New Silk Road will become mutual aid system benefiting all players, expert believes
ASTANA – Wade Shepard, the author of “Ghost Cities of China,” is currently working on his new book about the New Silk Road, China’s effort to strengthen trade ties with Europe and Central Asia. He sat down with The Astana Times to talk about Kazakhstan’s role in the trade development and geopolitical changes in the region. Shepard is…
Kazakh government intends to take action to resolve problem loans
ASTANA – The Kazakh government is trying to relieve banks of non-performing loans by transferring bad debts from the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the country’s central bank, to the government. To put the necessary legal framework in place, the Senate, the upper house of Parliament, has approved the first reading of a new draft law.…
Non-profit launches to assist, promote Kazakh-language journalists
ASTANA – A new non-profit organisation launched in January to help journalists working in Kazakh-language media improve their professional skills. More than 70 people attended the Feb. 11 first meeting of the Kazakh-speaking Professional Journalists public association, during which the group identified the key work areas, brainstormed on the priority activities, outlined the action plan…
Kazakh-French business ties strong at 25-year mark in relations
ASTANA – In the past two and a half decades, Kazakhstan and France, though separated by a great distance, have maintained friendly, cordial and cooperative relations. This has allowed the two states to build strong and solid business ties. Jean-Yves Kozak, vice president for Astana of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry France Kazakhstan (CCIFK) sat down with…
Kazakh finance minister pledges to cut red tape for business
ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry of Finance is planning to reduce inspections and ease the bureaucratic pressure related to doing business in the country. The information came from Finance Minister Bakhyt Sultanov. At a government meeting in February, he spoke about the measures aimed at reducing red tape for business owners. “The following measures will…
Philanthropy indicator of society’s maturity, say corporate charity forum participants
ASTANA – The Kazakh capital hosted the first corporate charity forum Feb. 24-25 organised by Samruk Kazyna Trust social development foundation. The event served as a unique dialogue platform for activists, public authorities and businesspersons to exchange experiences in promoting philanthropic initiatives and strengthening social responsibility. Samruk Kazyna head Umirzak Shukeyev welcomed the forum participants and noted…
Participants upbeat about EXPO 2017 preparation progress
ASTANA – The Kazakh capital brought together delegations from more than 100 countries Feb. 22-23 to touch base on the preparation progress for EXPO 2017, the international specialised exposition. The final participants’ meeting helped the national expo teams to address last-minute enquiries, dwell on details and agree on deadlines in the run-up to the three-month…
Kazakh stuntmen to star in new Russian historical film
ASTANA – Members of Kazakhstan’s famous Nomad Stunts will star in the Russian historical film “Tobol.” The acrobats recently visited the city of Tobolsk to see the set and scenery. The movie will narrate the events that occurred under the rule of Peter the Great, according to producer Oleg Urushev. Filming will start in March…
‘Technovation Challenge’ seeks to build new generation of women leaders
ASTANA – Technovation Challenge is bringing together young girls from across the country to learn to solve real-world problems through technology. Founded in San Francisco, the annual international competition for girls aged 10-18 was introduced in Kazakhstan in 2016. Shortly after attending the 2015 TechWomen programme, Diana Tsoy launched Technovation Challenge in her home country…
New online store seeks to change Kazakh attitudes towards e-commerce
ALMATY – Two young Kazakh entrepreneurs have launched a home appliances and electronics store called Talapai.kz, which they hope will improve the quality of Kazakhstan’s e-commerce industry. “Our main mission is rather grand; it is to develop the intellectual capital of our country. We were concerned that there were very few successful online stores that…
French photographer builds supernatural Astana, calls it “Utopia of the 21st Century”
ASTANA – Famous French photographer Jean-Francois Rauzier has created his own supernatural dreamlike Astana. The “Hyper Astana” photo exhibition featuring his latest works is open at the Palace of Peace and Harmony until Feb. 12. Rauzier has transformed the city according to his vision, adding magic and grandeur to the modern architecture. Working in some…
Malaysian Experts Consult Kazakhstan on Halal Food Production
ASTANA – Malaysian food industry experts recently visited production facilities and developed recommendations to improve the quality of halal (permissible to use by Islamic law) food produced in Kazakhstan. The Kazakh Committee for Technical Regulation and Metrology under the Ministry for Investment and Development has launched a three-year project titled Reverse Linkage, implemented in collaboration…
