Kazakh President Expresses Gratitude to Partners for Organizing One Water Summit in Riyadh
ASTANA — President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with the President of France, World Bank Group and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia to express his gratitude for support in organizing the One Water Summit and discuss cooperation prospects on Dec. 3 in Riyadh. Meeting with World Bank Group President Ajay Banga During the meeting with…
Tokayev Underlines Kazakhstan’s Role in Tackling Water Security Challenges at One Water Summit
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined key measures to tackle water security challenges and announced plans to hold a regional climate conference in 2026 at the One Water Summit in Riyadh on Dec.3. The President expressed his gratitude to France, Saudi Arabia and the World Bank Group for their assistance in organizing this event.…
Kazakh Cardiac Surgeons Create Device for Preserving Organs Outside Body
ASTANA – Kazakh University Medical Center’s (UMC) cardiac surgeons are working on creating a unique device for preserving organs outside the body. This can significantly improve the results of transplants, reported the Prime Minister’s press service on Dec. 2. As part of the research, specialists are creating technology to keep a beating heart, “breathing” lungs,…
Kazakhstan’s Chess Players Win Gold at 2024 World Cadet Chess Championship
ASTANA – Young chess players from Kazakhstan became world champions in the overall team standings at the 2024 World Cadet Chess Championship held on Nov. 14-27 in Montesilvano, Italy. More than 700 players from 77 countries participated in the tournament, reported Kazakhstan Chess Federation’s press service on Nov. 27. Alanna Berikkyzy won gold in the…
Eurasia International Film Festival Concludes With Award Ceremony
ASTANA – The 17th Eurasia International Film Festival ended on Nov. 30 in Almaty with an award ceremony honoring the best actors, directors and films. This year, the festival brought together filmmakers from more than 15 countries, presenting two competition programs: an international competition and a competition of Central Asian and Turkic countries. The jury…
China, Uzbekistan Introduce Visa Free Travel for 30 Days
ASTANA – Uzbekistan and China signed an agreement on Dec. 1 allowing citizens to travel to both countries without visas for 30 days. “As part of the implementation of the agreements reached between the Leaders of Uzbekistan and China, today together with my colleague we signed the agreement that allows our citizens to travel without…
Kazakh PM Holds NU & NIS Supreme Board of Trustees Meeting
ASTANA – Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held a meeting of the Supreme Board of Trustees of Nazarbayev University (NU), Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS) and Nazarbayev Fund to discuss work results and outline development plans. The meeting outlined approaches to improve NU’s quality of education and efficiency to enter the top 300 of the Times…
Kazakh & Chinese Officials, Business Leaders Intend to Enhance Interregional Cooperation
ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu and Sichuan Communist Party Committee Secretary Wang Xiaohui reviewed the opportunities for Kazakhstan and China’s interregional cooperation during a Nov. 30 meeting in Chengdu. During the talks, the officials focused on trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian interactions, as well as high technology, finance, investment,…
Chinese, Central Asian Foreign Ministers Seek to Deepen Partnership
ASTANA – The Fifth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Chengdu on Dec. 1 reaffirmed the countries’ commitment to deepening political engagement, expanding economic relations, and strengthening cultural and humanitarian cooperation. Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu and counterparts from the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and China attended the event. According…
Tokayev Reviews Outcomes of Kazakhstan’s Chairmanship in CSTO During Astana Session
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reviewed outcomes of the country’s chairmanship in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) during a Nov. 28 CSTO Collective Security Council session. The meeting was attended by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon,…
Kazakhstan, Russia Open Al-Farabi University Branch at Interregional Cooperation Forum
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the plenary session of the 20th Forum of Kazakhstan-Russia Interregional Cooperation, which was held on Nov. 26-27 in Ufa, via videoconference. Tokayev welcomed the attendees and stated that bilateral cooperation in trade, economy, and investment, as well as industrial collaboration, has…
Kazakh & Russian Presidents Discuss Cooperation Prospects, Sign Joint Statement
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, who arrived in Kazakhstan on a state visit, discussed cooperation prospects in the trade and economic, transport and logistics, fuel and energy, scientific and technical, cultural and humanitarian areas during the extended-format talks on Nov. 27. During the meeting, Tokayev focused on trade and…
Dimash Qudaibergen’s New Music Video Shows Beauty of Kazakh Land
