Kazakhstan Exports IT Solutions to Sierra Leone
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has transferred digital components of its e-government to Sierra Leone through grant assistance from the Kazakhstan Agency for International Development (KazAID) at the Sierra Leone Innovates 2024 summit, which took place from June 11 to 13 in Freetown. The export of Kazakh IT solutions resulted from a memorandum of cooperation signed between…
Kazakhstan Stresses UN’s Vital Role in Global Challenges Ahead of SCO Summit
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Akan Rakhmetullin underscored the crucial role of the United Nations in addressing urgent global challenges during his visit to the UN Plaza in Almaty on June 19. He highlighted the high level of interaction between Kazakhstan and the UN over 32 years of cooperation. The Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s…
Kazakh President Establishes New Legal Guarantees for Journalists in Updated Media Law
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law on mass media on June 19 to enhance protections and expand rights for journalists in Kazakhstan. The updated legislation introduces the concept of a “special status of a journalist,” which provides additional legal guarantees and protections for journalists, along with expanded rights when searching, requesting, receiving, and…
UNICEF Kazakhstan Officially Partners with Forthcoming World Nomad Games in Astana
ASTANA — The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Kazakhstan became the official non-profit partner of the fifth World Nomad Games on June 20, following a memorandum of understanding signed with the Directorate for the Preparation and Hosting of the Games. According to UNICEF’s press statement, this document aims to promote inclusiveness and protect children’s rights during…
Kazakhstan Aspires To Be Key Player in New Digital Silk Road Initiative
ASTANA — Kazakhstan aims to be a key participant in the new Silk Road in the digital world, as announced during a June 19 meeting of the Council on Improving Investment Climate, chaired by Kazakh First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar. According to the Prime Minister’s press service, the cornerstone of this initiative will be…
Kazakhstan Stands Ready to Enhance Cooperation with Drug Policy Commission
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is ready to actively interact with the Eastern and Central European and Central Asian Commission on Drug Policy (ECECACD), President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated during a June 19 meeting with ECECACD Chair Aleksander Kwaśniewski. According to the Akorda press service, the meeting focused on enhancing cooperation with the ECECACD in the exchange of…
Attack on Kazakh Journalist in Kyiv: Tokayev Orders Sending Inquiries to Ukrainian Authorities
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has directed Kazakhstan’s diplomatic and law enforcement agencies to send official inquiries to their Ukrainian counterparts. He emphasized that Kazakh official bodies are prepared to assist in the investigation to uncover the truth behind the attack on Kazakh journalist Aidos Sadykov on June 18, reported TengriNews. An attempted assassination occurred…
Kazakhstan Strengthens Measures Against Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has strengthened measures to prevent domestic violence and increased penalties for all forms of violence against children, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated at a June 18 meeting with Commissioner for Children’s Rights Dinara Zakiyeva. The country has recently adopted legislative changes to better protect the rights of women and children. According to a…
Kazakhstan Ranks 12th in Petrol Prices Globally
ASTANA – Kazakhstan ranks 12th in the world for the cheapest petrol prices, with a rate of $0.55 per liter, according to the recent Rhino Car Hire’s ranking of global petrol and diesel fuel prices. In Asia, Kazakhstan holds the second position, following Turkmenistan, which ranks first in Asia and eighth globally, with petrol priced…
Siberian Sturgeon Returned to Yertis Waters After 50 Years
ASTANA – For the first time in 50 years, Siberian sturgeon are being reintroduced to the waters of the Yertis River. Five hundred one-year-old, strong individuals were released into the upper reaches of the river, collectively weighing more than one and a half tons, Khabar TV reported on June 17. Specialists from Astrakhan raised these…
Da Vinci’s “La Bella Principessa” Attracts 3,300 Visitors in Four Days
ASTANA – The National Museum of Kazakhstan has welcomed over 6,000 visitors in just four days, with 3,300 of them coming specifically to see Leonardo da Vinci’s “La Bella Principessa,” exhibited for the first time in the country, the museum’s press service reported on June 12. Long lines formed at the museum’s ticket office over…
National Geographic: Why 2024 is Best Year to Explore Kazakhstan
ASTANA – National Geographic magazine described how to explore the best of Kazakhstan’s landscapes, culture, and events this year in its article “Why 2024 is the prime time to discover Kazakhstan,” published on June 15. The article highlights direct flight routes, festivals with nomadic flair, and millennia-old natural beauty as key attractions drawing travelers to…
Kazakhstan to Emerge as Regional Digital Hub with 5G Expansion
