Articles by Nazira Kozhanova

NUR-SULTAN – The capital’s local history festival kicked off Jan. 25 with a multimedia exhibition and public discussion of architectural heritage. “The festival was meant to be a dedication to the city and consisted of a discussion panel, where we tried to raise the questions and stimulate the dialogue about architectural heritage, what it is…

NUR-SULTAN – In reaction to the outbreak of coronavirus in Asia, Prime Minister Askar Mamin organised a government meeting Jan. 26 on ways to prevent its spread and take precautionary measures in Kazakhstan. The following day, Deputy Prime Minister Berdibek Saparbayev chaired the first meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission on Preventing the Emergence and Spread…

NUR-SULTAN – Female entrepreneurs in Shymkent work primarily in light industry, services, beauty, trade and catering industries, Chair of the Kazakh Business Women’s Council and the Atameken Business Chamber presidium member Lyazzat Ramazanova said Jan. 23 to inbusiness.kz. “We have 600 business entities in this industry in the country, and 90 percent are women-run businesses.…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh and Slovak officials hosted a business roundtable Jan. 21 in Nur-Sultan to discuss bilateral trade and economic cooperation as well as to sign memorandums of understanding. “It should be said that more than 40 countries with Slovakian participation already work in Kazakhstan. … Interest to our country is significant,” said Kazakh Ambassador…

NUR-SULTAN – The transit of goods through Kazakhstan grew 23 percent to 664,000 containers and total transit revenues for Kazakhstan reached more than 450 billion tenge (US$1.2 billion) in 2019, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Industrial Development reported Jan. 20. Among this cargo, the number of containers in the direction of China – Europe –…

NUR-SULTAN – SPACES.nur-sultan city festival that features exhibitions, lectures and workshops is to take place over the weekends from Jan. 24 to Feb. 7. “The team is convinced that the city, its places and spaces are made by people. What the city needs and where its development opportunities are – its residents know best,” said…

NUR-SULTAN – The new rules for Kazakh currency exchange office operations include changes in the authorised capital amount, data capture and office hours, said National Bank Cash Management Department Director Zhomart Kazhmuratov in the bank’s Jan. 14 statement to the media, according to Forbes.kz. The first change will standardise the authorised capital amount in cities,…

NUR-SULTAN – Capital residents discussed the meaning of nostalgia Jan. 11 during a public philosophy talk featuring Kazakh Humanities and Law University Senior Philosophy Lecturer Dmitri Melnikov. The event was organised as part of the Talking.TSE series. “In my opinion, our conversation about nostalgia went well. There was a response from the audience – many…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh athlete Anastasia Gorodko made her international debut by winning two gold medals in dual moguls Jan. 13-14 at the International Ski Federation (FIS) European Cup in Airolo, Switzerland, reported Olympic.kz. Gorodko, 14, won her first gold Jan. 13, earning 130 points, reported fis-ski.com. Janneke Berghuis, 18, of the Netherlands placed second with…

NUR-SULTAN – Government, civil society and international organisation representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan met in Dushanbe, Tajikistan Dec. 17-18 for the fourth New Tendencies in Violent Extremism and Preventive Measures regional dialogue, reported undp.org. “This dialogue serves as a platform for governments, experts and the research community to explore and elaborate on required…

NUR-SULTAN – Qatar Airways will launch flights March 30 between Doha and Nur-Sultan. Qatar Airways will also launch from Doha to Almaty April 1, according to inbusiness.kz. “The opening of the flight will allow Kazakh passengers to travel to 160 destinations of Qatar Airways,” said a representative of the Press Service of the Civil Aviation…

NUR-SULTAN – Changes to the Almaty special status law in areas including architecture, city planning, land use, environmental regulation, entrepreneurship, communal property management and transport were made recently, Almaty Deputy Akim (Mayor) Mukhit Azirbayev announced at a press conference. “To ensure the development processes of social, transport and other infrastructure in urban development of suburban…

