Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina Pushes Hard at Australian Open Final, Yields to Aryna Sabalenka
ASTANA – Reigning Wimbledon champion and Kazakhstan’s top seed Elena Rybakina yielded to Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-4, 3-6, 4-6 in the women’s singles final on Jan. 28 at Australian Open 2023. The game at the Rod Laver Arena was intense for both world’s 22nd seed Elena Rybakina and fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka. Rybakina, 23,…
Maulen Ashimbayev Voted as Kazakhstan’s Senate Chairperson
ASTANA – Maulen Ashimbayev, 51, was unanimously voted by the deputies of the Senate on Jan. 26 as Kazakhstan’s Senate Chairperson after President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed his candidacy for the position. After addressing the newly elected and appointed deputies of the upper chamber of the Kazakh Parliament, President Tokayev put forward Ashimbayev’s candidacy for the…
Kazakhstan Allocates $312 Million in 2023 to Modernize Rural Areas
ASTANA – Kazakhstan will spend 143 billion tenge (US$311.5 million) in 2023 to implement 1,500 projects in 736 villages across the country as part of the Auyl – El Besigi (the Village is the Birthplace of a Nation) project, according to the Kazakh Ministry of National Economy, which is in charge of the project. The…
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Appoints Ten New Senate Deputies
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appointed ten new deputies to the Senate, an upper house of the Kazakh Parliament on Jan. 24, reported the Akorda press service. The President’s right to appoint ten deputies to the Senate, which consists of 50 deputies, is enshrined in the country’s Constitution. Five of them are recommended by…
What You Need to Know About Upcoming Election in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission compiled a list of eligible voters for the Mazhilis and maslikhat election, including 11,976,406 citizens with the active right to vote, reported the CEC press service. The largest number of voters – 1,177,507 – is registered in the Turkistan Region, the smallest – 138,277 – in the Ulytau Region,”…
Nearly 60 Afghan Women Pursue Higher Education in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – At least 56 Afghan women are continuing their studies in Kazakhstan’s universities as part of Kazakhstan’s year-long efforts to support Afghan nationals whose country is now in economic and social turmoil. The young women are participants of an academic scholarship program launched by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan and funded by the European Union…
What You Need to Know About Senate Election in Kazakhstan This Week
ASTANA – Two weeks into 2023, Kazakhstan prepares for Senate elections, the upper chamber of the Kazakh Parliament, on Jan. 14, which will have 55 candidates competing for 20 seats in the Senate. The registration of candidates wrapped up at 6 p.m. on Dec. 24. Out of 130 nominated candidates, fifty-five candidates, including 18 women…
Economic Growth in Central Asia to Remain Flat in 2023, Says World Bank
ASTANA – Economic growth in Central Asia is projected to remain flat at 3.9 percent in 2023, dragged down by weak external demand, rising inflation and global supply chain disruptions, according to the World Bank’s latest Global Economic Prospects report released on Jan. 11. In 2022, the growth reached 3.9 percent, down from 5.1 percent…
Constitutional Court in Kazakhstan Rules in First Decision, Repeals Law on First President
ASTANA – The Constitutional Court, which began its work in Kazakhstan on Jan. 1, ruled on its first decision, repealing the law on the First President that granted Nursultan Nazarbayev exclusive rights and privileges, including retention of his and his family’s financial wealth and immunity from actions made while president and after, reports the court’s…
Young, Progressive Voices Surge in Kazakh Government
The past week in Kazakhstan witnessed several important appointments, signaling one significant and positive trend in the government – more young voices are rising to the highest ranks of the cabinet. Amid the current government’s efforts to fulfill the tasks set by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, from energy to housing, it is inspiring to see that…
One Year On from the January Tragedy in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – The Kazakh Prosecutor General’s Office and the Kazakh Ministry of Internal Affairs delivered their reports on Jan. 5 on the investigation into the tragic January events that shocked the nation exactly one year ago. One year into the worst unrest the country has seen over the years of independence that left at least…
Zulfiya Suleimenova Becomes Kazakhstan’s Youngest Minister at Only 32 Years-of-Age
ASTANA – The first working day of 2023 in Kazakhstan on Jan. 4 featured some significant reshuffles in the government, sending a strong message from the government that they are embracing younger and more progressive voices. Zulfiya Suleimenova made the headlines, becoming the youngest minister at 32 after she was appointed the Minister of Ecology…
2022 in Review: Major International Highlights of Kazakhstan Over Last Year
Welcoming 2022, the people of Kazakhstan hoped it would bring more good to the world, which is still reeling from two years of uncertainty and the pandemic that took many lives. 2022 can hardly be called an easy year – the ongoing pandemic, rising geopolitical confrontations, economic slowdown, and war. It reminded us all of…