ASTANA – Kazakh mobile operators will expand 5G coverage in Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, and regional centers to complete the introduction of 5G mobile communications by the end of 2025, Minister of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry Zhaslan Madiyev said at a June 18 government meeting chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. As stated by…
Kazakhstan, US Expand Trade and Economic Cooperation
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Katherine Tai, the United States (U.S.) Trade Representative, on June 14, emphasizing the significance of her visit in expanding trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and the U.S. As reported by the Akorda press service, Tokayev highlighted that the two countries have strengthened their strategic partnership over the…
Kazakh Chess Player Becomes World Junior Champion
ASTANA – Kazybek Nogerbek, a 20-year-old chess player from Kazakhstan, triumphed over 13 grandmasters (GM) to win the International Chess Federation (FIDE) World Junior Chess Championship 2024, held from June 2 to 13 in Gandhinagar, India, reported the Kazakhstan Chess Federation’s press service. This year, the FIDE World Junior Chess Championship Under 20 years (U20)…
President Tokayev Unveils Strategies to Boost Kazakhstan’s Tourism
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the weaknesses in Kazakhstan’s tourism industry and outlined strategies to address them during a meeting with government officials on June 13. In a press statement released by Akorda, Tokayev affirmed that Kazakhstan has the necessary resources to develop various forms of tourism, including environmental and business tourism. However, he…
Kazakhstan to Launch $160 Million PepsiCo Snack Production Plant in 2026
ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to launch a full-scale snack production plant, based on American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation PepsiCo and valued at $160 million of private foreign investment, in 2026. Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov discussed this project at a meeting with David Manzini, President of PepsiCo for Central Asia, Russia, Belarus, and…
President Tokayev Aims to Boost Trade and Business Ties with South Korea
ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev participated in the Kazakh-Korean business forum alongside South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on June 12, reported the Akorda press service. Tokayev emphasized Kazakhstan’s ambition to solidify its status as South Korea’s primary trade and economic partner in Central Asia, which is especially relevant in the era of…
Kazakhstan Stresses Regional Cooperation for Aral Sea Revitalization
ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev emphasized the need for concrete steps to address water issues at the third high-level international conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” 2018-2028, held on June 10-13 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. The Dushanbe Water Process serves as a…
Kazakhstan and South Korea Agree on New Areas of Cooperation
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and South Korea have agreed to further develop their expanded strategic partnership by identifying new areas of collaboration, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated at a joint press briefing with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on June 12, following bilateral negotiations, as reported by the Akorda. South Korea is one of Kazakhstan’s five…
Kazakhstan Signs Agreement on Construction of Kambar-Ata Hydroelectric Power Plant
ASTANA — The energy ministers of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Uzbekistan signed an agreement to prepare for the construction and operation of the Kambar-Ata-1 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) during a special session on the sidelines of the International Energy Investment Forum held in Vienna on June 10-11, reported the Kazakh Energy Ministry’s press service.…
US Embassy in Kazakhstan Updates Visa Services to Enhance Efficiency
ASTANA – The United States (U.S.) Embassy in Astana and the U.S. Consulate General in Almaty announced that they moved to a new visa services provider on June 10. All visa applicants should use the website from June 10 to obtain visa information, pay any required nonimmigrant visa fees, schedule a nonimmigrant visa appointment, and…
Kazakhstan, South Korea Reaffirm Commitment to Expand Strategic Partnership
ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol reaffirmed their intention to elevate bilateral relations to a new level within an expanded strategic partnership during negotiations on June 12, reported Akorda. Tokayev highlighted the progress achieved through joint efforts, noting that bilateral trade turnover has reached $6 billion.…
Kazakhstan’s Confectionery Sensation Opens Its First Branch in US
ASTANA – Initially a single home-based bakery, Kazakhstan’s confectionery sensation Happy Cake has expanded to a network of over a hundred stores and has now opened its first branch in Texas, near the Hampton Inn Sugarland, the United States, according to the publication of Happy Cake’s founder Askhat Soltanov on June 10. The Soltanov family…
Kazakhstan-China Cargo Transport Reaches Record 28 Million Tons
ASTANA – Cargo transportation between Kazakhstan and China increased by 22% compared to 2022, reaching a record level of over 28 million tons, as was reported during the first Kazakh-Chinese grain forum in China, the Transport Ministry’s press service reported on June 7. Additionally, Kazakhstan’s shippers exported 12.6 million tons, marking a 35% growth from…
