Articles by Staff report

Kazakhstan Outlines Economic Development Model at UN Conference in Doha

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Kairat Umarov presented the country’s economic development model at the fifth United Nations (UN) conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Doha on March 5-7, reported the Foreign Ministry’s press service.  According to Umarov, this model allowed the country to reach the level of an upper-middle-income country…

Kazakh Student Promotes National Board Games through Startup Project

ASTANA – A student of Gumilyov Eurasian National University (ENU), Ainur Polatova, who promotes national board games, announced plans to present her startup to the French companies, the university’s press service reported.  Polatova is a first-year student in the Kazakh Philology master’s program who has implemented a unique startup project called Talapai. She decided to…

UN Implements Over 400 Projects in Kazakhstan in Three Decades

ASTANA – The United Nations (UN) has implemented more than 400 projects in Kazakhstan in the last 30 years, said Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Aibek Smadiyarov during a March 6 press briefing. “In the past 30 years, the UN has implemented over 400 projects in Kazakhstan at the national, regional, and local levels in a…

Strong Cooperation and Market Links Critical for Asian Interconnectivity, Says CICA Secretary General Sarybay

ASTANA – Establishing interconnectivity in Asia requires countries to cooperate closely and form interwoven market linkages at the subregional level, Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Kairat Sarybay told Azerbaijan’s Trend news agency. Sarybay added that in a positive sense, Central Asia’s regional cooperation tendencies are at odds…

Kazakh National Pavilion Opens at Major Mining Exhibition in Canada for First Time

ASTANA – The Kazakh National Pavilion unveiled its doors at the Association of Geologists and Developers of Canada (PDAC) – 2023 exhibition in Toronto, Canada, on March 5, reported Kazakh Invest national company’s press service.  In his welcoming address, Kazakh Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Almas Aidarov emphasized that every year for the past decade,…

Scholar Presents Book on Fascinating History of Kazakhstan’s Statehood to President Tokayev

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met on March 6 with Mukhit-Ardager Sydyknazarov, director of the Institute of Modern Studies at the Gumilev Eurasian National University, who presented a book about the uninterrupted history of Kazakh nationhood in the 16th-19th centuries, reported the Akorda press service.  The book “Uninterrupted History of Nationhood in Kazakhstan. The Kazakh…

Kazakhstan, China Bilateral Trade Turnover Increases by One-Third in 2022

ASTANA – In 2022, the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and China reached $24.1 billion, a 34.1 percent rise from the year before, reported Energyprom.kz on March 6, citing the data of the Bureau of National statistics.  The Kazakh government is set to increase mutual trade with China by up to $35 billion by 2030 following…

Kazakh Security Forces Detain Suspected Initiator of Attacks on Journalists

ASTANA – The Kazakh security authorities and the Prosecutor General’s Office detained on March 4 Arkady Klebanov (Manevich), a Kazakh citizen suspected of ordering and organizing a series of recent attacks on journalists, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.   According to Albina Makhambetova, chief of communications department at the Kazakh Internal Affairs Ministry, Klebanov…

Kazakh Fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov Scores Another UFC Victory

ASTANA – Kazakh fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov remained undefeated after his fifth UFC fight in Las Vegas on March 4, Sports.kz reported. Rakhmonov defeated American Geoff Neal in the welterweight fight with a rear-naked choke submission in the final 43 seconds of the third round. Rakhmonov and Neal won the Fight of the Night title. Shavkat…

World Bank: Central Asia Requires $20 Billion of Investment in Green Energy by 2030

ASTANA – Central Asia will need $20 billion of investment in solar, wind, hydro, and modernizing national and regional grids for improved trade and interconnectivity by 2030, according to the preliminary estimates announced at the Central Asia Energy Trade and Investment Forum 2023  in London on March 2-3, World Bank’s press service reported. A two-day…

Syrian President Sends Gratitude to Kazakhstan for Humanitarian Aid in Aftermath of Deadly Earthquake

ASTANA – President of Syria Bashar al-Assad sent a telegram to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev extending gratitude for the humanitarian assistance provided by Kazakhstan to the Syrian people after the devastating earthquake that hit Syria and Türkiye on Feb. 6, the Akorda press service reported on March 6. “The Syrian people highly appreciate the position of…

Standard & Poor’s Revises Kazakhstan’s Rating Outlook from Negative to Stable

ASTANA – Standard & Poor’s (S&P) international rating agency confirmed Kazakhstan’s sovereign credit rating at BBB-/A-3, improving its outlook from negative to stable, according to its rating released on March 3. The Kazakh economy’s fiscal and external balance sheets are the key factors supporting the country’s credit rating. The S&P report states the significant amount…

