Kazakhstan Assumes SCO Chairmanship to Enhance Regional Cooperation
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is set to assume the chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) from July 2023 to July 2024, following the upcoming online meeting of the SCO Heads of State Council on July 4. According to Kazakhstan’s National Coordinator for the SCO Murat Mukushev, during its presidency, Kazakhstan will focus on fostering balanced…
Kazakh Parliament Adopts Twenty-Five Laws During First Session of Eighth Convocation
ASTANA – Yerlan Koshanov, Speaker of the Mazhilis, the lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament, outlined priority tasks and major challenges the deputies (MPs) faced during the first session of the eighth convocation at a June 30 joint meeting of the two houses of Parliament, reported the Mazhilis press service. During the 100 days of…
Kazakhstan Adopts Plan to Implement Presidential Initiatives, Says State Counselor
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has adopted a plan to implement President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s initiatives outlined in his address at the National Kurultai (congress in Kazakh) on June 16, wrote State Counselor Erlan Karin on his Telegram channel on July 1. Karin pointed out that the plan provides specific projects in education, science and culture to reshape societal values. These…
Kazakh Blogger Shows Shallow Coastline of Caspian Sea (Video)
ASTANA – Kazakh blogger and social activist Nurken Tazhibay surprised his Instagram followers on June 26 with a new video of the Caspian Sea showcasing its shallow coastline. “Shallow Caspian Sea in the Mangystau Region, specifically the Karakiya district, located 89-90 kilometers south of Zhanaozen,” wrote Tazhibay. According to the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and…
Archeologists Discover Mausoleum of Golden Horde Era in Akmola Region
ASTANA – Remains of a mausoleum dating back to the Golden Horde in the 15th century was discovered on the territory of the Korgalzhyn district in the Akmola Region, reported Khabar 24 news agency on June 28. Archaeologists have excavated several mausoleums on the territory of a medieval settlement in the Akmola Region. This is…
Kazakhstan Skyrockets 21 Positions Up to 76th Place in 2023 Global Peace Index Rankings
ASTANA – Kazakhstan ranked 76th in the Global Peace Index (GPI), climbing 21 places, according to the June 2023 report published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). With the third highest rank of all countries in the Eurasia region, Kazakhstan experienced the most considerable improvement in overall peacefulness, rising by 4.2%. In the…
Kazakhstan Observes Fivefold Demand for Domestic Resorts
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s tourism demand for domestic resorts increased fivefold, with Kazakh citizens preferring vacations at the Alakol, Balkhash, and Zaisan lakes, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Sports on June 26. The popularity of resort areas and beach holidays in Usharal, Balkhash, Zaisan, and Urzhar is linked to the reopening of Urzhar and…
Kazakhstan Updates Social Code to Improve Citizens Welfare
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is launching new norms of the Social Code on July 1, which will be a proactive instrument of social support to its citizens, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. At a June 27 government meeting chaired by Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Tamara Duissenova explained…
Kazakhstan Discusses Cooperation with Council of Europe
ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko met with a Council of Europe (CoE) delegation led by Claus Neukirch, Director of Program Coordination, to discuss cooperation prospects, reported the ministry’s press service on June 27. During the meeting, which was also attended by diplomats from the EU and CoE member states, the sides focused…
Kazakhstan to Increase Exports to Swiss Market by $500 Million
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is ready to expand its exports to the Swiss market by 90 commodity items worth $546.4 million, said Minister of Trade and Integration Serik Zhumangarin at the meeting of the Kazakh-Swiss Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation on June 27, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. The Swiss delegation was led by…
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan Bolster Partnership in Development Assistance
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Agency for International Development (KazAID) and Azerbaijan’s International Development Agency (AIDA) signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation to implement joint projects and stimulate the exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of official development assistance (ODA), reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry on June 26. The sides emphasized the potential for…
Kazakh Foreign Ministry Hosts Briefing on Key Takeaways from G7 Summit
ASTANA – The outcomes of the 49th Group of Seven (G7) Summit on May 19-21 in Hiroshima were discussed at a briefing of the heads of diplomatic missions of the G7 countries, reported the ministry’s press service on June 26. Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko chaired the meeting. Diplomats from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan,…
President Tokayev Discusses Trade and Economic Cooperation with Kyrgyz Republic
