Articles by Staff report

Kazakh First DFM Takes Part in UN Security Council Open Debate on Middles East

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Kairat Umarov spoke on the situation in the Middle East at the open debate of the United Nations (UN) Security Council in New York on April 25, reported the press service of Kazakh Ministry for Foreign Affairs.   Addressing the participants of the meeting, Umarov called on Israel and…

Netherlands Presents Tulip Sculpture in Astana as Symbol of Friendship and Unity Between States

ASTANA – A Tulip sculpture honoring the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and the Netherlands was unveiled in the capital’s Botanical Garden, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service on April 25. Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Kazakhstan André Carstens, representatives of the diplomatic corps, the capital’s…

Uzbekistan to Host Tashkent International Investment Forum

ASTANA – Tashkent is set to hold the Tashkent International Investment Forum 2023 on April 27-28 to present business and investment opportunities in Uzbekistan and the Central Asian region, reported Uzbek news agency Nuz on March 31. Major international investment, financial and economic organizations and companies are expected to attend the event featuring plenary sessions,…

Nepomniachtchi Stays One Point Ahead of Ding After Another Draw

ASTANA – The eleventh game in the World Chess Championship between Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi and China’s Ding Liren resulted in another draw on April 24, reported the International Chess Federation (FIDE). Nepomniachtchi and Ding split a point after a relatively short game of 39 moves. It only took an hour and 40 minutes for the…

Kazakhstan Returns $1.4 Billion of Illegally Withdrawn Assets

ASTANA – Approximately 670 billion tenge ($1.47 billion) in illegally withdrawn assets has been returned to Kazakhstan, said Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Yerulan Zhamaubayev at the sidelines of the Mazhilis, the lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament, reported Kazinform on April 20. Last year, the Prosecutor General’s Office returned to the state…

Ian Nepomniachtchi Leads Score in World Chess Championship After Draw with Ding Liren in 10th Game

ASTANA – The tenth game of the World Chess Championship ended in a draw, with Ian Nepomniachtchi still in the lead with a 5.5:4.5 score against Ding Liren, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) reported on April 23.  It gives Nepomniachtchi an advantage in the upcoming 11th game where he will play with the white pieces.…

News Digest: Foreign Media on Astana Int’l Forum, Kazakhstan’s Financial Role, Cooperation With Europe to Tackle Climate Change, and More

ASTANA – The Astana Times has picked a selection of articles on Kazakhstan published in international media across the world. This week’s foreign media digest includes articles on the upcoming Astana International Forum in June, a cartography exhibition at the European Parliament, a nuclear cooperation agreement between Kazakhstan and IAEA, and Kazakh-Mexican relations.  Astana International…

Ian Nepomniachtchi Stays Ahead in World Chess Championship After Draw with Ding Liren in Eighth Game

ASTANA – The eighth game of the World Chess Championship ended in a draw, with Ian Nepomniachtchi still in the lead with a 4.5:3.5 score against Ding Liren, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) reported on April 20. At the start of the second part of the championship, Ding put his opponent in a losing position…

Cuba’s National TV Channel Broadcasts Program about Dimash Kudaibergen (Video)

ASTANA – Cuba’s Canal Clave educational TV channel broadcast a special program devoted to the world famous Kazakh pop singer Dimash Kudaibergen, Dimashnews.com reported on April 18. The Suena Bonito musical program talked about the singer’s life and career and included excerpts from his performances and music videos in a 45-minute feature on April 15.…

Ian Nepomniachtchi Takes Lead Again After Seventh Game in World Chess Championship

ASTANA – The seventh game of the World Chess Championship took a dramatic turn with China’s Ding Liren freezing under severe time pressure and losing to Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi on April 18, reported the International Chess Federation (FIDE). Playing with black pieces, Ding surprised his opponent with the French Defense, a move last used in…

Kazakh Students Win NASA Space Settlement Contest

ASTANA – The Aenoica scientific project, developed by Almaty school students Ramazan Amre and Symbat Barsagazy, won the NASA Space Settlement Contest, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Education on April 13. The scientific project of the Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools students became the best among 30,000 applications of young scientists. According to the tutor Raiymbek Abilbek,…

Kazakhstan Women’s Tennis Team Rises to Seventh Place in Billie Jean King Cup Ranking

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s national women’s tennis team rose from 10th to seventh place in the updated Billie Jean King Cup ranking, the highest in the nation’s history, reported the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation on April 17.  Kazakhstan overtook Italy, the United States, Germany, Romania, Belgium, and Great Britain. The Swiss team, a current Billie Jean King…

World Chess Champions Present New Mobile App for Learning Chess in Kazakh Capital

