Kazakhstan Extends Contract on Oil Supply to Germany by Year-End
ASTANA — KazMunayGas (KMG), the national oil and gas company, has extended its current agreement on oil supply from Karachaganak Petroleum Operating to an oil refinery in Schwedt, Germany, until the end of 2024, the KMG press service reported on May 21. The agreement envisages a monthly oil transportation volume of 100,000 tons. In January-April,…
SCAT Airlines Launches Astana-Prague Direct Flights
ASTANA – An opening ceremony for a new direct flight route from Astana to Prague, operated by SCAT Airlines, took place at Václav Havel Airport Prague, the Kazakh Embassy in the Czech Republic reported on May 23. The regular flights will run twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, using a Boeing 737. Kazakh Ambassador…
Kazakhstan Suspends Digital Bridge 2024 Forum
ASTANA – Following President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s directive to suspend major events due to the severe floods in Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry announced the cancellation of the international IT forum Digital Bridge 2024, which was scheduled for Sept. 5-7 in Astana, reported the ministry’s press service. This year’s spring floods…
Kazakh President Ratifies Treaty on Allied Relations with Uzbekistan
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law on the ratification of the treaty on allied relations with Uzbekistan on May 20, reported the Akorda press service. The treaty, signed by the Presidents on Dec. 22, 2022, in Tashkent, was ratified by the Senate, the Upper House of the Kazakh Parliament, on April 25.…
Kazakh Climbers Triumphantly Return Home After Conquering Everest
ASTANA—Kazakhstan proudly welcomed home its triumphant Everest conquerors, Maksut Zhumayev, Anar Burasheva, and Almir Kymbatbayuly, at Almaty airport on May 20, the Kazinform agency reported. The expedition, led by Maksut Zhumayev, planted the national flag of Kazakhstan atop the world’s highest peak (8,848 meters). Burasheva made history as the first Kazakh woman to conquer Everest,…
Kazakhstan, US Maintain Constructive Dialogue on Human Rights, Democratic Reforms
ASTANA – Assistant to the President of Kazakhstan for International Affairs Erzhan Kazykhan and U.S. Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya co-chaired the third meeting of the annual High-Level Dialogue on Human Rights and Democratic Reforms between Kazakhstan and the United States on May 20, reported the Foreign…
Kazakhstan to Register New Political Party
ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry of Justice confirmed the acceptance of the application for the Yntymaq political party’s registration, Vice Minister of Justice Botagoz Zhakselekova said at a May 17 briefing in the Central Communications Service, reported Kazinform. The party administration has four months to submit all the necessary documents for official registration. According to…
Kazakhstan, UAE to Cooperate in Leadership Training in Public Services
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are set to collaborate in leadership training in public administration. This was announced at a meeting between Minister of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry Zhaslan Madiyev and UAE’s Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange Abdulla Nasser Lootah, who visited Kazakhstan May…
Uzbekistan to Launch New Bus Routes to Astana and Turkistan
ASTANA – Uzbekistan plans to launch new bus routes to Kazakhstan’s cities of Astana and Turkistan this year, the Uzbek Transport Ministry’s press service reported on May 13. The routes will link Bukhara to Astana, as well as Bukhara, Samarkand, and Shahrisabz to Turkistan. Currently, Uzbekistan has 196 buses operated by 32 carriers, both domestic…
German Direct Investment in Kazakhstan Hits Record $770 Million in 2023
ASTANA – Last year, German direct investment in Kazakhstan grew 64% to a record high of $770 million, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at a meeting with Chair of the Board of the Eastern Committee of the German Economy Cathrina Claas-Mühlhäuser on May 15, reported Akorda. Determining Germany as a strategic partner of Kazakhstan in the…
Dimash Kudaibergen Announces Solo Concerts in Prague and Düsseldorf
ASTANA – Kazakh singer Dimash Kudaibergen will give solo concerts in the Czech Republic and Germany this fall, DimashNews.com reported on May 13. On Nov. 22, the “Stranger” show will grace the stage at 7:30 p.m. at Sortovni Hala Fortuna in Prague. On Nov. 24 at 6:00 pm, Kudaibergen will perform at PSD Bank Dome…
Fertilizer Producer to Build Chemical Complex in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – EuroChem, a subsidiary of the Swiss fertilizer producer EuroChem Group AG, and China National Chemical Engineering Company signed a contract for the design, construction and commissioning of a chemical complex in Janatas town, the Zhambyl Region on May 14, reported the ministry’s press service. The plant for the production of mineral fertilizers will…
Almaty to Host Silk Way Music Festival Next Week
ASTANA – The Silk Way music festival will take place May 22-25 in Almaty. This was announced during a May 11 briefing at the Secretariat of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Beijing, reported the SCO’s press service. SCO Deputy Secretary General Janesh Kane highlighted Kazakhstan’s substantial contribution to the development of cultural and humanitarian…