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with the Chairman of the Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament) of the Kyrgyz Republic Nurlanbek Shakiev to discuss prospects for strengthening bilateral trade and economic cooperation, reported Akorda press service on June 26. Tokayev underscored the importance of developing relations between the two countries and deepening interparliamentary ties. The Kyrgyz Republic…
Kazakhstan’s Muslims to Mark Qurban Ait on Wednesday
ASTANA – Muslims worldwide will mark the Qurban Ait (Eid al-Adha) Islamic holiday June 28-30 this year. On holiday, mostly associated with sacrificing an animal, Muslims gather in mosques in the early morning and begin a common prayer, Ait Namaz. Then they make their sacrifices, congratulate each other, and treat relatives and friends. The Kazakh…
Kazakhstan’s Oil Output to Go Up 7% to 90.5 Million Tons in 2023
ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to produce 90.5 million tons of oil this year, 7% more than in 2022, Jibek Joly TV Channel reported on June 23, citing the country’s Ministry of Energy. The West Kazakhstan and Atyrau regions are expected to increase oil and gas production by 9%, whereas the growth in the Mangystau Region…
Trade Turnover Between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Reaches $1.9 Billion
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s trade with Uzbekistan totaled $1.9 billion in five months of this year, according to the press statement of Uzbekistan’s State Committee on Statistics on June 20. Kazakhstan enters Uzbekistan’s top three main foreign trade partners, accounting for 7.5% of its total volume and going after China with 17.6% ($4.5 billion) and Russia…
Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Court Receives 3,000 Appeals in Five Months
ASTANA – The Constitutional Court of Kazakhstan has received more than 3,000 appeals over five months since its establishment, but only 26% of them were under its jurisdiction, Chairwoman of the Constitutional Court Elvira Azimova said at a June 20 joint meeting of the chambers of Parliament, reported the court’s press service. According to Azimova,…
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan Set to Boost Trade Relations to $1 Billion
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is continuing to implement joint measures with Azerbaijan’s government to expand trade and economic relations, aiming to reach a trade turnover of $1 billion, Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov said during a June 22 meeting with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. Smailov conveyed warm greetings from President…
Uzbekistan Hosts Kazakh Culture Days
ASTANA – Kazakh culture and spiritual roots are being showcased to the Uzbek public at Kazakh Culture Days in Uzbekistan on June 20-23, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Sports. Cultural events began with a gala concert on June 20, featuring Kazakh singers, young winners of national and international competitions, as well as the…
Kazakhstan, Germany Seal Oil Supply Deal for 2023
ASTANA – KazMunayGas (KMG), Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company, and Rosneft Deutschland have signed an agreement for the supply of crude oil to PCK Raffinerie refinery in Schwedt, Germany, on June 20, KMG’s press service reported. The Karachaganak field will supply 100,000 tons per month until the end of 2023, with a total volume…
Kazakhstan’s Regions in Spotlight: East Kazakhstan Region’s Economic and Tourism Potential
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a series on the economic and investment potential of Kazakhstan’s regions. The Astana Times has previously published economic profiles on the Abai Region, Akmola Region, Aktobe Region, and Karagandy Region. ASTANA – The East Kazakhstan Region is located in the northeastern part of the country with the city of…
Kazakh Football Team Beats Northern Ireland in Historic Win
ASTANA – The Kazakh national football team defeated Northern Ireland 1:0 in the qualifiers for Euro 2024, which took place in Belfast on June 19, bringing a historic victory to the nation, reported Sports.kz. The Northern Ireland team initially took the initiative, creating numerous chances to score. Kazakh striker Maxim Samorodov missed the only chance…
Kazakh Pilgrims Travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj
ASTANA – Kazakh pilgrims have started arriving in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 17. Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia and one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the Shahadah (oath to God),…
Creation of New National Quality is Key Part of Ideological Work, Says State Counselor
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined prospects for the spiritual and moral development of Kazakhstan’s society in his address at the National Kurultai (National Congress) meeting, proposing steps to implement the country’s new ideological strategy, wrote Kazakh State Counselor Erlan Karin in his Telegram channel on June 17. According to Karin, the most significant factor in ideological…
President of Germany to Strengthen Ties with Kazakhstan During State Visit
ASTANA – Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will be on a state visit to Kazakhstan on June 19-21, at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, reported the Akorda press service on June 18. During the visit, the heads of state will focus on prospects for strengthening Kazakh-German strategic partnership, with an emphasis on expanding trade, economic,…
