Articles by Dana Omirgazy

ASTANA – By 2025, Kazakhstan has emerged as a regional frontrunner in digital transformation – not only in fintech and IT exports, but also in the delivery of public services, AI development, and broadband connectivity. Now ranking among the global top 10 for online government services, the country is rapidly becoming a model of digital…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Situational and Analytical Complex (SAC) project has secured first place in its category at the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2025. This year’s competition featured around 1,000 projects from countries around the world. The development was recognized as the best in the category titled Role of Governments and…

ASTANA – The Development Bank of Kazakhstan has placed two tranches of Eurobonds on international capital markets, including a $200 million tap of its April-issued dollar bonds and a new offering denominated in Kazakh tenge.  The dollar bonds, maturing in April 2030 with a 5.625% coupon, attracted strong interest from global investors, particularly in the…

ASTANA – Kazakh star Dimash Qudaibergen performed at the prestigious A Night with the Stars concert at the Ho Guom Opera House in Vietnam’s capital on July 6. Performing alongside legendary Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo and renowned Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais, Qudaibergen opened the evening with a powerful rendition of “SOS d’un Terrien en Détresse.”…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) President Salvatore Sciacchitano on July 8 to discuss ongoing developments and prospects for deeper cooperation in the aviation sector. Kazakhstan has become the first country in the region to establish an independent aviation administration. Tokayev and Sciacchitan agreed that this milestone has enhanced…

ASTANA – United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order on July 7 extending certain tariff rates until Aug. 1. Under the order, Kazakhstan will face a new 25% reciprocal tariff. The same tariff would apply to Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, and Tunisia. Higher rates would apply to other countries, with 30% on South…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s actor Bakhyt Khajibayev won the best actor award at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Film Festival on July 6 in the Chinese city of Chongqing. He was recognized for a leading role in “Operation Nabat,” a drama inspired by actual events. Khajibayev expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work on the film…

ASTANA – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu represented Kazakhstan for the first time as a partner country at the 17th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 7. Established in 2006, the BRICS owes its name to the initials of its five member states – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and…

ASTANA – North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC), the operator of the North Caspian project, has produced one billion barrels of oil since the Kashagan field start-up. The remarkable milestone was achieved on July 4, demonstrating stable operation and development of the North Caspian Project, which makes a significant contribution to Kazakhstan’s socio-economic development. NCOC Managing…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has established the Khorgos – Eastern Gate Special Economic Zone (SEZ), with its regulations and target indicators approved, according to a government resolution dated July 1. The SEZ is located in Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu Region and covers a total area of 5,431.5 hectares. It includes a port zone (air hub) spanning 840 hectares,…

ASTANA – Two hundred and thirty power plants are operating in Kazakhstan, including 156 renewable energy facilities with a total installed capacity of over three gigawatts (GW), said Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov during a July 4 meeting chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. According to the ministry, Kazakhstan produced 117.9 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in…

ASTANA — Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in the official opening ceremony of the new headquarters of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) on July 2. Together with CICA Secretary General Kairat Sarybay, he unveiled a commemorative plaque and attended the flag-raising ceremony by the honor guard. The President…

ASTANA – British actor and martial artist Scott Adkins has been announced as the third headliner for Comic Con Astana, Central Asia’s largest geek culture festival. Renowned for his dynamic roles in action films and Marvel projects, Adkins joins fellow Hollywood stars Andy Serkis and Esai Morales in this year’s stellar lineup. Adkins has earned…

ASTANA – The International Arbitration Centre (IAC) Eurasia Arbitration Week 2025 (EAW25) officially opened on July 1, bringing together the international arbitration community to discuss key developments and trends in dispute resolution. In its third year, EAW25 attracted around 400 participants, including leading practitioners, arbitrators, judges, academics, and representatives from business, government, and diplomatic institutions…

ASTANA – The Kazakh Foreign Ministry announced the opening of applications for the 10th edition of Kazakhstan through the Eyes of Foreign Media contest on July 1. The competition invites foreign journalists to submit their written or filmed works showcasing diverse aspects of Kazakhstan. Since 2014, the competition has recognized outstanding written and video materials produced…

ASTANA – The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Kazakhstan 2024 program, which has become a significant milestone in the development of women-led businesses in the country, was completed on June 30 in Almaty. The closing ceremony brought together the program participants, partners, and representatives of international organizations to celebrate the program’s significant achievements and the…

ASTANA – Comic Con Astana continues to unveil the lineup for Central Asia’s largest geek culture festival. Joining Andy Serkis on the list of headliners is Esai Morales – an American actor known for his roles in hit TV series “Ozark” and “Titans”, as well as the two most recent episodes of the “Mission: Impossible”…

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu participated in the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on June 30 in Cholpon-Ata, where he outlined Kazakhstan’s strategic approaches to regional security and cooperation. During the meeting, the diplomats exchanged views on the international and…

ASTANA – This year, 20 universities from Kazakhstan have been included in the QS World University Rankings 2026, published on June 19. Among them are three institutions making their debut in the global rankings: Yessenov University (ranked 1,201–1,400), Manash Kozybayev North Kazakhstan University, and Shakarim University (both ranked 1,401+). L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, ranked…

ASTANA – Seven international university branches will be established across Kazakhstan in the 2025-2026 academic year. According to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, in Astana, at the Gumilyov Eurasian National University, branches of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Cardiff University and Coventry University (UK) will open. In Shymkent, a branch…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s artwork highlighting climate change and cultural identity has been featured at the Berlin Biennale of Contemporary Art. The Artcom Platform, a collective of female artists and researchers, presented the Balkhash Zhyry (The Song of Lake Balkhash), a video installation exploring the environmental and historical narrative of Lake Balkhash, at the 13th edition…

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest covers Kazakh-Chinese cultural ties, Turkic states, the Middle Corridor, and more. Interview: Cultural exchanges inject new momentum into Kazakhstan-China ties, says Kazakh minister Cultural and people-to-people exchanges are nurturing the friendship between Kazakhstan and China and…

ASTANA – Continued adoption of clean technologies could help Kazakhstan reduce harmful emissions by over 300,000 tons by 2035, said Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Yerlan Nyssanbayev at a June 25 meeting chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. The meeting of the Council for the Transition to a Green Economy, held with the participation…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s industrial sector demonstrated growth of 6.4% year-on-year in Jan. –May, largely driven by the mining and manufacturing sectors. The mining sector, a key contributor to GDP (approximately 12%), expanded by 7.8% year-over-year, primarily due to increased oil production at the Tengiz field. This not only boosted related outputs such as diesel, gas,…

ASTANA – The volume of e-commerce in Kazakhstan has surged to 3.2 trillion tenge (US$6.2 billion), accounting for 14.1% of the country’s total trade, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin during a June 26 meeting in Mazhilis, a lower house of the Kazakh Parliament. This marks a sevenfold increase compared…