Kazakhstan and Macau Enact Visa-Free Travel Agreement
ASTANA – The agreement on mutual exemption from visa requirements between Kazakhstan and Macau, a special administrative region of China, came into effect on Oct. 24, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service. This agreement allows citizens to enter, exit, transit, and stay visa-free in each other’s territories for up to 14 days. However, the…
Kazakhstan Allocates US$24.6 Million in Recovered Assets to Social Projects
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has directed 12 billion tenge (US$24.6 million) from recovered illegally acquired assets to fund social projects, the Asset Recovery Committee reported on Oct. 28. The four agreements signed with registry entities included a project to construct a modern cultural center in Almaty, covering over 3,000 square meters with specialized and universal halls,…
Two Airlines Launch New Direct Flights from Kazakhstan to Southeast Asia
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines has launched new direct passenger flights to Cambodia. Vietjet Air of Vietnam opens flights on the Phu Quoc-Astana route, the Kazakh Civil Aviation Committee reported on Oct. 25. SCAT’s first flight on the Astana-Sihanoukville route took place on Oct. 24. An Almaty-Sihanoukville flight is scheduled for Oct. 29. The flights…
President Tokayev to Embark on State Visit to Mongolia Next Week
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will pay a state visit to Mongolia on Oct. 28-29. The visit will feature high-level discussions and the signing of pivotal bilateral agreements. During his visit, President Tokayev will hold talks with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, Chairman of the Great State Khural (Parliament) Dashzegve Amarbayasgalan, and Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain…
Kazakhstan and China Launch New Direct Cargo Air Route
ASTANA – A cargo plane from Taiyuan city in North China’s Shanxi Province made its first delivery to Almaty on Oct. 23, Xinhua reported citing the city’s customs. This marked the launch of a new direct cargo air route. The plane, which was departing from Taiyuan Wusu International Airport, carried Chinese goods, including clothing, daily…
Uzbekistan Leads in Tourist Visits to Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Uzbekistan topped the list of tourists to Kazakhstan with 40,452 visitors, according to the statistics of the eQonaq system for September, the Tourism and Sports Ministry’s press service reported on Oct. 21. Russia ranked second with 34,650 tourists, followed by China with 15,868 visitors. Tourists’ reasons for visiting varied: 39.1% came for leisure,…
Kazakhstan’s Population Exceeds 20 Million People
ASTANA — According to the Bureau of National Statistics, Kazakhstan’s population reached 20,201,849 as of Sept. 1, an increase of over 168,000 people since the beginning of the year. Urban areas saw an increase of 173,171 people, bringing the cities’ population to over 12.68 million, while the rural population slightly declined by 5,164 people, approaching…
Kazakh Government Allocates Returned Illegal Assets to Social Projects
ASTANA – The Kazakh government decided to allocate returned illegally acquired assets from the Special State Fund to finance two social projects, including a sports complex in Zerendi, Akmola Region, costing 2.1 billion tenge (US$4.3 million), and a renovation of a music school in Temirlan, Turkistan Region, worth 890 million tenge (US$1.8 million). According to…
Customs Terminal to Open on Kazakh-Uzbek Border
ASTANA – The construction of a new customs terminal at the Dovut-Ota border post in Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic of Uzbekistan, is nearing completion, the Uzbek Customs Committee’s press service reported on Oct. 21. Covering six hectares, the terminal is equipped with modern technology and features nearby amenities such as hotels, technical service points, and…
ADB, IsDB Study Reveals Opportunities for Kazakhstan’s Diversification via Global Value Chains
ASTANA — Kazakhstan has a unique opportunity to not only reduce its dependency on extractive resources but also to position itself competitively in high-value-added segments of the global economy by engaging more deeply in global value chains, says a new study from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). The report…
Kulans Transported to Central Kazakhstan to Restore Population
ASTANA – Twenty-four kulans arrived at the Altyn Dala Nature Reserve in the Kostanai Region from the Altyn Emel National Park in the Almaty Region on Oct. 2, following a 50-hour journey covering 2,139 kilometers. The transportation of kulans was conducted as part of a program to restore the populations of these wild ungulates in…
Kazakhstan Launches Training for Teachers from Central Asia’s Medical Universities
ASTANA – Kazakhstan Agency of International Development (KazAID) has launched a week-long training course for ten teachers from medical universities of the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan as part of the expanded Avicenna: Healthcare program, which runs from Oct. 17-23, reported the KazAID’s press service. The training is being held free of charge through a grant…
Regional Forum Highlights Five Years of Progress in Disaster Preparedness & Social Protection in Central Asia
