Articles by Dana Omirgazy

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected key articles from international media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest highlights the Regional Ecological Summit, domestic political reforms, the Middle Corridor, and other key developments. Kazakhstan President Tokayev’s Antalya message and the rise of the ‘The World Is Bigger Than Five’ approach EU Reporter published…

ASTANA – Air pollution in Central Asia remains a serious and growing challenge driven by both human activity and natural factors. Governments across the region increasingly recognize that coordinated, science-based approaches are essential to improving air quality and protecting public health. Building on the first High-Level Regional Policy Dialogue in 2024 in Tashkent, the second…

ASTANA – Kazakh Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov confirmed the suspension of Kazakh oil transit to Germany via Russia, citing technical constraints on the Russian side. Earlier reports suggested that transit through the Druzhba pipeline could be halted starting May 1. While no official notification has been received from Russia, unofficial information indicates that shipments have…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has simplified visa, entry, and work permit procedures to attract foreign investors, skilled professionals, and labor migrants, while maintaining controls to protect the domestic labor market.  The updated system offers simplified visa regimes, faster application processing, and support mechanisms for investment projects. It also prioritizes highly skilled foreign workers in fields such…

ASTANA – Kazakh chess player Bibisara Assaubayeva has risen to seventh place in the FIDE world rankings following the 2026 Candidates Tournament, held from March 28 to April 16 in Paphos, Cyprus. Assaubayeva now holds a rating of 2527.2, gaining 11.2 points after the event. The top three positions remain dominated by Chinese players: Hou…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has suspended several joint projects with Iran, including grain supplies and food trade, due to the current situation in the country, said Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Issetov. Speaking at a Senate briefing on April 16, Issetov noted that cooperation has been affected by difficult conditions in Iran, where the military situation…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and the United States (US) have strengthened their strategic partnership through high-level meetings in Washington, D.C., focused on expanding economic cooperation, investment, energy collaboration, and infrastructure development. Rubio meets Kazakhstan officials to address bilateral cooperation  U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Kazakhstan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy…

ASTANA – Azerbaijan and Russia have reached a settlement, including the issue of payment of compensation, in connection with the crash of the Embraer 190 airplane belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) near the city of Aktau on Dec. 25, 2024, resulting from the unintended operation of an air defense system in the airspace of Russia.…

ASTANA – A ceremonial listing of Kazakhstan’s first-ever panda bonds in Central Asia was held on April 13, marking a milestone for the country’s and the region’s integration into global capital markets. The bonds, issued by the Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund,  on China’s domestic market, total 3 billion Chinese yuan (US$439.2 million) with a…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the positive dynamics of bilateral cooperation, notably in the economic sphere, during a meeting with Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov on April 14. Tokayev emphasized the importance of maintaining an active, trust-based dialogue and ensuring the effective implementation of agreements reached at the highest political level, Akorda reported. Ryzhenkov,…

ASTANA – South Korea is close to securing crude oil supplies from Kazakhstan as it seeks to diversify its energy sources amid disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East, said Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources Kim Jeong-kwan. “There has been quite (some) progress, so we should be able to announce specific amounts and…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is purchasing two new single-point moorings (SPMs) from the United Arab Emirates for the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) at a cost of 106 million euros (US$124.2 million). This was announced by Yerbolat Mendybayev, director of the Department of Transportation and Logistics at KazMunayGas, on the sidelines of the Mazhilis, reported Kazinform on…

ASTANA – Each significant investment project will be accompanied by a specific prosecutor from initial application through implementation, ensuring direct oversight and faster resolution of questions, Prosecutor General Berik Assylov announced during an Investment Protection Forum on April 9. Currently, more than 2,800 projects worth 96 trillion tenge (US$201.6 billion) are under enhanced legal protection.…

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s digest highlights strengthening ties between Kazakhstan and Georgia, expanding cooperation with South Korea, and other key developments. Kazakhstan hails Pakistan’s mediation in US-Iran truce Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also lauded Pakistan’s mediation, noting that the agreement was “reached with…

ASTANA – Grain and flour exports in grain equivalent totaled 9.9 million tons from September 2025 to March, up from 8.7 million tons during the same period a year earlier, indicating a positive trend in external supplies. Significant growth was recorded across several key destinations. Grain exports to Uzbekistan increased by 15%, rising from 7.3…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, while congratulating scientists on their professional holiday on April 10, announced that elections to the Kurultai (Congress in Kazakh) will take place in August and highlighted the role of science in strengthening responsibility and social values. Tokayev underlined the importance of providing advance notice of nationally significant events. He noted…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their allied partnership and expanding bilateral cooperation during a meeting in Baku between Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on April 8. Kosherbayev emphasized that the strong cooperation between the two countries has been built through a trusting dialogue at the…

ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev accepted an invitation to visit Seoul during an April 8 meeting with South Korean Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, who conveyed a message from Lee Jae Myung to attend the first Central Asia-South Korea summit in September. Tokayev expressed confidence that the planned visit and high-level talks would…

ASTANA – TikTok, a short-form video hosting service, removed more than 5.5 million videos in Kazakhstan in 2025 for violating its rules. Globally, more than 780 million videos were removed during the year. The platform also stepped up protections for young users, deleting nearly 93.5 million accounts worldwide belonging to users under 13. In addition,…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has added six newly discovered oil fields with total reserves exceeding 127 million tons to its national balance sheet in 2025, said Deputy Energy Minister Yerlan Akbarov on the sidelines of the Mazhilis. According to Akbarov, the fields are located primarily in the western regions, notably in the Mangystau and Atyrau Regions,…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed a newly reached agreement on a full ceasefire in the Middle East, highlighting the role of international mediation and expressing hope that the truce will support global stability, trade, and economic growth. Tokayev praised an agreement aimed at a full cessation of hostilities in the Middle East,…

ASTANA – A documentary about Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen and his global fan community, created by Spanish fans, will premiere on May 30 in Madrid. The project was created in collaboration with a Spanish fan club and the Gran Voz Kazaja association. Work on the film began in October 2024 and took nearly two years.…

ASTANA – The Kazakh Foreign Ministry briefed members of the diplomatic corps on preparations for the Regional Environmental Summit to be held on April 22-24. First Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan Ashikbayev said the summit aims to strengthen regional cooperation, advance sustainable development, and promote practical solutions on environmental and climate matters. Kazakhstan also presented key…

ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry of Energy is monitoring the situation following an incident at the port of Novorossiysk on April 5. According to Assel Serikpayeva, the ministry’s official representative, the events have not affected Kazakh oil export volumes. The receipt and transportation of Kazakh crude through the main oil pipeline system are proceeding normally,…

ASTANA – Eight members of OPEC+ agreed to implement a production adjustment of 206,000 barrels per day in May, in addition to the 1.65 million barrels per day of voluntary cuts announced in April 2023, reaffirming the importance of a cautious approach and retaining full flexibility. Algeria, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and…