President Tokayev Tours Water Supply Facilities in Almaty, Outlines Need for Conscious Use of Water
ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited the construction site of the Balkash two reservoirs with clean drinking water, each 3,000 cubic meters (m3), as well as a pumping station on Jan. 25, reported the Akorda press service. This year, Almaty akimat (city administration) plans to build 142 kilometers and modernize 48 kilometers of…
President Tokayev Addresses Almaty Seismic Safety, Urges Residents to Stay Calm
ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev chaired a meeting on seismic safety on Jan. 25 in Almaty, attended by the Executive Office of the President, Security Council, government members, mayors and regional emergency department heads, reported the Akorda press service. The President urged for comprehensive awareness campaigns and regular training in schools and government…
Kazakh Senate Approves Law on Investment Cooperation With Qatar
ASTANA – Deputies of the Senate, the upper house of the Kazakh Parliament, approved the law on ratifying the agreement between the governments of Kazakhstan and Qatar on the mutual promotion and protection of investments on Jan. 25, reported Kazinform. According to Senate deputy Andrei Lukin, national companies and the two countries’ private sectors have…
German Investor Plans to Build Waste Processing Plant in Taraz
ASTANA – Germany’s AMK Global GmbH company plans to build a waste processing plant in Taraz, reported the Zhambyl Region akimat (local administration) press service on Jan. 24. Akim (mayor) of the Zhambyl Region Yerbol Karashukeyev held talks with the General Director of ThiemeBieg & Associates Torsten Thieme to discuss the project implementation. A waste…
Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund’s Net Profit Exceeds $4 Billion in 2023
ASTANA – In 2023, net profit of the Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund reached 1.9 trillion tenge (US$4.25 billion) according to preliminary calculations, said Samruk Kazyna Chairman Nurlan Zhakupov at a Jan. 24 public council meeting, reported the fund’s press service. “In 2022 the average oil price was 99$ per barrel, and in 2023 it…
National Commission for Women’s Affairs, Family and Demographic Policy Wraps Up 2023, Sets Priorities for This Year
ASTANA – National Commission for Women’s Affairs, Family and Demographic Policy wrapped up the outcomes of their work in 2023 and set goals for this year during a Jan. 24 meeting, reported the Ministry of Culture and Information press service. “2023 was a productive year for the commission, which focused on exploring a wide range…
Kazakhstan’s Sergek Service Starts Applying Amazon Web Services Cloud Solutions
ASTANA – Sergek, Kazakhstan’s leading platform for monitoring and analyzing traffic offenses on city roads and streets, completed a pilot project based on Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud solutions, having tested the technical capabilities of integration to increase efficiency and deploy Sergek solutions abroad, reported Sergek press service on Jan. 19. “This is done for…
Tokayev Addresses Legal Literacy, Crime Prevention, Building Trust with Public at Interior Ministry Board Meeting
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held an expanded meeting with the Ministry of Internal Affairs on Jan. 22, reported the Akorda press service. Addressing the meeting participants, Tokayev emphasized the important role of the police in rooting the principle of law and order in the country. “Fighting crime and maintaining public order is a…
Air Astana Takes Flight: IPO Roadshow Set for Jan. 29 Following Public Listing Announcement
ASTANA – Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s national carrier, to start its initial public offering (IPO) roadshow on Jan. 29 after announcing its intention to float on the London Stock Exchange, Astana International Exchange (AIX), and Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE), reported the company’s press service on Jan. 19. “On behalf of the company, I am delighted to…
Kaspi.kz Joins Nasdaq, Prices IPO at $92 Per Share
ASTANA – Kaspi.kz, one of the region’s leading banking and fintech companies, announced on Jan. 18 the pricing of the U.S. initial public offering (IPO) of 11.3 million American depositary shares (ADSs) for $92 per ADS. The ADSs began trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on Jan. 19 under the symbol KSPI. Following the…
Kazakhstan Switches to UTC+05.00 Time Zone From March 1
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is set to switch to a single fifth time zone (UTC+05.00) from March 1 according to the Jan. 19 government decree, reported the Ministry of Trade and Integration press service. According to the document, on March 1, the cities of Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent as well as the Abai, Akmola, Almaty, Zhambyl,…
New International Trade & Logistics Center Opens on Kazakh-Chinese Border
ASTANA – A new international trade and logistics center opened on Jan. 19 on the Kazakh-Chinese border, near the village of Dostyk, reported the Transport Ministry’s press service. The new facility is supposed to develop and improve cross-border logistics infrastructure and increase the capacity of the Alakol road crossing. “We plan to open such hubs…
President Tokayev Meets With UN Top Officials, Addresses Global Food Security
