Articles by Yerbolat Uatkhanov

ASTANA – Kokshetau is one of the most beautiful cities in Kazakhstan. The administrative centre of the Akmola region, it has a population almost 160,000 and territory of 42,700 hectares. The city is located among 14 beautiful lakes and mountains covered with dense coniferous forests. Burabai National Park is one of Kokshetau’s major sights. Borovoe…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan took 42nd place on the 2017 Index of Economic Freedom published by The Heritage Foundation, Washington, DC-based think tank. Quantitative and qualitative factors such as property rights, government integrity, judicial effectiveness, government spending, tax burden, fiscal health, business, labour, monetary, trade, investment and financial freedom of the nation were carefully analysed. The…

ASTANA – A project to strengthen forensic capacity was launched in October by the Ministry of Justice and the World Bank. Introduced at an international convention in December, the project will operate for two years and has already begun to identify a number of areas for improvement. “We are concentrating on key performance indicators at…

ASTANA – Spanish Ambassador to Kazakhstan Pedro Jose Sanz Serrano praised the relationship between Kazakhstan and Spain Feb. 11 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of bilateral relations. “We have had many visits and both embassies, Kazakhstan’s in Madrid and Spain’s in Astana, have been always active, having good relations with authorities,” said the…

ASTANA – The Kazakh National Security Committee (NSC) in cooperation with Almaty police shut down two suspected radical groups and arrested 15 suspected religious extremists in special operations conducted Jan. 13-24 in Almaty city and the Almaty region, the NSC announced in a press release in mid-February. Nine of those arrested are suspected members of…

ASTANA – The rise of the internet has given new opportunities to people who don’t want to have bosses and work in offices from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is now the age of the freelancer. For some, it’s a precarious life. For others, this is a pinnacle of achievement, considering that they work…

ASTANA – Uber has become very popular in the Kazakh capital, offering high quality service, safety and affordable prices and the opportunity to have a part time job for those who want to earn money using their driving skills and own vehicles at any time of the day or night. “I had to work as…

ASTANA – Delegations from 57 countries participated in the Jan. 29 opening ceremony of the World Winter Universiade 2017 at the Almaty Arena ice palace. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev addressed the opening, saying Kazakhstan would hold the most cost efficient games and discussed the benefits of the event for the Kazakh people. “Almaty has already…

ASTANA – Car sharing has sprung up in many countries, including Kazakhstan. With access to a fleet of vehicles on an as-needed basis, Almaty residents gain the benefits of private cars without the costs and responsibilities of ownership. “[Having one’s] own car has one real advantage: it is parked very close to where its owner…

ASTANA – Rich deposits of light oil and gas were recently found in the Devonian deposits at Ansagan in the Zhylyoi district of the Atyrau region. “The possible reserves are highly valued and a large amount of exploration work is planned to confirm the predicted hydrocarbon resources,” according to a Ministry of Energy report. The…

ASTANA – Chairperson of Regional of Civil Service Hub Alikhan Baimenov recently met with President of Asian Association of Public Administration (AAPA) and Professor of Public Administration at Yonsei University from Korea Pan Suk Kim in Astana to discuss bilateral relations between the Hub and AAPA, including organising conferences and joint projects. Parties discussed preparations…

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev took Jan. 24 part in the meeting of a working group on the redistribution of powers between government branches. He stated that the redistribution of powers between the branches of government is a consistent and logical step in the development of the state. “Implementation of one of the five…

ASTANA – The market segment of Kazakh food delivery has grown by nearly 1.7 billion tenge (US$5.1 million) in the last two years. Analysts at Burger King Kazakhstan and foodpanda.kz expect that in 2017, the volume will reach 9.4 billion tenge (US$28.4 million) and could easily exceed 10 billion tenge (US$30 million) by 2018. The…

ASTANA – In 2016, the Astana- Schuchinsk toll road earned 1.251 billion tenge (US$3.8 million), which is higher than projected. All revenues were spent on the site for modernisation of the toll collection systems and maintenance of the road, KazAvtoZhol national company reports. Expected revenues for 2016 were 1,144 billion tenge (US$3.37 million). The overachievement…

ASTANA – Long before the release of “Kazakh Khanate: Diamond Sword,” the movie attracted the attention of leading media outlets. In particular, the BBC compared “Kazakh Khanate” to the American fantasy series “Game of Thrones.” Kazakh film fans not only waited to watch the film, but also contributed to its production by helping to fund…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan took 119th place in the annual ranking of the cost of living in different countries of the world prepared by Numbeo international information portal. The nation moved 57 positions from last year, as it was ranked 62nd in 2015. The study involved 122 countries. The top 10 nations with the most affordable…

ASTANA – SOS Children’s Villages International has built numerous houses for orphans and given families to thousands of children in 135 countries throughout the world. To mark the organisation’s 20th anniversary in Kazakhstan, Corporate Foundation National Director Zhanargul Kusmangaliyeva spoke about its history and discussed plans for the future. “The idea of children’s villages belongs…

ASTANA – Award.kz National Internet Award recently announced the best sites in 12 thematic and 11 incentive categories. This year more than 500 companies and organisations participated and judged by experts and members of the international jury over 3 months, according to the organisation’s website. The jury members were selected by experts from six countries…

ASTANA – Almaty will host this year the Ballet Globe International Festival with the participation of stars from the Paris Theatre Grand Opera, the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia and the American Ballet Theatre, Tengrinews.kz reports. Performances will take place Feb. 3, 4 and 5 on the stage of Abai Opera House. “We are very pleased…

ASTANA – Experts consider the situation with Qazkom shows the complex situation in the Kazakh financial field, but predict the bank is stable and too important a financial institution for the state and won’t have really serious problems. “Qazkom has already been promised that it will get support at the highest level. This is a…

ASTANA – Senior churchman of the Russian Orthodox Church Father Dmitry from Astana discussed the difference between the Orthodox and Catholic Christmas and the meaning and importance of the holiday as he congratulated the people of Kazakhstan on the season. “The attitude of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches to Christmas is similar. The difference is…

ASTANA – Car and bike enthusiasts near Almaty will soon have a safe track for practicing their high-speed driving skills (and enjoying the thrills that go with the pastime). Other drivers on the region’s icy roads can breath a sigh of relief – the daredevils now have a place to play. “In addition to the…

ASTANA – The annual Diplomatic Christmas Charity Bazaar, sponsored by the Ambassadors’ Spouses Association, offered capital residents a chance to purchase souvenirs, gifts and special items from throughout the world. The Dec. 4 event raised 36.7 million tenge (US$110,000) to fund local charities. Nearly 35.4 million tenge (US$106,270) was distributed among 52 charitable projects and…

ASTANA – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development provided loans and technical cooperation for more than 30 projects in Kazakhstan in agricultural business, public utilities, infrastructure, energy, financial institutions and financed dozens small and medium-sized enterprises in 2016. Its experts predict the bank will close the year with record investments reaching $898-$951 million. “We…

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev held a teleconference Dec. 7 devoted to the beginning of commercial oil production at the Kashagan field. The meeting of the oil and gas companies’ leaders with the head of state was devoted to celebrating the 25th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence. Energy Minister Kanat Bozumbayev reported on the development…