From Fireworks to Congratulations From Space: How Kazakhstan and World Celebrate Republic Day
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and the world celebrated Republic Day on Oct. 25 for the first time since 2009 with festive events that included the raising of the national flag and fireworks across the country and abroad, the display of the flag on the highest skyscraper in Dubai, and a space crew congratulations. The national flag…
Congress of Honorary Consuls Sheds Light on Kazakhstan’s Most Promising Investment Sectors, Says Belgian Honorary Consul
ASTANA – In the aftermath of the pandemic and amidst the complex geopolitical backdrop in the region, it was an opportune time to incentivize business representatives around the world to invest and do business in Kazakhstan, including in the promising sectors of agriculture and tourism, said Denis Van den Weghe, Honorary Consul of the Kingdom…
Heroism That Lasts Century: Kazakhstan Celebrates 100 Years of World War II Heroine Manshuk Mametova
ASTANA – Kazakhstan celebrates the 100th anniversary of a Kazakh heroine Manshuk Mametova, who mastered the Maxim machine gun during World War II and fought the Nazis till her last breath. Born in 1922 in Zhaskus village in the West Kazakhstan Region, Mametova was the fifth child in the family. At the age of five,…
Eleven ODIHR Observers Start Their Mission Ahead of Kazakhstan’s Presidential Elections
ASTANA – A core team of 11 international experts based in Astana and 30 long-term observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will be deployed throughout the country from Oct. 26 to monitor the upcoming presidential elections in Kazakhstan scheduled for Nov. 20,…
CICA Secretary General Names Next Steps in Transformation of CICA into Full-Fledged Organization
ASTANA – Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Kairat Sarybay spoke on the first steps being made towards the transformation of CICA into a full-fledged organization that includes the institutionalization of the conference and pursuit of initiatives proposed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the sixth CICA summit…
Tourism and Renewable Energy Can Be Key Pillars of Cooperation Between Morocco and Kazakhstan, Says Moroccan Ambassador
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Morocco could expand opportunities in trade and explore cooperation in emerging areas such as tourism and renewable energy, said Moroccan Ambassador to Kazakhstan Mohammed Rachid Maaninou in an interview with The Astana Times. As the two countries mark 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Ambassador Maaninou shared his insights…
Mars-alike Landscapes in Kazakhstan: Mangystau Region Offers Pristine Nature for Tourists Seeking Escape From Busy Cities
ASTANA – The Mangystau Region in western Kazakhstan with its picturesque valleys and landscapes that look so alien, one would think you were on Mars, attracted over half a million tourists over the last two years, reported the region’s Center for Public Communications (CPC). According to the CPC, in the next three years, the region…
Singapore and Kazakhstan’s Friendship Has Deep Roots, Says Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office
ASTANA – Singapore shares warm and long-standing relations with Kazakhstan, said Dr. Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Education and Foreign Affairs of Singapore, in an interview with The Astana Times. Dr. Maliki paid a working visit to Kazakhstan on Oct. 11-14 ahead of 30-year-anniversary of diplomatic…
CICA Leaders Support Kazakhstan’s Extended Chairpersonship as Sixth Summit Concludes
ASTANA – The sixth Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit talks held in the Kazakh capital Astana on Oct. 13 concluded with the adoption of the Astana Statement that launched the process of transformation of CICA and extension of Kazakhstan’s chairpersonship for 2022-2024 with a focus on expanding supply chains…
Sixth CICA Summit: Expectations and Retrospective
ASTANA – The sixth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) started today on Oct. 12 in Astana. This year the summit marks three major events: the 30th anniversary of CICA, the end of Kazakhstan’s two-year chairpersonship in the conference, and the objective to transform the conference into a full-fledged…
Traveling Exhibition of ALZHIR Museum Opens in Astana to Tell Stories of Soviet Union’s Imprisoned Women
ASTANA – The traveling exhibition of the ALZHIR museum and memorial complex of political repression and totalitarianism victims opened at the National Center of Manuscripts and Rare Books in Astana on Oct. 10. The exhibition will last till Oct. 28. The Akmola’s Camp for Wives of Traitors of the Motherland (known as ALZHIR for its…
Ode to Dombra, National Instrument Reinvigorating Kazakh Culture and Identity (Video)
ASTANA – If you have ever listened to traditional Kazakh songs, chances are you have heard the dombra with its intricate, but delicate tonality that produces magical sounds from the endless Kazakh steppe. Sometimes it soothes by its fragile tunes, sometimes it excites by resembling a herd of wild horses galloping across the wide prairie.…
CICA Offers Security System For Rapidly Developing Asian Countries, Says KazISS Expert
ASTANA – The Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) may offer a new course for promoting security systems for rapidly developing Asian countries, says Bulat Auelbayev, the chief expert at the Almaty branch of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS) in an interview with Zakon news agency on Oct. 4.…