NUR-SULTAN – Starting Jan. 1, Chinese and Indian citizens may transit through Kazakhstan for 72 hours without the need to obtain a visa, reported inbusiness.kz Jan. 9. “There is a 72-hour visa-free regime for entry, stay and departure from the Republic of Kazakhstan for citizens of the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s export volume decreased 4.5 percent during first 10 months of 2019 and exports fell from 65.1 percent of all trade volume to 60.4 percent, energyprom.kz reported Dec. 30, using data from the Kazakh Ministry of National Economy’s Statistics Committee. Exports decreased from $50 billion in 2018 to $47.7 billion in 2019. At…

NUR-SULTAN – The Pavlodar akimat (administration) launched two and a half hour guided tours Dec. 6 that visit seven locations by bus, reported pavlodarnews.kz. The project is in pilot mode until Jan. 15, with tours hosted by the region’s history museum employees. Pavlodar State University students would eventually serve as guides to fulfil their credit-bearing…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh start-ups Kishkentai and Kid Security won funding as prizes in the SAP UP competition in Moscow, Russia, Dec. 18. “We were in Moscow for three days. It was very interesting… The money will help us with our plans, because we have to pay for designers, methodologists, developers – as you know, it’s…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan is ready to play a proactive role in the global dialogue, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Mukhtar Tileuberdi Dec. 16 at 14th ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Foreign Ministers meeting in Madrid. “To create a favourable external environment for our development and growth, we should adapt to the 21st-century reality and stay away from…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s men’s beach volleyball team won two games against the Indian team in Visakhapatnam, India, Dec. 16 and advanced to the final of the Asian Beach Volleyball Olympic Qualification Tournament. On the first day of the competition, Iran won two consecutive victories over Sri Lanka, and Kazakhstan snatched victory from the tournament hosts…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh professional freestyle skier Yulia Galysheva won a silver medal Dec. 14 in moguls at the 2019-2020 International Ski Federation (FIS, Fédération Internationale de Ski) Freestyle Ski World Cup stage in Taipei, Taiwan, reports the National Olympic Committee press service. Galysheva scored 79.8 points and won the silver medal of the second stage…

NUR-SULTAN – The capital hosted the AMEN Animation Film Festival Dec. 11 featuring the work of young Kazakh artists. “This festival will be one of the significant actions that will contribute to increasing the animation potential of our country. Our goal is to create a community that respects the work of the older generation and…

NUR-SULTAN – Domestic tourism has grown 9.8 percent in 2019, external tourism is on the decline and Almaty is the country’s most popular destination, according to the Kazakh Statistics Committee. Domestic tourism inflow has nearly doubled in the last seven years. While approximately 2.7 million travellers explored their own country from January-September 2013, the number…

NUR-SULTAN – Nazarbayev University (NU) launched its Kazakh-Chinese genetic analysis laboratory Dec. 5, reported russian.news.cn. “I am glad that the Nazarbayev University site is worthy of accepting serious scientific and clinical studies that require not only good equipment, but also good knowledge and specialists. For Nazarbayev University, it means both jobs and increasing their research…

NUR-SULTAN – Letter from Nur-Sultan, an event held Dec. 5 in the capital, focused on the regional dimension of the European Union (EU) Central Asia strategy and whether it is an adequate answer 21st-century challenges. “The EU needs a more assertive strategy. This would entail shifting from a simple, general dialogue with the target country,…

NUR-SULTAN – Anti Smog air pollution mask company founders Dayana Tazhimuratova and Aisulu Tystykbayeva fund Kazakh air quality research and work on ways to increase awareness and counter air pollution. “Since we had health problems caused by air quality, we searched for a solution that could help us first of all to not feel so…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discussed economic cooperation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and German entrepreneurs during Tokayev’s Dec. 5-6 official visit to Berlin. “The purpose of my visit is to give an additional impetus, primarily to economic cooperation and political interaction. It so happened that Germany, being the fourth…

