Articles by Aibarshyn Akhmetkali

ASTANA – The European Union and Kazakhstan are strengthening bilateral cooperation opportunities in trade and investment, transport, energy, agriculture, travel, and education, said Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko at a Central Communications Service briefing on March 10. Vassilenko outlined the ministry’s efforts in boosting investment exchanges and establishing business partnerships in recent years.  The EU…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has so far accredited 165 international observers from 16 countries and four international organizations for the upcoming parliamentary and maslikhats (local representative bodies) election on March 19, said CEC Secretary Mukhtar Yerman at a March 7 meeting in Astana. CEC has also received applications for accreditation from 157…

ASTANA – Some of the world’s biggest names in ballet from Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, and the United Kingdom took the stage of Astana Ballet theater in the capital at the Freedom Ballet Gala on March 5.  The concert combined the classical ballet pieces of “Don Quixote” and “Le Corsaire,” the romance of “Giselle” and…

ASTANA – The Japanese Embassy in Kazakhstan showcased the beautiful tradition of decorating and displaying miniature dolls to celebrate the Hinamatsuri girls’ festival on March 3 in Astana. The event also marked the Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s birthday on Feb. 23, who turned 63 this year. Every year Japanese families with young daughters display intricately crafted…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s legendary Gulder (Flowers) dance ensemble gave its first performance in the new composition on March 1, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Sports’ press service. Kazakhstan Central Concert Hall exploded with energy when young performers and the ensemble’s former members captivated the audience with the ensemble’s lightness and color. It was…

ASTANA – Some of the nation’s talented specialists and leaders from various fields are bringing their devotion to teaching in rural areas on a two-year placement through Teach for Qazaqstan (TFQ) program, said the program’s founder and Chief Executive Officer Gulnara Salmen.  As part of the global Teach for All educational movement that operates in…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has accredited 111 international observers from 11 countries and three international organizations, CEC Secretary Mukhtar Yerman said at a meeting in Astana on February 27. As of Feb. 27, CEC also received applications for accreditation from 52 observers, including three from India, two from Moldova, 17 from the…

ASTANA – Eagle hunting has been central to the Kazakh nomadic life for generations, and it remains as popular as ever in Kazakhstan, as the country hosts the 16th Kusbegilik championship among adults in the Atyrau Region on Feb. 24-26, reported the Kazakh Kusbegilik Federation’s press service. Kusbegilik, or sayat, are Kazakh traditional names for…

ASTANA – After 12 consecutive days of digging through rubble to find survivors in Nurdağı town in Türkiye, 15 rescuers from the Karagandy Region Department of Emergency Situations shared their stories of resilience and miraculous survival with the press on Feb. 21, the Kazinform news agency reported. The rescuers’ team raced against time to work…

ASTANA – From humble beginnings as a slave boy to becoming one of the most eminent Mamluk sultans, the extraordinary story of Sultan Beibars is celebrated in Kazakhstan 800 years after his birth as an example of how one man can turn a region filled with ongoing political rivalry and warfare into a prosperous place.…

ASTANA – A new atlas-book with a remarkable collection of 130 European and American maps dated from 1562 to 1879 and the names of the early Kazakh state displays an uninterrupted history of Kazakh nationhood in the 16-19th centuries, said Mukhit-Ardager Sydyknazarov, the author of the book, doctor of political science and director of the…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) accredited 82 international observers from 10 foreign countries and 3 international organizations, announced CEC Secretary Mukhtar Yerman at a Feb. 19 CEC meeting in Astana. The Observation Mission of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)…

ASTANA – De Montfort University Kazakhstan (DMUK) seeks to deliver quality British education in support of both countries’ knowledge and technology transfer goals and employment competitiveness targets, said Mike Gifford, the chairman of DMUK Board of Governors, in an exclusive interview for this story. Education has long been one of the key priorities in cooperation…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) accredited 62 international observers and received applications from 12 more observers from six states and two international organizations, reported CEC Secretary Mukhtar Yerman at a Feb. 13 CEC meeting in Astana.  As of Feb. 13, 62 observers have received accreditation, including 45 observers from the Election Observation Mission…

ASTANA – The United States-based textile artist Janice Arnold took felt as a starting point to explore its symbiotic relation with the culture of the nomads, connecting the cultural with personal effects through her widely varying works with felt. Felt, a highly functional textile art form, has been enmeshed in the Central Asian nomadic lifestyle…

ASTANA – The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) opened an election observation mission on Feb. 8 following an official invitation from Kazakhstan’s leadership and met with the Kazakh authorities as the country prepares to hold an early parliamentary election on March 19. The mission,…

ASTANA – A new book by Sanat Kushkumbayev, the deputy director at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS), offering a political perspective on the country’s domestic and foreign policy, regional cooperation, security in Central Asia, and national identity, was presented at KazISS on Feb. 3 in Astana. Titled “Kazakhstan and Central Asia Between Challenges…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will host the Astana International Forum (AIF) on June 8-9 in Astana, launched under the initiative of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, which aims to tackle global challenges on climate, food scarcity, and energy security, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service. The forum is expected to serve as a platform for eminent delegates…

ASTANA – Kazakh videographer from Aktau Azamat Sarsenbayev once again captured a beautiful flock of flamingos returning to Lake Karakol in the Mangystau Region earlier than expected this migratory season in January. “Flamingos coming back from warm places in January… This year, they came a little early,” wrote the author of the video on his…

ASTANA – Some of the biggest names in European and Kazakh opera music gathered at the Astana Opera to celebrate the 30th anniversary since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and the European Union (EU) in Astana on Feb. 2. Taking place in Kazakhstan’s classical music scene, the concert showcased both local talent, soprano…

ASTANA – A new video by Kazakh Tourism national company featuring Kazakhstan’s best nature sites near Almaty, Astana, and Turkistan offers a glimpse of what awaits the visitors arriving in Kazakhstan through the eyes of two foreign travelers Cederique de Coster from Belgium and Anas Abouqamer from Qatar. Videographer Adilet Rakhmetolla captured Coster and Abouqamer…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan to hold a Central Asian regional conference on the prevention of torture and inhumane treatment as part of the Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) program implemented with the Council of Europe, said Sergey Dikman, head of Human Rights National Implementation Division at the Council of Europe on Jan. 31 in…

ASTANA – The Kurmangazy National Folk Instruments Orchestra launched the 90th celebratory season on Jan. 20 with a concert to mark the 200th anniversary of Kurmangazy Sagyrbaiuly, the most renowned Kazakh folk composer and dombra player, reported the Regional Communications Service of Almaty. “This year will mark the 200th anniversary of our ancestor Kurmangazy. Beginning…

ASTANA – For those who want to make meaningful use of their screen time immersed in high-quality Kazakh folklore content, the Qonzhyq App offers an extensive collection of modern Kazakh and traditional music, gathers all pieces of Kazakh folklore in one place, and seeks to address the lack of a systematized folklore archive in the…

ASTANA – The leading researchers from the United States and Kazakhstan will collaborate to develop policies to address Kazakhstan’s challenges in climate change and green economy, migration, economic diversification, and foreign policy over the next six months under the auspices of the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs program, which was launched on Jan. 26…