Kazakhstan’s Business Ombudsperson Office to Revise Outdated Regulatory Policies Until 2024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Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of Entrepreneurs Rustem Zhursunov said his office will revise outdated regulatory approaches in the next two years during his meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Dec. 22, reports the Akorda press service.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. …
COVID-19 Incidence Declines in Kazakhstan, Omicron Variant Not Detected
NUR-SULTAN – The COVID-19 incidence rate has declined 28 percent over the past two weeks in Kazakhstan, said Kazakh Healthcare Minister at a government meeting last week. The country confirmed more than 979,000 cases of coronavirus infection since the pandemic began. The reproductive rate is now 0.92. “According to the WHO European Region, 25 of…
Kazakhstan Сoncludes Chairpersonship at Eurasian Economic Union
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan is ending its chairmanship at the Eurasian Economic Union and President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev spoke about the work the country has done as the organization’s chair at the Supreme Economic Council meeting today. In 2020, Kyrgyzstan was slated to take over the chairmanship of the union. LpThe meeting gathered via videoconference with Armenian…
Kazakhstan’s Economic Growth Reaches 3.8 Percent in 11 months
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s economic growth reached 3.8 percent in 11 months, said Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin at a government meeting on Tuesday giving hope that the country’s economy will rebound soon to pre-pandemic levels. The government meeting on Tuesday focused on the country’s socio-economic development and the state budget in the first 11 months…
President Tokayev Awards Young People for Their Innovative Projects With Grants at Generation of Independence Competition
NUR-SULTAN – Thirty young people received grants worth three million tenge (US$6,903) each from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Dec. 8 as part of the Generation of Independence grant competition, reports Akorda press service. The grant competition is the initiative of President Tokayev to support the projects of young people and to form a community of…
Trade Between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan Grows Nine Percent In 2021
NUR-SULTAN – Trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan reached US$680 million, growing by nine percent over the first nine months of 2021, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as he welcomed Chair of Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers and Chief of the Presidential Administration Akylbek Japarov in Akorda on Dec. 8. This is also 1.2 percent higher than…
Pandemic Affects Income Levels, Increases Existing Inequalities in Kazakhstan, But Government Takes Measures, Says President Tokayev
NUR-SULTAN – The COVID-19 pandemic has put the lives of millions of people around the world under stress, and in Kazakhstan, it caused income losses and exacerbated existing inequalities, but the government’s response was able to tackle the worst of the economic consequences of the pandemic, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Supreme Council for…
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev Visits Kazakhstan to Sign Declaration of Allied Relations
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have decided to improve bilateral ties to a new level from strategic partnership to alliance, after President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a declaration of allied relations during Mirziyoyev’s state visit to Kazakhstan on Dec. 6, reports Akorda press service. He met with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev,…
Kazakhstan Attracts Over US$370 Billion in FDI Since Independence
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has attracted over US$370 billion in foreign direct investments since it gained independence in 1991, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told representatives of leading investment companies on Friday. The meeting gathered top management of some of the world’s leading investment firms, including Blackrock, Luxor Capital, Lugard Road Capital, Aberdeen Asset Management, Capital Group, Sands…
Kazakhstan to Increase Oil Production Under OPEC+ Agreement
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will continue increasing oil production under the OPEC+ agreement, said Kazakh Energy Minister Magzum Mirzagaliyev, who represented Kazakhstan at the 23rd OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial meeting on Tuesday. The meeting reaffirmed the continued commitment of the countries to ensure a stable and balanced oil market and agreed to increase production by 400,000…
Kazakhstan Tightens Travel Rules as Omicron Variant Spreads
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will tighten travel rules for international arrivals from Dec. 3 over the concerns of a new Omicron variant, First Vice Healthcare Minister Marat Shoranov told a government meeting on Tuesday. Foreign nationals from Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Madagascar, Eswatini, Tanzania, Malawi, and Hong Kong will not be able to…
President Tokayev Visits Geneva to Boost Ties with Switzerland, Discuss Pressing Issues with International Organizations
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was welcomed in Geneva by Swiss President Guy Parmelin in the evening on Monday, Nov. 29 as Tokayev continued his visit to Europe, reports the Akorda press service. Switzerland is an important political and economic partner in Europe for Kazakhstan, said Tokayev. During their meeting, Tokayev and Parmelin focused…
President Tokayev Pays Official Visit to Brussels, Meets European Leaders to Discuss Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation
NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is now in Brussels where he has met with President of the European Council Charles Michel, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, and Belgium’s King Philippe on Nov. 25, reports the Akorda press service. This is Tokayev’s first visit to Europe since the pandemic began. Tokayev and Michel discussed the…
Upcoming Birthday Anniversaries of Kazakhstan’s Ahmet Baitursynov, Roza Baglanova Included in UNESCO List of Anniversaries
NUR-SULTAN – The upcoming 150th anniversary of prominent Kazakh scholar, statesman, linguist, and poet Akhmet Baitursynov and the 100th anniversary of pop and opera singer Roza Baglanova were included in the UNESCO list of anniversaries for 2022-2023 during the 41st session of UNESCO’s General Conference, reports the Kazakh Embassy in France. Kazakhstan’s two major anniversaries…
Kazakhstan to Introduce Institute of the Ombudsperson to Protect Consumer Rights
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will introduce the institute of the ombudsperson for the protection of consumer rights as part of the updated draft law package for the protection of consumer rights, reports the Kazakh Prime Minister’s press service. The ombudsperson will directly report systemic violations of the rights of citizens to top government officials. Along with…
National Payment System to Foster Easier Access to Financial Markets, Pave Way For Digital Tenge
NUR-SULTAN – The National Bank of Kazakhstan is currently developing a national payment system that is part of an effort to ensure the equally accessible digital infrastructure of the financial market and make financial services and transfers faster and cheaper, said National Bank Chair Yerbolat Dossayev. The pilot project is expected to be launched in…
PACE President Rik Daems Calls for Greater Cooperation During His Visit to Kazakhstan
NUR-SULTAN – The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) President Rik Daems called for strengthening the cooperation between the Parliamentary Assembly and Kazakhstan to implement human rights reforms as he concluded his three-day official visit to Kazakhstan on Nov. 18, reports PACE press service. Daems met with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to discuss the…
Kazakhstan Leading in FDI Stock Value from Eurasian Economic Union Countries
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan boasts the highest foreign direct investments stock value from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries – $11.2 billion by 2020, an increase of $3 billion over the past four years, according to the latest Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) analytical report that monitors mutual direct investments by twelve states in the CIS and…
Tokayev Stresses Kazakhstan’s Special Role in Central Asia, Plans to Create Unified Foreign Policy Strategy Going Forward
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh diplomacy is known for its unique approach to seeking solutions to many international problems, said President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the expanded meeting of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, reports the Akorda press service. “Our country has put forward peacemaking initiatives and undertaken mediation efforts aimed at resolving interstate…
Kazakh Schoolchildren Join Environmental Campaign to Collect Plastic and Waste Paper
NUR-SULTAN – Educating children at a young age about the importance of protecting our environment in any possible way will eventually lead to the behavior becoming part of their second nature once they are adults. That is the essence of the Eco Asar (eco impact from Kazakh) environmental campaign that brought nearly 300,000 schoolchildren from…
