Kazakhstan Strengthens Trade Turnover with Central Asian States
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s trade turnover with Central Asian countries totaled $7.7 billion in 2023, Vice Minister of Trade and Integration Kairat Torebayev said at the 13th Central Asia Trade Forum in Almaty on May 14, reported the ministry’s press service. Torebayev noted that strengthening trade ties in Central Asia contributes to economic growth, job creation,…
Kazakhstan Expands Cooperation Within OTS
ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Bakayev took part in an online meeting with leaders of Turkic cooperation organizations on May 10 as part of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship in the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), reported the Foreign Ministry’s press service. Among them were OTS Secretary General Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary General of the International Organization…
Kazakhstan Provides Financial Support to 20,600 Flood-Affected Families
ASTANA – Some 20,600 families have received one-time payments in the total amount of 7.5 billion tenge (US$16.9 million), Kazakh Vice Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev said at a May 14 government meeting. Some 680 families received compensation for material damage totaling 362.5 million tenge (US$821,352), while 568 families were paid compensation for repairs and restoration…
Kazakhstan Becomes First CIS Country to Join ICAO Program on Sustainable Aviation Fuels
ASTANA – Kazakh Vice Minister of Transport Talgat Lastayev and Regional Director for the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) European and North Atlantic Office Nicolas Rallo signed an agreement on Assistance, Capacity-building and Training (ACT) for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) on May 13, reported Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Committee. This move made Kazakhstan the first country…
Kazakhstan Sees Record Tourism Indicators in 2023
ASTANA – Last year, Kazakhstan fully recovered from the pandemic and has reached an all-time high in key tourism indicators, Minister of Tourism and Sports Yermek Marzhikpayev said at a May 14 government meeting chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. In 2023, foreign tourist arrivals in Kazakhstan doubled to 9.2 million from 4.7 million recorded…
Kazakhstan Provides Training Opportunities to IT Specialists from Tajikistan
ASTANA – The Kazakhstan Agency for International Development (KazAID) transferred 100 vouchers to the Embassy of Tajikistan on May 10 for the training of IT specialists as part of the Tech Orda human capital development program, reported the agency’s press service. Implemented by the Astana Hub International Technopark of IT Startups, the program provides youth…
SCO Foreign Ministers’ Council to Convene in Astana
ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu will chair a regular meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states on May 21 in Astana, reported the ministry’s press service. The meeting will be attended by the SCO Secretary General and the Director of the…
Almaty to Host Central Asia Trade Forum Next Week
ASTANA – The U.S. Agency for International Development will host the 13th Central Asia Trade Forum (CATF) on May 14-15 in Almaty, reported the USAID’s press service. The CATF, a major trade event fostering connectivity, commerce, and trade policy in the region, has facilitated the signing of over $32 million in contracts since its inception.…
President Appoints New Minister of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appointed Zhaslan Madiyev as a new Minister of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry on May 6, reported the Akorda press service. In this position, Madiyev replaced Bagdat Mussin, who served as minister from 2020 to 2024 and was relieved of his duties on April 30. Born in 1983 in…
Kazakhstan Increases Sunflower Seed Meal Exports to EU Over Twofold
ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s exports of sunflower seed meal to the European Union increased by 2.3 times to around 54,400 tons between July 2023 to February 2024, Kazinform reported on May 5. Based on the results of eight months of the current season, Kazakhstan firmly holds the fifth place among sunflower seed meal suppliers. The top…
Tokayev Congratulates Citizens on Fatherland Defenders’ Day, Victory Day
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, congratulated citizens on Defenders of the Fatherland Day, celebrated on May 7, and Victory Day, observed on May 9. “Today, the valiant Kazakh army has become a reliable shield of territorial integrity and stability in the country. Our glorious warriors vigilantly guard the…
Nearly 50,000 Residents of Flood-Affected Regions Return Home
ASTANA – A total of 49,945 Kazakh citizens have returned to their homes in regions affected by flooding, the Ministry of Emergency Situations’ Spokesperson Askar Sharip said at a May 6 briefing in the Central Communications Service (CCS), reported the CCS’s press office. Water was diverted and pumped from 8,958 residential buildings and 2,994 courtyard…
Kazakhstan Honors Veterans Ahead of May 9
ASTANA – Kazakhstan allocated 187 million tenge (US$421,442.27) from local budgets to provide one-time payments to World War II veterans in all regions of the country and the cities of Astana, Almaty and Shymkent ahead of May 9, the Prime Minister’s press service reported on May 5. Under the current social assistance rules, the amount…
