Kazakhstan and EU Reiterate Stronger Cooperation in Joint Statement on 30 Years of Diplomatic Relations
ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister – Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi and the European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy – Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell issued a joint statement on Feb. 2, as Kazakhstan and EU celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s…
Cryptocurrency and Digitalization to Empower Women Among Top Topics at Digital Almaty 2023 Forum
ASTANA – The participants of the Digital Almaty forum, which started on Feb. 2, discussed the prospects for the development of Kazakhstan’s crypto industry and how digitization can help unlock women’s potential in the economy, the forum’s press service reported. The Head of the Affiliated Center of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Pavel Koktyshev said that…
680 Ancient Artifacts of Major Cultural Value Enrich Kazakh National Museum Collections
ASTANA – The Kazakh National Museum received over 680 artifacts of great cultural worth and around 80 other valuable exhibits, the Jibek Joly TV channel reported on Jan. 31. The National Museum received, as a donation, unique mammoth fossils, ancient household items and tools, clothing, and jewelry found by Kazakh archaeologists during archaeological excavations in…
Kazakhstan’s Askar Ilyasov Wins Best Actor Award at SCO Film Festival in Mumbai
ASTANA – Kazakh actor Askar Ilyasov won the Best Male Actor award for his role in the “Paralympian” sports drama directed by Aldiyar Bairakimov at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Film Festival in Mumbai, the actor wrote on his Instagram page on Jan. 31. “We had a mission: to put a spotlight on the Paralympians.…
Kazakhstan-Bavarian Investment Roundtable Focuses on Generating More Business Cooperation
ASTANA – Kazakh and German officials and business leaders explored prospects for cooperation at a Jan. 31 Kazakhstan-Bavarian Investment Roundtable in Munich, the capital of Bavaria, the Kazakh Invest national company’s press service reported. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Almas Aidarov highlighted the country’s investment potential, which could be attractive for expanding Kazakh-German cooperation. Aidarov…
Officials, NGOs Address Kazakhstan’s International Obligations on Human Rights, Improvements to Criminal Justice System
ASTANA – The first meeting of the Human Dimension Dialogue Platform in 2023 took place on Jan. 30. The Consultative and Advisory Body under the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs discussed the country’s international obligations in the field of human rights and on ensuring their implementation in the judicial system, according to the ministry’s press…
Kazakh Medical Startup Reaches Final of Global Startup Awards Contest
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Cerebra AI-powered software for early stroke detection made it to the final of the largest independent startup ecosystem competition, the Global Startup Awards, reported the Ministry of Education and Science on Jan. 30. The startup was founded by Doszhan Zhussupov, a recipient of Kazakhstan’s Bolashak Presidential Scholarship, which allows gifted young people…
Economics Research Center Forecasts Kazakhstan’s Inflation Rate to Slow Down in 2023
ASTANA – The Applied Economics Research Centre (AERC) published its macroeconomic review for Kazakhstan on Jan. 31, projecting the country’s average annual consumer inflation rate to slow down to 9.8 percent this year, according to the AERC press service. Despite a global recession and ongoing uncertainty, the AERC provided a rather positive outlook for 2023,…
President Tokayev Authorizes Government to Draw Up New Astana City Development Plan
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed his government to begin holding public hearings and drawing up the capital’s new general plan at a Jan. 31 meeting dedicated to the development of Astana, the Akorda press service reported. The President highlighted the update of the 2050 strategy as the primary task. According to him, the document…
Astana Set to Become Innovative City of Future, Says Kazakh President
ASTANA – The Kazakh capital should become the innovative city of the future, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during a meeting on Jan. 31 devoted to the development of Astana, reported Akorda press service. President Tokayev highlighted the importance of attracting IT business professionals, urging the capital’s administration and the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and…
Majority of Kazakh Voters in Favour of Greater Political Pluralism, Survey Says
ASTANA – The majority of early parliamentary election potential voters favour political pluralism, advocating for three or more parties to be represented in the Mazhilis (lower chamber of Parliament), according to a Jan. 25-28 “Public Opinion” Research Institute telephone survey in Kazakhstan, reported the institute’s press service. “The voters advocate for political pluralism. Nearly 30…
Kazakhstan Plans to Domesticate Saiga Antelopes
ASTANA – Kazakhstan intends to place 1,800 saiga fawns into their natural habitats in semi-free conditions for scientific research, with 750 million tenge (US$1.6 million) allocated for a three-year plan to domesticate these antelopes. The information was provided in a report by the Forestry and Wildlife Committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and Natural…
Kazakhstan’s FlyArystan to Launch Astana-Ankara Flights
