Articles by Staff Report

ASTANA — Tourists, bloggers and photographers rushed to the mountains after videos of the snow leopard appeared on social media. Staff from the Institute of Zoology and Ile-Alatau National Park guarded the rare predator for three days and nights in the Big Almaty Gorge, reported Kazinform news agency  on Feb. 2. According to the journalists,…

ASTANA –  Kazakhstan’s economic growth is projected to cool down to 4.5% in 2026 and 3.9% in 2027, according to the January edition of the World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects report. “As frontier markets, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have sustained robust per capita growth over 2000–25. However, Kazakhstan’s growth is projected to slow in 2026 as…

ASTANA — Rare representatives of South American fauna have arrived at Almaty Zoo — a pair of tamanduas, also known as four-clawed anteaters, reported Kazinform on Jan. 27.  Tamanduas are considered some of the most unusual animals. Their closest relatives are sloths, and they are known for their friendly nature, playfulness and high activity levels.…

ALMATY – A public lecture in Almaty on Jan. 24 explored how ancient petroglyphs in Kazakhstan may reflect early astronomical knowledge, tracing humanity’s understanding of the night sky from prehistoric times to modern science. In his talk, Denis Paryshev, a science communicator, astrophotographer and organizer of the Petroglyph Hunters expeditions, connected archaeological findings with the…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan will host a series of major international concerts in 2026 featuring global music stars, as officials step up efforts to develop festival tourism and attract foreign visitors, Kazakh Tourism Chairman Talgat Gazizov said at a Jan. 27 government meeting. Solana music festival is the first large-scale event. Scheduled for May, it will…

ASTANA — Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) has announced a record investment of over $1 billion in the country for 2026, the largest in the group’s history,  according to ERG’s press release on Jan. 26. The announcement was made by Shukhrat Ibragimov, ERG’s CEO and chairman of the board, during a site visit to the company’s…

ASTANA — Residents of Kazakhstan’s Atyrau Region have reported a sharp surge in the number of saiga antelopes grazing in and around small villages, including within village boundaries, Kazinform reported on Jan. 28. Wildlife inspectors have warned that the unusual migration must not be used as a pretext for shooting the protected animals. Experts attribute…

ASTANA — The second phase of the North Aral Sea preservation project, which involves the reconstruction of the Kokaral Dam to raise the sea’s water level, was discussed during a Jan. 26 meeting between Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov and World Bank’s Country Manager for Kazakhstan Andrey Mikhnev.  According to the ministry’s…

ASTANA –  The Abay Kazakh National Opera and Ballet Theater will perform in Singapore for the first time on Jan. 23-25 at the National University of Singapore, announced the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Information.  As part of the tour, the theater will present a two-part program to Singaporean audiences. The first part, titled “Classical…

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received the credentials of the newly appointed ambassadors of the United States and Bulgaria during a Jan. 9 ceremony at Akorda. Speaking about Kazakh-American relations, Tokayev underscored the importance of his visit to Washington, D.C., in November. “We had a friendly and at the same time substantive conversation with President Donald Trump.…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan emerged as the leading destination for new investment projects in North and Central Asia in 2025, attracting nearly $19 billion in greenfield investment and accounting for almost 90% of all intra-subregional inflows, according to a new report by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). According to…

ASTANA — Two world-renowned architecture firms, Zaha Hadid Architects and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), known for landmark projects such as Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, New York’s One World Trade Center, and Beijing’s Leeza SOHO, unveiled their vision for Alatau City to Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbaev on Dec. 23, reported the Prime Minister’s press…

ASTANA – For 12 years, Shakhmardan Yessenov Foundation, established by entrepreneur and philanthropist Galimzhan Yessenov, has been working to boost the nation’s intellectual development. From its inception, 2,700 direct and more than 38,000 indirect beneficiaries have participated in the foundation’s programs, which foster personal and professional upskilling for students.  This year, 226 young Kazakh individuals…

ASTANA – The World Boxing International Federation has announced its nominees for Boxer of the Year, with two athletes from Kazakhstan’s national team making the shortlist, reported the Kazakh National Olympic Committee on Dec. 22. In the men’s category, Makhmud Sabyrkhan was nominated after winning the World Boxing Championship in Liverpool and a World Cup…

ALMATY – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will pay an official visit to Japan on Dec. 18-20, according to the Akorda press service. During the visit, Tokayev will hold high-level meetings with Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and will engage with representatives of Japan’s business community to discuss prospects for expanding economic and investment cooperation.…

ASTANA – The Kazakh Foreign Ministry on Nov. 30 expressed its protest over yet another deliberate attack on the critical infrastructure of the international Caspian Pipeline Consortium in the waters of the Port of Novorossiysk, which occurred on Nov. 29. This incident marks the third act of aggression against an exclusively civilian facility whose operation…

ASTANA – This November marks the 190th anniversary of Shokan Ualikhanov’s birth — a Kazakh scholar, ethnographer, intelligence officer, and trailblazer in the study of Central Asia. In the mid-19th century, Central Asia became a stage for rivalry between Russia and the British Empire. Kashgar was closed to Europeans, yet Ualikhanov, without guards or diplomatic…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry has welcomed the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Conflict between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Kingdom of Cambodia. The declaration was signed with the direct participation of United States President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the sidelines of the…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has made a significant leap in the global postal industry, with Qazpost advancing to 39th place in the Universal Postal Union (UPU) ranking among more than 180 countries. This achievement reflects the company’s strong commitment to sustainable development and operational excellence. A key driver behind this improvement was the notable reduction in…

ASTANA – The INMerge Innovation Summit, organized by PASHA Holding, will return for its fifth edition on Sept. 29-30 in Baku, bringing together global industry leaders and innovators to strengthen Azerbaijan’s innovation ecosystem and foster international collaboration. The summit will welcome globally renowned figures, including Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph, former Head of Go-to-Market at OpenAI…

ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva denied reports about the alleged detention of the  Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu and several high-ranking officials of the Kazakh National Security Committee (NSC) in a Sept. 4 Facebook post. She stressed that some official media and anonymous channels spread unconfirmed…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Kairat Umarov and Grenada’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ingrid Jackson agreed on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports. The agreement provides a visa-free entry of up to 30 days for diplomats and officials of both countries. It seeks to foster closer bilateral ties…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan recorded a 38.3% increase in agri-food exports in January–June, reaching $3.2 billion and 9.64 million tons. Agriculture’s share in the country’s total exports rose to 8.2%, confirming its growing role in economic diversification. Overall foreign trade turnover in the first half of the year reached $66 billion, with exports amounting to $36.82…

ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will pay an official visit to the Kyrgyz Republic on Aug. 22, underscoring the growing partnership between the two countries. During the upcoming visit, Tokayev and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov are expected to discuss enhancing trade, improving transportation and energy infrastructure, expanding agricultural and industrial cooperation, and signing new…

ASTANA — This year marks the 10th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Over the past decade, the country has established itself as an active and responsible participant in the global trading system. Kazakhstan’s foreign trade volume increased from $76.5 billion in 2015 to $134.7 billion in 2024. Exports increased from…