Aktau Named Cultural Capital of Turkic World for 2025
ASTANA – Aktau received the status of the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2025 at the 41st meeting of the member states of the International Turkic Culture Organization (TURKSOY) in Ashgabat, the Kazakh Culture and Information Ministry’s press service reported on Nov. 18. The symbolic passing of the baton occurred during the closing…
Kazakhstan to Host 17th Eurasia International Film Festival This Month
ASTANA — The 17th Eurasia International Film Festival: Cinema Without Borders will be held in Kazakhstan from Nov. 24 to 30, according to the festival’s press service. It will feature an international competition among 12 iconic and experimental films by directors from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The films will represent a vibrant mosaic…
President Tokayev Pays Official Visit to Serbia
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Serbia on an official visit on Nov. 18, reported Akorda. He met with President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić to discuss the prospects for cooperation in the political, trade and economic, transport and logistics, and cultural and humanitarian spheres during high-level talks. Before that, they had dinner in a…
Kazakhstan’s Halyk Bank Wins Finacle Banking Innovations Awards 2024
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Halyk Bank won bronze in the Operational Excellence category at the 2024 Qorus-Infosys Finacle Banking Innovation Awards, the bank’s press service reported on Nov. 12. Halyk Bank’s innovation Face Pay, developed in partnership with Visa, a global leader in digital payments, received over 64,000 votes from bank employees worldwide and was praised…
Kazakhstan Highlights NPT Treaty as Fundamental Mechanism for Nuclear Disarmament
ASTANA – Despite the existing challenges, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) remains the fundamental and universal mechanism for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, Kazakh First Deputy Foreign Minister Akan Rakhmetullin said at the European Union Conference on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, held on Nov. 12-13 in Brussels. According to the ministry’s press service,…
Kazakhstan to Launch First Railway Tour with Uzbekistan
ASTANA – Kazakhstan will launch the Silk Road railway tour with the first Almaty – Turkistan – Tashkent – Almaty trip on Nov. 16, reported the Tourism and Sports Ministry’s press service. This unique railway tour that connects Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will make trips more comfortable and accessible not only for citizens but also for…
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, China to Establish Intermodal Cargo Terminal in Port of Baku
ASTANA – Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and China signed an agreement on the establishment of an intermodal cargo terminal in the Port of Baku in Alat on the sidelines of the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) on Nov. 12. According to the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy national railway company’s…
Kazakhstan, Türkiye to Boost Bilateral Trade to $15 Billion
ASTANA – President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed intention to bring bilateral trade turnover with Kazakhstan to $15 billion at a Nov. 12 meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the sidelines of the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Baku, reported Akorda. Last year, trade between…
Astana to Host Annual Christmas Charity Bazaar
ASTANA – The Ambassadors Spouses Association (ASA) in Kazakhstan announced its 15th Christmas Charity Bazaar, set for Dec. 1 at the Astana Radisson Hotel. The annual event, widely popular among Astana’s diplomatic and international community, will feature traditional dishes, souvenirs, fashion items, and handicrafts, along with a grand raffle. Entry fee costs 1,000 tenge (US$2),…
Kazakh Capital Hosts 22nd Syria Peace Talks
ASTANA – The 22nd round of talks on Syria, known as the Astana Process, kicked off on Nov. 11 with the participation of 11 delegations, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service. The Syrian government is represented by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Raad, while Ahmed Toma leads the Syrian opposition. Guarantor…
Kazakh Junior Chess Players Win Silver, Bronze at FIDE Championships in Brazil
ASTANA – Kazakh junior chess players secured three silver and one bronze medals at the International Chess Federation (FIDE) World Youth Chess Championships 2024, held from Oct. 29 to Nov. 9 in Florianópolis, Brazil, reported the Kazakhstan Chess Federation’s press service. In the under-14 category, International Master (IM) Edgar Mamedov won silver, while IM Sauat…
Trade Between Kazakhstan and China Reaches $33 Billion in 2024
ASTANA – In the first nine months of 2024, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and China reached $33 billion, Kazinform reported on Nov. 9, citing China’s General Administration of Customs. China’s trade turnover with other major partners, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the European Union (EU), the United States (US), and South Korea,…
Kazakhstan Provides Catering Training Manual to Kyrgyz Students
ASTANA – The Kazakhstan Agency for International Development (KazAID) handed over a training manual to support students at the Baltagulova Vocational Lyceum in Ak-Korgon, the Kyrgyz Republic, in developing in-demand catering skills, the KazAID’s press service reported on Nov. 7. The materials include manuals on culinary arts, sanitary norms, food management, and service to help…
Kazakhstan, Switzerland Sign Memorandum on Assistance in Asset Recovery
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Prosecutor General Berik Asylov and Vice Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Justice Laurence Fontana Jungo signed an intergovernmental memorandum of understanding to accelerate and simplify the procedures for exchanging evidence and information in criminal cases, including the return of illegally withdrawn assets, at a Nov. 5 meeting in Bern. As…
Kazakh Classic ‘My Name is Kozha’ Presented at UNESCO in Paris
ASTANA – The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris hosted a presentation of the Kazakh novel “My Name is Kozha” by renowned children’s author Berdibek Sokpakbaev, newly translated into French, at a Nov. 6 conference celebrating Sokpakbaev’s 100th anniversary. According to the Kazakh Culture and Information Ministry’s press service, attendees at…
Kazakhstan Organizes Catering Seminar for Kyrgyz Teachers
ASTANA – The Kazakhstan Agency for International Development (KazAID) hosted a professional development seminar on catering for Kyrgyz teachers from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1 in Almaty, reported the KazAID’s press service. The teachers from the Baltagulova Vocational Lyceum in the village of Ak-Korgon, the Kyrgyz Republic, improved their skills in modern technologies and methods…
President Tokayev to Pay State Visit to France Next Week
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will pay a state visit to France on Nov. 4-5 at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron, reported Akorda. High-level talks during this visit will focus on further collaboration in the trade, economic, investment, cultural, and humanitarian fields. Tokayev will also meet with several French business representatives.
Kazakhstan’s Nurkozha Kaipanov Wins Gold at 2024 World Wrestling Championships
ASTANA – Kazakh freestyle wrestler Nurkozha Kaipanov secured the gold medal at the 2024 World Wrestling Championships in non-Olympic weight divisions, held on Oct. 28-31 in Tirana, Albania, reported the National Olympic Committee. Competing in the 70-kilogram category, Kaipanov defeated Japan’s Yoshinosuke Aoyagi with a score of 5:3, earning his first world championship gold. Previously,…
PM Bektenov Confirms Kazakhstan on Track to Double GDP by 2029
ASTANA – Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov assured Kazakhstan’s economic trajectory remains strong, projecting the nation’s GDP to rise from $321 billion in 2025 to $498 billion by 2029. This aligns with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s goal of reaching $450 billion, Bektenov said during an Oct. 30 plenary session of the Mazhilis, the lower house of Parliament.…
Kazakhstan’s Voronova Wins International MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity
ASTANA – Vera Voronova, CEO of the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan, has won the international MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity in recognition of her exceptional contributions to the country’s biodiversity conservation, the British Embassy in Astana reported on Oct. 29. This prestigious award was presented by the AEON Foundation and the Secretariat…
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…