New Shoe Manufacturer Achieves Success with First Men’s Collection
ASTANA – New shoe manufacturer Shoes Republic has had a big impact on Kazakhstan’s shoe industry just a few months after unveiling its first collection by targeting middle class customers and offering the best value. The industry newcomer presented its men’s winter collection in late September, featuring quality leather shoes for nearly the lowest market…
New App Helps Almaty Residents Monitor Air Quality
ALMATY – Almaty Urban Air (AUA or “air” in Kazakh) is a mobile app that helps to monitor air quality and increase public awareness on air pollution to improve city planning and decision-making practices. The new app is available on IOS and Android. Air pollution is becoming an urgent matter for the city. Industrial production,…
Newborn Photography Gains Momentum in Astana
ASTANA – New parents present vast marketing opportunities for businesses worldwide, and baby-crazy Kazakhstan is no exception. One of the trends in the huge and growing baby products industry, newborn photography, is catching on in Astana. The trend appeared roughly two years ago and has caught fire among parents since. This has given rise to…
Electric Bus Plant Launches Production in Almaty, Showcases Two Models
ALMATY – Parasat Holding showcased two models of electric buses Jan. 19 to local government officials. The safe, silent and environmentally-friendly vehicles, designed to carry 53-110 passengers, can hit city streets as soon as next year. “Parasat Holding, part of a group including the Satpayev National Technical Research University and the Kazakh-British Technical University, has…
Kazakhstan Ranks 48 in Bloomberg Innovation Index, Second Year Among Top 50
ASTANA – Kazakhstan rose two positions to 48th in Bloomberg’s 2017 Innovation Index, marking the second year in a row the country has been among the world’s top 50 innovative economies. To compile the ranking, Bloomberg evaluated more than 200 countries, of which 78 had data available for at least six of seven factors. The…
Eurocopter Kazakhstan Engineering Upbeat on Future Prospects
ASTANA – Eurocopter Kazakhstan Engineering (ECKE) is expanding its scope of work and gaining momentum by targeting increased exports. Commercial Director and deputy CEO of the company Timur Tilinin spoke to The Astana Times about the transformation plan and its early successes and gave a tour inside the facility. ECKE is a joint venture established…
Young Kazakh Entrepreneur Set to Build Wine Culture
ASTANA – A young Kazakh-born entrepreneur is building a thriving wine exporting business in Spain and striving to make fine Spanish wine available for Kazakh customers. Shukhrat Khakimov was only 21 and barely spoke any foreign language when he left Kazakhstan in 2009 to study winemaking in Angers (France). The Temirtau native borrowed 600,000 tenge…
Axartov Sisters Learn to Combine Motherhood and Entrepreneurship
ASTANA – As far as the Axartov sisters are concerned, there’s nothing like a clean eating regime and a juice fast to repair and renew the body. Sisters Maya and Zhanna Axartov believe in the practice so much, they’re building a new detox business, all the while raising two toddler sons. Maya, the younger of…
Astana New Railway Station 85 Percent Completed, Will Open Before EXPO 2017
ASTANA – Astana’s new railway station and junction are 80 percent constructed, Kanat Alpysbayev, head of the national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy reported recently. Installation and commissioning of the elevators and escalators, landscaping and finishing work will be completed by May 1. The new train station’s passenger traffic capacity will be 12 million people…
‘Road to a Mother’ Celebrated as Example of Modern Kazakh Cinema
ASTANA – “Road to a Mother” by Akan Satayev has become a highlight of domestic cinema, receiving critical acclaim at the 38th Moscow Film Festival and winning the grand prize at the Eurasian Bridge Film Festival in Yalta and Tulpar prize from the National Academy of Motion Picture Arts at the Almaty International Film Festival.…
Aitys: Gem of Kazakh Spoken Literary Tradition, Platform for Human Rights
ASTANA – Kazakh literary tradition has historically been rich in spoken literature expressed through a variety of genres, among them songs, proverbs, tales and epics. Aitys, one of spoken literary genres, stands out among the others as a combination of poetry, public speaking, performance art and music. The art form is deeply social. A parallel…
Central Asian Break-Dancers Defy Gravity at 2016 ‘Dance to Be Free’ Festival
ASTANA – Second annual street dance competition brought together nearly 300 participants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Russia in the Kazakh capital in December. The dance festival “Dance to Be Free” was true to its title and appealed to contestants as young as five and adult dancers with long-standing careers. The eldest of the…
Kazakh Catholics Celebrate Christmas, Rejoice in Rediscovered Freedoms
ASTANA – Roman Catholics in the capital attended Christmas Mass Dec. 24-25 in the city’s Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral. “According to a Catholic tradition, on Dec. 24, on the eve of Jesus’s birth, Catholics get together with their families and loved ones to mark the date. They often read from the gospels, extracts…