NUR-SULTAN – HydroPlat’s team project, the Clean Mobility Award winner at the ClimateLaunchPad Global Grand Final Nov. 19, could potentially make hydrogen cars significantly cheaper, providing a sustainable and affordable vehicle option, said team leader Aidana Toleshova. “Basically, we participated first in the national finals, which were held at Nazarbayev University. We became the winners…

NUR-SULTAN – Interfering relatives and a lack of moral restrictions were cited as the most common causes of divorce among Kazakh couples, a study published Nov. 28 by the Kazakh Institute for Equal Rights and Opportunities found. “Kazakhstan has a high divorce rate; however, there is also statistical data on high marriage rates. This means…

NUR-SULTAN – The Friends of Denis Ten ice show will take place Dec. 14 in the capital, reported the show’s Instagram account @denistenshow. This event is slated to feature skaters such as Tatyana Volosozhar, Maxim Trankov, Ekaterina Gordeeva, Kaitlyn Weaver, Andrew Poje and Jeremy Abbot. The show started as Denis Ten and Friends, when the…

NUR-SULTAN – Training coaches, investing in regional facilities and a fair sports culture are important for developing Kazakh athletics, said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe during a Nov. 3 press conference in the capital. “There are two or three topics that we discussed. The first is the training of coaches, because this is a key…

NUR-SULTAN – Public discussion, building maintenance and communication are necessary to save the capital’s archeological heritage, said former Tselinograd (Soviet name of Nur-Sultan) Region head architect and SA Architects Creative Director Vasily Toskin at the Nov. 27 public discussion organised by the Fading.TSE project. “Well, the idea of this gathering has emerged, because recently journalists…

NUR-SULTAN – Astana Football Club beat the U.K.’s Manchester United 2-1 Nov. 28 in a Europa League fifth group match in the capital. The win was Astana’s first in the Europa League. “People create an atmosphere, so we must win. Thank God that we were able to repay the debt. I want to say thanks…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid an official visit to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Nov. 27 for negotiations with Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Zheenbekov. “We strive to find and develop new areas of joint work that are consistent with the spirit and nature of Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan relations,” Tokayev said after speaking with Zheenbekov, according to 24.kg. Regarding the…

NUR-SULTAN – A free economic zone will be created at the Baikonur Cosmodrome to attract tourists to the world’s first and largest operational space launch facility, Kyzylorda Region Akim (Governor) Kuanyshbek Iskakov told KazInform news agency Nov. 22. “We have already developed the concept of a free economic zone. One of the aims of the…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Tourism company and the akimats (administrations) of the city of Almaty and the Almaty Region announced Nov. 22 that they will launch a unified mountain tourism project office. The office is meant to coordinate the implementation of the national tourism programme in Almaty’s mountains as well as help tourism companies implement…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin and Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov officially launched construction of a fibre-optic line between the countries under the Caspian Sea Nov. 19 in Aktau, Kazakhstan, reports primeminister.kz. “It will allow you [Azerbaijan] to reach a higher level of development of high-speed and secure data transmission infrastructure, join the…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh tennis players Alexander Bublik and Mikhail Kukushkin won the first doubles match against the Netherlands at the Davis Cup in Madrid, Spain, Nov. 20, reports Olympic.kz. “It was a great match,” said Kazakh Davis Cup Team Captain Dias Doskarayev. “This is the Davis Cup, here any athlete can show a good result,…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh football team defeated the team from San Marino 3-1 Nov. 17 in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) EURO 2020 qualifying game.  “First of all, I want to note the significance of this victory. The weather led to adjustments to the game by both teams. I liked how we played…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has a strong basis for adopting new technologies, but there is a need for more specialists able to develop them, said Accenture Managing Director Anton Musin in an interview with The Astana Times. “The adoption of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in Kazakhstan is on the way, I would say.…

