Kazakh Citizens and Government Unite to Help Victims of Kostanai Forest Fires
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s citizens and the government join efforts to provide help to victims of the forest fires that broke out on Sept. 3 in the Kostanai Region in the northern part of the country. The fires, which burned 43,000 hectares of land, displaced 1,841 people. Many were forced to leave their houses, livestock, and…
Public and Experts Express High Hopes for Tokayev’s Address to Nation But Give Cautious Assessment
NUR-SULTAN – Every year, the presidential address to the nation kicks off the political season, but this year was unlike the others. The Sept. 1 state-of-the-nation address of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was the second address he delivered this year, vowing bolder reforms in light of growing public demand for changes. Early presidential elections this fall…
Mukhtar Auezov’s “Impressions of America” Grows in Significance 60 Years Later
NUR-SULTAN – In 1960, the idea of four Soviet writers traveling to the United States to spend a month traversing the country, meeting public officials, artists, and writers would seem like a miracle, but in the era of the so-called Khrushchev Thaw, a period of rapprochement and rising optimism, this idea became a reality thanks…
Experts Highlight Special Nature of President Tokayev’s Visit to Baku
NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev went on his first official visit to Baku on Aug. 24, which many experts deemed historic and notable after President Tokayev and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev agreed on the strategic nature of bilateral relations. Both demonstrated a strong desire to boost cooperation across all areas. For President Tokayev, it…
Demand for Business Loans Growing, According to National Bank’s Latest Survey
NUR-SULTAN – The demand for loans from businesses is witnessing a significant rise, despite the continued growth in the cost of credit resources and some tightening of loan conditions, according to the results of the survey conducted by the National Bank of Kazakhstan for the second quarter of 2022, reports the bank’s press service. Twenty…
Volunteerism in New Reality: Kazakhstan Hosts First Central Asian Volunteers Forum
NUR-SULTAN – The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us many lessons. People can have different opinions and views, but joining efforts to lend a helping hand for a common cause is what can bridge many divides, while promoting civic virtue and generosity. Last week, from Aug. 15 to Aug. 19, nearly 200 volunteers from across Central…
President Tokayev Meets Vladimir Putin in Sochi to Intensify Bilateral Ties
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi on Aug. 19 to intensify bilateral ties that this year mark 30 years, reported the presidential press service. The two leaders voiced solid optimism about the development of bilateral relations. According to Tokayev, the two countries…
Afghanistan is Key to Preserving Peace and Security in SCO Region, Say Secretaries of SCO Security Councils in Tashkent
NUR-SULTAN – The secretaries of the Security Councils of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) focused on addressing security and stability issues in the SCO region during their 17th meeting in Tashkent, reports the Akorda press service. Kazakhstan was represented by the Assistant to the President – Secretary of the Security Council Gizat Nurdauletov. The sides…
Central Asian Cooperation: Experts Outline the Benefits and Risks
NUR-SULTAN – While the development of cooperation and integration in Central Asia will benefit its economies and people, the road ahead is long, challenging and bumpy. Experts from Central Asia gathered in Almaty on Aug. 18 for the roundtable organized by the Institute of World Economy and Politics (IWEP) to share how they see regional…
First Central Asian Volunteers Forum Continues in Nur-Sultan
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan is hosting the first Central Asian Volunteers Forum on Aug. 15-19 with the national level kicking off today in the country’s capital Nur-Sultan. The forum, organized by the Kazakh Ministry of Information and Social Development, brings together volunteers and volunteer organizations from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan as well as Azerbaijan and…
Kazakhstan and Singapore Seek New Economic Opportunities in Transit, Transport, and Digital Transformation
NUR-SULTAN – Singapore is interested in seeking new economic opportunities with Kazakhstan by exploring markets and export routes, after the two-day visit of the Kazakh delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs Mukhtar Tileuberdi to Singapore, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry. On the second day of the visit on Aug. 16,…
Cultural and Emotional Closeness Make Korean Pop Culture Welcome in Kazakhstan as Two Countries Celebrate Year of Cultural Exchanges
NUR-SULTAN – Over the past decade, Korean pop culture has swept the globe. Many countries have witnessed a massive rise in K-pop fans. While Kazakhstan was no exception, Korean culture has been particularly welcomed in Kazakhstan, said Lee Hyeran, director of the Korean Cultural Center in Kazakhstan in an interview with The Astana Times. This…
Kazakhstan Comes Up with Innovative Ways to Celebrate Day of Abai
NUR-SULTAN – “The source of humanity is love and justice. They are omnipresent and decide everything.” That’s how the 45th line in Abai Kunanbayev’s famous “Book of Words” reads. Interestingly enough, the ideas he cultivated back in the 19th century become ever more relevant to the current generation and will for sure earn their place…
