97 percent of rural settlements to have broadband internet access by end of 2022
NUR-SULTAN – Ninety-seven percent of rural settlements or more than 5,000 villages will gain broadband internet access by the end of 2022 and satellite technology will be technically feasible for the remaining 3 percent, reported Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry Askar Zhumagaliyev at an Oct. 1 government meeting. “Internet access in rural…
Kazakhstan to cooperate with Norway’s Narvik Port in transit transport, logistics
NUR-SULTAN – Narvik, one of Norway’s largest ports, can become an Atlantic port for Kazakhstan, said Narvik Port Authority Director and CEO Rune Johan Arnøy. He was in the Kazakh capital to participate in the Sept. 19-20 Coordinating Council on Trans-Siberian Transportation (CCTT) General Assembly plenary session. “We met with the management of KTZ Express,…
Bulbul Kartanbay is first Kazakh athlete to play in National Women’s Hockey League
NUR-SULTAN – Left wing forward Bulbul Kartanbay has become the first Kazakh athlete to play in the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) after signing Aug. 16 with the Metropolitan Riveters. “We are really proud to welcome Bulbul to the Riveters and the NWHL. Her skill, dedication to the game and incredible enthusiasm will make her…
Astana IT University opens in Kazakh capital
NUR-SULTAN – The expo site in the capital has become the home of the newly opened Astana IT University. As a one-of-its-kind in the country, the university has the mission of preparing qualified personnel to implement the Digital Kazakhstan state programme, according to the city administration press service. Approximately 600 students will study cryptography, robotics,…
Kazakhstan’s history of peace, denuclearisation are valuable in time of global risks, says President
NUR-SULTAN – As the role of international law and global institutions in maintaining peace and security diminish, Kazakhstan’s history of peace and denuclearisation can serve as a valuable model, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told the Sept. 11 gathering of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing. “Our country has developed the Code of Conduct…
Kazakhstan shows positive model of integration, says OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities
NUR-SULTAN – How can a country ensure social integration for national minorities? Why is a state language key for integration? How do digital media help to ease inter-ethnic tensions? The Astana Times exclusively interviewed Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) Lamberto Zannier Sept. 3 to learn more…
Kazakh Invest initiates four projects worth $217 million in first half of 2019
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Invest supported implementing four projects worth $217 million and construction and installation works for 12 projects worth $1.7 billion in the first half of 2019. Thirty-four projects worth $7.1 billion have entered the execution phase, the company’s press service reported Sept. 2. “It is also expected to assist in the commissioning of…
Kazakh President’s first state-of-nation address emphasises public involvement in government, say experts
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s first state-of-the-nation address focused on constructive public dialogue as a basis for a stable and prosperous Kazakhstan, experts say. “President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state-of-the-nation address was interesting not only in terms of what reforms and visions were presented, but also in terms of the fact that this was the first…
Nevada-Semipalatinsk movement activists to release book about Kazakhstan’s initiatives in building nuclear weapon free world
NUR-SULTAN – Vice President of the Nevada-Semipalatinsk movement Sultan Kartoev and teacher at Nazarbayev Intellectual school Askhat Zhumabekov will release in December a book titled “Kazakhstan is an architect of a nuclear weapon free world.” The release of the book will coincide with the 70th anniversary of the first nuclear explosion at the Soviet Union’s…
AIFC Bureau to launch internal auditor course
NUR-SULTAN – The Astana International Financial Centre’s (AIFC) Bureau for Continuing Professional Development, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance, will launch an internal auditor programme this autumn. Interested individuals can study at the AIFC Bureau and become an international qualified internal auditor with Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certification. “The bureau has ten programmes in…
Hilton sees expansion opportunities in Central Asia, plans eco-friendly future
NUR-SULTAN – This year, Hilton celebrates its 100th anniversary of hospitality with nearly 5,900 hotels in 114 countries. In Kazakhstan, the brand is represented by three hotels in Nur-Sultan – Hilton Astana, Hampton by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn – and one hotel in Almaty, the Double Tree by Hilton. The Astana Times spoke with…
Air Astana launches baggage allowance by number of pieces on international flights
NUR-SULTAN – Air Astana changed its free checked baggage allowance on international routes Aug. 7 from weight to number of pieces. Beginning Aug. 21, passengers can check a certain number of bags with a free per-bag weight of up to 23 kilogrammes in economy class and up to 32 kilogrammes in business class. Passengers may…
EBRD projects in Kazakhstan focus on small business, women’s entrepreneurship and investment environment