ASTANA – The President met with the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) Qu Dongyu on Jan. 19 at Rome’s headquarters, reported the Akorda press service. During the meeting, Tokayev outlined the importance of ensuring global food security and promoting sustainable development of the agro-industrial complex. “Food shortage…
News Digest: Foreign Media on President’s Visit to Italy, European Commission Vice President’s Tour to Central Asia and More
ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles on Kazakhstan published in international media. This week’s foreign media digest covers Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s official visit to Italy and the Vatican, European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas’ tour to Central Asia, United States – Kazakhstan ties and more. Schinas tours Central Asia in preparation for…
Kazakh President Holds Talks With Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher in Vatican
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See, on Jan. 19 in the Vatican, reported the Akorda press service. The President acknowledged the support of the Vatican in making the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, held in…
Kazakhstan to Send Up to 430 Peacekeepers to Middle East, Africa
ASTANA – The Kazakh Parliament approved the deployment of up to 430 peacekeepers to participate in United Nations missions at a Jan. 19 joint meeting of the houses of the Parliament, reported the Mazhilis press service. These missions are the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights, the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO,…
Kazakh President Meets with Pope Francis in Vatican
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Pope Francis at the Vatican, as he made his first official visit to the Holy See on Jan. 19, reported the Akorda press service. Tokayev expressed gratitude to Pope Francis for his tireless and selfless efforts for the development of humanity throughout the globe. “Your prayers for…
Trading Volume on KASE Nears $910 Billion in 2023
ASTANA – The trading volume on Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) totaled 410.7 trillion tenge (US$909 billion), increasing by 57.0% or 149.1 trillion tenge (US$330 billion) last year compared to 2022, reported the KASE press service on Jan. 18. Trading increased on both the foreign exchange and securities markets. “The volume of trading on the secondary…
Kazakh National Bank Lowers Base Rate to 15.25%
ASTANA – The Monetary Policy Committee of Kazakhstan’s National Bank decided to reduce the base rate to 15.25% per annum from 15.75% (November, 2023), the bank’s press service reported on Jan. 19. “Annual inflation reached single digit levels by the end of 2023. Monthly inflation in December slightly exceeded the historical average. External inflationary processes…
Kazakh President Arrives in Italy on Official Visit
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has arrived in Rome Jan. 17 to begin his official visits to Italy and the Vatican on Jan. 18-19, reported the Akorda press service. On Jan. 18, Tokayev is expected to hold talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The President will also take…
Kazakhstan, Japan to Develop Applications of Satellite-Based Monitoring of Hazards
ASTANA – Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary national company and Japan’s Synscpective agreed on joint research and development of new apps using radar satellites for monitoring natural hazards, reported the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry on Jan. 16. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding during a Jan. 12 Kazakhstan-Japan business forum in the…
Houses of Kazakh Parliament to Convene on January 19
ASTANA – Yerlan Koshanov, the chairman of the Mazhilis, a lower house of the Kazakh Parliament, signed a decree to convene a joint meeting of the houses of the Parliament on Jan. 19 in Astana, reported the Mazhilis’ press service on Jan. 17. The meeting is being convened in accordance with subparagraph 2 of paragraph…
Astana City Planning Until 2035 Focuses on Greening, Social Services
ASTANA – The Kazakh government has approved the Astana city planning until 2035 with outlined priorities in social, housing, communal services, as well as transport and energy infrastructure on Jan. 17, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. The plan includes measures for the city’s rapid development, taking into account the dynamic growth of the population.…
Kazakhstan to Build New Power Generating Capacity
ASTANA – The Samruk Energy power holding’s investment projects are expected to generate 12 gigawatts (GW) in Kazakhstan by 2035, said Samruk Energy Chair Kairat Maksutov during a Jan. 16 government meeting, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. The planned investment projects include thermal plants worth 5.9 GW, hydro power plants with a capacity of…
Kazakhstan Observes Increased Investment in Science
ASTANA – Some 77.6 billion tenge (US$171.3 million) were invested in the country’s professional, scientific and technical activities in January – November 2023, reported the Finprom financial and business analytical service on Jan. 16. In the same period of 2022, investments in the sector reached 45.5 billion tenge (US$100.4 million). The statistics show the volume…
