Articles by Assel Satubaldina

Kazakhstan Has a Vital Interest in Developing Vibrant Partnership with BRICS, Says President Tokayev

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has a vital interest in developing a vibrant partnership with BRICS countries, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told the High-Level Dialogue on Global Development on June 24 on the margins of the 14th BRICS Summit, reports the presidential press service. The 14th summit of BRICS, which owes its name to the initials of its…

Kazakhstan’s Police Celebrates 30 Years of Service, Sets New Tasks Ahead

NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev commended the development of the police system in Kazakhstan, an institution that is celebrating its 30th anniversary today. Attending the ceremony, Tokayev stated that there is a lot of work yet to be done to reform the police, reports the presidential press service.  He visited the operational management center, where…

Kazakhstan Completes Chairpersonship at WTO MC-12 with Landmark Agreements on Fishery, Food Security and E-Commerce

NUR-SULTAN – The 12th Ministerial Conference (MC-12) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) chaired by Kazakhstan concluded on June 17 with the adoption of major decisions on fisheries, food security, the fight against COVID-19, and electronic commerce, reports the presidential press service.  Kazakhstan, which has been a WTO member since November 2015, co-hosted the conference…

Kazakhstan Proposes to Establish International Trust Fund to Raise Money for People Affected by Nuclear Fallout

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs Mukhtar Tileuberdi participated in the first meeting of state parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) taking place June 21-23 in Vienna. He reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to a nuclear-weapons-free world and proposed several initiatives, where one of them is to…

Kazakh PM Addresses Eurasian Intergovernmental Council, Calls on Member States to Boost Industrial Cooperation, Remove Trade Barriers

NUR-SULTAN – The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), an economic alliance between Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia, possesses huge economic potential but lack of industrial cooperation and multiple trade barriers inhibit its growth, said Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov addressing the meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council on June 21 in Minsk, reports his press…

President Tokayev Answers Tough Questions at Economic Forum in Russia

NUR-SULTAN –  President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke about his country’s large scale reforms and relations with Russia at  the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, reports the presidential press service. President Kassym- Jomart Tokayev. Photo credit: Akorda In his remarks, Tokayev emphasized the forum was taking place in a situation of increased political…

Kazakh PM Stresses Regional Cooperation at UN Regional SDG Summit in Almaty

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov addressed the Second Regional Summit on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) taking place June 16-17 in Almaty calling on Central Asian countries to intensify cooperation, reports the Prime Minister’s press service.  One of the key initiatives is to open the UN Center for SDGs for Central Asia and…

Kazakhstan’s Tourism Industry Recovers, Sees New Opportunities

NUR-SULTAN – Tourism around the world continues to recover at a strong pace. Globally, there were almost three times as many international arrivals in the first quarter of 2022 as in the same period of 2021. Kazakhstan is no exception and is ready for foreign and local tourists. The Astana Times spoke with Talgat Amanbayev,…

First National Kurultai Outlines Priorities, Seeks to Strengthen National Unity and Encourage Broader Public Involvement in Decision-Making

NUR-SULTAN – The Ulytau Region, a sacred place for Kazakhstan, hosted the first National Kurultai (congress in Kazakh) today to outline the priorities of the work of the new institution and the country’s development. “It was right to begin the National Kurultai in Ulytau. This sacred land has become a symbol of unity as we…

President Tokayev Arrives in Ulytau Region to Take Part in First National Kuryltai

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in the Ulytau Region in the morning to take part in the first National Kuryltai (National Congress) later in the day, reports the presidential press service.  In Zhezkazgan, the administrative center of the newly formed region, Tokayev will discuss the prospects for the development of the Ulytau Region…

Kazakhstan’s Trade and Integration Minister Focuses on Pandemic Response, Trade and Food Security at WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Trade and Integration Bakhyt Sultanov participated in the World Trade Organization (WTO) 12th Ministerial Conference that is taking place at WTO headquarters in Geneva from June 12 until June 16. Kazakhstan, which has been a WTO member since November 2015, co-hosted the conference and Timur Suleimenov,…

Kazakh Economy Grows 4.6 Percent in Five Months

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s economy has witnessed a 4.6 percent growth between January and May, said Minister of National Economy Alibek Kuantyrov at a government meeting on June 14 summing up the results of the country’s social and economic development. Key factors driving the growth were rising dynamics in the services sector and in exports. “Growth…

Kazakhstan’s Qazaqstan Halqyna Fund to Organize National Charity Conference in September

