Articles by STAFF REPORT

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Government Considers Draft Law on Repatriation of Illegally Withdrawn Assets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Kazakh government hosted a economic policy council meeting to discuss the draft law on the repatriation of illegally withdrawn assets, reported the Prime Minister’s office on Jan. 25.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…

Regional Court in Atyrau Announces Verdict on January Events Participants

ASTANA – Atyrau court announced the verdict in the trial against 27 participants of the riots in January 2022, the court’s press service reported on Jan. 23.  The special Atyrau court accused 27 protesters of participating in mass riots, inciting violence, and calling for active disobedience to government officials. The mass riot led to clashes…

Kazakh Bolashak Scholarship Graduates Enter World’s Top Two Percent of Premier Scientists

ASTANA – Three Kazakh Bolashak scholarship graduates entered the Stanford University list of the World’s Top Two Percent Scientists, reported the Kazakh Science and Education Ministry’s press service on Jan. 24. citing the Elsevier academic publishers.    The annual Stanford University list, based on Scopus citation data, includes the world’s top two percent most influential scientists…

Kazakhstan National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Reports on Country’s Business Activity

ASTANA – The Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs (NCE) presented the state of the nation’s business report to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, reported the Akorda press service on Jan. 24.  Following Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s initiatives, a new 2023 Comprehensive Plan of Joint Actions to Protect Business was adopted to facilitate business operations and protect…

Kazakhstan to Promote Expansion of Cooperation Between ECO and CICA

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is ready to contribute to the development of interaction between the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA), the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service reported on Jan. 24. During the 26th meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Economic Cooperation…

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan to Strengthen Interparliamentary, Interregional Cooperation

ASTANA – Chairperson of the Senate, the upper chamber of the Kazakh Parliament, Maulen Ashimbayev, met with the Chairman of the Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament) of Kyrgyzstan Nurlanbek Shakiyev on Jan. 23 in Bishkek to discuss interparliamentary and interregional cooperation, reported the Senate’s press service. “It is important to strengthen ties between the two countries’ border…

Rybakina is First Kazakhstan Female to Reach Australian Open 2023 Semifinal

ASTANA – Reigning Wimbledon champion, world No. 25 Elena Rybakina, 23, became the first woman from Kazakhstan to reach the semifinal of the Australian Open 2023 after a decisive victory 6-2, 6-4 against Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko on Jan. 24, reported the press service of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation. Rybakina will face the winner between Jessica…

UN Deputy Secretary-General Pays Visit to Kazakhstan to Discuss 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda

ASTANA – First Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Kairat Umarov met with the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) Amina J. Mohammed on Jan. 22 as part of her working visit to Kazakhstan, reported the ministry’s press service. The sides addressed the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, gender equality, and the…

Kazakh Singer Dimash Kudaibergen Performs at CCTV New Year’s Gala

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s famous pop singer Dimash Kudaibergen took part in the CCTV New Year’s Gala, also known as the Spring Festival Gala, commonly abbreviated in Chinese as Chunwan, to celebrate the Lunar New Year on Jan. 21, wrote Kudaibergen on his Instagram page.   Kudaibergen sang the Kazakh folk song “Oh, Zhailau” (My Steppe) as…

Fifth International Digital Forum to Take Place Next Week in Almaty

ASTANA – Almaty will host the fifth International Digital forum, “Digital Almaty: a digital partnership in a new reality,” on Feb. 2-3, reported the press service of the Kazakh Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry. The forum’s program consists of 20-panel sessions with nearly 150 speakers – representatives of the international and Kazakh…

International Tourism to Return to Pre-Pandemic Levels This Year

ASTANA – The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) released projection scenarios for 2023 in which international tourist arrivals could reach 80 percent to 95 percent of pre-pandemic levels this year, depending on the extent of the economic slowdown, the ongoing recovery of travel in Asia and the Pacific, the evolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict,…

Kazakh Artist Releases Book Dedicated to 150 Anniversary of Legendary Amangeldi Imanov

ASTANA – Kazakh artist Almas Syrgabai released a brand book dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Kazakh hero Amangeldi Imanov on Jan. 18, the Kazinform news agency reported. “As a reference, I used the portrait of Amangeldi Imanov, painted by the famous artist Abylkhan Kasteyev. I drew it in the style of digital art, so…

Astana to Host FIDE World Championship Match 2023

ASTANA – The Kazakh capital will host the FIDE World Championship 2023 from April 7 to May 1 this year, the FIDE’s press service reported on January 19. “As much as we would have loved to hold a world event in the American continent, the time difference would have seriously impacted the audience in this…

Kazakh Government Plans to Continue to Reduce State Share in Economy

ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry of Finance held an expanded meeting chaired by Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov on Jan. 19 to address the results of 2022 and outline the main tasks for the coming period, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. Finance Minister Yerulan Zhamaubayev focused on key figures of the past year. The economic…

Central Election Commission Adopts Parliamentary Election Calendar

ASTANA – The Central Election Commission (CEC) approved the timeline of events for the deputy elections to the Mazhilis (the lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament) and the maslikhats (local administrative bodies) scheduled for March 19 during its Jan. 20 meeting. The candidates’ registration begins on Jan. 20 and ends at 6 p.m. local time…

Countries of Central Asia Celebrate 30th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations with EU

ASTANA – The Mission of Kazakhstan to the European Union (EU) co-hosted an event to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Central Asian countries and the EU at the European External Action Service (EEAS) headquarters in Brussels on Jan. 17, reported the press service of the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event…

Kazakhstan Plans to Open New Flights This Year

ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to open new international flights and expand the country’s flight geography, reported the press service of the Kazakh Civil Aviation Committee. “Flights from Astana to Doha, from Aktau and Shymkent to Ankara, from Almaty and Aktau to Medina, from Astana to Baku and from Shymkent to Dushanbe are expected to open…

Five Things to Know about Future of Energy in Central Asia

ASTANA – Central Asia and its neighboring countries need more energy to fuel their development, but climate change means they must significantly cut carbon emissions and accelerate the transition to clean energy, according to CAREC (Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation) Energy Outlook 2030 from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).  The report analyzes the energy landscape…