ASTANA – The Strengthening Financial Resilience and Accelerating Risk Reduction in Central Asia program (SFRARR) – funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and the World Bank – hosted a final regional forum on Oct. 14-15 in Almaty. The event marked the conclusion of…
Kostanai Region Launches Construction of $114.2 Million Poultry Farm
ASTANA – Canadian Chicken Ltd., specializing in poultry breeding, meat processing, and preservation, has begun the construction of a cutting-edge poultry production and processing facility in the Kostanai Region, with a total investment of 55.4 billion tenge (US$114.2 million), the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry’s press service reported on Oct. 11. The project will be implemented in…
Astana City Marathon Attracts Participants from 18 Countries
ASTANA – The Astana City Marathon welcomed a total of 2,300 people on Oct. 13, including not only city residents but also guests from 18 countries such as the Kyrgyz Republic, China, the Netherlands, Kenya, Russia, and France, despite the chilly -6 degrees Celsius weather, reported the city administration’s press service. The marathon, part of…
Kazakhstan’s Petrochemical Industry Poised for Dramatic Expansion Through 2030
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is set to increase its petrochemical production from 357,800 tons in 2023 to 1.8 million tons by 2030, as outlined in the Roadmap for the Development of the Petrochemical Industry for 2024-2030, recently developed by the Ministry of Energy, the ministry’s press service reported on Oct. 14. The document was approved by…
27th Asian Table Tennis Championships Concludes in Astana
ASTANA – For the first time, Kazakhstan hosted the 27th Asian Table Tennis Championships from Oct. 6 to 13, reported the Tourism and Sports Ministry’s press service. The tournament brought together 210 athletes from 26 countries, competing in singles, doubles, mixed doubles, and team events among men and women. Kazakhstan’s men’s table tennis team achieved…
US Department of State Delivers Positive Evaluation of C5+1 summit in New York
ASTANA – The U.S. Department of State gave an official assessment on the results of the C5+1 meeting during the UN General Assembly in New York, at the request of Kazinform. The U.S. Department of State spokesperson gave the following assessment: “The C5+1 partnership has demonstrated that we are at our strongest when we work…
Organization of Turkic States to Establish Unified Information System for Accessible Medical Services
ASTANA – Health Ministers of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) signed a protocol of intent to create a unified information system, called Türktransplant, during their fourth meeting chaired by Azerbaijani Health Minister Teymur Musayev on Oct. 8 in Shusha, reported the OTS press service. The participants also signed memoranda of understanding on cooperation between…
Nearly 70% of Voters Support Nuclear Power Plant Construction, Exit Poll Shows
ASTANA – Approximately 69.8 percent of people voted in favor of constructing a nuclear power plant, according to exit poll results announced at midnight on Oct. 7 by Alibek Tazhibayev, an expert at the Sotsis-A Institute for Social Research. Around 30.2 percent of people voted against the construction. The voter turnout was declared at 67.3…
Nuclear Power Plant Referendum Begins in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Kazakh citizens are heading to the polls on Oct. 6 to vote in the national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant. A total of 10,323 polling stations are open for the vote, including 74 abroad in 59 countries. More than 12 million citizens are eligible to vote. Voting will take…
Kazakhstan’s Janibek Alimkhanuly Retains IBF and WBO Titles
ASTANA – Kazakh boxer Janibek Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 knockouts) retained the International Boxing Federation (IBF) middleweight title and the World Boxing Organization (WBO) title as he defeated New Zealand’s Andrei Mikhailovich (21-0, 13 knockouts) in a fight at The Star in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 4, reported Sports.kz. Initially, only the IBF title was at…
Kazakhstan Establishes 74 Polling Stations Abroad for Upcoming Referendum
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has set up 74 polling stations at its foreign missions in 59 countries for the upcoming referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant, scheduled for Oct. 6. According to the press statement released by the Foreign Ministry, eligible voters with valid Kazakh passports, residing or staying for private, official, educational,…
Northern Aral Sea Water Levels Rise Substantially
ASTANA — The water volume in the Northern Aral Sea has increased to 22 billion cubic meters, said the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation’s spokesperson Moldir Abdualiyeva, during a Sept. 25 press conference at the Central Communications Service, reported Kazinform. Abdualiyeva highlighted that during this irrigation period, 418 million cubic meters of water were…
Euronews: Kazakh Superstar Dimash Qudaibergen on Music, Heritage & World Nomad Games
ASTANA – In an exclusive interview with Euronews Culture, Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen reflects on his career, evolving musical style, and how the World Nomad Games provided a perfect stage to spotlight Kazakhstan’s heritage. “Kazakh global sensation Dimash Qudaibergen is not just a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist – he is a man on a mission.…