NUR-SULTAN – Water management should be the focus of Central Asian cooperation, particularly in the face of climate change, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Director Dan Smith said Nov. 12. “Climate change is happening and it will have a different impact on different places in the world…  For countries like those in Central Asia, the…

NUR-SULTAN – While Kazakhstan’s economic growth remains strong, its fiscal framework, monetary and exchange policy should be strengthened, reported the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 2019 Article IV Mission Staff Concluding Statement on Nov. 13. “Growth remains strong, fueled by supportive fiscal policy, oil and gas sector investment and retail lending. Risks to inflation have increased…

NUR-SULTAN – Although they face financial challenges, the future of Kazakh start-ups is bright, noted judges at the Digital Bridge start-up competition. The panel included Angel Labs investor accelerator founder Tugce Ergul and ACME Capital principal Alex Fayette. “Kazakhstan’s tech is still maturing, but it is much better than it was three or four years…

NUR-SULTAN – The fifth annual Astana Club meeting started Nov. 11 with the “World (Dis)Order: Who writes the history of the future” discussion of international politics and Eurasia and Central Asia’s place in it. “If you look at the geography of the most acute global conflict nodes of recent times, you cannot help but see…

NUR-SULTAN – A series of capital history public talks, organised by the Fading.TSE Nur-Sultan history project, started Oct. 25 with a guest lecture by regional historian Assylbek Altynov. “We thought about the topic of the debut Talking.TSE talk for a long time and decided that it should be connected with the history of the capital.…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh entrepreneurs have produced an innovative product that clears oil spills from soil and air, reported Forbes.kz Oct. 30.  The product was developed by Kazakh National University Biology Department Chair Togzhan Mukasheva and her former student and current KazEcoSolutions Technical Director Olzhas Dyussenov. The Kazakh government and World Bank showed interest in the…

NUR-SULTAN – Nur-Sultan general purpose public hospital No. 2 will be augmented with building connectors, a parking lot expansion and additional medical equipment, said city Akim (Mayor) Altai Kulginov during a Nov. 4 visit. He has requested design estimates and issues raised have been addressed.  “The connection (between buildings) will allow the doctors and patients…

NUR-SULTAN – Eleven Kazakh airports adopted an open skies regime Nov. 1, reported the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development press service. The open skies regime allows more foreign carriers and more flights to operate at Kazakh airports. “This mode is introduced at the airports of Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Shymkent, Aktau, Karaganda, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Pavlodar, Kokshetau, Taraz,…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh-Lithuanian relations are on a positive course, with growing economic and cultural cooperation between the countries, said Lithuanian Ambassador Gintautas Vasiulis. “I would say that we are on the right track. Bilateral relations between Lithuania and Kazakhstan are developing well and we should do our best to continue moving forward in the same…

NUR-SULTAN – The Akmola Region achieved 106 percent in economic growth in the first three quarters of 2019, said Akim (Governor) Yermek Marzhikpayev at the Oct. 28 Central Communication Service press conference. “In the region in many areas of activity, according to the results of nine months of this year, positive results were achieved. The…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan plans to gradually introduce 12 years of mandatory schooling, said Minister of Education and Science Askhat Aimagambetov Oct. 20, reported tengrinews.kz. “We have an 11-year education today, both de jure and de facto. Updated programmes were approved in 2015 and then the programmes of an 11-year-old school were approved. Currently, updated programmes…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh entrepreneur Temirlan Aigozhin’s Champloo start-up is set to produce an innovative portative preamp and amplifier. The device is made to sell in Kazakhstan and the U.S., where an agreement has been reached with Amazon reported Forbes.kz Sept. 26. “It is important for me to create a Kazakh audio brand that will be…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan moved up three spots to 25th on the World Bank Doing Business 2020 report, according to the report published on Oct. 24. Kazakhstan made improvements in issuing permits, ease of getting a loan and starting a business. However, difficulties in registering property and resolving insolvency remain, according to the report. “Improving the…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh senior and junior athletes won one gold, three silver and three bronze medals Oct. 17-19 at the Asia Track Cycling Championship in Seoul, South Korea, reported Olympic.kz. Andrei Chugai took the gold in the timed race, completing the one-kilometre distance in 1.01639 minutes. He was followed in second and third places by…

