Articles by Assel Satubaldina

Developing Cooperation with Kazakhstan is of Great Importance For Iran, Says Iranian Foreign Minister

NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif discussed bilateral cooperation and the main issues on the regional and global agenda during their April 7 meeting, reports the Akorda press service. Javad Zarif’s visit to Kazakhstan comes as a part of his regional tour after he visited Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. …

More Airlines Resume International Air Travel to Kazakhstan

NUR-SULTAN – As the global airline industry steadily recovers from months on hold, several international airlines announced that they will resume their flights to Kazakhstan.   LOT Polish Airlines will have their flights resumed to Kazakhstan from April 27, according to the schedule available on the company’s website. The flights will be operated on the Nur-Sultan…

Kazakh Minister Promises Better Internet Quality, Greater Protection of Personal Data to Citizens

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry Bagdat Mussin spoke about his ministry’s plans for the year at an April 5 press conference at the Central Communications Service. Internet access and improving the quality of the internet in rural areas are among the ministry’s top priorities.  In 2020, Kazakhstan made…

Coronavirus Cases Surge by 30 Percent in March 

NUR-SULTAN – The number of coronavirus cases increased by 30 percent in March, said Kazakh Healthcare Minister Alexei Tsoy while speaking at an April 6 government meeting.  “As of April 6, 256,837 COVID-19 and 50,839 cases of coronavirus pneumonia have been registered in Kazakhstan. According to the epidemiological situation assessment matrix, seven regions – the…

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan Expand Border Cooperation, Open Renovated Kordai – Ak Zhol Border Checkpoint

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have made a significant step forward in their bilateral cooperation following the March visit of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov to Kazakhstan. As part of the ninth meeting of the intergovernmental council, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin and Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Ulukbek Maripov attended the opening ceremony of a…

Turkistan International Airport Increases Flights to Istanbul 

NUR-SULTAN – The Hazret Sultan international airport in Turkistan announced an increase in international flights to Istanbul in May, according to the Kazakh Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development.  Starting May 3, Turkish Airlines will launch regular flights from Turkistan to Istanbul. The flights will be operated on a Boeing-737 three times a week, Tuesday,…

Kazakhstan Marks 160th Anniversary of Prominent Composer Dina Nurpeisova

NUR-SULTAN – As a famous saying goes “the nation that does not know its past does not have a future.” This is a poignant reminder about the importance of paying tribute to prominent individuals who created a lasting legacy in a nation’s history. For Kazakhstan, one of them is Dina Nurpeisova, a famous Kazakh composer,…

Turkic Council Informal Meeting Names Turkistan a Spiritual Capital of Turkic World 

NUR-SULTAN – The Turkic Council, officially the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States, declared the city of Turkistan in southern Kazakhstan as the spiritual capital of the Turkic world at their informal summit March 31.  The gathering was initially scheduled to take place in Turkistan, but due to the worsening epidemiological situation, it was held online.…

Kazakh Capital City Announces New Restrictions, As Cases Surge

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan announced new restrictions as the nation witnesses rising coronavirus cases since the beginning of March.  The decree was signed by the city’s chief sanitary doctor Sarkhat Beisenova and came into effect today, March 30.  The new regulations cut the working hours of trade malls and trade centres from 10…

Turkic Council to Explore Future of Cooperation at Informal Summit

NUR-SULTAN – The Heads of Turkic Speaking States will gather virtually March 31 for an informal summit of the Turkic Council.  The Turkic Council, formally the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States, was founded Oct. 3, 2009 in Nakhchivan at the initiative of Kazakhstan’s First President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Its members are Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and…

Kazakh Capital City Switches Off Lights For Earth Hour (Video)

NUR-SULTAn – Dimming lights for one hour might not seem a difficult task, but when millions of people do it at one time, this becomes a huge gesture of support that we lend to our planet. With this idea in mind, the Kazakh capital city Nur-Sultan joined the Earth Hour movement on March 27 going…

Easing Coronavirus Restrictions Brings Surge in Cases, Says Vice Healthcare Minister

NUR-SULTAN – The number of coronavirus cases has increased 12 percent over the past a week as a result of the easing of the restrictions has led to more cases, said Kazakhstan’s Vice Healthcare Minister and Chief Sanitary Doctor Yerlan Kiyasov at a press briefing on March 25.  The Capital city Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Atyrau and…

Kazakhstan’s Blue Helmets Deployed to Lebanon

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s fifth contingent of peacekeepers departed to Lebanon as part of the next rotation of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission, according to the Kazakh Defense Ministry’s press service.  One hundred and twenty officers will spend the next six months stationed at a UNIFIL base in South Lebanon on the border…

