Articles by Staff report

Kazakh President Congratulates Freestyle World Champion, First for Country

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated Rizabek Aitmukhan, the Kazakh freestyle wrestler, for clinching the gold medal at the World Championship in Belgrade, reported the Akorda press service on its Telegram channel on Sept.19. “Aitmukhan became the first Kazakh world champion in freestyle wrestling. This is a historic achievement. I am confident his remarkable victory…

Air Astana to Launch Daily Flights to Thailand

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s national carrier Air Astana will launch daily flights to Bangkok and Phuket from the end of October, the airline’s press service reported on Sept. 16. The increased frequency will offer passengers a greater choice of flights on comfortable A321LR and B767 aircraft. Before the upcoming fall-winter season, Thailand will introduce temporary visa-free…

Astana to Host Industrial Exhibition This Month

ASTANA – Innoprom Kazakhstan 2023, an industrial exhibition, is set to take place at the EXPO International Exhibition Center in Astana on Sept.25-27, spokesperson of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry Aibek Smadiyarov announced at a Sept. 12 press briefing.  The primary objectives of the exhibition include promoting industrial cooperation, attracting investments, expanding trade partnerships, and fostering…

Thailand Eases Entry Requirements for Kazakh Citizens

ASTANA – Thailand is set to introduce temporary visa-free travel for Kazakh citizens from Sept. 25 to Feb. 29 next year, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Kazakh residents will be permitted to stay in Thailand without a visa for a period of up to 30 days. Longer trips will require an appropriate visa.…

Astana Hosts 14th National Delphic Games This Week

ASTANA – The Kazakh capital hosts the 14th National Delphic Games titled Silk Way Creative Games from Sept. 13 to 17, the National Delphic Committee announced on its Instagram page. Five hundred participants aged 10 to 25 compete in 17 nominations, including piano, violin, academic singing, folk instruments, folk singing, folk dance, contemporary dance, photography,…

Crime Rate in Kazakhstan Declines by 15.2%

ASTANA – The crime rate in Kazakhstan has fallen by 15.2 % from 116,101 to 98,454 cases, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported on Sept. 14. The most significant decrease, a 17.9 % fall from 49,762 to 40,857 cases, was recorded in crimes of moderate severity. Violent crimes also saw a decrease of 16.5%, with cases…

Kazakhstan Organizes International Media Contest Ahead of Fifth World Nomad Games

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has announced its first-ever Alaman international media contest among journalists covering national sports, dedicated to the upcoming fifth World Nomad Games 2024, according to the contest’s press service. The competition will run for six months, from Sept. 1 through March 1, 2024. Both domestic journalists and representatives of foreign media will compete…

Kazakhstan Plans to Launch Direct Flights from Aktau and Shymkent to Türkiye

ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to open new air routes to Türkiye, including from the cities of Aktau and Shymkent, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu said at a Sept. 11 meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, reported Kazinform. According to Nurtleu, the current frequency of flights has reached 93, including established…

Kazakhconcert to Host Alem Saz International Music Festival This Fall

ASTANA – Kazakhconcert state musical organization named after Roza Baglanova will host the second Alem Saz International Music Festival from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3, reported the organization’s press office. Distinguished artists from Germany, Hungary, Japan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, Spain and Türkiye will come together in Astana to showcase their talents to both residents and…

China’s Loong Airlines Launches Hangzhou-Almaty Route

ASTANA – China’s Loong Airlines launched its first passenger flight to Kazakhstan on the Hangzhou-Almaty route on Sept. 7, reported the Civil Aviation Committee’s press service. The airline will operate flights three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays utilizing А321 aircraft. Launched in 2011, China’s Loong Airlines operates over 600 domestic and international…

Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina Qualifies for 2023 WTA Finals

ASTANA – Elena Rybakina became the first Kazakhstan athlete and the third player to qualify for the 2023 Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals, Sports.kz reported on Sept. 7. With 5,476 points, Rybakina exceeded the 5,420 cut-off to move into third place in the WTA race after Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Iga Świątek of Poland.…

Cargo Transportation Volume Via Middle Corridor Increases by 86%

ASTANA – The volume of cargo transported via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) through Kazakhstan increased 86% year on year over the first seven months of this year, reaching 1.6 million tons, the Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund reported on its Telegram channel on Sept. 7. The share of exports from Kazakhstan increased by…

TechCrunch Ranks Kazakh Startup CerebraAI Among Best Startups in US

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Cerebra AI-powered software for early stroke detection and faster and more accurate treatment was selected among the best startups for the TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 exhibition, The Tech reported on Sept. 5. As a member of Astana Hub International Technopark and the Astana International Financial Centre resident, Cerebra is a dynamic AI-driven platform…