NUR-SULTAN – The International Monetary Fund will launch a new regional technical assistance centre (RTAC) in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Deputy Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer of the IMF Carla Grasso announced Oct. 18. “We are very excited about this new platform for engagement with member countries in the Caucasus, Central Asia and Mongolia (CCAM)—an important…

NUR-SULTAN – The Chairman of the Kazakh Anti-corruption Agency Alik Shpekbayev signed an agreement opening the way for the country to join the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) in Strasbourg on Oct. 15. “I welcome the signing by Kazakhstan of the GRECO agreement. This is a very important event that makes Kazakhstan one step…

NUR-SULTAN – A proposal to build power transmission lines near Shoshkaly Lake in 2020 was recently submitted to the Department of Economics and Budget Planning of the East Kazakhstan Region, Akim (Mayor) of the Beskaragai District Daulet Batyrbayev said Oct. 16 at the Regional Communications Service of the East Kazakhstan Region.  Local government officials are…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh athletes won two bronze medals Oct. 12 at the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Women’s World Boxing Championship 2019 in Ulan-Ude, Russia, reported Olympic.kz. “We can’t say that we are satisfied with the performance of the girls, because at the world championship we could not win the gold medals. The team that performed…

NUR-SULTAN – Turkestan’s new media centre and regional akimat (administration) building projects were completed Oct. 9, reported Otyrar.kz. With both structures finished, only the work in the surrounding areas is still to be completed by the end of the month. The media centre is the second largest in Kazakhstan following the one in the capital.…

NUR-SULTAN – Fifteen countries have joined the Kazakh Green Bridge green economy transition initiative, International Centre for Green Technologies and Investment Projects Management Board Deputy Chairperson Gaukhar Beiseyeva told bnews.kz Sept. 30. “We already have 15 countries joining the Green Bridge partnership programme. I can even list all of them for you now – –…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh public health and family agencies and organisations recently sponsored an event in Nur-Sultan where adults and young people discussed issues of gender equality and sex education.  “We held an important event where we gave our young people votes – people who see the problems of modern society and themselves offer solutions. Sexual…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs Mukhtar Tileuberdi called for a multilateral approach to achieve stability in Afghanistan Oct. 9 at the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) roundtable on Afghanistan.   “We believe that peace, stability and sustainable development of Afghanistan will surely give a powerful impetus to the stability, development…

NUR-SULTAN – The ISU (International Skating Union) has announced the first Denis Ten Memorial Challenge will be held Oct. 10-13 in Almaty. “One of Denis’s main goals was to develop figure skating in Kazakhstan and represent the country on the world sports arena. Therefore, we are very proud that our country has the honour of…

NUR-SULTAN – Tajik Language and Culture centre opened Oct. 1 in the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. Tajik Consul General Bakhodur Nazir and the Kazakh National University Provost Tlekkabul Ramazanov spoke at the centre opening ceremony, reports mir24.tv. The Tajik language and culture centre includes a library and a reading room. Its main goal is the…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh boxer Gennady Golovkin won Oct. 6 a fight for the IBF and IBO middleweight champion titles against the Ukrainian boxer Sergei Derevyanchenko. The fight took place in the Madison Square Garden in New York City.   “Thanks to my opponent, respect for his team. Sergey is a very strong opponent. After the…

NUR-SULTAN – The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) yearly report presented Aug. 29 reviewed the centre’s key projects and achievements for 2018-2019. Among the key projects, the report listed the privatisation programme used by the government to reduce its share in the country’s economy to 15 percent. The first example was the Kazatomprom IPO. “In…

