More than Two Dozen Candidates Have Sought a Chance in Early Presidential Election
ASTANA – Whether self-nominated or named by political parties or organisations, more than 20 candidates have thrown their hats into the Kazakh presidential election ring, according to statements released March 13 by the Kazakh Central Election Commission (CEC). The early presidential election, initiated by the Council of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan (APK), is…
Air Astana Introduces Self Check-In Terminals in Kazakh Airports
ASTANA – Check-In for Air Astana passengers just got a little easier. Kazakhstan’s flagship air carrier Air Astana recently introduced Kazakhstan’s first passenger self check-in kiosks for its flights. The kiosks will be initially limited to domestic flights, but the air carrier plans to expand the programme to include self check-in for international flights, according…
Kazakh Senate Chairman Visits New York, Invites UN Secretary-General to Astana Int’l Religious Congress
ASTANA – Kazakh Senate Chairman Kassym-Jomart Tokayev completed his official visit to New York March 4, which was devoted to the upcoming Fifth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. During his stay, Tokayev held talks with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and presented him with an invitation from President Nursultan Nazarbayev to participate…
Astana-Seoul Flights to Be Available by Summer
ASTANA – Flights from Astana to Seoul will be available this summer, according to a March 4 report from the press service of the Ministry of Investment and Development of Kazakhstan (MID). The announcement followed a meeting in Seoul between representatives of Air Astana, Asiana Airlines, Korean Air, Jin Air and the Incheon International Airport…
Kazakh President Congratulates Women on International Women’s Day
ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev held the traditional meeting dedicated to International Women’s Day with prominent women from all over Kazakhstan in the Akorda presidential palace on March 6. Participants of the meeting represented a variety of sectors, including the economy, the social sphere, culture, sport and public service. In his speech, Nazarbayev congratulated his…
TURKSOY Department Opens at Al-Farabi University
ASTANA – As part of activities celebrating Almaty as the Capital of Islamic Culture for 2015, the faculty of Oriental Studies of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty has opened a Department of the International Organisation of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY). The opening ceremony on March 4 was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the…
Kazakh CEC Announces 14 Nominees for Presidential Election So Far
ASTANA – The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Kazakhstan has released an updated list of candidates who plan to take part in the country’s presidential election next month. An early election, first initiated by the Council of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan (APK), is scheduled on April 26. The list of nominees so…
Kazakh, German Officials Discuss Ukraine, Bilateral Cooperation in Astana
ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov met Feb. 18 with the German envoy for its upcoming chairmanship in the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2016, and the supervisor at the German Foreign Ministry for cooperation with the Russian Federation, Central Asia and Eastern Partnership countries Bundestag Deputy Gernot…
Possible Early Presidential Election in 2015 Seen as Contributing to Stability
ASTANA – An initiative by the Council of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan (APK) to hold an early presidential election in 2015 rather than as scheduled for the end of 2016 is becoming a subject of active discussions both within Kazakhstan and outside its borders. International observers and experts from different countries commented…
Political Coalition, Experts Consider Early Presidential Elections Viable
ASTANA – On Feb. 17, the Kazakhstan 2050 National Coalition of Democratic Forces held a meeting devoted a possible early presidential election in 2015. At the meeting, members of the coalition adopted an appeal to the citizens of Kazakhstan. “Due to the strategic vision of Nursultan Nazarbayev, we have a clear and detailed plan of…
Shymkent Seeks UNESCO Recognition As 2,200-Year-Old City
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s third largest city, Shymkent, will seek an official recognition from the relevant UN body that it is 2,200 years old, according to the city akimat’s (administration) website. If the request is approved, the city plans to celebrate the anniversary in 2017. Shymkent officials say a relevant request has been sent to the…
Modernised Centres for Servicing the Population Make Services More Accessible
ASTANA – Among the most successful reforms the Kazakh government has implemented in the last decade, experts often name the establishment of an extensive network of Centres for Servicing the Population (CSP). The centres, widely known in Kazakhstan by their Russian acronym, TSON, were set up in 2007 with the aim of assisting citizens in…
Mazhilis Delegation to Visit Germany, Seek Support for UN Security Council Non-Permanent Seat
ASTANA – Deputy Chairperson of the Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament) of Kazakhstan Dariga Nazarbayeva has announced plans to visit Germany in the near future, according to the Mazhilis press service. The news was made public after Nazarbayeva’s Jan. 21 meeting with Ambassador of Germany to Kazakhstan Guido Herz where the sides discussed the upcoming…
