Articles by Michelle Witte

ASTANA – After a national poll with more than 10,000 people in Kazakhstan voting over the Internet, the new logo for EXPO 2017 was announced on July 26. “Wind Energy” is the new logo for the international exposition to be held in Astana in 2017 that will focus on the theme of “Future Energy.” The…

ASTANA – The 13th meeting of the Cooperation Council between the EU and Kazakhstan took place on July 24th and reaffirmed the commitment of both parties to strengthen relations in a number of areas and to conclude a new Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the parties as soon as possible. Minister of Foreign Affairs…

ASTANA – Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta made his first official visit to Kazakhstan on June 27 and 28, resulting in agreements on cooperation in military training, as well as cultural activities. Strengthening economic cooperation, however, was the main thrust of discussions, which included proposals for the transport of oil and gas. At a meeting…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov stressed the need to develop Kazakhstan’s investment attractiveness and create clear development strategies for the country’s special economic zones (SEZ) during a July 16 government session. Also during the session, First Vice Minister of Industry and New Technologies Albert Rau reported that during the years of existence of…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan National Statistics Agency Chairman Alikhan Smailov reported on July 11 that the majority of the nation’s major economic indicators experienced growth in the first half of 2013 compared to the same period last year. The only exception to the upward trend was exports, which declined year on year. Kazakhstan’s short term key…

Kazakhstan presented its application on July 11 in Moscow to host the 2017 World Petroleum Congress in Astana. Kazakhstan is competing against the United States city of Houston, Istanbul, Turkey, and Copenhagen, Denmark. Consultant of the Kazakh National Committee of the World Petroleum Congress Ardych Durdu made Kazakhstan’s case for hosting the event organised by…

ASTANA – The third annual Ernst and Young Attractiveness Survey of Kazakhstan has been released and paints a positive picture overall of the country’s investment attractiveness, past performance, and potential growth. Indeed, the key challenge the country faces in attracting more investment is to simply make investors aware of the possibilities it already presents. The…

Designer Balnur Asanova’s work at Symbat Fashion Academy combines past, present, and future. In Kazakhstan, there’s always a new balance being struck in design between old motifs and new shapes, old materials and new colors, old traditions and new ways of living. The academy, and Asanova’s collections, bring those elements of ancient Kazakh culture into…

Finnish Ambassador Mikko Kinnunen may be wrapping up his mission in Kazakhstan on July 12, but Finland and Finnish business are here to stay. It’s been an eventful four years for the ambassador: two embassies have been established; state visits have been conducted, most recently the visit of Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö this past April;…

ASTANA – The Kazakh-British Business Forum held on July 1 at the Palace of Independence saw the signing of ten memoranda of understanding or cooperation agreements between Kazakh and British organisations, which, along with four others signed in the course of British Prime Minister David Cameron’s current visit, amount to over US$1 billion. The forum…

Astana – President Nursultan Nazarbayev took part in the traditional raising of the national flag on July 5 at the Atameken Ethno-Memorial Complex, celebrating the start of Capital Day events. As Commander-in-Chief, he also distributed officers’ epaulets to the top graduates of the country’s military higher education institutions. The president noted the symbolism of handing…

ASTANA — More than 500 performers and craftsman from around Central Asia converged on Astana this week to celebrate the city’s 15th anniversary as the nation’s capital. The artisans were part of the celebration’s Millennium Around Astana Festival, which showcased traditions and cultures from the region’s traditional nomadic life. The festival, which ran from July…

Astana – As Kazakhstan seeks to expand and diversify its economy, a campaign, “Seven Days in the Industrial Life of Kazakhstan,” was held June 29-July 5 in Astana to draw attention to different aspects of the country’s growing industrial economy. Day one covered export, which has grown recently due in part to different mechanisms of…

Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Kairat Kelimbetov addressed the roundtable, “Regional economic communities: Integration to compete and pathway to inclusive globalization,” on June 20 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he reiterated that regional organisations like the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and the Common Economic Space (CES) were not movements away from globalisation, but…

Kazakhstan is known for many things. It has a vast ancient steppe that stretches nearly the size of Western Europe. It has a new capital designed by the world’s greatest architects. It is also the world’s ninth largest country and the planet’s biggest landlocked nation. What it is not known for, however, – and logically…