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s Qazaqstan Halqyna Fund will organize the National Charity Conference in September, the fund’s chair Bolat Zhamishev told President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during their meeting on Monday. Zhamishev said the fund now implements ten programs and projects. Eight are aimed at providing medical care, while one project focuses on improving social conditions in the…

Regional Appointments Made in Kazakhstan After Referendum to Strengthen Local Self Governance

NUR-SULTAN – Over the weekend, Kazakhstan has seen several new appointments of regional (governors) and city akims (mayors) that now follow the new rules designed to strengthen local self-government adopted by the June 5th constitutional referendum. The June 8 decree signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev gives the maslikhats (local representative bodies) the right to choose…

Foreign Investors’ Council Meeting Focuses On Carbon Neutrality Efforts and Improvement of Investment Сlimate

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will continue fulfilling its plans to reduce its carbon use and undertake more efforts to improve the investment climate, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as he chaired the 34th plenary session of the Foreign Investors Council on June 10, reports the presidential press service. Heads of major multinational companies working in Kazakhstan, government…

National Kuryltai to Convene Next Week in Ulytau, Encourage Broad Public Discussions

NUR-SULTAN – The newly formed Ulytau Region will host the Ulltyk Kuryltai (National Congress) meeting next week on June 16, Kazakhstan’s State Secretary Erlan Karin announced on his Telegram channel.  “Members of Parliament, representatives of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, civil society and political parties, business people and prominent experts, as well as…

Kazakh Capital to Host Foreign Investors’ Council Meeting Today

NUR-SULTAN – As the Kazakh capital prepares to host today the 34th meeting of the Foreign Investors Council under the President of Kazakhstan, top management of multinational companies are arriving in the capital. Before convening later this day, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with business giants to discuss their activities in Kazakhstan, Central Asia’s largest economy…

Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies Convenes Local Experts to Talk Referendum Results

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS) invited experts on  Monday for its Gylym, Pikir, Sayasat (science, opinion, politics) platform to sum up the results of the June 5 referendum on the constitutional amendments in Kazakhstan, reports the institute’s press service. In the national referendum on Sunday, 77.18 percent voted in favor of…

Chinese Foreign Minister Visits Kazakhstan, Commends President Tokayev’s Reforms

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan and China celebrated their commitment to productive bilateral relations, which mark their 30th anniversary this year, said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his four-day visit to Kazakhstan.  Wang met President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi to discuss the bilateral ties which have…

Young People Should Be Drivers of Change, Says Nazarbayev University President Shigeo Katsu

NUR-SULTAN – Just ten years ago, the idea of having a world-class university in the middle of the steppes would seem close to impossible, but it is now becoming a reality – since its creation in 2010, Nazarbayev University (NU) pioneered educational reforms, academic freedom, merit-based admission, and progression as well as academic integrity serving…

New Kazakhstan Will Depend on Collaboration Between Government and Civil Society, Says Human Rights Commissioner

NUR-SULTAN – Regardless of its outcome, the national referendum will not bring change in one day. The country’s fate and future will depend on the collaborative effort between the government and citizens, Human Rights Commissioner Elvira Azimova said at a June 5 press briefing. A lot will depend on the civic responsibility of citizens. “One…

Referendum Through Popular Vote is Bold Move for President, Says Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies Director 

NUR-SULTAN – Holding the referendum through a popular vote was a bold move for President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, said the director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies Yerkin Tukumov. “Some criticize the President that he writes the Constitution as he sees fit. If this were true, it would be more rational [for him] to hold…

Kazakhstan Expects Major Changes, Says President Tokayev After Casting Vote in Constitutional Referendum

NUR-SULTAN – As the vote on the national referendum kicked off today, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was among the first to cast vote in the capital’s Schoolchildren Palace.   “Today is an important historical day for our country, indeed. People are making a fateful decision. There is no compulsion,” said Tokayev. He said the constitutional…

Kazakhstan Committed to Promoting Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Agenda

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has been committing to promotion of the gender equality agenda in the context of the country’s international devotion to the  implementation of  the principles of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Sustainable Development Goals, Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Akan Rakhmetullin told Anita Bhatia, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and…

Kazakhstan Presents Tourism Potential at World’s Leading Business Tourism Exhibition in Frankfurt

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan presented its vast tourism opportunities at IMEX Frankfurt, one of the world’s leading exhibition platforms in the field of tourism and business tourism, from May 31 to June 2, reports Kazakh Tourism national company’s press service.  Kazakh Tourism, the country’s national company tasked with promoting tourism, headed the country’s delegation at the…