UN Kazakhstan, Kazpost Launch Campaign to Combat Gender Stereotypes

ASTANA – A campaign to combat gender stereotypes was launched on March 6 by the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Kazpost national postal operator, the press service of UN Kazakhstan reported. Posters with the slogan “Empowered woman –…

Tokayev Discusses Allied Relations with Uzbek President During Informal Meeting in Shymkent

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discussed with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev trade and prospects for strengthening allied relations between the two countries during an informal meeting on March 3 in Shymkent, the Akorda press service reports.  Tokayev and Mirziyoyev addressed the details of the agreements reached following Tokayev’s state visit to Tashkent in December 2022,…

Kazakhstan to Promote Bozok Ancient Settlement National Park with Open-Air Museum

ASTANA – A new open-air museum will be built at the Bozok ancient settlement site near Astana to showcase the life, history, and cultural features of ancient nomads, according to the Jibek Joly TV channel.  The Bozok settlement is a significant archaeological site that provides evidence of the formation and development of steppe civilization, including…

Kazakhstan Names Five Top-Rated Tourist Destinations

ASTANA – More than 610,000 foreign tourists visited Kazakhstan in 2022, reported the Ministry of Tourism and Sports on Feb. 27. There was an increase in domestic tourism as well.  Here is the list of the most visited places in the country in 2022.  Charyn Canyon National Park  Approximately 200 kilometers east of Almaty, the…

Kazakh Film “The Rat” Wins Awards at Five Global Festivals

ASTANA – Kazakh film “The Rat” directed by Zhantemir Baimukhamedov won awards at five international film festivals in Brazil, Macau, Malta, Scotland, and Russia, reported Jibek Joly TV channel on Feb. 21. The film won a Grand Prix at the 60th anniversary edition of the Golden Knight International Short Film Festival in Malta, competing with…

Kazakh Universities Welcome Nearly 30,000 Foreign Students

ASTANA – Some 28,169 international students study at 113 universities in Kazakhstan as of March 2023, according to the Study in Kazakhstan platform, which shares information about the country’s available educational programs for international students. In recent years, the country has seen an increase in the number of students coming from African countries, Russia, the…

Francophonie Spring Festival Kicks Off in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Francophonie Spring 2023 Festival kicked off on March 1 and will run until April 30 to promote the French language and Francophone cultures in Kazakhstan, said French Ambassador to Kazakhstan Didier Canesse at a Central Communications Service briefing on March 1. The festival, which has been held in Kazakhstan for the past 13…

London-Based Brand Strategy Consultancy Ranks Kazakhstan 79th Among 121 Nations in Global Soft Power Index

ASTANA – Kazakhstan rose from 88th to 79th place out of 121 countries in the 2023 Global Soft Power Index by Brand Finance, the world’s leading independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy, according to the company’s report. The ranking was announced on March 2 at Brand Finance’s Global Soft Power Summit in London, where delegates…

Kazakhstan Needs $610 Billion in Investments in Low-Carbon Technologies, Says Minister

ASTANA – The net investment in Kazakhstan’s low-carbon technologies is estimated at $610 billion, said Kazakh Minister of National Economy Alibek Kuantyrov at a Feb. 28 seminar dedicated to the country’s strategy for achieving carbon neutrality, the ministry’s press service reported. “Our goal is to reduce our carbon footprint and reap the new benefits of…

Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia to Build Wind Farm in Zhetisu Region

ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry of Energy, Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund, and Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power company signed an agreement to build a one-gigawatt wind farm in the Zhetisu Region during a working trip of Energy Minister Bolat Akchulakov to Riyadh on March 1, the ministry’s press service reported. The construction will start in…

Kazakhstan Calls for Resumption of Dialogue Between Nuclear Powers at Disarmament Conference

ASTANA – The resumption of dialogue between nuclear powers is necessary as never before, said Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mukhtar Tileuberdi at a Feb. 28 High-level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament (CD) in Geneva, reported the UN Office press service. “Over the past year, the world has become even…

Kazakhstan Seeks to Increase Agricultural Exports to EU

ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of Agriculture Yerbol Karashukeyev said during a Feb. 27 meeting with top EU officials in Brussels that Kazakhstan is ready to expand trade and economic partnership with the European Union, reported the ministry’s press service. During talks with the EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski, the sides discussed exporting Kazakh fish…

EU Clarifies Procedures for Issuing Schengen Visas for Kazakh Citizens

ASTANA – The European Union made no significant changes to the Schengen visa application procedure for Kazakh citizens and did not place Kazakhstan on a “black list”, according to a March 1 statement from the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan. “As a general rule, a decision to issue a Schengen visa is taken by the respective…