Kazakhstan’s E-Commerce Surges by 79% in 2023
ASTANA – Sales volume in the e-commerce market in 2023 reached 2.4 trillion tenge ($5.3 billion) according to a study by Strategy&, a subsidiary of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). This is 79% more than in 2022. The Digital Kazakhstan Association and second-tier banks, including Kaspi, provided data for the report.kz, Halyk Market and Forte Market. E-commerce comprised…
Kazakhstan, Türkiye Simplify Goods Transportation
ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev officially ratified an agreement on international combined transport of goods between Kazakhstan and Türkiye on May 6, Akorda press service reported. The newly signed law on ratifying the agreement between the government of Kazakhstan and the government of Türkiye on international combined transport of goods signifies a milestone in the…
President Tokayev Approves Legislation to Enhance Science and Education
ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the law “On introducing amendments and additions to some legislative acts of Kazakhstan on issues of science and education,” the press service of Akorda reported on May 6. The first block of amendments focuses on bolstering the financial well-being of educators and researchers across Kazakhstan. An increased monthly salary…
Netflix to Film Reality Travel Show in Almaty
ASTANA – Global streaming platform Netflix will shoot a reality travel show in Almaty from May 20 to 30, reported the city administration’s press service. Having opted for Almaty’s beautiful mountains, Netflix, a key player in the global entertainment industry, aims to capture the authenticity of nature in the Kyrgyz Republic as well. According to…
Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia to Meet in Almaty This Week
ASTANA – The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia will meet in Almaty on May 10 for peace treaty negotiations, Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson reported on May 6. The talks will take place in Kazakhstan’s largest city in accordance with previously reached agreements. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev suggested providing a platform for peace treaty negotiations during…
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan Sign Agreement on Energy Interconnection
ASTANA — The energy ministries of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan signed a historic memorandum at the Tashkent International Investment Forum on May 1, marking a significant step towards interconnecting the energy grids of the three countries, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Energy. The memorandum aims to determine the foundational terms of cooperation for the ambitious…
Student with Special Needs Wins National Olympiad Among Peers
ASTANA – Beknur Zhanibekuly, a 6th-grade student, won a gold medal in the English language competition of the national scientific olympiad, held between grades 5 and 6 at a republican level at the Binom School named after Kadyr Myrza Ali in Astana, the school’s press service reported on April 28. This is perhaps the first…
Dimash Kudaibergen’s New Song Premiers on All Music Platforms
ASTANA – Kazakh pop star Dimash Kudaibergen’s new composition “Smoke” is now available on all music platforms, the singer announced on his Instagram page on April 26. He first performed this song at his solo concert in Hong Kong in December 2023, which was dedicated to a memorable date: seven years ago, Kudaibergen arrived in…
Kazakhstan Prepares Gradual Compensation Plan for Oil Overproduction
ASTANA – In response to the decision of the 53rd meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee, Kazakhstan has prepared a detailed plan for the gradual compensation for overproduction observed during the first quarter of 2024, the Energy Ministry reported in an April 24 statement. The country reaffirmed its commitment to the agreement by the…
Qazaq Air Links Turkistan to Samarkand, SCAT Resumes Flights to Prague
ASTANA—Kazakhstan’s airline Qazaq Air will launch Turkistan–Samarkand direct flights from June 2, according to the company’s press service report on April 23. Flights will be operated twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays on De-Havilland Dash 8-Q400 aircraft. SCAT Airlines is set to resume flights between the capitals of Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic on…
Kazakhstan Baby Boom: Male Births Take Center Stage in 2023
ASTANA — Of the 388,400 children born in Kazakhstan last year, boys accounted for 51.6% and girls for 48.4%, the Bureau of National Statistics reported on April 22. Urban areas saw 59% of total births, with the remaining 41% occurring in rural areas. The highest birth rates were observed in the Mangystau and Turkistan Regions,…
Carlsberg Kazakhstan Opens New Production Facility in Almaty
ASTANA — Carlsberg Kazakhstan has inaugurated a new production facility in Almaty worth $50 million on April 19, reported Kazakh Invest press service. The project was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Kazakh Invest National Company, This expansion will significantly boost the plant’s output capacity for non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, scaling up from 2.3…
