Articles by Assel Satubaldina

Kazakhstan’s Monotowns Account for Nearly 40 Percent of Industrial Production, But Problems Still Remain

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s monotowns produce nearly 40 percent of the country’s total industrial output, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during his working visit to the city of Ekibastuz in the Pavlodar Region that began with a national meeting on the development of single-industry towns. There are 89 cities in Kazakhstan, and 27 of them are monotowns,…

Bolashak Presidential Scholarship to Empower Young People: Twenty-Eight Years of Success and Progress

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s Bolashak Presidential Scholarship is a program that gives a chance to talented young people to study abroad and it celebrates its 28th year of work on Nov. 5.  In 1993, Kazakhstan’s First President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a decree launching the program, the first in Central Asia, paving a way for more than…

Kazakhstan Resumes Air Travel with India, Azerbaijan

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will resume air travel with India from Nov. 15, in accordance with the decision of Kazakhstan’s Interdepartmental Commission on preventing the spread of coronavirus infection, reports the Civil Aviation Committee. From Nov. 15, Kazakhstan’s Air Astana will start operating the flights on the route Almaty – Delhi – Almaty with a frequency of…

President Tokayev Pledges to Better Protect Caspian Sea Biodiversity by Signing Caspian Sea Protection Protocol

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan seeks to ensure better protection of the biodiversity of the Caspian Sea. To that effect, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the Protocol for the Protection of the Caspian Sea against Pollution from Land-based Sources and Activities on Oct. 23, reports the Akorda press service. The ratification comes on the heels of the agreement…

Mohamed bin Zayed Receives Nazarbayev Prize for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World and Global Security

NUR-SULTAN – Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Mohamed bin Zayed received the Nazarbayev Prize for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World and Global Security on Oct. 28 for his contribution to peace, regional stability, and sustainable economic development during the meeting with First President Nursultan Nazarbayev, reports the press…

Kazakhstan Needs to Invest $650 Billion to Achieve Carbon Neutrality by 2060, Says Minister

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will have to invest nearly US$650 billion in low carbon technologies to achieve its ambitious goal of carbon neutrality by 2060, said Kazakh Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources Serikkali Brekeshev at a press briefing on Oct. 27. The sectors requiring the most investment over the next 40 years are the…

Kazakhstan’s Majilis Adopts Draft Law on Human Rights to Strengthen Role of Ombudsperson

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s Majilis, the lower house of the country’s Parliament, adopted a draft law on the Ombudsperson for Human Rights in Kazakhstan, as well as legislative amendments to define at the legislative level the legal status of the Ombudsperson, and the principles and guarantees of their activities, reports the Majilis press service.  “The draft…

Digital Bridge Forum in Nur-Sultan Connects Entrepreneurs, Promotes Greater Digitization 

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan is hosting Digital Bridge Forum on Oct. 28-29 to promote digitization in the country and provide businesses and startups with more access to resources, including learning opportunities. Nearly 4,000 participants registered for the two-day event. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited the forum a day earlier, where he was briefed on the…

Hungarian Deputy PM Mihály Varga Visits Kazakhstan to Boost Trade and Investment

NUR-SULTAN – Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Finance Mihály Varga is on an official visit to Kazakhstan, where he took part in the fifth meeting of the Kazakh-Hungarian Strategic Council that gathered 50 Hungarian business leaders. As part of his visit, he also met with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Prime Minister Askar Mamin.…

Child Well-Being Index to Expand and Protect Children’s Rights More Effectively in Kazakhstan

NUR-SULTAN – The Child Well-Being Index will help Kazakhstan’s decision-makers to increase the effectiveness of national policies in the protection of children’s rights, experts from the Economic Research Institute told The Astana Times.  The index is developed by the Economic Research Institute with the support of Kazakhstan’s Committee on the Protection of Children’s Rights, and…

Kazakhstan’s Two Big Cities Exit Red Zone As Epidemiological Situation Stabilizes 

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s capital Nur-Sultan and the largest city Almaty exited the high-risk red zone, as the overall epidemiological situation in the country shows signs of improvement. Kazakh Healthcare Minister Alexei Tsoy spoke about the different scenarios of the COVID-19 situation in Kazakhstan during a government meeting on Tuesday.  There are eight regions in the…

Preserving Kazakhstan’s Historical Legacy and Culture: Tokayev Visits Zhoshy Khan Complex in Ulytau

NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited the Zhoshy Khan historical and cultural complex in Ulytau District as part of his working visit to the Karaganda Region, reports the Akorda press service.  The center serves as a tourist destination that takes visitors into the ancient Kazakh past and aims to become a scientific center for studying…

Unity in Diversity is Our Fundamental Principle to Preserve National Unity, Says Tokayev