Kazakhstan and Qatar Advance Key Gas Projects
ASTANA — QazaqGaz national company and UCC Holding, a part of Qatar’s Power International Holding, have reached a consensus on four major gas projects in Kazakhstan during a May 3 meeting of the Energy Council chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. Among these projects is the construction of two…
ADB Urges Cross-Border Collaboration for Greener Trade in Central Asia
ASTANA – At the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) 57th annual meeting, officials stated that closer cross-border collaboration and trade policy reforms in Central Asia and its neighbors could reduce the carbon footprint of trade and value chains, the ADB’s press service reported on May 2. ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov…
Almaty Hosts Course Focusing on Gender Aspects in UN Peacekeeping Operations
ASTANA — The Center for Peacekeeping Operations of the Ministry of Defense (KAZCENT) recently hosted a course in Almaty to raise awareness of gender issues and challenges, KAZCENT’s press service reported on April 26. Organized in collaboration with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Program Office, the English-language training focused on the…
Georgia Invites Kazakh Children Affected by Floods for Retreat
ASTANA – The Mayor of Borjomi Otar Arbolishvili officially invited Kazakh children from Atyrau and other flood-affected regions for a healing retreat in Georgia, Khabar TV Channel reported on April 26. Last year, Borjomi and Atyrau became twin cities. As one of the most popular tourist destinations in Georgia, Borjomi invited 20 Kazakh children accompanied…
Kazakhstan, Afghanistan Sign Agreements on Agricultural Product Supply
ASTANA — Kazakhstan and Afghanistan reached an agreement worth over $ 12 million on the supply of sunflower oil, cereal products, and flour at the Kazakh-Afghan business forum in Kabul, the Prime Minister’s press service reported on April 26. Alongside the forum, 35 Kazakh companies presented their products and services at a thematic exhibition during…
Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan to Develop Transport Infrastructure in Afghanistan
ASTANA – Three countries agreed to enhance transit and transport infrastructure in Afghanistan at an April 27 trilateral meeting between Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin, Director General of the Transport and Communications Agency under Turkmenistan’s Cabinet of Ministers Mammetkhan Chakyev, and Afghan Minister of Commerce and Industry Nooruddin Azizi in Kabul, reported the Prime…
Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia May Convene in Almaty for Peace Treaty Negotiations
ASTANA – As per Kazakhstan’s proposal, the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia are due to meet soon in Almaty to advance negotiations on the peace treaty, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in a telephone conversation with United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, reported the President Aliyev’s press office.…
Kazakhstan’s Manufacturing Production Volume Reaches $48.7 Billion in 2023
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s manufacturing sector showed positive dynamics in 2023, with production value reaching 21.6 trillion tenge ($48.7 billion), Minister of Industry and Construction Kanat Sharlapayev said at an April 29 government meeting in the Mazhilis, a lower house of the Kazakh Parliament. The growth was driven by a 38% increase in the woodworking sector,…
Europe Supports Adoption of Law Criminalizing Domestic Violence in Kazakhstan
ASTANA — On the sidelines of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg, French expert Carla Duat told Kazinform on April 24 that adopting the law criminalizing domestic violence in Kazakhstan is a positive step. Duat emphasized the honor of meeting senators who were part of such an essential law in…
Kazakhstan to Take Part in Construction of Trans-Afghan Railways
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is ready to engage in projects for the development of the trans-Afghan corridor, Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin said at an April 24 meeting with Afghan Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar during his visit to Afghanistan, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. In particular, Kazakhstan is prepared to participate in constructing…
Kazakhstan Wins Gold at International Collegiate Programming Contest Finals
ASTANA – Batyr Sardarbekov of Kazakhstan won the historic gold medal in the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) World Finals 2022-2023, held from April 14 to 19 in Luxor, Egypt, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry. This victory marks the first time in 20 years that Kazakh sports programmers have…
Nearly One-Third of Financial Market Participants Use AI in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Some 31% of financial market participants use artificial intelligence (AI) in their activities, with the highest utilization level of 60% observed among second-tier banks, the National Bank of Kazakhstan stated in an April 23 report. This report was based on a survey conducted among 94 financial market participants to assess the readiness of…