NUR-SULTAN – Nazarbayev University recently hosted the national finals of the ClimateLaunchpad 2019 green technologies entrepreneurship ideas international competition, reported science-fund.kz. “ClimateLaunchpad provides a great opportunity to get the knowledge needed for the development of new cleantech ideas into successful business projects. Participation in ClimateLaunchpad will help entrepreneurs to check the feasibility of their ideas…

NUR-SULTAN – Kulanshi Forte Bank Nur-Sultan art gallery launched Sept. 26 an exhibition of restored Soviet-era paintings dating to the 1950s and Soviet posters from the 1970s and 1980s. The exhibition presented the works of many artists, including Salikhiddin Aitbayev and Abdulhak Abdullayev. “The core of the exhibition is the works of Salikhitdin Aitbayev. This…

NUR-SULTAN – Water, gas and electrical access work, as well as construction of the entrance highway, have been completed at Karalmy Resort in the Zhambyl Region. The project was presented Sept. 29 to Akim (Governor) Askar Myrzakhmetov, reported Kazinform. Additional facility work and cableway installation are underway. After examining the progress, Myrzakhmetov noted most of…

NUR-SULTAN – The 12th KazEnergy Eurasian Forum opened Sept. 26 in Nur-Sultan with discussions on the future of energy and the role Kazakhstan will play in that future.  “In fact, energy is undergoing a certain transformation at the planning level. Today, the structure of global consumption is changing, which requires changes in the industry,” said…

NUR-SULTAN – Four Kazakh athletes won medals in trap shooting Sept. 24-25 at the 9th Asia Championship in Baiserke village near Almaty. Two medals were won by Kazakh athletes in individual competition and two medals were won in team competition by both senior and junior athletes, reports Olympic.kz. Assem Orynbai won a bronze medal. Meng…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will cooperate in developing pilgrimage tourism, Uzbekistan Tourism Development Committee head specialist Saidkomil Khalkhidjayev told 24.kz. Specifically, new roads and airway routes will be created as a part of the Silk Road tourism project. “The history of the ancient Turks is interesting not only to their descendants, but also to…

NUR-SULTAN – Smart bus stops, an open-air movie theatre and glass police booths will be installed in Turkestan by 2020-2021, Akim (Mayor) Rashid Ayupov told tengrinews.kz Sept. 23. The new flower-shaped singing fountain, Arbat Street (walking alley) and Nazarbayev Street construction projects were completed this summer. “At each (smart bus) stop, WI-FI will be connected;…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s machinery industry turnover has surpassed one trillion tenge (US$2.58 billion) for the first time, reported Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar Sept. 12 at the 7th Kazakhstan Machinery Forum. The country recently secured machinery production contracts with transnational corporations such as Alstom, General Electric and JAC Motors.  Sklyar highlighted particular achievements including signing…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh-Czech cooperation has reached a new high this year, with a $1 billion trade turnover. Education and cultural sectors are an equally important priority, noted Czech Ambassador Rudolf Hykl. “Kazakh-Czech Republic relations are very friendly, very substantive and very productive,” he said. He noted both political and economic relations between Kazakhstan and the…

NUR-SULTAN – Shymkent Central Park hosted the eight annual Old Vinyl festival, Sept. 15, gathering more than 1,000 music lovers, young and old, reported otyrar.kz.  The event featured the bands Dilkhirosh and Fonograph and city singers and dancers performing to Soviet music from the 1960s and 1970s. Guests sang along with the choir rendition of…

NUR-SULTAN – “Under One Sun,” the TEDx conference held Sept. 15 in the capital, focused on ideas that help overcome differences.  “It was chosen as a guideline for the search for ideas, the unifying power of which will exceed the influence of our disputes about differences,” Aliya Sandybayeva, one of the event organisers, told tengrinews.kz.…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan is one of the world leaders in chromite mining, production and reserves, according to the United States Geological Survey. The country was the third biggest chromite producer in 2018 with 4.6 million tonnes. South Africa and Turkey were the largest and second largest with 16 million and 6.5 million tonnes, respectively.  Kazakhstan,…