NUR-SULTAN – Unity in diversity is Kazakhstan’s fundamental principle for preserving and strengthening national unity and a key principle that the country is committed to adhering to in the future, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as he chaired an expanded meeting of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan on Oct. 22, reports the Akorda press service.…

New Polymetallic Enrichment Plant Launched in Karaganda Region, Boosts Regional Industrial Development

NUR-SULTAN – President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev launched a new polymetallic enrichment plant at the Zhairemsky mining and processing plant in the Karaganda Region as part of his working visit to the region, reports the Akorda press service.  Nearly 2,500 people were involved in the construction of the plant. For Zhairem, the launch of the…

Sixty Three Percent of Eligible Population Fully Vaccinated in Kazakhstan

NUR-SULTAN – As the vaccination effort continues in Kazakhstan, 7.2 million of the country’s 19 million population have been fully immunized against the virus, while 8 million have received at least one dose, reports the Kazakh Healthcare Ministry. The city of Almaty, the Turkistan region, and the East Kazakhstan region are leading in terms of…

Latest Travel Update: Kazakhstan to Launch Direct Flights with Lithuania – and More

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan and Lithuania are expected to launch direct flights between the two countries in the first quarter of 2022, reports the Kazakh Civil Aviation Committee.  On Oct. 13, the Lithuanian civil aviation authorities and Kazakhstan’s civil aviation committee met to discuss the opening of regular flights on the Nur-Sultan-Vilnius and Almaty-Vilnius routes. Hungarian-based…

New Theater in Nur-Sultan to Provide Creative Opportunities for People with Special Needs

NUR-SULTAN – A new inclusive theater called Qanattylar opened its doors Oct. 15 in the Zhastar theater in Nur-Sultan, wrote Nur-Sultan Akim (Mayor) Altai Kulginov on his Instagram account.  The theater debuted with a play, also named “Qanattylar”, written by Kazakh poet Gulnara Salykbai and directed by Nurfat Vahitov.  “We try to provide full support…

President Tokayev Addresses Heads of Commonwealth of Independent States  Council Meeting

NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the CIS Heads of State Council meeting on Friday, Oct. 15 emphasizing the need for stronger cooperation and assistance to the people of Afghanistan, reports the Akorda press service. In his speech, Tokayev recalled the agreement to establish the CIS back in December 1991, in what he called was…

Kazakhstan’s Delegation Pays Working Visit to Afghanistan

NUR-SULTAN – Special Representative of the President of Kazakhstan for International Cooperation Erzhan Kazykhan visited Kabul on Sunday for a working visit, reports the Akorda press service. During the visit, Kazykhan held meetings with the representatives of the interim government of Afghanistan Abdul Kabir and Amir Khan Muttaqi. At the talks, the two sides discussed…

Calvert Journal Film Festival Explores Diversity of Eurasia Through Local Filmmakers

NUR-SULTAN – A journey across Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia through the lens of the region’s independent filmmakers – this is how the Calvert Journal is framing its film festival, which will begin Oct. 18 and last through Oct. 31.  The festival will screen 35 films across seven categories –…

President Tokayev Calls On Eurasian Economic Union to Address Rising Food Security Issues

NUR-SULTAN – Food security has been at the focus of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s remarks at the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting hosted Oct. 14 in a virtual format, reports the Akorda press service.   The meeting was attended by the heads of states and governments of the Eurasian Economic Union – President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko,…

Kazakhstan to Begin Revaccinating Citizens in November

NUR-SULTAn – Kazakhstan has developed new approaches to revaccinating its citizens following the experience of countries around the world, including the European Union and the United States that started offering booster shots to their citizens, said Deputy Prime Minister Eraly Tugzhanov during an Oct. 13 meeting of the interdepartmental commission working to prevent the spread…

Kazakh Government, International Experts Explore Ways Towards Low Carbon Development in Kazakhstan  

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan is making every effort to achieve carbon neutrality. On Wednesday, Oct. 13, Nur-Sultan gathered high-level government officials, heads of international organizations, and experts to explore ways on how Central Asia’s largest economy can achieve the Paris Agreement targets and carbon neutrality. The conference takes place in the run-up to the Conference of…

ADB, Kazakhstan to Finalize New Country Partnership Strategy in 2022

NUR-SULTAN – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Kazakhstan plan to adopt the new Country Partnership Strategy for 2022-2026. The new strategy, which will be finalized in 2022, will be in line with the country’s development agenda, which is focused on diversification, governance and public finance, digitalization, and regional cooperation.  ADB Country Director for Kazakhstan…

President Tokayev Proposes Transforming CICA into Full-Fledged International Organization

NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed transforming CICA (the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia) into a full-fledged international organization during his meeting with the delegations participating in the 6th meeting of Foreign Ministers hosted in Nur-Sultan,  reports the Akorda press service. The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of Bahrain, Belarus,…