changing Market Flows
ASTANA – The Kazakh tenge strengthened 2.6% against the US dollar in August, reaching 461.57 per dollar at the end of the month, as foreign currency supply continued to exceed demand amid increased market activity and changing capital flows, according to Saltanat Igenbekova, head of the Analytics Center at Halyk Finance. According to the center’s…
Kazakhstan Plans $327 Million Expansion of Oil Pipeline Routes to China
ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to invest an estimated $327 million to expand two key sections of its oil pipeline system toward China, increasing their combined capacity to 35 million tons annually and strengthening the country’s eastern export corridor. KazTransOil, the nation’s oil transport company, presented the investment plans to investors on Sept. 2 during the…
Kazakhstan to Host Its First Ever ICAO Aviation Security Week 2026 in October
ASTANA – Kazakhstan will host ICAO Aviation Security Week for the first time on Oct. 20-22, bringing aviation regulators, industry leaders and security experts to the capital to address emerging threats and strengthen international cooperation. Supported by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, the event will focus on the theme Safe Skies in a Complex World: Enhancing…
Kazakhstan Completes Track Connection on Moiynty-Kyzylzhar Railway Line
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has completed the track connection on the 323.3-kilometer Moiynty-Kyzylzhar railway line, marking a key milestone in one of the country’s major transport infrastructure projects. The new line, being built across the Ulytau and Karagandy Regions, is designed to strengthen Kazakhstan’s transport and logistics potential, expand international routes and increase export and transit…
Kazakhstan, Laos Seek to Expand Trade Through Agriculture and Transport Links
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Laos are seeking to expand bilateral trade by using Kazakhstan’s position as a trade and logistics bridge to connect Lao products with Central Asian and wider Eurasian markets, while opening greater access for Kazakh goods to Southeast Asia. Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith, who arrived in…
Kazakhstan Steps Up Gulf Diplomacy Amid Hormuz Shipping Risks
ASTANA – Kazakhstan intensified diplomatic engagement in the Gulf last week as Iran and Oman moved to restore safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Arman Issagaliyev held talks in Oman and the United Arab Emirates and attended an emergency session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of…
China Consolidates Position as Kazakhstan’s Top Trading Partner
ASTANA – China is strengthening its position as Kazakhstan’s largest trading partner, overtaking Russia in the country’s foreign trade structure. In January-June, China accounted for 23.2% of Kazakhstan’s foreign trade turnover, compared with 18.4% for Russia. Bilateral trade with China reached $16.65 billion, while trade with Russia stood at $13.22 billion, according to the Bureau…
