Articles by Dana Omirgazy

ASTANA – Tourists from China, India, Germany, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) spent over $800 million in Kazakhstan last year, reports Kazinform on July 29. According to the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the average tourist from abroad leaves nearly $1,500 in the country. Kazakhstan is becoming increasingly attractive to Chinese citizens. In…

ASTANA — In January-June, Kazakhstan saw significant achievements in the transport and logistics area, including a noticeable increase in passenger traffic in aviation, improvement in rail transport and development of maritime infrastructure. The Prime Minister’s press service reviewed implemented measures aimed at improving the transport network, enhancing the quality of services and supporting the country’s…

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest covers Kazakhstan’s multi-vector foreign policy, Kazakhstan’s Middle Power status, and more. From backwater to beacon: Kazakhstan’s identity as a Middle Power Modern Diplomacy published an article on July 15 about Kazakhstan’s position on the global arena.…

ASTANA — The Bureau of National Statistics conducted a survey in April-May on the level of public confidence in law enforcement agencies and the judicial system in the country’s regions, both in urban and rural areas. According to the survey results released on July 17, 66% of people trust the prosecutor’s office, 24.1% are partially…

ASTANA – Almaty-based Auyl (village in the Kazakh) restaurant, offering neo-nomad cuisine of Central Asia, has been included in the list of the 16 Most Beautiful Restaurants in the World, according to Prix Versailles. Forbes, a famous business magazine, released the annual UNESCO architecture awards list on July 12. The 16 nominated restaurants will compete…

ASTANA – Kazakh athletes departed for the 2024 Paris Games on July 17. Kazakh Minister of Tourism and Sports Yermek Marzhikpayev, famous boxing champion Yermakhan Ibraimov, the 2000 Sydney Olympics wrestling silver medalist Islam Bayramukov, the 2000 Sydney Olympic champion in the 100-meter hurdles Olga Shishigina, Olympic swimming champion Dmitry Balandin, silver medalist in judo…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan delivered 19,062 tons of durum wheat to European Union (EU) countries from July 1 to 14, accounting for 68.5% of the total shipment, according to the European Commission report released on July 16. The top three also included Türkiye and Canada, which supplied -7,704 tons and 1,043 tons, respectively. This data was…

ASTANA – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) maintained Kazakhstan’s economic growth forecast for 2024 at 3.8%, according to the latest edition of Asian Development Outlook 2024, released on July 17. ADB also maintained the country’s economic growth forecast for 2025 at 5.3%. Growth prospects for Kazakhstan, the region’s largest economy, remain unchanged. The economy grew…

ASTANA – Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov instructed the acceleration of housing restoration efforts in the flood-affected regions at the July 17 government meeting. As a result of flooding, some 19,342 real estate objects (houses and summer homes, which are the only housing) were damaged, and 8,578 of them were recognized as beyond restoration. Work…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan produced industrial products worth 23.5 trillion tenge (US$49.4 billion) in January-June. Of them, the mining industry made up 10.7 trillion tenge (US$22.5 billion), and the manufacturing industry – 10.9 trillion tenge (US$22.9 billion). The Bureau of National Statistics reported on July 17 that production growth was observed in the mining and quarrying…

ASTANA – In 2023, environmental protection expenses reached 610 billion tenge (US$1.3 billion), which is 37.2% more than in 2022. According to the Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan, the largest volumes of expenses were recorded in the Akmola Region – 127.7 billion tenge (US$268.6 million), which is 20.9% of the total. It is followed…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has returned 1.07 trillion tenge (US$2.2 billion) in illegally withdrawn assets over the past 2.5 years, including from oligopolies, said Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Service Askhat Zhumagali on July 12. Since the beginning of this year, the Anti-Corruption Agency of Kazakhstan has reimbursed nearly 195 billion tenge (US$410 million). According to the…