EBRD Provides Funds for Building New Wind Power Plant in Zhambyl Region

ASTANA – Aiming to support Kazakhstan in its efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) provides financial support for building a new 100-megawatt wind power plant Shokpar in the Zhambyl Region, the EBRD’s press service reported on Sept. 1. The EBRD will extend a loan of up…

New Academic Year Kicks Off in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated teachers and schoolchildren as a new academic year began for nearly 3.9 million children in Kazakhstan on Sept. 1. Approximately 382,000 children start school for the first time. The highest number of first-graders are in Almaty, the Turkistan Region and the Almaty Region, with a notable enrollment of students…

Kazakhstan Proposes New Cashback Mechanism for Tourists

ASTANA – The Ministry of Culture and Sports of Kazakhstan announced a new proposal on Aug. 31 for determining cashback amounts based on the length of a tourist’s stay as part of a package tour. Under the proposed scheme, tourists would receive a 5% cashback on the total cost of the tour for a one-night…

Kazakhstan Becomes Leader in Uranium Production in 2022

ASTANA – In 2022, Kazakhstan became the absolute leader in uranium mining, accounting for 42% of global production, with the share of Kazatomprom National Atomic Company constituting 22%, the Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund reported on Aug. 29. Samruk Kazyna Chairman Nurlan Zhakupov instructed to increase investment in exploration as he visited the Khorasan-U and…

President Tokayev to Deliver State-of-the-Nation Address Tomorrow

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will deliver his annual state-of-the-nation address to Kazakh citizens at a joint meeting of the houses of the Parliament on Sept. 1, reported the Akorda press service. Along with the deputies of the Mazhilis (lower house) and the Senate (upper house), heads of central government bodies, members of the National…

Houses of Kazakh Parliament to Convene on September 1

ASTANA – Yerlan Koshanov, the chairman of the Mazhilis, a lower house of the Kazakh Parliament, signed a decree to convene a joint meeting of the houses of the Parliament on Sept. 1 in Astana, reported the Mazhilis’ press service on Aug. 28. The meeting is being convened in accordance with subparagraph 2 of paragraph…

Kazakh Tazy Dogs Triumph at World Dog Show 2023 in Geneva

ASTANA – Two hunting dogs of the Kazakh tazy breed have earned prestigious titles at the World Dog Show 2023, held in Geneva from August 23-27, according to a report by Kazinform. A male dog named Pigeon received the title of Best Adult Male, Best of Breed, and Geneva World Cup Winner 2023 titles. Meanwhile,…

Kazakhstan’s New International TV Channel to Start Broadcasting on Sept. 1

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s new international TV channel Silk Way Cinema will start broadcasting in Kazakh and Russian languages in over ten countries from Sept. 1, reported Kazinform on Aug. 27. The channel will broadcast educational and informative programs, documentary and musical projects, TV series of Kazakh production, and the Kazakhfilm studio’s movies. The new media…

Francis Fukuyama Presents His Book in Kazakh and Russian in Almaty

ASTANA – Almaty hosted the presentation of the book “Liberalism and its Discontents” in Kazakh and Russian languages by political scientist and senior fellow at Stanford University Francis Fukuyama on Aug. 22. The publication was organized by the CAPS Unlock analytical center with the support of Open Society Foundation and Steppe and World Publishing. Released…

Kazakhstan, Tajikistan Reiterate Strong Bilateral Ties During Rakhmon’s Visit to Astana

ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reiterated the significance of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon’s visit to Astana on Aug. 25 in strengthening the friendly ties and the strategic partnership between the fraternal nations, reported the Akorda press service. During meetings in both narrow and wide formats, Tokayev and Rakhmon addressed future opportunities for collaboration…

Kazakhstan Reaches Level Free from Terrorism Impact

ASTANA — Kazakhstan has improved its ranking in the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), moving from 67th to 93rd place. This new ranking signifies that the country is free from the impact of terrorism. This was announced during an Aug. 23 meeting of the Anti-Terrorism Center of Kazakhstan, chaired by Yermek Sagimbaev, the National Security Committee…

Kazakhstan, EU Seek to Strengthen Bilateral, Regional Ties

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko and the delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament (EP), headed by Chair David McAllister, emphasized the importance of bilateral and regional cooperation, reported the Foreign Ministry’s press service on Aug. 22. The meeting was also attended by the committee’s Vice-Chair, Željana Zovko (Croatia),…