ASTANA – Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen unveiled his new music video for the song “Kieli Meken” (“Sacred Homeland” in Kazakh) on Nov. 27. “This project is a heartfelt tribute to the stunning beauty of my homeland. In the video, we worked hard to showcase the breathtaking landscapes and the rich cultural heritage of Kazakhstan. I…
Kazakh Tourism: Data Shows 50% Increase in Visitors from China
ASTANA – The number of Chinese tourists visiting Kazakhstan continues to rise; from January to October, the figure reached 550,000, exceeding the figure for 2023 with 367,000 visitors, said Chair of Kazakh Tourism national company Kairat Sadvakassov during a Nov. 27 official closing ceremony of the Year of Kazakhstan Tourism in China in Almaty. Sadvakassov…
Railway Upgrades to Bolster Kazakhstan’s Role in Global Logistics
ASTANA — Kazakhstan is implementing measures to enhance its transport connectivity through five main international railway corridors connecting Chinese markets with Europe and Central Asia, said Kazakh Transport Minister Marat Karabayev at a Nov. 26 government meeting. There are currently 27 railway border locations between Kazakhstan and its five neighbors. The Dostyk, Altynkol, and Saryagash…
Kazakhstan Expands Network of Terminals Along TITR
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is expanding a network of terminals along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor. Kazakh Transport Minister Marat Karabayev announced this during a Nov. 26 government meeting. According to Karabayev, Kazakhstan plans to build a terminal in the European part of the route. In addition to the…
Dimash Qudaibergen Brings Stranger Show to Düsseldorf
ASTANA – Just two days after a sold-out performance in Prague, Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen and his team held a solo concert in Düsseldorf on Nov. 24. According to dimashnews.com, the Stranger tour, which began in 2022 in Almaty, has since traveled to Yerevan (Armenia), Antalya and Istanbul (Türkiye), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Hong Kong (China),…
Project Sapphire: 30th Anniversary of US-Kazakh Mission to Promote Safer & More Secure World
ASTANA – This year marks the 30th anniversary of Project Sapphire. This landmark operation took place in 1994 and involved removing 600 kilograms of highly enriched uranium (HEU) from a vulnerable site in Ust-Kamenogorsk. According to the U.S. Embassy to Kazakhstan, this material, left from the Soviet-era nuclear program and vulnerable to theft, was discovered…
Almaty Hosts 17th Eurasia International Film Festival
ASTANA – The 17th Eurasia International Film Festival kicked off on Nov. 24 in Almaty, bringing together international actors, directors and producers. The opening ceremony featured a theatrical show with dances, songs and musical performances by Kazakh artists, opera singers, children’s choir soloists, choreographers and stunt performers. According to Kazinform, guests could also hear the…
Trans-Caspian International Transport Route: First Container Train Leaves Baku for Xian on Return Trip
ASTANA – The first container train on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route’s (TITR) return trip from Baku (Azerbaijan) to Xian (China) via Kazakhstan was officially launched on Nov. 24. The train, carrying 62 containers of petroleum coke, will travel along the TITR as part of the reverse loading and arrive in just 12 days. The…
Kazakh Citizens Assess Changes in Lifestyle Over Past 33 Years
ASTANA – Nearly three-quarters of Kazakhstan citizens surveyed recently by the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS) positively assess the changes in their families over the past 33 years. In its survey released on Nov. 12, the KazISS asked respondents to evaluate not the economic achievements of the state and its policies but the changes…
Kazakh Documentary Film Wins Awards at California Best Shorts Competition
ASTANA – The Kazakh documentary film “Shekteusiz Umit” (Endless Hope) directed by Marat Teleuov received the award of merit at California-based Best Shorts Competition in the Documentary Short and Disability Issues nominations. The film tells about the lives of five families raising children with cerebral palsy. According to producer Daniyar Valiulla, the film’s core theme…
News Digest: Foreign Media on Kazakh President’s Visit to Serbia & Hungary, Amur Tigers and More
ASTANA – The Astana Times has curated a selection of articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest includes topics such as the Kazakh President’s official visits to Serbia and Hungary, the Middle Corridor, Amur tigers and more. Prime Minister Orbán hails Kazakhstan as key partner in energy and economic growth…
Kazakh PM Outlines Priorities for Diversifying Kazakhstan’s Economy
ASTANA – Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov discussed government’s plans to build a diversified economy, develop high-value industries and increase non-resource exports during a Nov. 21 plenary session of the Senate, the upper house of the Kazakh Parliament. According to the Prime Minister’s press service, the government members and deputies reviewed the draft laws on…
Kazakh, Croatian Ministers Set New Impetus to Cooperation
ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu and Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić-Radman met in Zagreb on Nov. 21 to outline priority areas for cooperation. According to the Foreign Ministry’s press service, the officials discussed a broad range of bilateral topics, including political dialogue, strengthening trade, economic…