Kazakhstan Wraps Up 2022 with Packed Diplomatic Schedule
ASTANA – Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Aibek Smadiyarov wrapped up the results of the ministry’s work in 2022 at a press briefing on Dec. 28, highlighting a packed diplomatic schedule the country has had this year. “This year, we have done a lot of work on the foreign policy track, several major international events were…
President Tokayev Signs Law on Women’s Retirement Age, Extension of Childcare Benefits and Other Social Support Measures
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law on Dec. 26 to amend the country’s legislative acts on youth policy and social security, reported the Akorda press service. The law envisages fixing women’s retirement age at 61 years by 2028, extending child care allowances from 12 to 18 months, increasing the age of youth from…
Leading Experts from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan Explore President Tokayev’s Recent Visit to Tashkent
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state visit to Uzbekistan last week was under the spotlight of an international conference on Dec. 27 titled Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Prospects for the Development of Strategic Partnership and Alliance, reported the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS). Experts discussed political dialogue and new strategic prospects for cooperation in economy,…
Baitak Party Determined to Take Part in Upcoming Parliamentary Election, Forge Strong Green Agenda
ASTANA – Less than a month after the Kazakh Ministry of Justice registered a new party called Baitak, it paves the way for green reformists in the country, part of a broader reform agenda in Kazakhstan. The Astana Times spoke to Baitak party chair Azamatkhan Amirtai about the party’s priorities, objectives and plans ahead of…
Svevind Seeks to Establish Kazakhstan as Reliable Green Energy Supplier for Global Markets
ASTANA – Svevind, the company behind Europe’s largest wind farm in Sweden, is running a green hydrogen project in the Mangystau Region, seeking to establish Kazakhstan as a reliable supplier of green energy in the form of hydrogen and ammonia for the global markets, said the company’s CEO Wolfgang Kropp in an interview with The…
Baitak Party Registered in Kazakhstan, Seeks to Promote Environmental Agenda
ASTANA – A new party called Baitak with an environmental focus received registration from the Kazakh Ministry of Justice on Nov. 30, the party’s founder and chair Azamatkhan Amirtay shared on his Facebook. With the Baitak party, there are now six political parties in Kazakhstan, including the Amanat party, Ak Zhol Democratic Party of Kazakhstan,…
Expert Session in Brussels Focuses on Kazakhstan’s Internal Political Changes Amid Challenging External Circumstances
ASTANA – Kazakh and European political experts gathered on Nov. 28 in Brussels to share their views on the ongoing political changes in Kazakhstan and the country’s efforts to navigate the challenging circumstances that the world finds itself in today. A panel session, titled Kazakhstan in 2022 – a Seismic Year of Change and Unprecedented…
Nuclear War Has No Winners and It Must Never Be Unleashed, Says Declaration Signed by Tokayev and Putin
ASTANA – There can be no winners in a nuclear war and it must never be unleashed. This is one of the premises in the declaration signed by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Nov. 28. Tokayev’s visit to Moscow on Nov. 28, the first foreign visit since his…
Transfer from Kazakhstan’s National Fund to Budget to Reach $4.7 Billion in 2023, Expected to Decline Gradually
ASTANA – The guaranteed transfer from the National Fund of Kazakhstan to the country’s budget will reach 2.2 trillion tenge (US$4.7 billion) in 2023 and is set to decline moving forward, according to a law signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Nov. 24. The transfer will make two trillion tenge ($4.3 billion) in 2024 and…
President Tokayev Addresses CSTO Summit in Yerevan, Calls for Peace Talks between Russia and Ukraine
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called for peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia as he addressed the Collective Security Council session of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) on Nov. 23 in Yerevan, reported the presidential press service. Tokayev emphasized the time has come for a “joint collective search for a formula for peace.” “Any…
Experts Debate Kazakhstan’s Presidential Election, Emphasize Single Seven-Year Mandate
ASTANA – Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies convened on Nov. 21. political experts to discuss the presidential election that the country had on Nov. 20 and share forecasts for the development of the country’s political discourse in the future. A final statement released by the Central Election Commission on Nov. 22 shows Tokayev winning 81.31…
Voter Turnout in Kazakhstan’s Presidential Election Hits 69 Percent
ASTANA – 69.43 percent of Kazakhstan’s eligible voters participated in the country’s presidential election on Nov. 20 as of 10 p.m. local Astana time, announced the Central Election Commission (CEC) at a press briefing on Nov. 20. Polling stations closed throughout the country at 8 p.m. local Astana time. In the country’s five regions –…