CICA Member States Draft Transformation Road Map Ahead of Sixth Summit in October
ASTANA – The Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Special Working Group (SWG) meeting conducted on Sept. 28-29, has made a major advance in preparing draft documents to be adopted at the upcoming sixth CICA Summit on Oct. 12-13 in Astana, reported CICA Secretariat on Twitter. The main document includes a…
World Petroleum Council Youth Forum Kicks Off in Almaty, Gathers Leading Oil and Gas Specialists from 37 Countries
ALMATY – The seventh World Petroleum Council (WPC) Youth Forum opens on Sept. 29 in Almaty with the goal of expanding the discussions around energy transition and adoption of sustainable technologies gathering over 700 delegates from 37 countries. Among the honorary participants of the forum are the heads of the largest Kazakh and foreign oil…
Shymkent Has Potential to Become Major Southern Hub, Says Kazakh President
ASTANA – Shymkent has the potential to become a major southern hub, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the meeting with the city’s public on Sept. 27, reported the presidential press service. The city has attracted over 1.5 trillion tenge ($3.1billion) in investments since it gained the status of a city of national significance in 2018,…
Mukhtar Auezov’s Masterpiece on Abai Remains Showcase of Kazakh Culture to World, 125 Years Since Author’s Birth
ASTANA – On the 125th anniversary of a great Kazakh literary figure Mukhtar Auezov, whose talent transcended national borders, it is worth exploring his contribution to the Kazakh and world literature. Through Auezov’s works, the reader is able to discover the Kazakh culture, understand the mentality and overcome existing prejudices. Auezov is best known for…
Kazakh Central Election Commission to Ensure Barrier-Free Access at Polling Stations for People with Disabilities
ASTANA – The Central Election Commission (CEC) approved a document that outlines measures to ensure unhindered and barrier-free access to polling stations for citizens with disabilities during their meeting on Sept. 26. The document ensures that people with disabilities can register to vote and take part in elections with no hindrance. According to the decree,…
A Man of Many Talents: Kazakh Writer Mukhtar Auezov’s Underrated Contribution to Kazakh Theater
ASTANA – Kazakhstan celebrates 125 years since the birth of renowned Kazakh writer Mukhtar Auezov on Sept. 28 . Famous for his book, “The Path of Abai,” which tells the story of the prominent poet and thinker Abai and which has transformed the way generations perceive the wisdom of the life of a 20th century…
Kazakhstan’s Unique Story of Building Interfaith Dialogue and Co-existence Must Be Told, Says US Rabbi
ASTANA – With rising geopolitical confrontations around the world, the seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions that took place in Astana on Sept. 14-15 could not have been more timely. Attended by high-level religious leaders, such as Pope Francis and Grand Imam of al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the congress claimed to be…
Exhibition Dedicated to Shining Light on History and Consequences of Nuclear Testing Opens in Astana
ASTANA – An exhibition drawing on the international experience with nuclear testing and armaments, titled Everything You Treasure – For a World Free From Nuclear Weapons, opened in Astana in the Keruen shopping center on Sept. 16. The exhibition, which runs until Sept. 30, depicts over 70 years of nuclear history from the Hiroshima explosion…
Kazakhstan Celebrates 100 Years of Syrbay Maulenov, Great Patriotic War Poet and Warrior
NUR-SULTAN – Syrbay Maulenov, one of the few Kazakh poets and writers, whose life was devastated by World War II, was born 100 years ago on Sept. 17. His works derived from his love for his homeland and embraced a wide range of topics from sharp depictions of war to tender praise of homeland scenery…
Three Events Highlight Final Day of Seventh Congress of World and Traditional Religions Leaders
NUR-SULTAN – Over the past two days the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan once again served as the platform for dozens of religious leaders to engage in dialogue and seek ways to promote peace and tolerance amid rising tensions in the world. The Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which the country has hosted…
Religion in a Post-Pandemic World Panel and Holy Mass Mark First Day of Congress of World and Traditional Religions Leaders
NUR-SULTAN – The first day of the seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions started with an organized panel on the role of religious leaders in the spiritual and social development of humankind in the post-pandemic period followed by an award ceremony dedicated to the contribution to interfaith dialogue and concluded with Pope…
Tokayev Stresses Role of Religious Principles in Building New System of International Security at Congress of World and Traditional Religions
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed to build a new international security system based on humanistic ideals using world religions as a template as he addressed the seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Nur-Sultan on Sept. 14. The two-day congress, convened for the first time in 2003, brought some of…
