CICA Ministerial Meeting Calls for Stronger Multilateral Cooperation Amid Increased Global Threats
NUR-SULTAN – As the 6th ministerial meeting of the CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia) kicked off today in Nur-Sultan, the ministers emphasized the need for stronger multilateralism amid the increased challenges, including the pandemic and the destabilizing situation in Afghanistan. The one-day event in the Kazakh capital gathered representatives of…
Volume of FDI in Kazakhstan Grows 30.4 Percent in First Half of 2021
NUR-SULTAN – The volume of foreign direct investments in the economy of Kazakhstan increased by 30.4 percent amounting to $11.1 billion, said the Kazakh Prime Minister’s press service. In terms of sectors, the highest growth of foreign investments was in the manufacturing industry – 57.2 percent, trade – 45.8 percent, mining – 27.1 percent, and…
Kazakhstan Marks 110 Years Since Birth of Prominent Poet Kassym Amanzholov
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan might be a young country celebrating the first 30 years of its independence, but its history and culture go beyond these 30 years. On Oct. 10, Kazakhstan marks 110 years since the birth of prominent poet and writer Kassym Amanzholov. Born in 1911 in the Karkaraly district of the Karaganda Region Amanzholov’s…
Urban Forum Kazakhstan Seeks to Establish Equal and Fair Dialogue in City Planning
NUR-SULTAN – Constructive dialogue between the citizens and municipal government is needed to build a fair and inclusive urban space, said Adil Nurmakov, head of Urban Forum Kazakhstan (UFK), a public foundation that seeks to establish equal and fair dialogue in urban planning across Kazakh cities, in an interview to The Astana Times. Though nearly…
Almaty Hosts EU Central Asia Civil Society Forum
NUR-SULTAN – Almaty hosted the European Union Central Asia Civil Society Forum on Oct. 6 gathering nearly 300 representatives from the government and civil society under the motto “Building Forward Better: engaging for a sustainable post-COVID recovery.” This is the third such forum. In previous years, it was hosted by Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The event…
PACE Commends Kazakhstan’s Efforts in Inclusive Education, Abolishment of Death Penalty
NUR-SULTAN – The leadership and deputies of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) commended the current political reforms in Kazakhstan, particularly in the area of inclusive education, and abolishment of the death penalty, said the Kazakh Consulate General in Strasbourg. The Kazakh delegation led by Deputy Chair of the Senate Askar Shakirov…
Kazakhstan to Supply Its QazVac COVID-19 Vaccine to Other Countries Next Year
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan plans to supply its QazVac vaccine to Afghanistan and other Muslim countries, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during his working visit to the Zhambyl Region that hosts the vaccine production facility, reports Akorda press service. QazVac, which has been administered in the country since April, is an inactivated vaccine injected twice with a…
AFSA Launches World Investor Week in Kazakhstan to Promote Investment Intelligence
NUR-SULTAN – The Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) launched the fourth virtual World Investor Week in Kazakhstan on Oct.4 to provide lectures on the basic principles of investing, digital assets, and financial literacy at the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC). The online event, which this year, is aimed at promoting investment intelligence, will last through…
EXPO-2020 Dubai: Kazakhstan Unveils Its National Pavillion
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan opened its national pavilion at EXPO-2020 in Dubai on Oct. 1, reports QazExpoCongress, a national company in charge of the country’s participation in the exhibition. The exhibition that opened with the fascinating show on Oct. 1 is one of the first large-scale global events since the pandemic began, as the world is…
Kazakhstan, Russia to Join Efforts to Revive Wild Tiger Population
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan and Russia pledged their commitment to boost their efforts in reviving the population of wild tigers that once roamed the territory of Kazakhstan. That’s what President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President of Russia Vladimir Putin agreed on during their virtual Interregional Forum on Thursday. The Kazakh-Russian Interregional Forum takes place annually…
President Tokayev and Vladimir Putin Agree That Kazakhstan, Russia Have Similar Environmental Issues to Address
NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a virtual Interregional Forum that this year focused on cooperation in environmental issues and green growth, reports the Akorda press service. Tokayev said that the environment and green growth are becoming increasingly important. “Kazakhstan and Russia have similar environmental problems: high air, water, and…
Nearly 65 Percent Fully Vaccinated in Kazakhstan
NUR-SULTAN – More than 6.5 million people in Kazakhstan are now fully immunized against the COVID-19, or 64.7 percent of the eligible population, said Kazakh Healthcare Minister Alexey Tsoy at a government meeting on Tuesday. Around 7.6 million people, or 75.8 percent of the eligible population, have received at least one dose of vaccine. “Regions…
Share of SMEs in Kazakhstan’s GDP Reaches 32 Percent
