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…
IAEA Expert Mission to Review Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Power Infrastructure
ASTANA – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert mission started its work in Kazakhstan on Feb. 27 to help prepare a comprehensive report on the country’s nuclear power infrastructure, reported the Kazakh Energy Ministry’s press service. The mission, which will last until March 3, will explore the development of Kazakhstan’s nuclear energy infrastructure, including…
Kazakhstan, UNICEF Join Efforts to Raise Awareness of Kazakh Open-Source IT Products Worldwide
ASTANA – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Nazarbayev University Innovation Cluster (NURIS) launched a project to raise global visibility, support, and publicity of Kazakh open-source IT products, UNICEF Kazakhstan reported on Feb. 24. Every product will pass the Digital Public Goods Alliance’s (DPGA) global standards verification to enter the DGPA global registry,…
Mexican Metro Broadcasts Dimash’s Video to Celebrate Nauryz (VIDEO)
ASTANA – The official fan club in Mexico of the world-renowned Kazakh singer Dimash Kudaibergen has broadcast his music video for the song “Kieli Meken” (Sacred Place) on 576 media facades of the Mexican metro to mark the upcoming Nauryz holiday, reported Dimashnews.com on Feb. 28. The video will be broadcast every hour from Feb.…
Almaty Court Arrests Suspected Coordinator of Attacks on Journalists for Two Months
ASTANA – The Almaty specialized interdistrict investigation court ruled on Feb. 24 to arrest for two months a person suspected of coordinating provocative attacks against journalists, reported the court’s press service. “The court decided to satisfy the request of the pre-trial investigation and authorized the use of a preventive measure in the form of an…
New York-Based Think Tank Includes Astana in Smart Communities List
ASTANA – The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), a New York-based global network and think tank, listed Astana among the world’s Smart21 Communities of 2023, the organization announced during a Feb. 23 virtual conference. “This may be ICF’s most ‘youthful’ and diverse group of cities,” said ICF co-founder Lou Zacharilla. “As we continue to move to…
President Tokayev Congratulates Nation on Gratitude Day
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated the nation on the Day of Gratitude celebrated on March 1, the Akorda press service reports. Celebrated since 2016, the holiday marks the establishment of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan on March 1, 1995. “This holiday embodies the enduring values of friendship, kindness, and solidarity, which are…
New Rules for Schengen Visa Not to Delay Applications for Kazakh Nationals, Says MFA Spokesperson
ASTANA – As of March 1, Kazakhstan will be included in the list of countries whose citizens will be required to pass through additional consultations to obtain a Schengen visa, Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Aibek Smadiyarov noted at a press briefing on Feb. 27. “As for the question that supposedly Kazakhstan is included in some kind…
Kazakh CEC Announces Schedule for Pre-Election TV Debates
ASTANA – Pre-election debates among political parties ahead of the upcoming parliamentary election will take place throughout March, the Kazakh Central Election Commission (CEC) announced on Feb. 27. Sixty-three million tenge (US$141,158) will be allocated to organize the debates. Both Khabar and the Qazaqstan TV channels were selected to air the debates, with the aim…
More Than 200 Voter Services Call Centers Now Operate Nationwide in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Since the beginning of the election campaign, 230 call centers have received more than 17,000 requests on voter verification and registration as of Feb. 27, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC). Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry Aset Turysov said the ministry organized call centers for voter services in…
Oman to Launch Direct Flights to Kazakhstan in July
ASTANA – Oman’s Salam Air low-cost airline plans to launch regular direct flights between Almaty and Muscat from July 1, reported the press service of the Civil Aviation Committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development. Flights will be operated two times a week on Thursdays and Sundays on Airbus A320neo and А321neo…
Maternal Mortality Rate Declines in Central Asia, According to Latest UN Report
ASTANA – Central Asia’s maternal mortality rate declined by 67.5 percent in the last 20 years, according to a study on the trends in maternal mortality prepared by the United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group and released on Feb. 23. According to the UN report, the region of Central and Southern Asia saw the…
Kazakh Break-Dancer Wins 2023 Breaking for Gold World Series in Japan (VIDEO)
ASTANA – Kazakh breakdancer Amir Zakirov won the Breaking for Gold World Series 2023 in Japan’s Kitakyushu, reported the tournament’s press service on Feb. 25. In the fight for gold, the Kazakh break-dancer overpowered opponents from the United States and Japan. The competition brought together 180 strongest break-dancers, including 99 boys and 81 girls, from…
National Bank to Keep Base Rate at 16.75 Percent
ASTANA – The monetary policy committee of the National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) has decided on Feb. 24 to keep the base rate at 16.75 percent, according to the bank’s press service. The decision is based on the bank’s updated forecasts, data analysis, and an assessment of the inflation risks balance. External pro-inflationary factors remain…
Kazakh FM Meets with UN Officials in Almaty, Reaffirms Country’s Commitment to Multilateralism
ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi congratulated the United Nations on the 30th anniversary of UN presence in Kazakhstan during his meeting with representatives of UN agencies and diplomatic corps on Feb. 24 in Almaty, reported the ministry’s press service. Tileuberdi noted the high level of interaction between Kazakhstan and…
Kazakh Startup 1Fit Announces Launch in UK
ASTANA – The 1Fit mobile application for unlimited fitness membership, founded by a Kazakh developer, announced its launch in the United Kingdom (UK) on its LinkedIn page on Feb. 20. London residents will be able to try it out as early as this month. The application provides the opportunity to organize and pay for all…
Kazakhstan Sends First Batch of Oil to Germany via Druzhba Pipeline
ASTANA – The system of main oil pipelines of the KazTransOil national company started receiving Kazakh oil for transportation to Germany on Feb. 23, said Shyngys Ilyasov, director of the public relations and internal communications department at KazTransOil, in a press statement. According to the oil supply schedule approved by the Kazakh Energy Ministry, KazTransOil…
EU-Central Asia Conference Focuses on Climate Action and Green Transition Efforts
ASTANA – Rome hosted the seventh European Union – Central Asia High-Level Conference on Environment and Water Cooperation on Feb. 23-24 under the auspices of the EU-Central Asia Platform for Environment and Water Cooperation, reported the platform’s press service. More than 100 delegates attended the conference, including ministers, deputy ministers, high-level Central Asian and EU…
US Secretary of State to Visit Kazakhstan, Participate in C5+1 Meeting
ASTANA – US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will pay his first official visit to Kazakhstan on Feb. 28, according to the U.S. Department of State statement. Blinken is expected to meet with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister-Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi to deepen bilateral cooperation. He will also participate in…
Kazakhstan’s Top International Tourist Arrivals Hail from Germany, Türkiye, UK, and US in 2023
ASTANA – Germany, Türkiye, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US) have entered the top ten countries of tourist arrivals to Kazakhstan since the beginning of this year, according to the Kazakh Culture and Sports Ministry. Some 2,500 tourists came from Türkiye, nearly 1,400 from Germany and the US and roughly 1,200 from…
Kazakhstan Approves Occupation Lists for Foreign Workers
ASTANA – Kazakhstan approved the list of 21 professions in the healthcare, science, engineering, and IT sectors set to employ foreign specialists, reported the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection on Feb. 22. A relevant government decree will come into force on Feb. 28. The list includes the occupations of neurosurgeon, oncologist, neonatologist, research engineer…