3D Printers to be Produced in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – The Central Communications Service (CCS) hosted a briefing on key trends in innovative and technical development in Kazakhstan on Jan. 9. The briefing was attended by Deputy Minister of Education and Science Takir Balykbaev, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the National Science and Technology Holding Parasat Lyazat Myltykbayeva and General Director of…
Almaty to Host Islamic Finances Forum in May
ASTANA – The 12th Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) summit will be held in Almaty on May 19-21, the National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) announced. A memorandum of understanding signed between NBK and IFSB on Dec.31 signified the cooperation and commitment of both parties in ensuring the success of this important event, stated its Jan.…
US, Kazakhstan Cooperate to Dispose of Highly Enriched Uranium
ASTANA – On Jan. 7, the United States Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) announced the removal of 36 kilogrammes (approximately 80 pounds) of highly enriched uranium (HEU) spent fuel from the Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP) in Almaty. The NNSA’s press release reports that the HEU was transported in two air shipments…
Creation of EEU, Efforts to Pacify Ukraine among 2014 Foreign Policy Priorities, Will Remain in Focus in 2015
ASTANA – Minister of Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov stressed the strategic importance of Kazakhstan’s multi-vector foreign policy as he summarised the outcomes of the nation’s foreign policy work for 2014 at a Dec. 26 press conference at the Central Communications Services. Numerous events and activities in the international arena, including meetings and visits at the…
Almaty Folklore Troupe Introduces Kazakh Musical Traditions to Egypt
Performers and bands from Kazakhstan, India, Spain, Bangladesh, South Sudan, Egypt and other countries took part in the International Folk Music Festival in the Egyptian city of Faiyum on Dec. 17-21. The event was supported by the Ministry of Culture of Egypt and the governor of the city. Kazakhstan was represented at the festival by the…
Atyrau Folk Instrument Orchestra Performs in Paris
To celebrate the 23rd anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence, the Dina Nurpeisova Academic Orchestra of Folk Instruments from Atyrau held a major concert on Dec. 15 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Parisians got to experience the beauty of some of Kazakhstan’s traditional music compositions, the kuis, written by Kurmangazy, Tattimbet, Latif Hamidi and Nurgisa Tlendiyev. “These…
Kazakh President Visits Kiev, Seeks Reinvigoration of Trade and Peaceful Solutions to Conflict in Eastern Ukraine
President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev visited Kiev on Dec. 22 for talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko and other officials seeking to reinvigorate bilateral political and economic cooperation and find lasting peaceful solutions to the bloody conflict in eastern Ukraine. This was the first visit for the Kazakh leader to Kiev since the change…
Kazakhstan, China Ink $14 billion in Cooperation Deals
ASTANA – Kazakhstan Prime Minister Karim Massimov and his Chinese counterpart, Premier of the State Council Li Keqiang approved and signed $14 billion worth of accords on Dec. 14-15 in Astana, including several cooperation agreements on nuclear energy, development of mineral resources and the use of national currencies in commercial operations. The two heads of…
Italy, Vatican Express Interest in Participating in EXPO 2017
Italian government and business leaders expressed interest in EXPO 2017 during a Dec. 9-10 visit to Rome by Kazakh First Deputy Foreign Minister Rapil Zhoshybayev. During the visit, Zhoshybayev, who also serves as the national commissioner for EXPO 2017, met with Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Lapo Pistelli and noted the continuing development of mutual economic…
President Nazarbayev Calls on Youth to ‘Do Science’
ASTANA – Kazakh President NursultanNazarbayev highlighted the importance of government backing for innovative research Dec. 8 when he attended a conference on the issue in the TechGarden Innovational Cluster and visited an exhibition of high-tech research projects at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty. The President noted that he had instructed the government to strengthen…
French President Visits Astana, Commends Kazakhstan’s ‘Special Role’ in Eurasia
ASTANA – French President Francois Hollande commended Kazakhstan for “successfully pursuing its goals in economic development” and playing “an important political and diplomatic role” that allows Astana “to engage in dialogue on an equal footing with its neighbours and influence major political events,” as he began his two-day official visit to Kazakhstan on Dec. 5.…
OSCE FMs Discuss Ukraine, Other Challenges as Serbia Prepares to Accept Chairmanship
Foreign ministers from Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) participating states assembled in Basel on Dec. 4-5 for the annual Ministerial Council meeting to assess progress and make decisions on new commitments to ensure political, military, economic, environmental and human security. Around 1,200 delegation members from 57 OSCE participating states, including numerous foreign…
