Articles by Staff Report

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko held a series of meetings with representatives of key European Union institutions in Brussels to discuss the prospects for deepening Kazakhstan-EU cooperation and strengthening regional partnerships in Central Asia. Discussions focused on priority areas of collaboration, including transport and infrastructure projects, sustainable development, energy partnerships, and the…

ASTANA – Swiss Choice Holding will invest in a fish farm project on the Caspian Sea coast, aiming to produce 100 to 600 tons of sturgeon and 100 tons of caviar annually, as was reported during a meeting between the company representatives and Mangystau Region Governor Nurdaulet Kilybai on Feb. 12. According to the regional…

ASTANA – The Bozok State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve presented the first edition of the comic book “Journey of Alikhan and Aikerim” on Feb. 12, reported the Kazakh Culture and Information Ministry’s press service. Released in Kazakh, Russian, and English, the comic book targets children and adolescents and aims to promote Kazakh literature through stories…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s proved oil reserves totaled 30 billion barrels as of Jan. 1, according to the United States (U.S.) Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) report, published on Feb. 6. The report notes that the Caspian Sea has substantial oil and natural gas reserves from offshore deposits and onshore fields. Traditionally an oil-producing area, it has…

ASTANA – QazaqGaz national company and PetroChina International have agreed to increase gas supplies to China in 2025, reported QazaqGaz’s press service. The corresponding addendum to the existing three-year natural gas purchase and sale agreement was signed by QazaqGaz Chairman Sanzhar Zharkeshov and PetroChina International Executive Chairman Wu Junli during the Kazakhstan-China Business Forum in…

ASTANA – The Kazakh government has allocated 2.6 billion tenge (US$5.1 million) from recovered illegally withdrawn assets to build a special social services center in the Abai Region, the Prime Minister’s press service reported on Feb. 12. The 100-bed facility will be constructed in Semei and is expected to expand access to high-quality medical care…

ASTANA – The Silkroad Innovation Hub has launched SCALE2US: IT Outsourcing Bootcamp, a new educational program designed to help IT outsourcing companies in Central Eurasia enter the United States market, The Tech reported on Feb. 12. The program, targeting IT firms with at least ten developers, international experience, and strong technical specialists, focuses on sales…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s transportation sector experienced a 10% growth in 2024 across all modes, reported Trend on Feb. 7. A total of 1.0788 billion tons of cargo was transported, with freight turnover reaching 514.5 billion ton-kilometers, marking a 5% increase over 2023. Passenger turnover grew by 13.8%, reaching 82.8 billion passenger kilometers. Rail transport saw…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom continue to expand their bilateral strategic dialogue and cooperation steadily. Having marked a symbolic anniversary on Jan. 19, the 33rd year since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries held the eighth meeting of the Kazakhstan-U.K. Strategic Dialogue in London on Feb. 11.  Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister…

ASTANA – The Kazakh government has allocated 1.4 billion tenge (US$2.7 million) from recovered illegally withdrawn assets to build a new school in Koksai village, the Zhetisu Region, the Prime Minister’s press service reported on Feb. 7. A similar amount was recently used to construct a school in the Ulytau Region. Koksai’s existing school, where…

ASTANA — Despite the observed economic growth, the situation in Afghanistan remains dire — a quarter of the population is starving. This was noted at the sixth European Union (EU)-Central Asia meeting on Afghanistan, which took place in Dushanbe on Feb. 5. According to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service, the participating countries agreed that…

ASTANA – The Kazakh government has allocated over 1.4 billion tenge (US$2.7 million) from recovered illegally withdrawn assets to build a new school in the Ulytau Region, the Prime Minister’s press service reported on Feb. 5. The 80-seat school in Karazhal will improve the lives of local children, many of whom travel to other parts…