ASTANA — The Zhambyl Region marked the technical launch of the Shatyrkol concentrating plant, which can produce 98,600 tons of copper concentrate annually. The plant is planned to achieve full capacity by the end of October. The building work is now complete, and technical manufacturing of the first goods has commenced, reported the region’s akimat…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s National Olympic Committee has prepared badges decorated with national ornaments for the Paris Games. Kazakh athletes have secured 92 licenses in 25 sports, including boxing, judo, artistic gymnastics, athletics, kayaking and canoeing, shooting, fencing, Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, archery, skeet shooting, tennis, road cycling , swimming, modern pentathlon, taekwondo, track cycling, trampoline…

ASTANA—Twelve referees from Kazakhstan will work at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which are scheduled from July 26 to Aug. 11. The list of specialists who received an invitation to judge at the Olympic Games includes Alua Bekturova (rhythmic gymnastics), Olga Solovyova (weightlifting), Aliya Karimova (artistic swimming), Yulia Ignatchenko, Meruyert Kaukeyeva (tennis), Timur Amirbekov (gymnastics), Yevgeniy…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s airlines have transported nearly 5.5 million passengers since the beginning of the year. According to the Civil Aviation Committee’s press service, this figure is 17% higher than in the same period last year. Six airlines now operate domestic flights on 53 routes, with a weekly frequency of 640 flights. Nineteen domestic air…

ASTANA – The Kazakh delegation, led by Chairman of Kazakhstan Agency of International Development (KazAID) Arken Arystanov, presented country’s role in the Central Asian region in promoting international development to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the second high-level conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development on July 11-13 in Beijing.…

ASTANA – The Otandastar (compatriots) Foundation and the IQanat Foundation welcomed ethnic Kazakh children living abroad for the Jas Qazaq summer camp, which operated from June 24 to July 7 in Burabay. Some 255 children from 12 countries attended the camp. According to Kazinform, over the course of two weeks, children studied the Kazakh language,…

ASTANA – The highly anticipated new film by Jackie Chan, “The Legend,” was released in cinemas on July 12. The film’s end features the soundtrack “This Love,” performed by Kazakh singer Dimash Kudaibergen. On July 5, the song was released on music platforms. The story of the new film, starring Jackie Chan himself, follows archaeologist…

ASTANA – A 17-year-old taekwondo fighter Batyrkhan Toleugali will be the youngest participant from Kazakhstan at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, scheduled from July 26 to Aug. 11. However, on July 25, Toleugali will turn 18. In addition to him, the Kazakhstan national team has 13 athletes who are 18 years old. The Kazakh Ministry…

ASTANA — In January-June, 18 projects worth 151 billion tenge (US$318.3 million) were introduced in Kazakhstan. Of these, foreign investments reached 122.7 billion tenge (US$258.7 million). The operational headquarters for ensuring economic growth held a meeting on July 15, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Nurlan Baibazarov, to review the development…

ASTANA — Kazakh school students won four bronze medals at the 35th International Biology Olympiad (IBO), which took place in the capital from July 7 to 14. The event gathered 305 young biologists and 275 scientists from 81 countries. Over seven days, participants competed in two theoretical and four practical rounds in biochemistry, molecular biology,…

ASTANA – Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture and Kazakh Invest national company assist 55 projects with the participation of foreign investors worth $3.8 billion. At a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin on July 13, the progress in the implementation of seven projects involving major multinational corporations was reviewed. According to the Prime Minister’s…

ASTANA — The National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Kazakhstan and the Bayan Sulu confectionery factory produced a limited batch of chocolate bars to support the national team ahead of the Paris Olympics. “For us, it is important not only to support our athletes at all major competitions but also to showcase our country’s culture and…

ASTANA – The film “Joqtau”(Mourning) directed by Kazakh filmmaker Aruan Anartai, has been included in the competition program of Switzerland’s Locarno Film Festival on July 10. The first public screening will take place on Aug. 16. A road movie narrates the story of a journey across the Kazakh steppe, where the main characters’ ties, beliefs,…