ASTANA – Kazakh low-cost airline FlyArystan will launch direct flights from Astana to Ankara starting on May 23, the company’s press service reported. The national carrier is set to operate flights between the two capitals two times a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays with Airbus A320 aircraft. Another Kazakh airline company, Qazaq Air, will launch…
Shymkent to Become Major Transport, Logistics Hub for Central Asia, Says Kazakh PM
ASTANA – Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov visited a large trading-logistics center and major industrial facilities, including a lead processing plant, pharmaceutical enterprise, oil refinery, and aluminum can production plant on Jan. 27 as part of his working trip to Shymkent, reported the Prime Minister’s press office. “The center’s expansion will allow Shymkent to become…
World Opera Stars to Perform at Astana Opera to Mark 30th Anniversary of Kazakhstan-EU Relations
ASTANA – Portugal’s opera diva Susana Gaspar and Kazakh and world opera soloists Maria Mudryak and Medet Chotabayev will perform at the Gala Concert to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and the European Union (EU) at the Astana Opera on February 2, reported the theater’s press release. According to the Head…
Dimash Participates in SCO Film Festival in Mumbai as Jury Member
ASTANA – Kazakh pop star Dimash Kudaibergen took part in the opening ceremony of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Film Festival in Mumbai as a jury member, he wrote on his Instagram page on Jan. 27. The festival gathered representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Uzbekistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Russia, Sri Lanka, and Türkiye. …
EBRD Invests $525 million in Kazakhstan in 2022
ASTANA – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) invested $525 million in 14 projects in Kazakhstan in 2022, reported the bank’s press service on Jan. 27. “The green sector accounts for the largest share of total investments at more than 60 percent of the projects. As part of the signed projects, the EBRD…
Kazakh Foreign Ministry Announces Media Accreditation for Early Parliamentary Election
ASTANA – The Kazakh Foreign Affairs Ministry announced the start of the accreditation period for foreign journalists, who will cover the March 19 early elections to Mazhilis, the lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament, and maslikhats, local representative bodies. According to the Central Election Commission guidelines, journalists should be given permanent or temporary accreditation from…
Kazakh Chess Champion Bibisara Assaubaeva Defeats Famous Grandmaster Sergey Karyakin in Sensational Match
ASTANA – Two-time blitz world champion Bibisara Assaubayeva defeated one of the world’s strongest grandmasters, Sergey Karyakin, in the rapid chess format at the International Chess Stars Tournament in Moscow on Jan. 24-26, the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Sports’ press service reported. According to the tournament’s commentators, Assaubayeva rightfully holds the title of world…
Kazakhstan Creates National Council for Science and Technology
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree on Jan. 26 to establish the National Council for Science and Technology, according to the Akorda press service. “The council aims at improving the management of the national scientific system and elaborating recommendations for defining priorities for the development of state policy in the field of…
Government Considers Draft Law on Repatriation of Illegally Withdrawn Assets
ASTANA – The Kazakh government hosted a economic policy council meeting to discuss the draft law on the repatriation of illegally withdrawn assets, reported the Prime Minister’s office on Jan. 25. The law contains rules designed to eliminate the conditions for the illegal withdrawal of assets, stimulate voluntary returns or initiate forced returns, among other…
KazMunayGas, Eni to Build Hybrid Power Plant in Mangystau Region
ASTANA – The KazMunayGas (KMG) National Company and Eni, an Italian multinational energy company, agreed to build a hybrid power plant in the Mangystau Region, as Chairman of KMG Management Board Magzum Mirzagaliyev met with the delegation led by Eni’s Natural Resource Upstream Director Luca Vignati on Jan. 25 in Astana, reported the company’s press…
Kazakhstan’s Tennis Star Elena Rybakina Reaches Australian Open Final
ASTANA – The 2022 Wimbledon Champion and the first Kazakh racket Elena Rybakina made it to the finals at the 2023 Australian Open in Melbourne on Jan. 26. Rybakina won over the former first world racket Victoria Azarenka (Belarus), and the women’s singles match ended with a score of 7:6, 6:3. Rybakina will face the…
Kazakhstan, Council of Europe to Bolster Cooperation
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is interested in strengthening cooperation with the Council of Europe, said Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko during his visit to the headquarters of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on Jan. 25, the Foreign Ministry’s press service reported. Vassilenko also took part in the meeting of the PACE Group of European…
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan to Resume Baku-Astana, Baku-Almaty Flights
ASTANA – Azerbaijan’s air carrier Azərbaycan Hava Yolları is set to resume passenger flights on the Baku-Astana, and Baku-Almaty routes in March this year, the Kazakh Civil Aviation Committee’s press service reported on Jan. 24. The airline plans to operate the Baku-Astana flight twice a week starting from March 10 and the Baku-Almaty flight two…