ASTANA – Almaty Museum of Arts has launched an official website, offering a digital archive and database to provide researchers and contemporary art lovers access to its collection, the museum’s press service reported on Jan. 31. The website, developed by a Dutch studio, features information on upcoming exhibitions, the museum’s history, and its growing collection…

ASTANA – An Italian tour operator has added eco-friendly routes of Kazakhstan’s Mangystau Region to its travel catalog alongside trips to Almaty and the Turkistan Region, Kazakh Tourism National Company reported on Feb. 4. Promoting new routes and expanding tourism ties between Kazakhstan and Italy were key points in a recently signed memorandum of cooperation…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s flagship airline Air Astana will launch additional flights to India on the route Almaty – Mumbai from April 20, reported the Ministry of Transport. Flights will be operated three times a week on Airbus aircraft. Thus, the number of passenger flights between the countries will be increased to 21 per week on…

ASTANA – The World Bank’s latest economic update on Kazakhstan, Funding the Future: Boosting Revenues for Lasting Investments, released on Jan. 30, presents a mixed outlook for the country’s economy, with a projected acceleration of growth from 4% in 2024 to 4.5-5% in 2025, driven by increased oil production and continued fiscal support. According to…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was deeply saddened to hear about the numerous victims resulting from the plane crash near Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C., reported Akorda on Jan. 30. On behalf of the people of Kazakhstan and on his own behalf, Tokayev expressed sincere condolences to the U.S. President Donald Trump, the families…

ASTANA – The officials of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Uzbekistan discussed the construction of the Kambarata-1 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) with a capacity of 1,860 megawatts at a Jan. 28 meeting in Tashkent. Kazakh Vice Minister of Energy Sungat Yessimkhanov said the plant will become one of the largest in Central Asia and contribute…

ASTANA – The Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (NU ISSAI) at Nazarbayev University has launched Oylan, a multimodal AI model capable of processing both images and text in Kazakh, English, and Russian, reported the NU ISSAI’s press service. To train Oylan, NU ISSAI researchers created the largest AI dataset in Kazakhstan, comprising over…

ASTANA — ​​Chevron has started production at its $48 billion expansion of the Tengiz oilfield in Kazakhstan. The expansion is expected to increase output to nealry 1  million barrels of oil per day, or approximately 1% of the global crude supply, reported Reuters on Jan. 24. Due to high sulphur levels and harsh weather conditions,…

ASTANA — The Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA)’s achievements during Kazakhstan’s 2020-2024 chairmanship were circulated by UN Headquarters as an official document of the UN General Assembly and Security Council.  Under the leadership of Kazakhstan, CICA has made major strides in advancing multilateral cooperation across Asia. Notable accomplishments include the effective…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s ice cream exports reached a record 9,800 tons from January to November 2024, a 70% increase compared to the same period in 2023, Data Hub’s press service reported on Jan. 21. This is the highest volume since 2002. Russia accounted for the largest share of exports at 69%, followed by the Kyrgyz…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan ranked first among China’s trade partners in Central Asia in 2024, with trade turnover reaching $43.82 billion, Kazinform reported on Jan. 23, citing the Chinese General Administration of Customs. The Kyrgyz Republic followed with $22.71 billion, Uzbekistan ranked third with $13.78 billion, Turkmenistan placed fourth with $10.65 billion, and Tajikistan came fifth…

ASTANA – Nazarbayev University (NU) presented its innovative AI solutions, including the Soyle App, ISSAI KAZ-LLM Kazakh language model, and Artisan Education – a startup revolutionizing self-paced learning in robotics and programming at the British Educational Training and Technology Show (Bett Show), which takes place on Jan. 22-24 in London. A global hub for educational…

ASTANA – Dastan Satpayev, a 16-year-old forward from Almaty’s Kairat football team and the Kazakhstan youth team, is set to join London’s Chelsea Football Club in 2026, Tengri Sport reported on Jan. 21. An official announcement regarding his transfer is expected this week. However, Satpayev will remain with Kairat until he turns 18 and will…