Articles by Malika Rustem

Political Consultations between Iran, Kazakhstan Held in Tehran

ASTANA – Bilateral political consultations between the foreign ministries of Kazakhstan and Iran took place in Tehran on Feb. 1, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry press service reports, with the parties discussing mutual support for international issues, possibilities for increasing trade and investment and other issues. Deputy Foreign Minister Askar Mussinov headed the Kazakh delegation while…

Zhusan Ballet Premieres at Astana Opera

ASTANA – “Zhusan,” a one-act ballet telling a story of the Great Steppe, premiered Dec. 10 and 11 on the stage of the Astana Opera. The performance highlighted the attention to creations of Kazakh authors in the troupe’s repertoire. The offering, which recounts the formation of the Kazakh people’s identity, was warmly welcomed by local…

Kazakh, Russian Intelligentsia Meet in Moscow

Poets, writers and literary critics from Kazakhstan and Russia met in Moscow on Nov. 26 for the first time in 25 years to talk about common problems and to seek ways to make modern literature better known in both countries. The event, held at the initiative of the Kazakh Embassy in Russia and the Literaturnaya…

Kazakhstan Establishes Visa-Free Regime for 10 Countries

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced on June 12 that Kazakhstan is about to establish a visa-free regime for citizens of 10 countries. The announcement came during his speech to the Foreign Investors’ Council at the Borovoye Lake resort. The visa-free regime will be in force between July 15, 2014 and July 15, 2015…

Turkic-Speaking States Summit Focuses on Tourism

BODRUM, TURKEY – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev visited Bodrum, Turkey on June 4-6 to participate in the 4th Summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States (CCTS) which focused on cooperation in tourism development. Presidents of Kazakhstan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan attended the June 5summit. The president of Turkmenistan which is not a member of the…

Malaysian PM Visits Astana, Advances Economic Ties

ASTANA – Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak paid an official visit to Astana on May 22-24 to enhance bilateral ties in various fields. Although diplomatic relations were established in 1992 and Razak and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev met twice before, there was still much to discuss. “In the past three years, we have…

In Astana, Top U.S. Diplomat Reaffirms America’s “Enduring” Commitment to Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Visiting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns met with Kazakhstan’s top leadership on May 8 in Astana to discuss a range of bilateral and regional cooperation issues, including events in Ukraine and the situation in Afghanistan as well as Kazakhstan’s upcoming accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The key message coming…

Kazakh Foreign Minister Meets with OSCE Secretary General, Both Highlight Need for United Security Community

ASTANA – The need for an undivided European and Eurasian security community and the role of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in building it were the main topics of the April 28 meeting between Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov and Secretary General of the OSCE Lamberto Zannier in Astana. The two…

Bahraini King Pays First Visit to Astana, Political and Commercial Ties Expand

ASTANA – King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain paid his first official visit to Kazakhstan on April 13-15. Accompanied by a high-level delegation of more than 200 officials and business leaders, the King was welcomed on arrival in Astana by Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and New Technologies Asset Issekeshev…

Almaty to Bid for 2022 Winter Olympics

President Nursultan Nazar­bayev has approved Almaty’s candidature to host the Winter Olympic Games in 2022. The offi cial bid has to be lodged with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by November 14 this year, and the vote will take place at the IOC meeting in Kuala Lumpur in June 2015. Announcing the bid at a…

Foreign Minister Brings Green Economy Message to Northern Europe

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov last week wound up his tour of northern Europe in Oslo after sharing Kazakhstan’s plan for a green economy with the region. The key message from Kazakhstan’s delegation to Finland, Norway and Sweden, arising from President Nazarbayev’s programme of intensive economisation of foreign policy, was the same: Kazakhstan…

Foreign Minister Attends OIC Summit in Egypt

A delegation from Kazakhstan led by Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov took part in the 12th summit of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which opened on Feb.6 in Egypt’s capital, Cairo. It was the first time that the leaders of OIC member states gathered under the organisation’s new name, which it received at a…