ASTANA – Fourteenth world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik and four-time women’s world chess champion Hou Yifan presented Chess Legends, a mobile application for young people to learn to play chess, during the World Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan Chess Federation reported on April 16. The Chess Legends app provides personalized chess lessons for children worldwide using…

President Tokayev Underlines Multifaceted Cooperation with UN

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called the visit of Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia, and the Americas in the United Nations (UN) Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, to Astana on April 17 crucial for developing multifaceted cooperation with the UN, reported the Akorda press service. Tokayev and Jenča discussed cooperation between…

Kazakhstan and Singapore to Expand Cooperation in Investment Projects

ASTANA – Prospects for bilateral cooperation on investment, trade, and economic issues between Kazakhstan and Singapore were at the focus of Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister – Finance Minister Yerulan Zhamaubayev’s working visit to Singapore on April 14, reported the Prime Minister’s press service.  In 2022, bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and Singapore reached $1.9 billion, a…

Kazakh Wrestlers Claim Seven Gold Medals at Asian Wrestling Championship

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s national team won seven gold, four silver, and nine bronze medals at the Asian Wrestling Championship hosted in Astana on April 9-14, announced Minister of Culture and Sports Askhat Oralov on his Facebook page on April 15. Some 331 athletes from 22 countries participated in the competition. Kazakhstan secured first place in…

Kazakhstan, China to Introduce Visa-Free Regime

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and China plan to introduce a visa-free regime for their citizens, according to the draft resolution of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry published on the open normative legal acts website on April 12. The document will be available for public discussion until April 19. According to the document, people can stay up to…

Two More Kazakh Wrestlers Claim Gold at Asian Wrestling Championship

ASTANA – Two more Kazakh wrestlers, Bolat Sakayev and Sanzhar Doszhanov, won gold medals at the Asian Wrestling Championship on April 13, reported the National Olympic Committee. Sakayev, 31, won over Uzbekistan’s Bekzod Abdurakhmonov in the 79-kilogram weight category, as Doszhanov defeated Uzbek wrestler Zafarbek Otakhonov in the 70-kilogram weight category to claim the gold.…

Ding Liren Wins Fourth Game, Levels Match Score in World Chess Championship

ASTANA – Ding Liren scored his first victory in the World Chess Championship against Ian Nepomniachtchi on April 13, leveling out the score at 2:2, reported the International Chess Federation’s (FIDE) press service. Nepomniachtchi lost with black in 47 moves after three hours and 50 minutes of play. The score is now 2:2, with two…

Kazakhstan-China Freight Turnover Reaches All-Time High in 2022

ASTANA – Freight turnover between Kazakhstan and China reached an all-time high of 23 million tons last year, Yerlan Koishibayev, deputy chairman of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) railway company, said at a business conference on transport and logistics in Almaty, Kazinform reported on April 13. Koishibayev noted that freight traffic continues to grow this year,…

Astana to Host Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers Tomorrow

ASTANA – The Kazakh capital will host the Kazakhstan-Poland match of the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers on April 14 – 15, reported the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation. The captain of the Kazakhstan national team Yaroslava Shvedova shared her expectations from the women’s tennis tournament at a press conference on April 13. “Last year was…

Kazakh Energy Ministry Sets Price Cap on Petroleum

ASTANA – A retail price cap for petroleum products regulated by the government entered into force on April 12 following a decree by the Kazakh Energy Ministry, reported the ministry’s press service. Fuel prices in Kazakhstan have remained the same since the autumn of 2021. That year, the average price for AI-92 petrol was 170…

Ian Nepomniachtchi Still Leads After Third Game in Chess World Championship Ends in Draw

ASTANA – The third game of the 2023 World Chess Championship on April 12 between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren ended in a draw, with Nepomniachtchi leading the match by one point, the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Sports reported. Ding failed to equalize the score, which stands at 2:1 in favor of the Russian…

Fly Arystan to Launch Direct Flights between Shymkent and Delhi in May

ASTANA – A new air route connecting the city of Shymkent and India’s Delhi will be launched on May 22, the Civil Aviation Committee’s press service reported on April 12. Fly Arystan, the Kazakh low-cost airline, will operate flights twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays on an Airbus 320 aircraft. The committee is working…

Kazakh Female Wrestler Wins Gold at Asian Wrestling Championship

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Zhamilya Bakbergenova defeated Japan’s Sumire Niikura to claim the gold medal in the women’s wrestling finals, the third for the national team at the Asian Wrestling Championship, the National Olympic Committee reported on April 12. Bakbergenova, 27, won over Niikura, 20, in the 72-kilogram weight category.  Another female wrestler Nilufar Raimova won…