NUR-SULTAN – The Astana International Finance Centre (AIFC) is developing a framework to facilitate the growing green finance sector in Kazakhstan, AIFC Board Chairman Kairat Kelimbetov told the Sept. 9 Green Growth Forum in Nur-Sultan, reports KazInform news agency.   “Today, the AIFC, together with international experts, is working on creating a regulatory framework for…

NUR-SULTAN – Alau Ice Palace in the capital will serve as host Dec. 6-8 for a portion of the International Skating Union’s (ISU) Speed Skating World Cup Series. The overall events will start Nov. 15, reported KazInform. The Kazakh team members eligible to perform at the World Cup will be decided after the Kazakhstan Championship,…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s GDP grew 4.3 percent from January-August compared to the corresponding period of 2018, Prime Minister Askar Mamin said at the Sept. 10 government session. Positive growth was observed in areas such as manufacturing, including engineering (18 percent); non-ferrous metal mining (17.9 percent); light industry (17.4 percent), oil refining (6.2 percent); agriculture (3.6…

NUR-SULTAN – The Bastau Business and Zhaskasipker funded entrepreneurship skills training programmes are being offered for the first time in Shymkent. The former will involve 2,700 participants; the latter, 1,400, reported kursiv.kz. “Participants in the first Zhaskasipker project can be unemployed people 18-29 years old. If they own their own business, then it must have…

NUR-SULTAN – Astana Pro Team’s Jakob Fuglsang won the 16th stage of the Vuelta a España Sept. 10 atop Alto de la Cubilla, reported KazInform.kz. “I am super happy with my win! Finally, I’ve got a Grand Tour stage victory! It is a great continuation of my best season so far. I am happy that…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh renewable energy and tin industries are potential growth sectors and oil and gas are still a safe bet for investors, according to the latest Norwegian International Business Project report. The report provides potential investors with an overview of Kazakhstan and its most promising industries. “Significant progress has been made with a…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh artist Nazym Rakhimberdiyeva presented her Tengrianism-inspired (ancient Turkic faith) paintings Aug. 20 at her individual “Tengri of three worlds” exhibition in Almaty, reported mix.tn.kz. “I got interested in Tengrianism when I was wondering what our deities looked like. But it turned out that this is an obscure topic; artists rarely depicted them…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Institute of Oncology and Radiology (KazIOR) will host the 2019 World Cancer Leaders’ Summit Oct. 15-17 in the capital, reported uicc.org. “Reducing the number of premature deaths caused by cancer requires addressing inequities in access to cancer services to achieve the universal health coverage (UHC) vision of health for all,” adds…

NUR-SULTAN – Participants at a recent conference in the Kazakh capital discussed the difficulties of introducing standards in the halal industry in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), reports the Islamic Organisation for Food Security. Rimma Gakhova, representing the Consumer Rights Protection National Association Society, noted pork DNA was found in halal products at the…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh ministers celebrated Knowledge Day Sept. 1 by visiting schools to speak about the new bill on the status of the teacher and patriotism in schools. Prime Minister Askar Mamin participated in the inauguration ceremony of the capital’s new school-gymnasium number 87 named for Abai Kunanbayev. “Dear teachers, parents and students! I wholeheartedly…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh mountain climber Rishat Khabibullin won a bronze medal Aug. 21 at the 2019 International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Climbing World Championships. The third-place finish made him the 12th of the nation’s athletes to qualify for the 2020 Olympics, reported Olympic.kz. “The main goal for me was to win an Olympic licence and get…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the decree Aug. 27 declaring 2020 as the Year of the Volunteer. Speaking at the May 29 Kazakh-Russian Youth Cooperation Forum in Kostanai, Tokayev noted the volunteer movement is necessary for the country, reported Zakon.kz. There is a particular need to develop digital volunteer initiatives. “I see that…