Kazakhstan Launches Nationwide Campaign to Plant Trees

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources has launched its Taza Tabigat (Clean Nature) campaign aimed at planting trees across the country, reports the ministry’s press service. The measures will also include cleaning national forests and water reservoirs and improving the parks.  The project began in Turkestan in southern Kazakhstan and…

Nauryz Celebrations Feature Delicious Meal Preparation

NUR-SULTAN – As Kazakhstan celebrated Nauryz on March 22, the celebration could not go without the traditional cooking of delicious food, an integral part of a centuries-old tradition to celebrate the holiday.  UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan Michaela Friberg-Storey marked the holiday by preparing a Kazakh national dessert, which she had a chance to learn…

Exhibition Opens in Nur-Sultan Depicting the Many Faces of Islam

NUR-SULTAN – The Nazarbayev Center for the Development of Interfaith and Inter-Civilization Dialogue opened an exhibition titled “Islam and Humanity: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” on March 17 to showcase the many faces of Islam. The exhibition is a collection of 45 photos from different religious institutions across the Muslim world. The exhibition, which is dedicated…

Spirituality is What Modern World Lacks, Says Nazarbayev Centre for Interfaith and Intercivilization Dialogue Chair

NUR-SULTAN  – Spirituality is what the modern world lacks, said Bulat Sarsenbayev, the Chair of Kazakhstan’s Nazarbayev Centre for Development of Interfaith and Intercivilization Dialogue,  in an interview with the Astana Times. Established in 2019 at the initiative of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and with the support of Kazakhstan’s First President, the centre seeks to…

National Development Plan to Help Kazakhstan Overcome Growing Challenges

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms Chair Kairat Kelimbetov and Minister of the National Economy Aset Irgaliyev spoke about the new state planning system and national priorities during a press briefing on March 17. Kazakhstan adopted the National Development Plan in March, which is based on ten national priorities.  The ten priorities…

Kazakhstan, Turkey Reaffirm Strategic Partnership, as Kazakh FM Visits Ankara, Meets Erdogan 

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan and Turkey have reaffirmed their commitment to a strategic partnership, as Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi made his official visit to Turkey on March 16-18, reports the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service.  During the visit, Tileuberdi met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay,…

Tokayev Signs Law on Priority of International Agreements

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the amendments to the law on international agreements, reports the Akorda press service.  The amendments determine the terms and conditions for international agreements on Kazakhstan.  “The draft will ensure the inclusion of norms on the priority of ratified international treaties over the laws of Kazakhstan. It will also…

More Than Two Million Kazakh Citizens Join Campaign of Good Deeds

NUR-SULTAN – More than two million people in Kazakhstan joined the Campaign of Good Deeds initiated by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and held under the auspices of the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence.  The initiative was voiced by President Tokayev in December 2020, as he closed the Year of the Volunteer in Kazakhstan noting the…

Global Pandemic 2020: A Year Like No Other for Kazakhstan and the World

NUR-SULTAN – Masks, hand sanitisers, social distancing, quarantine – these words were not so widely used just a year ago, but since the coronavirus outbreak last year, nothing has been the same in the lives of millions of people. A year ago, on March 16, Kazakhstan declared a state of emergency, for the first time…

Kazakhstan, UAE Sign Agreements Worth $2.2 Billion, Agree on New Flights

NUR-SULTAN – A Kazakh delegation headed by Prime Minister Askar Mamin made a working visit to Abu Dhabi reaffirming Kazakhstan’s interest in strengthening cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and witnessing the signing of agreements worth $2.2 billion, reports the Kazakh Prime Minister’s press service.  During his visit, Mamin met with Vice President and…

Kazakhstan’s Imanbek Wins Grammy Award, First Time Ever For Kazakhstan (Video)

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s Imanbek Zeikenov won the Best Remixed Recording award at the 63rd Grammy Awards which aired March 14, the first winner in the history of Kazakhstan.  Imanbek Zeikenov, known as Imanbek, won the award for his remix of Saint Jhn’s 2016 song “Roses.” He competed with RAC, Morgan Page, Louie Vega and Haywyre…

President Tokayev Signs Law Outlining Forward-Looking Set of National Priorities for Kazakhstan

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a new law endorsing ten national priorities that will shape the country’s development in the coming years.  The ten priorities include fair social policy, an accessible and effective healthcare system, quality education, a just and effective state to protect the interests of citizens, a new model of government,…