Almaty is My Hometown: President Tokayev Shows Solidarity With Violence-Shocked Citizens During Visit
NUR-SULTAN – The past week for Kazakhstan and its largest city and important business, financial and cultural center Almaty was turbulent. But after almost a week of living in fear and uncertainty after a terrorist group attacked the city, citizens and the state are doing their best to rebuild the city. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived…
Eleven Out of Twenty Ministers in Kazakhstan’s New Government Retain Positions
NUR-SULTAN – Eleven out of 20 ministers in Kazakhstan’s new government have retained their positions, according to the decree published on Akorda, the official presidential website. The new composition of the government was announced the same day after the candidacy of Alikhan Smailov, 49, was approved for the post of the country’s Prime Minister. Smailov,…
Kazakhstan Weathered Worst Crisis in 30 Years, Says President Tokayev
NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the emergency session of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Collective Security Council on Jan. 10, which was devoted to the situation in Kazakhstan and measures to normalize it, reports the Akorda press service. According to Tokayev, in just a few days, Kazakhstan witnessed a “massive crisis,” the worst…
President’s Spokesperson Lays Out Timeline of Tokayev’s Decisions to Combat Terrorist Uprising
NUR-SULTAN – President’s spokesperson Berik Uali spoke about the timeline of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s decisions after the protests hit the country in an interview with the Khabar 24 news agency on Jan. 9. “Since the start of the events in the Mangistau Region on Jan. 4, as you know, peaceful rallies then turned into terrorist…
Kazakhstan Considers Tightening Restrictions as Omicron Variant Spreads Globally
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan is set to tighten its coronavirus restrictions starting from Jan. 5, 2022, as a result of the omicron variant causing a global surge in coronavirus cases. Starting from Jan. 5, only citizens who can prove recent recovery from COVID-19 or provide proof of a full vaccination course will be able to access…
President Tokayev Attends Informal Meeting of CIS Heads of State in St. Petersburg
NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attended the annual informal summit meeting of the heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States hosted Dec. 28 in St. Petersburg, reports the Akorda press service. The meeting was also attended by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko,…
Georgian Jeweler Creates Copy of Famous Manga Mascot to Mark Release of Second Manga by Dimash Fandom
NUR-SULTAN – Georgian jeweler David Chkheidze has created a copy of the famous manga talisman from a series of mangas called D’R’S released by fans of Kazakh popular singer Dimash Kudaibergen, announced by his fans on their official website. D’R’S was developed by a team of professional artists and writers and translated into eight languages.…
Kazakhstan Among Top Three Trade Partners of Uzbekistan
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan is among the top three trade partners of Uzbekistan with bilateral trade reaching $3.5 billion between January and November, according to Uzbekistan’s State Statistics Committee. Exports to Kazakhstan peaked above $1 billion, while imports reached $2.48 billion. This is a significant increase compared to the same period in 2020 when trade turnover…
Seventy-Five Percent of Eligible Population in Kazakhstan Fully Immunized Against COVID-19
NUR-SULTAN – Nearly 75 percent of the eligible population for vaccination, or 8.4 million people, has been fully immunized against COVID-19 in Kazakhstan, Acting Minister of Health Zhandos Burkitbayev told a government meeting on Tuesday. More than 8.9 million have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine which represents 80 percent of the eligible…
Kazakhstan’s Business Ombudsperson Office to Revise Outdated Regulatory Policies Until 2024
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of Entrepreneurs Rustem Zhursunov said his office will revise outdated regulatory approaches in the next two years during his meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Dec. 22, reports the Akorda press service. He also spoke about the institute’s work to support entrepreneurs amid the pandemic…
Kazakhstan Creates New National Park in Karaganda Region to Step Up Ecosystem Conservation Efforts
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has established a new Ulytau national park in the Karaganda Region based on a government decree on Dec. 7. The Ulytau national park with an area of 58,900 hectares becomes the 14th national park in Kazakhstan. The idea to create a national park in the Ulytau district has been repeatedly raised since 2009.…
Kazakhstan Marks 30 Years of Independence with Big Celebration in Capital, Festivities Around the World (Video)
NUR-SULTAN – Thirty years is a major milestone for a young country like Kazakhstan that over these years has grown into the region’s largest economy with ambitious plans and further reforms planned for the future. To mark this achievement, the Kazakh capital hosted a reception attended by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and senior officials. Addressing the…
Head of Kazakh Think Tank Addresses Country’s Development Progress Since Independence
NUR-SULTAN – On Dec.16, Kazakhstan celebrates the 30th anniversary of its independence. Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studie Zarema Shaukenova spoke about the major milestones in the formation of Kazakhstan as an independent state, how the country has coped with various crises during the years, as well as the transition of power and…