Building a Digital Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan Seeks to Provide 100 Percent of Population With Internet By 2025
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has set the ambitious goal to ensure 100 percent coverage of the country with high-quality internet and 95 percent with home broadband access networks by 2025. Measures necessary to achieve these targets and other challenges in the development of broadband internet access were the focus of an international forum titled Towards a…
Kazakh Women’s Team Finishes Fifth at World Chess Olympiad in India
NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh women’s team finished fifth as the 44th World Chess Olympiad concluded on Aug. 9 in Chennai, India, reported the country’s Chess Federation. The players beat India-3 in the final round scoring 2.5-1.5. This year, India welcomed over 2,000 participants, including 189 men’s teams and 162 women’s teams. The Kazakh team, one…
Kazakhstan Has Right Fundamentals to Become Regional Powerhouse, Says StartX Business Development Director
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has all the right fundamentals to become a powerhouse in the region, Head of Business Development and Partnerships at StartX Darsh Mann told The Astana Times. He was on a one-week visit to Kazakhstan to meet with the country’s entrepreneurs in Nur-Sultan and Almaty to build solid partnerships and understand the country’s…
Kazakhstan’s Foreign and Domestic Trade Shows Positive Dynamics
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s foreign and domestic trade has demonstrated a positive trend, said Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Trade and Integration Bakhyt Sultanov during the ministry’s board meeting on July 29, the press service of the ministry reported. Summing up the results of the ministry’s work in the first half of 2022, Vice Minister…
Seven Months Since January Riots Investigation Continues
NUR-SULTAN – Seven months since the January riots shocked the country, the investigation is still ongoing. The press briefing on Monday convened representatives of the Prosecutor General’s office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to disclose some details of the month-long investigation. What happened in January? Peaceful protests broke out on Jan. 2 in the…
Our Economies Are Complementary, Says Israeli Ambassador to Kazakhstan
NUR-SULTAN – The economies of Kazakhstan and Israel do not compete, but complement each other, Israeli Ambassador to Kazakhstan Edwin Nathan Yabo Glusman told The Astana Times. As the two countries mark 30 years of diplomatic relations this year, the Ambassador of Israel spoke about the dynamics in the bilateral ties and how Israel sees…
President Tokayev’s Visit to Saudi Arabia Opens New Chapter in 28 Years of Bilateral Relations
NUR-SULTAN – This past weekend, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid an official visit to Saudi Arabia, one of Kazakhstan’s strategic partners. Just a month after Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud visited Nur-Sultan, the high-level visit ushered in a new chapter in 30 years of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia. From the…
Cholpon-Ata Meeting Opens Up Opportunities For Central Asia Amidst Increasing Geopolitical Tension
NUR-SULTAN – The fourth consultative meeting of Central Asian leaders in Cholpon-Ata on July 21 was indeed a milestone for regional cooperation as current geopolitical developments open up new opportunities for Central Asia, a huge region of nearly 80 million people with potential that is yet to be discovered. Addressing the meeting on Thursday, President…
Kazakh Foreign Minister Commends Central Asian Cooperation During Ministerial Meeting in Cholpon-Ata
NUR-SULTAN – Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tileuberdi addressed the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Central Asian states commending the current five-sided cooperation, reports the ministry’s press service. The ministers discussed the preparation for the upcoming fourth consultative meeting of the heads of Central Asian states scheduled…
January Riots in Kazakhstan: 429 Criminal Cases Sent to Court, 545 Suspects Convicted
NUR-SULTAN – As the General Prosecutor’s Office of Kazakhstan continues its investigation into the tragic January events, 429 criminal cases have been sent to court and 545 suspects have been convicted, said Yeldos Kilymzhanov, deputy head of the Criminal Prosecution Service of the General Prosecutor’s Office at a July 18 press briefing at the Central…
Central Asian Leaders to Meet in Cholpon-Ata This Week Amid Increasing Geopolitical Uncertainty
NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is expected to participate in the fourth consultative meeting of the heads of states of Central Asia on July 20-21 in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, the presidential press service announced on Monday. All Central Asian leaders confirmed their attendance. The leaders are expected to sign the agreement on friendship, good neighborliness and…
Expanded Government Meeting: Addressing Rising Inflation, Food Security and Investments
NUR-SULTAN – The expanded government meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on July 14 put in the spotlight the many challenges and problems the country is facing after it committed to large-scale reforms. Rising inflation, food security and competition for foreign investments are just a few of the problems. Inflation While the economy grew steadily by…