NUR-SULTAN – The share of small and medium-sized businesses in the country’s gross domestic product has reached 32 percent with 3.5 million people, said Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the eighth meeting of the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs on Tuesday. The figure grew from 24 percent to 32 percent over the past five years.…
World Bank Regional Director for Sustainable Development Commends Kazakhstan’s Commitment to Decarbonization
NUR-SULTAN – On his official visit to Kazakhstan on Sept. 20-24, Steven Navon Schonberger, Regional Director for the World Bank Group’s Sustainable Development Department with Europe and Central Asia region, acknowledged the country’s efforts in transitioning to a low carbon strategy as he met with the country’s senior officials. The Astana Times spoke with Schonberger…
Saudi Investment Minister Visits Kazakhstan to Boost Bilateral Ties
NUR-SULTAN – Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih met Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Prime Minister Askar Mamin during an official visit to the country on Sunday. The sides discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties and boost cooperation in different sectors. The Saudi delegation led by Al-Falih also met government officials and representatives of major Kazakh…
Kazakh Foreign Minister Attends Turkic Council Meeting on Afghanistan
NUR-SULTAN – The Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tileuberdi participated in an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States on Sept. 27 that discussed the situation in Afghanistan, reports the Kazakh Foreign Ministry press service. The ministers focused their discussion…
Supreme Council for Reforms Focuses on National Projects, Commodity Distribution System, Exports
NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev chaired the meeting of the Supreme Council for Reforms that focused on national projects, the formation of an effective commodity distribution system, systemic measures to promote exports, and the draft Territorial Development Plan, reports the Akorda press service. The council was created in September 2020 and is meant to serve…
President Tokayev Inspects Military Exercise in Mangistau Region
NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited the Otpantau-2021 operational and strategic command post exercise at the Oymash training range as part of his working visit to the Mangistau Region, reports the Akorda press service. “This historic place (referring to Oymash) symbolizes our statehood, heroism, and the unity and cohesion of our people. When our borders…
Mangistau Region Attracts Over $16 Billion of Investment in 30 Years
NUR-SULTAN – The Mangistau Region has attracted seven trillion tenge (US$16.5 billion) over the 30 years of the country’s independence, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as he visited the region on Sept. 22. “The volume of industrial production in the region more than doubled – from 3.5 percent to 8 percent. The region is in the…
President Tokayev Addresses Global COVID-19 Summit as Part of UNGA 76th Assembly
NUR-SULTAN – As the United Nations headquarters hosts the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 76) from Sept. 21 until Sept. 27, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered a video message at the global COVID-19 virtual summit titled “Ending the Pandemic and Building Back Better to Prepare for the Next” taking place at this high-level…
ADB Raises Economic Growth Outlook Projection For Central Asia to 4.1 Percent
NUR-SULTAN – The Asian Development Bank raised its economic growth outlook for Central Asian economies this year to 4.1 percent from the previous 3.4 percent projected in April in its latest Asian Development Outlook 2021. The outlook was improved for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan with the subregion’s 2022 outlook rising to 4.2 percent…
Kazakhstan to Export Up to 6.5 Million Tons of Grain in 2021
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan may export up to 6.5 million tons of grain in 2021, said Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin at a government meeting on Tuesday. Kazakhstan, which is among the world’s leading grain producers and exporters, has been hit hard by droughts last summer. “Despite the reduced volume of grain due to drought in…
Kazakhstan Resumes Visa Free Regime with 30 Countries, Increases Air Travel
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will resume a visa-free regime with 30 countries with a stable epidemiological situation and high vaccination rates soon, announced Kazakhstan’s interdepartmental commission working to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection on Monday. The list of countries includes Italy, Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Poland Denmark,…
More Than Half of Jobs in Kazakhstan at High Risk of Automation, Education Remains a Priority
NUR-SULTAN – Nearly 52 percent of all future jobs in Kazakhstan are at high risk of automation. That is one of the conclusions made in the country’s first national report on the labor market prepared by the Center of Labor Resources Development. The figure stands at 47 percent in OECD countries. As the impact of…
Astana Open ATP 250 Kicks Off in Nur-Sultan
NUR-SULTAN – The first day of the Astana Open ATP 250 finished on Sept. 19, as the Kazakh capital hosts the event through Sept. 26. Nur-Sultan was one of four new ATP 250 events added to the 2020 provisional schedule, as tennis continued its return to schedule following the suspension of the season due to…
