Kazakhstan Intensifies Measures to Combat Locust Outbreaks
ASTANA — Several regions of Kazakhstan have suffered from gregarious locust outbreaks this year, which pose a danger to farmland and crops. Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin convened a meeting of the central operational headquarters on June 10 to address insect control measures, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. All regions are constantly monitoring…
KazAID Launches Program to Train Central Asian Diplomats
ASTANA – Kazakhstan Agency for International Development KazAID is training 14 diplomats from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on June 10-12 within the Dostyk – Diplomacy program, announced Aibek Smadiyarov, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, during his weekly briefing on June 10, as reported by the ministry’s press service. The training, which…
Kazakhstan, Congo Ready to Strengthen Ties
ASTANA — Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed the country’s readiness to strengthen ties with Congo during a June 10 meeting with Françoise Joly, the personal representative of the President of Congo, reported the Akorda press service. According to Tokayev, Joly’s visit is a sign of sincere interest in developing mutually beneficial ties between Kazakhstan and…
World Bank Releases Monthly Economic Update for Kazakhstan
ASTANA – The World Bank has released its monthly economic update for Kazakhstan for May, covering changes in economic activity, inflation and bank lending. “Real gross domestic product (GDP) grew a modest 0.7% (seasonally adjusted) in the first quarter, down from a steady 1.2% quarterly average throughout 2023, attributable, as previously reported, to the dampening…
Scientists Optimize Athletes and Horses for Fifth World Nomad Games
ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s National Sports Association has established two scientific groups focused on horse breeding and athlete training for national sports in preparation for the fifth World Nomad Games, which will be held on Sept. 8-13 in Astana, Kazinform reported on June 6. These groups comprise leading scientific veterinarians, biologists, geneticists, specialists in sports psychology…
EDB to Present Concept for Eurasian Transport Network in Almaty
ASTANA — The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) is preparing a concept for the Eurasian Transport Network to enhance connectivity across Eurasia and stimulate economic development, trade and mobility in the region, the bank’s press service reported on June 6. The report will be launched at the EDB Business Forum, scheduled for June 27–28 in Almaty.…
Kazakh Diplomat Elected to UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
ASTANA – Kazakh diplomat Madina Dzharbusynova has been elected to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) for 2025-2028 during the 23rd meeting of states parties at UN headquarters in New York, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service on June 7. Previously none of the Central Asian countries were represented…
Kazakh Senate Adopts Amendments to Law on Renewable Energy
ASTANA – Senate, the upper chamber of the Kazakh Parliament, adopted amendments to the law on renewable energy, allowing citizens to install solar panels of no more than 200 kilowatts (kW) in their homes, reported Khabar TV channel on June 6. If surplus energy is produced, citizens will have the opportunity to sell electricity to…
Astana to Host WPC Energy Congress in 2028
ASTANA – The Kazakh capital won the right to host the 26th World Petroleum Council (WPC) Energy Congress in 2028, reported the KazEnergy association’s press service on June 7. The relevant memorandum was signed during the meeting between the KazEnergy Association and WPC Energy leadership in London, which focused on bilateral cooperation, including technical support,…
Kazakh Energy Ministry Launches 60 Investment Projects
ASTANA — The Kazakh Ministry of Energy has formed a pool of 60 investment projects worth 17 trillion tenge (US$38.1 billion), the ministry’s press service reported on June 6. “Investment projects in the energy sector aim to ensure economic growth, provide energy security, create jobs, reduce environmental effect, and introduce innovative technologies at energy facilities,”…
Nearly Ten Million Foreign Tourists Visit Kazakhstan in 2023
ASTANA — Nearly 9.6 million foreign tourists visited Kazakhstan last year, two times more than the previous year, said Nurtas Karipbayev, chairman of the Tourism Industry Committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Tourism and Sports, at a June 6 briefing at the Central Communications Service. The number of Kazakh citizens traveling within the country increased…
Turkic States Address Environmental Challenges in Baku
ASTANA – Chairman of the Mazhilis, the lower house of the Kazakh Parliament, Yerlan Koshanov, took part in the 13th meeting of the Council of Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA) in Baku dubbed Green Horizons for the Turkic World: Role of Parliaments in Achieving a Green Agenda, reported Mazhilis’ press service on June 6.…
Kazakh Cyclists Win Gold Medal at Asian Championship
ASTANA — Kazakh cyclists won a gold medal at the Asian Road Cycling Championship, which is taking place between June 6 to 12 in Almaty, reported the National Olympic Committee’s press service. The national team showed the best result in the mixed relay. The team included Rinata Sultanova, Evgeny Fyodorov, Dmitry Gruzdev, Igor Zhang, Makhabbat…
