Articles by Assel Satubaldina

ASTANA – The Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs and the International Tax and Investment Center (ITIC), Washington-based non-profit organizations, hosted a panel discussion on Jan. 31 delving deep into Kazakhstan’s multi-vector diplomacy, the increasing agency of Central Asia as a region, energy diversification and the development of transport corridors. The panel featured several prominent…

ASTANA  –  Air Astana, a flag carrier from Kazakhstan, announced the price range for its initial public offering (IPO) that will commence in February, saying it plans to raise $120 million. Kazakhstan’s largest airline, which is 51% owned by Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund, and 49% by British BAE, confirmed its plan to float in…

ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek arrived on Jan. 25 in London to take part in the BETT UK 2024 international conference and meet with British colleagues to expand enduring cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom, reported the ministry’s press service.  BETT is the world’s largest exhibition of educational…

ASTANA – This year, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s diplomatic schedule began with the first official visit to Italy, Kazakhstan’s strategic partner and third largest trading partner. This visit should be seen through the lens of Kazakhstan’s growing cooperation with the European Union, said Yersultan Zhanseitov, a senior expert at the Astana-based Institute of World Economics and…

ASTANA – Air travel, oil and gas sector, petrochemicals and agriculture were on top of the agenda during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s meetings with Italian senior executives in Rome on Jan. 18, reported the Akorda press service.  Discussing air travel with Neos President  Lupo Rattazzi, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that direct air travel between the countries facilitates…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed Italian business people at the Kazakh-Italian roundtable in Rome on Jan. 18, witnessing the signing of four strategic documents, reported the Akorda press service. The roundtable gathered top management from nearly 30 Italian companies.  Kazakhstan’s Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund and Balestra signed an agreement defining the terms of…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has 15 rare earth deposits, strategically important components of electronics and clean energy technology, and eyes for closer cooperation with international partners in uncovering the ample opportunities these deposits present, Chairman of the National Geological Service Yerlan Galiyev told The Astana Times.  The National Geological Service was created in 2022 with a…

ASTANA – The Civil Alliance of Kazakhstan organized a roundtable on Jan. 11 that gathered Kazakh experts to discuss President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s recent interview with the Egemen Qazaqstan newspaper. The discussion delved into key aspects of the interview, shedding light on the President’s viewpoints and policies. The Civil Alliance of Kazakhstan unites over 3,000 non-profit…

ASTANA – Washington-based Caspian Policy Center hosted Jan. 4 a roundtable discussing the bilateral ties between Kazakhstan and the United States and the regional dynamics. U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan Daniel N. Rosenblum participated in the discussion. Rosenblum underlined that the United States has prioritized two things in its relationship with Kazakhstan – stability and sovereignty.…

ASTANA — A documentary titled “Qantar. A Coup Attempt. How It Was” has been released on Jan. 4, offering a fresh perspective on the harrowing events that transpired in January 2022 in Kazakhstan. The film shows the timeline of the unrest, the worst the nation had seen over the years of its independence. It aims…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev gave a big interview to the Egemen Qazaqstan national newspaper on Jan. 3, covering the administration’s top priorities for 2024 and discussing crucial topics on the national agenda. The interview covered the tragic January events in 2022, ambitious economic plans, and the country’s foreign policy. A significant part of the…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s big interview with the Egemen Qazaqstan newspaper is stirring considerable attention, marking it as the most talked-about event on Kazakhstan’s first working day of 2024. Government officials and experts shared their thoughts about the President’s multi-page interview, highlighting its multi-faceted nature. Cultivating national values that unite rather than divide the…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev revealed his reflections on the tragic events that unfolded in January 2022 in Kazakhstan and shed light on what he deemed was a multifaceted conspiracy aimed at destabilizing the country’s socio-economic stability. He said as a nation, Kazakhstan’s citizens collectively navigated through this crisis, stood their ground, and emerged even…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev gave a big interview to the Egemen Qazaqstan national newspaper, shedding light on the administration’s top priorities for the year 2024 and addressing crucial topics on the national agenda. From the tragic January events in 2022 to the ambitious economic plans and how the nation builds its foreign policy, Tokayev…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will continue a constructive and balanced foreign policy, taking into account the national interests, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in an interview with the Egemen national newspaper published on Jan. 3. In 2024, the country is expected to host a series of summits and forums. Against the backdrop of a polarized international order,…

ASTANA – Mastercard’s Regional Hub for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Central and Eastern Europe in Almaty will focus on data and services, said Mastercard General Director for Central Asia Rafal Trepka in an interview with The Astana Times.  Mastercard is a global fintech company working in more than 210 countries around the world…

ASTANA – The volume of cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, surged by 88% in the first nine months of 2023, reaching 2 million tons. In the first nine months of 2022, the figure stood at 1.1 million tons.  The volume of cargo transportation along the…

ASTANA – The United States should view Central Asian countries as the subjects of their own stories rather than mere objects in the broader competition with other nations, said Evan Feigenbaum, the vice president for studies at Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in an interview with The Astana Times.  Feigenbaum was visiting the Kazakh…

ASTANA – The latest data from the National Human Rights Center indicates that in 2023, the number of complaints regarding violations of citizens’ rights and freedoms in Kazakhstan exceeded 4,300, twice as much as in 2022 and three times more than in 2021. This increase indicates growing legal literacy in Kazakhstan, said Human Rights Commissioner…

ASTANA – Central Asia played a crucial role throughout history in shaping global connections, but it does not always need to be seen solely as a bridge between other people, said Peter Frankopan, a British historian, professor, and author best known for his work on global history and the Silk Roads, in an interview with…

ASTANA – The first day of the Astana Club, a platform to discuss the most pressing issues on the global and regional agenda, kicked off in the Kazakh capital on Dec. 11. Rising economic fragmentation, the future of Central Asia and Afghanistan and what stands ahead for the Middle East were among the topics on…

ASTANA – The Kazakh government and ArcelorMittal have completed negotiations for the purchase of all shares of ArcelorMittal Temirtau and ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Aktau by the Kazakh state investment fund, Qazaqstan Investment Corporation (QIC), for $286 million, announced Minister of Industry and Construction Kanat Sharlapayev at a press briefing on Dec. 8. “The cost of…

ASTANA – Astana hosted an international conference on Dec. 7 titled Constitutional Reform and Electoral System to mark the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission (CEC). Heads of central election commissions from 10 countries and six international organizations attended the conference. Opening the conference was Advisor to the President Yernar Baspayev, who read out…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed into law Kazakhstan’s budget for 2024-2026 on Dec. 6, reported the Akorda press service.  The bill was first presented on Sept. 11 in the Mazhilis, a lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament, before endorsing it on Nov. 1. However, the Senate returned the bill to the Mazhilis with several…

ASTANA – Astana Opera hosted the DOMBRAsadors live concert on Dec. 4, featuring a unique blend of foreign diplomats and local theater artists. Breaking away from the traditional concert format, the event showcased not only the musical talents of diplomats but also championed a good cause, with all proceeds generated from the event to be…