Articles by Zhanara Abdulova

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev recently signed a decree introducing the new Al-Farabi State Science and Technology Award and the State Award in Literature and Art, according to a statement released on Jan. 23 by the Akorda presidential residence The awards were established to create additional incentives for innovation in science, technology, literature and…

In an exclusive interview with The Astana Times, Zhang Hanhui, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Kazakhstan, spoke about the current state of the bilateral cooperation and the future plans of the two countries to expand it, as well as the importance of the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union for the region and…

ASTANA – Amid the ongoing pressure and sanctions between the West, Russia and Ukraine, President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan said recently that he holds out hope for a chance to reconcile the opposing parties, bringing them to the negotiating table to agree on a common stance. “Both Ukraine and Russia are equally close to Kazakhstan…

The history of European migration and settlement was in the limelight at the international conference, “The Great Migrations: The Colonisation of Europe,” held at the initiative of Kazakh scholars in Spain’s University of Granada on Dec. 11. The event, organised by Kazakhstan’s Embassy in Madrid in cooperation with the University of Granada and under the…

ASTANA – The role of civil society was discussed Nov. 19 during the regular session of the Commission on the Fight against Corruption under President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Newly appointed Secretary of State Gulshara Abdykalikova chaired the meeting. In her opening remarks, Abdykalikova stressed the necessity to efficiently use the potential of civil society in the…

MILAN – Kazakhstan has officially joined the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), a key forum for dialogue and cooperation between the two continents, and took part in the 10th ASEM Summit on Oct. 16-17 in Milan. President Nursultan Nazarbayev headed the Kazakh delegation at the two-day summit, addressing an audience of more than 50 heads of state…

In an interview with this newspaper, Ambassador-at-large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Zulfiya Amanzholova discussed the multifaceted negotiations of the legal status of the Caspian Sea in the run-up to the summit of the five Caspian littoral states in Astrakhan, Russia at the end of September. What does the legal status of…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan welcomed the official announcement of the final results of the presidential election in Afghanistan by the country’s Independent Election Commission, according to which Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai was elected president and Abdullah Abdullah named head of the country’s executive body. “The election marked the first peaceful transfer of power in the country and…

ASTANA – A roundtable discussion titled, “The Implementation of theKazakhstan 2050 Strategy and the Role of Kazakhstan in the International Community,” was held on Sept. 15 in Astana. The diplomatic corps, deputies of parliament and officials from the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs discussed progress on key goals set out in the strategy. Senate Speaker…

ASTANA – A Canadian parliamentary delegation led by Leon Benoit, co-chair of the Kazakhstan-Canada Friendship Group and Chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Commons, visited Astana on Sept.10. During the visit, which also took the Canadian delegation to Almaty earlier, the Canadian parliamentarians also met with Chairman of the Senate…

ANKARA –President Nursultan Nazarbayev paid a two-day visit to Turkey’s capital Aug. 27-28 to attend the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Two weeks earlier in the first-ever direct presidential elections on Aug. 10, Turkish voters chose the former prime minister and leader of the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP)…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s social and economic development in the first half of 2014 was the focus of an enlarged government session on Aug. 6, during which the country’s most significant government restructuring to date was also announced. Ministers and other speakers reported on plans to protect the country against fallout from the ongoing conflict in…

ASTANA – Deputy Chairman of Turkmenistan’s Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov paid his first official visit to Astana on Aug. 12 to enhance bilateral ties and discuss the upcoming visit of President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Ashgabat. “Turkmenistan is a close and brotherly nation for Kazakhstan. We have always had good…

ASTANA – Escalating conflict and tit-for-tat sanctions are a road to nowhere, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said referring to the expanding standoff between the West and Russia over Ukraine as he received credentials from six newly appointed ambassadors in the Akorda presidential residence on Aug. 12. “The ongoing conflict in Ukraine [and] the destabilisation of…

ASTANA – Addressing an enlarged government session in the Akorda presidential residence on Aug. 6, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced a major government reshuffle and restructuring. “The decision has been made on a new structure of government consisting of 12 ministries and about 30 committees, instead of 17 ministries, nine agencies and 54 committees. All…