NUR-SULTAN – Emerging Kazakh artists exhibited their works Aug. 20-24 in capital apartments. The Tribute Album exhibitions series project, first conducted in 2017, was organised by Platforma.projectroom group. “We hold informal exhibitions in apartments and workshops, where we will have the opportunity to be the first to get acquainted with the work of the authors!…

NUR-SULTAN – Jezkiik 2019 Ulytau Festival brought together the Ulytau International Tourism Forum, the International Rural Youth Forum and the Ethnic Music and Food Festival on Aug. 23-25. “Located at the intersection of ancient civilisations and the largest transport arteries, Kazakhstan for centuries remains one of the most important cultural, historical and spiritual centres of…

NUR-SULTAN – Outreach mentorship and employment services launched in early August at the Shymkent Youth Resources Centre, reported 24.kz. The primary mission is to employ and motivate young people who neither work nor study. The project is a one-of-a-kind in Kazakhstan. “Our task is to help young people who do not study and do not…

NUR-SULTAN – Ministers of foreign affairs  from the five Central Asian nations and a top U.S. diplomat  met in Nur-Sultan Aug. 22 to discuss regional security and economic cooperation with the United States. The first session of the meeting, known as C5+1, discussed avenues for economic security and partnership. U.S. Under Secretary of State for…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government approved Aug. 20 an expansion of the Astana International Financial Centre’s (AIFC) legal jurisdiction and an investment tax residency programme to attract foreign investment. The expansion of the AIFC’s legal jurisdiction will allow the centre to adopt acts regulating labour relations and procurement procedures. “As a part of the 100…

NUR-SULTAN – Berdibek Saparbayev replaced Gulshara Abdykalikova Aug. 20 as Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister, reported the Akorda website. Saparbayev, the former Minister of Labour and Social Protection, previously served as Akim (Governor) of the Aktobe Region. He was also Chief of Staff of the Cabinet of Ministers, Akim of the Kyzylorda and South Kazakhstan regions,…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh professional middleweight boxer Zhanibek Alimkhanuly retained his WBO Global and WBO Continental Americas titles after defeating Canadian Stuart McLellan Aug. 17 in Los Angeles, reports Olympic.kz. Alimkhanuly now ranks 63rd in the BoxRec middleweight boxers global ranking. He currently is in third place among the Kazakh middleweight boxers according to this ranking,…

NUR-SULTAN – The number of tourists visiting Kolsai Lakes National Park in the Almaty Region has increased 400 percent since 2009 following infrastructure improvements, reports 24.kz. The annual number of tourists visiting Kolsai Lakes National Park was 41,000 in 2018, as opposed to 10,000 in 2009. The numbers are expected to further increase by one…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appointed July 30 Yerlan Aitakhanov the new akim (mayor) of Shymkent city. Previous akim Gabidolla Abdrakhimov was dismissed from his position. Before the appointment, Aitakhanov served as akim (mayor) of the Otyrar District in the Turkestan Region and the deputy akim of the South Kazakhstan Region. Aitakhanov was born…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government plans to digitise its mining and metallurgy industries, Chairman of the Committee for Industrial Development and Industrial Safety of the Kazakh Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development Kanat Baitov announced at a July 29 press conference on digitisation of the mining and metallurgical industries. As a part of the 2018…

NUR-SULTAN – Nurkhozha Kaipanov won Aug. 4 the silver medal in freestyle wrestling at the Vaclav Tsiolkovsky International Tournament in Warsaw, Poland, reports Olympic.kz. It was the ninth medal Kazakh wrestlers won at the tournament. The Kazakh wrestler lost to Turkish wrestler Haydar Yavuz in the weight category up to 70 kg in the final…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government approved July 30 a new roadmap outlining legislative and executive measures to attract foreign investment, Zakon.kz reports. The roadmap also outlines measures to be taken within the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) to attract investment. The roadmap’s legislative section includes measures to alter taxation and liberalise the visa and migration…