ADB Revises Economic Outlook for Central Asia to 4.7 Percent in 2021
NUR-SULTAN – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) substantially revised its economic growth outlook for Central Asia to 4.7 percent this year from the previous 4.1 percent driven by higher commodity prices and increased public spending, according to the latest supplement to the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2021. Kazakhstan’s economy is projected to grow from 3.4…
Where to Travel on December Holidays as Omicron Continues to Dash Travel Plans
NUR-SULTAN – Just when people were about to make their travel plans for the December holidays, the news came out about the new Omicron variant, first identified in South Africa, that prompted countries to reimpose their travel bans. The Astana Times offers a guide on where Kazakh citizens can fly now to spend their holidays. …
COVID-19 Incidence Declines in Kazakhstan, Omicron Variant Not Detected
NUR-SULTAN – The COVID-19 incidence rate has declined 28 percent over the past two weeks in Kazakhstan, said Kazakh Healthcare Minister at a government meeting last week. The country confirmed more than 979,000 cases of coronavirus infection since the pandemic began. The reproductive rate is now 0.92. “According to the WHO European Region, 25 of…
Kazakhstan Сoncludes Chairpersonship at Eurasian Economic Union
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan is ending its chairmanship at the Eurasian Economic Union and President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev spoke about the work the country has done as the organization’s chair at the Supreme Economic Council meeting today. In 2020, Kyrgyzstan was slated to take over the chairmanship of the union. LpThe meeting gathered via videoconference with Armenian…
Kazakhstan’s Economic Growth Reaches 3.8 Percent in 11 months
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s economic growth reached 3.8 percent in 11 months, said Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin at a government meeting on Tuesday giving hope that the country’s economy will rebound soon to pre-pandemic levels. The government meeting on Tuesday focused on the country’s socio-economic development and the state budget in the first 11 months…
President Tokayev Awards Young People for Their Innovative Projects With Grants at Generation of Independence Competition
NUR-SULTAN – Thirty young people received grants worth three million tenge (US$6,903) each from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Dec. 8 as part of the Generation of Independence grant competition, reports Akorda press service. The grant competition is the initiative of President Tokayev to support the projects of young people and to form a community of…
Trade Between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan Grows Nine Percent In 2021
NUR-SULTAN – Trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan reached US$680 million, growing by nine percent over the first nine months of 2021, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as he welcomed Chair of Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers and Chief of the Presidential Administration Akylbek Japarov in Akorda on Dec. 8. This is also 1.2 percent higher than…
Pandemic Affects Income Levels, Increases Existing Inequalities in Kazakhstan, But Government Takes Measures, Says President Tokayev
NUR-SULTAN – The COVID-19 pandemic has put the lives of millions of people around the world under stress, and in Kazakhstan, it caused income losses and exacerbated existing inequalities, but the government’s response was able to tackle the worst of the economic consequences of the pandemic, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Supreme Council for…
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev Visits Kazakhstan to Sign Declaration of Allied Relations
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have decided to improve bilateral ties to a new level from strategic partnership to alliance, after President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a declaration of allied relations during Mirziyoyev’s state visit to Kazakhstan on Dec. 6, reports Akorda press service. He met with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev,…
Kazakhstan Attracts Over US$370 Billion in FDI Since Independence
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has attracted over US$370 billion in foreign direct investments since it gained independence in 1991, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told representatives of leading investment companies on Friday. The meeting gathered top management of some of the world’s leading investment firms, including Blackrock, Luxor Capital, Lugard Road Capital, Aberdeen Asset Management, Capital Group, Sands…
Kazakhstan to Increase Oil Production Under OPEC+ Agreement
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will continue increasing oil production under the OPEC+ agreement, said Kazakh Energy Minister Magzum Mirzagaliyev, who represented Kazakhstan at the 23rd OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial meeting on Tuesday. The meeting reaffirmed the continued commitment of the countries to ensure a stable and balanced oil market and agreed to increase production by 400,000…
Kazakhstan Tightens Travel Rules as Omicron Variant Spreads
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will tighten travel rules for international arrivals from Dec. 3 over the concerns of a new Omicron variant, First Vice Healthcare Minister Marat Shoranov told a government meeting on Tuesday. Foreign nationals from Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Madagascar, Eswatini, Tanzania, Malawi, and Hong Kong will not be able to…