State Counselor Karin Outlines Core Principles of Tokayev’s Political Vision
ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s State Counselor Erlan Karin unveiled the transformative vision of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s political course, emphasizing a bold new direction for the nation in an article published in the Kazakhstanskay Pravda newspaper on June 5. The essence of a Just and Fair Kazakhstan President Tokayev outlined the nation’s ideological platform for a new…
Kazakhstan, Egypt Focus on Development of Parliamentary Diplomacy
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Egyptian Speaker of the Senate Abdel Wahab Abdel Razeq focused on the development of parliamentary diplomacy and cooperation prospects in trade and culture during a June 4 meeting, reported the Akorda press service. Tokayev noted that Abdel Razeq’s first visit to Kazakhstan is intended to give new impetus to…
Kazakhstan Continues Compensating Flood-Affected Citizens
ASTANA—The Kazakh government continues to work to eliminate the consequences of floods and provide assistance to affected citizens, the Prime Minister’s press service reported on June 5. So far, 31,552 families received a one-time payment worth 369,200 tenge (US$825). Some 717 families received new houses and apartments to replace destroyed ones, and 3,981 families received…
Coventry University to Open Branch in Astana This Year
ASTANA – London-based Coventry University plans to open its branch in the Kazakh capital this September, offering Kazakh students an MBA Global Business course and eight undergraduate programs, reported the university’s press service on June 3. Undergraduate programs include advertising and digital marketing, business and human resource management training, computer science, information technology management, and…
Kazakh State Counselor Comments on Adopted Plan to Combat Gambling
ASTANA — The Kazakh government has adopted a Comprehensive Plan to Combat Illegal Gambling Business and Gambling Addiction for 2024-2026, another initiative of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, wrote Kazakhstan’s State Counselor Erlan Karin on his Telegram channel on June 1. “In his Atyrau speech at the third meeting of the National Kurultai, the President instructed to…
President Tokayev Meets with WTO Director-General
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on June 3 in Almaty, reported the Akorda press service. Welcoming Okonjo-Iweala, Tokayev emphasized Kazakhstan’s strong commitment to expanding cooperation with the WTO. “We are confident that under your leadership, the international multilateral trading system will undergo a…
Beijing-Paris Classic Car Rally: Seventy Vintage Cars Arrive in Almaty
ASTANA — Seventy classic vintage cars arrived in Kazakhstan on June 2 as part of the legendary Beijing-Paris Classic Car Rally, reported Tengri Auto. On May 18, the brave riders left Beijing, crossed the vast expanses through Urumqi and reached Almaty. Their route passes through Kyzylorda and Aktau, where they will take a ferry to…
President Tokayev Explores Future Prospects of Orbis Kazakhstan Group
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Farrukh Makhmudov, founder of Orbis Kazakhstan Group, a multi-profile Kazakh company operating in oilfield services, petrochemicals, authorized retail, agribusiness, agrochemicals, construction, transport, and public catering on June 1, reported the Akorda press service. During the meeting, Makhmudov discussed the company’s results and development prospects. Notably, it is…
Kazakhstan, China Sign Agreement for Copper Smelter Construction
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and China signed an agreement to construct a smelter with a capacity of 300,000 tons of copper per year during a June 3 meeting between Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and Chairman of China Nonferrous Metal Mining Xi Zhengping, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. The trilateral agreement was signed between KAZ…
News Digest: Foreign Media on Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Court, Middle Powers’ Role in Tackling Challenges, and More
ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest covers Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Court, role of middle powers in resolving global challenges, and more. Middle powers have the power to save multilateralism Euronews published an article on May 28, written by Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, about…
Italy, Central Asian States Explore New Areas for Cooperation
ASTANA – Italy and Central Asian states explored prospects for collaboration during a May 29 Central Asia + Italy third meeting of the Foreign Affairs Ministers in Rome. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu headed Kazakhstan’s delegation, reported the ministry’s press service. During the event, the officials discussed important topics of the regional…
Kazakhstan to Build 57 New Water Reservoirs Until 2030
ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to build 57 new water reservoirs, according to the Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation’s comprehensive plan for the reconstruction of water management facilities until 2030, reported Kazinform on May 30. Notably, it is planned to build four reservoirs in the Aktobe Region, three reservoirs in the Turkistan and Zhambyl…
