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…
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…
