Kazakhstan’s Prominent Disability Rights Activist Lyazzat Kaltayeva Appointed Senate Deputy
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s well-known disability rights activist Lyazzat Kaltayeva was appointed a deputy of the Senate, an upper house of the Kazakh Parliament, based on a Jan. 28 presidential decree. Kaltayeva will become the first deputy in the Senate to represent the country’s more than 700,000 population or persons with disabilities. Lyazzat Kaltayeva has been…
Kazakhstan Lowers Risk of Terrorism Warning Level in Three Regions
NUR-SULTAN – The terrorism warning level has been eased from the critical red level to the high orange level in the city of Almaty, as well as the Almaty and Zhambyl regions as of Jan. 26 midnight, the nation’s operative headquarters on combating terrorism announced on Tuesday. The same decision also ended the counter-terrorism operation…
We Have Learned Lesson from January Tragedy, Says President Tokayev
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has learned the lesson from the tragic January events, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressing the virtual Central Asia – China summit on Tuesday, reports Akorda press service. “As a state, as a nation, we have learned the necessary lessons from these tragic events and will certainly recover quickly. Now we are actively…
Unprecedented Dynamism, High Level of Trust and Good Neighborliness: Tokayev on Kazakhstan’s Ties with China
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev commended Kazakhstan’s bilateral ties with China describing them as having an unprecedented dynamism, a high level of trust, and genuine good-neighborliness during the Central Asia – China summit on Tuesday, reports the Akorda press service. Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired the virtual summit that commemorated the 30th anniversary of…
Government Ready to Work with Kazakh Human Rights Activists to Investigate Reports of Torture
NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Ministry of Internal Affairs is investigating seven cases of torture used on civilians, the ministry’s spokesperson Nurdilda Oraz told a press briefing on Jan. 22. According to him, the ministry received 74 complaints from citizens against misconduct by police officers between Jan. 17 and Jan. 23. “The Ministry of Internal Affairs…
CSTO Peacekeepers Complete Their Mission, Withdraw from Kazakhstan
NUR-SULTAN – CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) troops completed their peacekeeping mission in Kazakhstan on Jan. 19 after their last contingents left the territory of Kazakhstan, reports the Kazakh Defense Ministry. At the beginning of January, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appealed to the CSTO, an alliance of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan, to…
Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi Visits Brussels to Reinforce Partnership with EU
NUR-SULTAN – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tileuberdi paid a working visit to Brussels on Jan. 18 where he met with the European counterparts and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to a strengthened partnership with the European Union, reports the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service. While in Brussels, Tileuberdi met…
Kazakhstan Ends State of Emergency, Counter-Terrorist Operation Continues
NUR-SUlTAN – Kazakhstan ended its two-week state of emergency as of midnight on Jan. 19, lifting restrictions on movement in and from cities and curfew. The state of emergency was declared on Jan. 5 by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev after peaceful protests that erupted in the country at the beginning of January were hijacked by…
Kazakh Government Presents Action Plan to Stabilize Social and Economic Situation in Kazakhstan
NUR-SULTAN – The government meeting chaired by Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov presented the action plan on Jan. 18 to stabilize the social and economic situation in the country, reports Prime Minister’s press service. The plan, which was prepared at the instruction of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, contains a number of urgent and short-term measures aimed at…
Kazakhstan Establishes Qazaqstan Halqyna Foundation to Provide Social Relief to People Who Need It Most
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has established the Qazaqstan Halqyna (to the people of Kazakhstan) Foundation designed to boost social support at the initiative of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who proposed the idea during the Jan. 11 plenary session of Majilis, the lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament. The foundation will provide charitable assistance to the people, in…
Almaty is My Hometown: President Tokayev Shows Solidarity With Violence-Shocked Citizens During Visit
NUR-SULTAN – The past week for Kazakhstan and its largest city and important business, financial and cultural center Almaty was turbulent. But after almost a week of living in fear and uncertainty after a terrorist group attacked the city, citizens and the state are doing their best to rebuild the city. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived…
Eleven Out of Twenty Ministers in Kazakhstan’s New Government Retain Positions
NUR-SULTAN – Eleven out of 20 ministers in Kazakhstan’s new government have retained their positions, according to the decree published on Akorda, the official presidential website. The new composition of the government was announced the same day after the candidacy of Alikhan Smailov, 49, was approved for the post of the country’s Prime Minister. Smailov,…
Kazakhstan Weathered Worst Crisis in 30 Years, Says President Tokayev
NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the emergency session of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Collective Security Council on Jan. 10, which was devoted to the situation in Kazakhstan and measures to normalize it, reports the Akorda press service. According to Tokayev, in just a few days, Kazakhstan witnessed a “massive crisis,” the worst…
President’s Spokesperson Lays Out Timeline of Tokayev’s Decisions to Combat Terrorist Uprising
NUR-SULTAN – President’s spokesperson Berik Uali spoke about the timeline of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s decisions after the protests hit the country in an interview with the Khabar 24 news agency on Jan. 9. “Since the start of the events in the Mangistau Region on Jan. 4, as you know, peaceful rallies then turned into terrorist…
Kazakhstan Considers Tightening Restrictions as Omicron Variant Spreads Globally
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan is set to tighten its coronavirus restrictions starting from Jan. 5, 2022, as a result of the omicron variant causing a global surge in coronavirus cases. Starting from Jan. 5, only citizens who can prove recent recovery from COVID-19 or provide proof of a full vaccination course will be able to access…
President Tokayev Attends Informal Meeting of CIS Heads of State in St. Petersburg
NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attended the annual informal summit meeting of the heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States hosted Dec. 28 in St. Petersburg, reports the Akorda press service. The meeting was also attended by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko,…
Georgian Jeweler Creates Copy of Famous Manga Mascot to Mark Release of Second Manga by Dimash Fandom
NUR-SULTAN – Georgian jeweler David Chkheidze has created a copy of the famous manga talisman from a series of mangas called D’R’S released by fans of Kazakh popular singer Dimash Kudaibergen, announced by his fans on their official website. D’R’S was developed by a team of professional artists and writers and translated into eight languages.…
Kazakhstan Among Top Three Trade Partners of Uzbekistan
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan is among the top three trade partners of Uzbekistan with bilateral trade reaching $3.5 billion between January and November, according to Uzbekistan’s State Statistics Committee. Exports to Kazakhstan peaked above $1 billion, while imports reached $2.48 billion. This is a significant increase compared to the same period in 2020 when trade turnover…
Seventy-Five Percent of Eligible Population in Kazakhstan Fully Immunized Against COVID-19
NUR-SULTAN – Nearly 75 percent of the eligible population for vaccination, or 8.4 million people, has been fully immunized against COVID-19 in Kazakhstan, Acting Minister of Health Zhandos Burkitbayev told a government meeting on Tuesday. More than 8.9 million have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine which represents 80 percent of the eligible…
Kazakhstan’s Business Ombudsperson Office to Revise Outdated Regulatory Policies Until 2024
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of Entrepreneurs Rustem Zhursunov said his office will revise outdated regulatory approaches in the next two years during his meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Dec. 22, reports the Akorda press service. He also spoke about the institute’s work to support entrepreneurs amid the pandemic…
Kazakhstan Creates New National Park in Karaganda Region to Step Up Ecosystem Conservation Efforts
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has established a new Ulytau national park in the Karaganda Region based on a government decree on Dec. 7. The Ulytau national park with an area of 58,900 hectares becomes the 14th national park in Kazakhstan. The idea to create a national park in the Ulytau district has been repeatedly raised since 2009.…
Kazakhstan Marks 30 Years of Independence with Big Celebration in Capital, Festivities Around the World (Video)
NUR-SULTAN – Thirty years is a major milestone for a young country like Kazakhstan that over these years has grown into the region’s largest economy with ambitious plans and further reforms planned for the future. To mark this achievement, the Kazakh capital hosted a reception attended by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and senior officials. Addressing the…
Head of Kazakh Think Tank Addresses Country’s Development Progress Since Independence
NUR-SULTAN – On Dec.16, Kazakhstan celebrates the 30th anniversary of its independence. Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studie Zarema Shaukenova spoke about the major milestones in the formation of Kazakhstan as an independent state, how the country has coped with various crises during the years, as well as the transition of power and…
ADB Revises Economic Outlook for Central Asia to 4.7 Percent in 2021
NUR-SULTAN – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) substantially revised its economic growth outlook for Central Asia to 4.7 percent this year from the previous 4.1 percent driven by higher commodity prices and increased public spending, according to the latest supplement to the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2021. Kazakhstan’s economy is projected to grow from 3.4…
Where to Travel on December Holidays as Omicron Continues to Dash Travel Plans
NUR-SULTAN – Just when people were about to make their travel plans for the December holidays, the news came out about the new Omicron variant, first identified in South Africa, that prompted countries to reimpose their travel bans. The Astana Times offers a guide on where Kazakh citizens can fly now to spend their holidays. …
