Articles by Dana Omirgazy

ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated the nation on the Amal holiday (‘Korisu’ in Kazakh, meaning to meet each other) or the Day of Greeting, on March 14. “Inquiring about each other’s well-being after a long winter is a special tradition that dates back centuries. On this day, people meet with relatives and friends,…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has secured the 100th position in the 2025 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), published by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP). The GTI assesses countries based on the impact of terrorism, with a lower rank indicating a lower risk of terrorism. With a score of 0 points, three Central Asian countries, namely…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev engaged in discussions with global energy leaders at CERAWeek 2025 in Houston, the United States. Meetings with S&P Global Vice Chairman Daniel Yergin and executives from major energy companies, including Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, and Eni, focused on enhancing Kazakhstan’s role in the global energy market, diversifying energy sources,…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan secured a major legal victory on Feb. 28, when the High Court of London overturned a previous ruling requiring the country to pay $65 million to Canadian uranium company World Wide Minerals. The dispute began in 2013 and centered around claims related to the government’s 1997 refusal to issue a uranium export…

ASTANA — The Kazakh government will allocate returned illegally acquired assets from the Special State Fund to finance the construction of a new Kazhymukan Munaitpasov Central Stadium in the Kazakh capital, worth 17.3 billion tenge (US$35.5 million). The new stadium will replace the old one. The facility, constructed in 1936, has been entirely dismantled due…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu participated in the extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on the situation in Palestine and Syria on March 7 in Jeddah. Nurtleu emphasized the need for a sustainable ceasefire, peace efforts,…

ASTANA — Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Italian President Sergio Mattarella emphasized the importance of intensifying the bilateral strategic partnership, elevating trade and investment, and expanding cooperation across priority sectors during a March 9 meeting. Welcoming Mattarella, Tokayev noted that the two countries had established strong cooperation across various areas, reported Akorda. “Many Italian companies…

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles featuring Kazakhstan from international media around the world this week. Today’s foreign media digest covers Kazakhstan’s diplomatic and economic engagement with Balkan nations, Kazakh-French relations, international freight transportation and more. The 4 French strategic pillars, from India to Kazakhstan The Tribune published an article on Feb. 26…

ASTANA — Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu met with Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos on March 6 in Nicosia to discuss strengthening bilateral relations in politics, trade, economics, culture, and humanitarian efforts. Nurtleu highlighted that trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Cyprus had increased fivefold in 2024 compared to the previous year,…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s trade volume saw a significant increase in 2024, growing by 9.1%, while the foreign trade balance also improved, Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev said at a March 5 board meeting. According to Shakkaliyev, investments in the trade sector rose by 14.6%, reaching 884.6 billion tenge (US$1.8 billion). Domestic trade turnover…

ASTANA – Over the next three years, Kazakhstan plans to execute more than 600 investment projects in the agro-industrial sector, totaling $4.8 billion. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations plays a crucial role as a strategic partner in achieving these objectives, said Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov during a March 5…

ASTANA—Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu arrived in the Republic of Cyprus on March 5 for his first official visit, which was intended to explore new cooperation opportunities. Nurtleu held talks with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides to discuss bilateral cooperation and confirm mutual desire to strengthen ties, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s…

ASTANA — The Kazakh government has allocated 4.2 billion tenge (US$8.5 million) from recovered illegally acquired assets to construct and modernize water supply systems in the Aralsk district of the Kyzylorda Region. The Prime Minister’s press service reported on March 6 that a connection branch is being built to provide centralized water access to the…

ASTANA — KazMunayGas, a national oil and gas company, is exploring the potential of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production. The ICF, a global advisory and technology services firm, has previously recommended constructing a plant to convert bioethanol into SAF and has proposed expanding bioethanol production at the Bio Operations plant. During a meeting on March…

ASTANA – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin chaired a March 3 meeting focused on boosting economic growth, focusing on the oil and gas industry and the investment-driven development of the Mangystau Region. With real gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2024 at 4.8%, the target for 2025 is 7%. This…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will support 30,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) projects in 2025, with a total financial allocation of 1.7 trillion tenge (US$3.4 billion), said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin during a government meeting on March 4. New guarantee funds The government will establish two new guarantee funds to…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed an agreement to design and construct an underwater fiber-optic communication line during an official visit of Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov to Azerbaijan on March 3, the Prime Minister’s press service reported. The project aims to significantly enhance communication quality and data transmission between Asia and Europe. Bektenov met…

ASTANA – The Kazakh capital hosted the 16th meeting of the Kazakhstan–European Union Dialogue Platform on Critical Raw Materials with the participation of heads of diplomatic missions from EU member states, along with executives from leading industrial companies on Feb. 28. The meeting was co-chaired Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and the EU Delegation’s Chargé d’Affaires…

ASTANA – Over 600 Kazakhstan’s military personnel are currently studying in more than 50 foreign institutions across 12 countries, said Murat Olzhabayev, head of Military Education and Science Department of the Defense Ministry during a Feb. 27 briefing at the Central Communications Service. These countries include Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, India, Italy, China, Pakistan, Russia, the…

ASTANA – Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov agreed on the construction of a metallurgical plant with chairman of the Board of Fujian Hengwang Investment Zeng Zhaoqiang on Feb. 27. It is expected to build a metallurgical plant with a capacity of 3 million tons of steel in the Jibek Joly Special Economic Zone, located in the…

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest highlights Kazakhstan’s judicial system, the growth of the Middle Corridor and more. Kazakhstan, France weigh roping in French companies for growth of Middle Corridor French companies may participate in the development of logistics infrastructure under the…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is targeting an investment goal of 26.2 trillion tenge (US$52 billion), which requires at least a 35.2% increase in investments compared to last year’s performance. Baglan Bakbergenov, deputy director of the Investment Policy and Financial Sector Development Department at the National Economy Ministry, stated this during a Feb. 27 Central Communications Service…

ASTANA –  New government initiatives to the draft Tax Code, including VAT adjustments, were discussed in the Mazhilis (the lower house of the Kazakh Parliament) Committee on Finance and Budget on Feb. 27. The draft Tax Code has been under development in the Mazhilis since last year. To date, 27 working group meetings have already…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is advancing its commitment to green energy while boosting its oil and gas production capabilities. The country has made notable strides in renewable energy, energy infrastructure, and petrochemical production, focusing on sustainability and local development. In 2024, Kazakhstan reached a renewable energy milestone, with renewable energy sources contributing 6.4% to the nation’s…

ASTANA — The Interdepartmental Commission for the Development of the Nuclear Industry of Kazakhstan convened on Feb. 25 to review proposals from potential suppliers for the country’s first nuclear power plant (NPP). The commission, consisting of representatives from state bodies and organizations within the nuclear and energy sectors, is evaluating reactor technologies to meet Kazakhstan’s…