NUR-SULTAN – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has invested more than $9.1 billion through 261 projects in the economy of Kazakhstan as of July. In 2015, the bank also launched the Women in Business programme, which empowered women entrepreneurs nationwide. The EBRD will continue its cooperation with the Kazakh government and the…
Astana Opera announces new series of concerts at chamber hall in Nur-Sultan
NUR-SULTAN – Local musicians will present famous and rarely performed works by Kazakh, foreign and contemporary classical composers this August at the chamber hall of the Astana Opera House in the capital. Pianist Assel Abilseitova will present a “Sounding Images” concert Aug. 21, reported the theatre’s press service. Abilseitova is a graduate of London’s Royal…
Bronze Age grave and gold items found in Karaganda Region
NUR-SULTAN – Archaeologists found the remains of a young man and woman and gold jewellery from the Bronze Age while studying Kyzyltau Cemetery in the Shetsky District of the Karaganda Region. The grave is from the first third or quarter of the second millennium BC, reported the regional press service June 29. “The burial ground…
Kazakh machine building sector sees consistent growth
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh car manufacturing increased by 13.4 percent to 553 billion tenge (US$1.4 billion) in the first half of 2019. During that period, 128 projects worth 367 billion tenge (US$948 million) were launched and an additional 10 projects worth 54 billion tenge (US$140 million) are slated to start by the end of the year.…
Inclusive innovation consortia programme promotes social innovations, encourages responsible entrepreneurs and business leaders
NUR-SULTAN – Entrepreneurs and start-ups seeking to improve the quality of people’s lives, especially for groups with limited access to resources, have an opportunity to participate in the inclusive innovation consortia grant programme. Launched by the Kazakh Ministry of Education and Science and the World Bank, the programme promotes and develops commercial innovations in Kazakhstan…
EU, UNDP to help Afghan women study in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
NUR-SULTAN – The European Union (EU) will provide two million euro ($2.2 million) for 50 Afghan women to support economic empowerment through education and training in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as part of a project to be administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). UN Women will also organise summer schools on entrepreneurship and networking…
Government for Citizens provides more than 15 million services, mGov updated mobile app to launch in August
NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government-owned company Government for Citizens provided more than 15 million public services in the first half of 2019 and seeks to improve the delivery of services through automation and better interagency cooperation, said Vice Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry Ablaikhan Ospanov at a July 19 press conference. The…
Youth-friendly health centre opens in Almaty
NUR-SULTAN – A youth-friendly health centre opened in Almaty July 11 as part of the Year of the Youth. The Place Where You Are Always Welcome is a resource hub providing information and services for young people on ways to develop life skills and prepare for the challenges of adulthood. The project, supported by the…
EBRD finance for Women in Business programme reaches $561 million
NUR-SULTAN – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) Women in Business programme has provided $561 million in credit lines to more than 60,000 women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in 18 countries. Launched in 2015, the programme offers a unique combination of financing together with technical assistance and access to know-how, including mentoring…
AIFC develops regulations for loan- and investment-based crowdfunding platforms
NUR-SULTAN – The Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA), the financial regulator of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), introduced the first regulatory framework for loan- and investment-based crowdfunding platforms, reported the AIFC press service. “This new framework is one of AFSA’s ongoing commitments to promote innovation in the financial sector consistent with the latest industry…
Kindergarten shares innovative ideas for effective learning with regional teachers
NUR-SULTAN – The experienced and qualified teachers at Karlygash kindergarten under the Presidential Affairs Department medical centre use best practices by sharing knowledge with preschool teachers from the regions. They demonstrated that exchange of ideas in mid-June when more than 100 teachers participated in a seminar in the capital dedicated to developing preschool education in…
Astana Opera to present “Abai” and “Madama Butterfly” in Tashkent
NUR-SULTAN – The Astana Opera will stage Latyf Khamidi and Akhmet Zhubanov’s opera “Abai” July 10 and Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Madama Butterfly” July 13 in Tashkent. The company’s first tour to Uzbekistan is being organised as part of the Year of Kazakhstan in Uzbekistan. Saltanat Akhmetova, Sundet Baigozhin, Meir Bainesh, Talgat Galeyev, Beimbet Tanarykov, Yerzhan…
Ministerial Conference will create new trade, business and investment opportunities for Central Asia, says WTO spokesperson
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will be the first Central Asian country to host the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) June 8-11, 2020. The event will gather trade ministers from 164 member countries and 20 WTO observer nations. A delegation headed by WTO Deputy Director General Karl Brauner recently met in the capital with…
