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…
European Commission Vice President Visits Kazakhstan, Meets Government Officials
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Senate Chairman Maulen Ashimbayev and Vice President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas addressed trade, economic and investment cooperation, including the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), during a Jan. 15 meeting, reported the Senate’s press service. Schinas started his Central Asian tour in Kazakhstan on Jan. 15. In a…
President Tokayev to Pay Official Visits to Italy, Vatican This Week
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will pay official visits to Italy and the Vatican on Jan. 18-19, reported the Akorda press service. On the first day of the visit, Tokayev is expected to hold talks with President of Italy Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The President will also take part in the…
Kazakh Developers Create Qosyl Platform for Video Communications
ASTANA – Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry and National Information Technologies company launched the Qosyl project for online video meetings, reported the ministry’s press service on Jan. 12. “The launch of the program in pilot mode has been completed, and today central government agencies are already successfully using the domestic product to…
Kazakhstan Returns $2.2 Billion of Illegally Withdrawn Assets
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has returned nearly one trillion tenge (US$2.2 billion) in illegally withdrawn assets, including $589 million from overseas, according to the Kazakh Prosecutor General’s Office, reported Kazinform on Jan. 13. According to the authority, shares of large enterprises, hotels, office buildings, restaurants, business centers, elite land plots, markets, railway tracks and expensive jewelry…
Kazakhstan, Japan Explore Prospects for Stronger Cooperation
ASTANA – Kazakh and Japanese officials and business executives explored opportunities in green and digital transformation during a Jan. 12 business forum in the Kazakh capital, reported Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs. Raimbek Batalov, the chairman of the Atameken chamber, offered Japanese partners opportunities for cooperation in priority industrial sectors, such as advanced metal processing,…
Kashagan Field Soars to 100 Million Tons in Oil Production
ASTANA – Kashagan, Kazakhstan’s giant oil field, surged past the monumental milestone of 100 million tons in oil production on Jan. 11 since the start of oil production, announced the North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC), the project’s operator. The giant Kashagan oil field is one of the largest oil deposits discovered in the last four…
Kazakhstan Registers Significant Attempts of Cyber-Attacks in 2023
ASTANA – Kazakhstan registered more than 223 million attempted cyber-attacks carried out by foreign hackers in 2023, according to the State Technical Service. The highest number of cyber-attacks, nearly 133.5 million, attempted to undermine local executive bodies. Government agencies were hit by some 47.7 million cyber-attacks, and the quasi-public sector suffered around 27 million attempted…
News Digest: Foreign Media on Middle Corridor, Almaty as Travel Destination, 5G Technology and More
ASTANA – The Astana Times has picked a selection of articles on Kazakhstan published in international media worldwide. This week’s foreign media digest covers the Middle Corridor, Almaty as a travel destination, Kazakh-Turkish ties, 5G technology development and more. Kazakhstan emerges as 5G pioneer in Eurasian Economic Union Kazakhstan, Central Asia’s largest country, is moving…
Italian-Kazakh Center for Creative Industry to Open This Year
ASTANA – The Italian-Kazakh Cultural Center for Creative Industry will be opened in Kazakhstan this year, said Ambassador of Italy to Kazakhstan Marco Alberti during a Jan. 10 meeting with Kazakh Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva, reported the ministry’s press service. Balayeva emphasized that Kazakhstan attaches great importance to the development of cooperation…
Kazakh Scientists Reconstruct Golden Horde Era Clothing
ASTANA – Scientists from the Umai International Laboratory for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage at the Margulan Institute of Archaeology took part in the reconstruction of a historical clothing found in the ruins of the mausoleum on the Talmas-Ata necropolis in the Karagandy Region dating back to the Golden Horde era, reported the…
Kazakhstan Approves Tax Relief for Creative Industry
ASTANA – The Kazakh government has introduced a package of tax reliefs for 40 types of business activities in the creative industry, reported the Ministry of Culture and Information on Jan. 10. Entrepreneurs will be exempt from paying corporate income tax, personal income tax, and value added tax. Instead, a single tax worth 2% to…
Kazakhstan to Launch National Digital Investment Platform
ASTANA – The Investment Promotion Council (Investment Headquarters) discussed the implementation of the National Digital Investment Platform, aimed at improving the country’s investment attractiveness during a Jan. 11 meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. User-friendly investment platform is supposed to both simplify processes, including government services, and…
