Articles by Dana Omirgazy 

ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree establishing the Commission on Constitutional Reform on Jan. 21.  To develop proposals for constitutional reform, Tokayev has decreed the creation of the commission, approved the attached regulations and their composition, and assigned the Presidential Administration to oversee their implementation. The decree enters into force on the…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Law on Artificial Intelligence entered into force on Jan. 18, establishing a comprehensive legal framework for the development and use of AI while enshrining the priority of individuals, their rights, freedoms, and well-being.  The legislation sets out core principles for AI use, including fairness and equality, transparency and explainability of algorithms, accountability…

ASTANA — The fifth meeting of the working group on parliamentary reform, chaired by State Counselor Erlan Karin, was held on Jan. 15 to review proposals aimed at strengthening the role of the new Parliament in supporting the functioning of key state institutions.  Since October last year, around 600 reform proposals have been submitted by…

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest highlights Kazakhstan’s perspectives on energy security, a major $300 million investment to upgrade the Middle Corridor rail route, developments in culture, history, and industry, and more. Kazakhstan raises alarm over Black Sea tanker attacks, warning of…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company KazMunayGas (KMG) rerouted approximately 300,000 tons of oil in December 2025 due to restrictions on Kazakh oil supplies through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), redirecting shipments via alternative export routes using the KazTransOil (KTO) system to Germany, China, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, and the ports of Novorossiysk…

ASTANA — Kazmortransflot, a subsidiary of KazMunayGas(KMG), has reported an increase in container shipping across the Caspian Sea last year, strengthening Kazakhstan’s transit and transport potential. Along the Aktau-Baku-Aktau feeder line, the company transported 59,400 twenty-foot equivalent containers (TEUs), marking more than a 15% growth compared to 51,400 TEUs in 2024, reported KMG on Jan.…

ASTANA – Jewelry production in Kazakhstan rose 41.3% in January-October 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, reaching $4.1 million, driven by domestic gold quotas, VAT incentives, and support for local manufacturers. Imports of jewelry increased 39.6%, reaching $174.7 million, while exports grew 7.3-fold to $54.5 million. Domestic consumption rose 3.2% to $124.3 million,…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan aims to make manufacturing the main driver of economic growth this year, with metallurgy, mechanical engineering, chemicals, and construction materials leading the expansion. The government’s economic growth task force held its first meeting of the year on Jan. 13, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin. The…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan is launching the next phase of geological exploration, with 240 billion tenge (US$470 million) to be invested over the next three years to improve geological mapping, expand resource discovery, and attract private investment in the mining and energy sectors. Last year, 20 projects were developed to produce detailed geological maps covering around…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Trade and Integration is monitoring the U.S. statements regarding countries with trade ties to Iran and assessing potential scenarios, as details of possible measures and their implementation remain unclear, the ministry said on Jan. 13. “Currently, the details of possible measures and the parameters for their implementation are not yet…

ASTANA — The Central Asia Climate Foundation (CACF) reported on Jan. 12 that, according to the National Report on the State of the Environment and the Use of Natural Resources in Kazakhstan for 2024, the country’s total forest fund exceeded 23 million hectares, accounting for 8.7% of the country’s total land area. From 1991 to…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s economy expanded by 6.5% in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of National Statistics. Growth was driven by strong performance in manufacturing, transportation, construction, and retail sectors. The industrial production index reached 7.4%, with the manufacturing sector growing 6.4%. Key contributors included food production (+8.1%),…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s prosecutors secured the state’s economic interests worth more than 1.1 trillion tenge (US$2.1 billion) in 2025 amid ongoing economic reforms, Prosecutor General Berik Assylov wrote on X account on Jan. 12. According to Assylov, prosecutors seized 470 billion tenge (US$920.9 million) in cash and property in cases related to public spending, procurement,…

ASTANA — Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Information has announced the winner of the curatorial competition for the country’s national pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, which will take place from May 9 to Nov. 22, under the theme In Minor Keys. The selected concept, KONYR: Archive of Silence, was…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s fishery sector recorded nearly 59,400 tons of processed fish in January-November 2025, contributing to a total market volume of 76,800 tons, up 10% from 2024. Fish catches reached 38,500 tons, while aquaculture production totaled 20,900 tons, reflecting steady growth. The country has 72 fish processing enterprises, including 20 authorized to export to…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik claimed a landmark victory at the 2026 Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open on Jan. 11. The 28-year-old defeated Italy’s world No. 7 Lorenzo Musetti in the final, 7:6 (7:2), 6:3, to capture his ninth ATP title in his 16th career final. The win marked Bublik’s fifth consecutive victory…

ASTANA — The City of Nomads tourist attraction, located on the banks of the Ili River, 90 kilometers from Almaty, is set for modernization following the completion of a new access road. The complex was originally built for the filming of the 2005 historical epic film “Koshpendiler” (Nomad: The Warrior) and spans an area of…

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest highlights the country’s emergence as a regional industrial hub, new migration policies, and Kazakhstan’s EAEU chairmanship, among other key developments. Kazakhstan enters a decisive phase of modernisation, President Tokayev says EU Reporter published an article on…

ASTANA — The United States has introduced visa bond requirements of up to $15,000 for citizens of several Central Asian countries applying for tourist and business visas. Under a pilot program implemented by the U.S. Department of State, nationals of the Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan have been added to the list of countries whose…

ASTANA – With one month remaining until the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, scheduled for Feb. 6-22, Kazakhstan’s athletes are finalizing preparations and competing for Olympic quotas. Several quotas have already been secured in figure skating, short track, and speed skating. Figure skating Mikhail Shaidorov and Sofia Samodelkina secured Kazakhstan’s first…

ASTANA – Chinese tourism to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan surged, with flight bookings doubling compared to last year over the New Year period, according to leading online travel platform Qunar. While Seoul remained the most popular foreign destination for Chinese travelers, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Georgia showed notable growth, driven largely by the introduction of visa-free access…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan will accelerate the development of a reliable and sustainable energy base to support digital infrastructure, data centers, and automated industrial production, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said at a Jan. 6 government meeting, stressing that energy security is a key prerequisite for the country’s transition to a new technological economic model. Bektenov said…

ASTANA — Refineries operated by KazMunayGaz (KMG), Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company, reached a historic high in production in 2025, producing 13.6 million tons of light petroleum products. The figure is 1.18 million tons higher than in 2024 and 1.55 million tons higher than in 2023, reported the company’s press service on Jan. 6. …

ASTANA — Throughout 2025, Kazakhstan was actively involved in international diplomacy, multilateral initiatives, and domestic political processes. The year was marked by high-level summits, participation in UN and regional formats, the launch of international initiatives, and discussions on political and institutional reforms. International events On Nov. 6, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in the second-ever…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan made significant progress in healthcare and environmental protection this year, with government reforms and national programs delivering precise results that improved public health, expanded medical access, and strengthened environmental sustainability nationwide. Healthcare Kazakhstan closed the year with historic achievements in healthcare, positioning itself as a regional leader in public health outcomes. Kazakhstan…