Kazakhstan Sees 11% Drop in Сrime Rates
ASTANA – The crime rate in Kazakhstan has decreased by 11% from 157,473 to 140,272 cases, reported Kazakh Prosecutor General’s Office on Jan. 10. Violent crimes declined by 14.9% from 44,106 to 37,548 cases. Crimes of moderate severity also saw a decrease of 12.6%, with cases falling from 67,340 to 58,874. The less significant decrease,…
Kazakhstan, Romania Keen to Explore Middle Corridor Cooperation
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Romania expressed readiness to promote cooperation in the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), or Middle Corridor, during talks between Kazakh Deputy Transport Minister Talgat Lastayev and Romanian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Mădălina Lupu, reported the ministry’s press service on Jan. 10. The sides addressed cooperation in transport, logistics and…
Constitutional Court of Kazakhstan Receives 5,300 Appeals in 2023
ASTANA – The Constitutional Court of Kazakhstan received more than 5,300 appeals in 2023. Yet, 39% of them are related to disagreement with court decisions, which is not under its jurisdiction, reported the court’s press service on Jan. 9. Citizens’ appeals were mainly related to housing and labor relations, social protection, the bankruptcy of individuals,…
Digital Almaty International Forum to Shape Industry Trends
ASTANA – The Digital Almaty 2024 International forum, dubbed Industry X: the Digital Evolution of the Future, will take place on Feb. 1-3 with an extensive business program, reported the forum’s press service. The event will bring together government officials from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries, leading experts, and…
Kazakhstan Sees Decline in Incidence of 39 Infections, Says Health Ministry
ASTANA – Kazakhstan witnesses a decline in the incidence of 39 infections, including Covid-19, rotavirus and acute intestinal infections, said Health Minister Azhar Giniyat at a Jan. 9 government meeting, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. At the end of 2023, the country registered more than 29,000 measles cases, 80% of which occurred in children…
Kazakhstan to Plant More Saxaul Trees in Aral Basin
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is set to plant saxaul trees on an additional 275,000 hectares of the drained bottom of the Aral Sea this year to prevent dust storms in the region and cover 1.1 million hectares until 2025, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources on Jan. 8. Planting saxaul trees has proved…
Kazakhstan to Enhance Preparation for Fifth World Nomad Games
ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of Tourism and Sports Yermek Marzhikpayev instructed to enhance preparation for the fifth World Nomad Games, which will take place in the Kazakh capital on Sept. 8 – 14, and improve training conditions for national athletes at a Jan. 8 expanded meeting, reported the ministry’s press service. Managers of the National…
More Than 40 Athletes to Represent Kazakhstan at Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics
ASTANA – Forty-two athletes will represent Kazakhstan at the upcoming 2024 Winter Youth Olympics, which will kick off on Jan. 19 and last until Feb. 1 in Gangwon, South Korea, reported the National Olympic Committee on Jan. 5. The opening ceremony is set to take place both at Gangneung Oval and PyeongChang Dome. The ceremony…
IT Education, Women’s Empowerment: Astana Hub Wraps Up 2023 Outcomes
ASTANA – Astana Hub CEO Magzhan Madiyev wrapped up the outcomes of their work in 2023 in his Telegram post on Jan. 8. The Astana Hub organized 446 events attended by 19,457 guests last year. Some 3,183 students received grants to study at IT schools in Kazakhstan under the Tech Orda program, and 2,217 more…
News Digest: Media on Kazakh President’s Big Interview, Middle Corridor, Kazakh Tourism Industry and More
ASTANA – The Astana Times has picked a selection of articles on Kazakhstan published in international media worldwide. This week’s foreign media digest includes articles on the Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s interview with a national newspaper, the Middle Corridor, the country’s efforts to boost tourism industry, and more. Tokayev for first time discusses power struggle…
Kazakh President Instructs to Adopt Laws for Country’s Socioeconomic Transformation
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev underscored the need to adopt laws aimed at implementing key measures for the country’s social and economic transformation during a Jan. 5 meeting with Yerlan Koshanov, chair of the Mazhilis, the lower house of the Parliament, reported the Akorda press service. According to Koshanov, since the beginning of the…
Kazakh Kobyz Player Wins First Place at Golden Time Talent International Contest (Video)
ASTANA – Shakhnaze Ilyassova, a 22-year-old kobyz player from the Karagandy Region, took first place in the Golden Time Talent international music contest, reported the region’s administration on Jan. 4. She was invited to represent Kazakhstan at the Golden Time Talent festival in the United Kingdom. Kobyz is a traditional stringed musical instrument. Ilyassova, who…
