Articles by Abira Kuandyk

Kazakhstan Commits to Fulfilling Obligations Under OPEC Agreement

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan expressed its commitment to adhering to full conformity and to compensating for overproduction within its commitments to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agreement, said the Kazakh Ministry of Energy in a press statement referring to the Feb. 3 meeting of the OPEC Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee.  The meeting noted positive trends…

Horsemanship Still an Integral Part of Modern Kazakh People’s Heritage, Cultural Identity

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan ranks sixth place in the world in the number of horses, according to eldala.kz, a major agrarian site in Kazakhstan. The horse has symbolic importance for the country as it was first domesticated on Kazakh land and is an integral part of the national history, cuisine and sport in contemporary Kazakhstan.  According…

Mangystau, Famous for Martian Landscapes, a Top Draw for Local Tourism in Kazakhstan (Video)

NUR-SULTAN – While tourism continues to be one of the sectors hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, local tourism is helping to soften the blow. The pandemic has spurred the demand for local tourism in Kazakhstan, said Kazakh Minister of Culture and Sports Aktoty Raimkulova at a Feb. 4 meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev,…

International Virtual Almaty Forum 2021 Kicks Off Bringing Top Tech Experts Together to Discuss Government Policy

NUR-SULTAN – The international Digital Almaty forum has kicked off in Almaty Feb. 5. Prime Ministers of the Eurasian Economic Union as well as leading international experts in the digital sphere have shared the results and success achieved in the digitalization sphere.  “The Digital Reset: a Leap to the Next Normal” is a topic for…

Kazakhstan Evacuates Kazakh Citizens from Syria as Continuation of Jusan Humanitarian Operation

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan returned 12 Kazakh citizens, 4 men, 1 woman and 7 children caught up in the Syrian conflict to Kazakhstan as a continuation of the Jusan humanitarian mission, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry press service reported on Feb. 4. The operation was carried out by the Kazakh National Security Committee in collaboration with the…

Kazakhstan and Qatar to Expand Cooperation in Key Industries 

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan and Qatar have discussed promotion of joint investment projects during the official working visit of Kazakh delegation led by the Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Almas Aidarov to Doha on Feb. 2, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry press service reported. The visit took place on behalf of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and in advance…

Kazakh Citizen Launches “Qazaq Time” Radio Program in New York to Promote Kazakh Culture in US 

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh citizen Daniyar Kozhan launched Kazakh radio program in New York. “Qazaq time” aims to introduce and promote Kazakhstan in the United States.  The existing Russian language radio station in New York Freedom FM provided two hours for news and music broadcasting in Kazakh. The first broadcast of the program started with the…

Kazakhstan Welcomes Treaty on Measures for Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan welcomes the decision of the Russian Federation and the United States to extend the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms that was renewed before its expiration date on Feb. 5, said the Kazakh Foreign Ministry in a statement.  “The extension of the Treaty (New START)…

Kazakh Pop Star Dimash Kudaibergen Debuts Official Music Video for “Golden” Album (Video)

NUR-SULTAN – A highly anticipated music video for Dimash Kudaibergen’s latest single “Golden” made its official debut via the Tixr American streaming platform immediately following the encore showing of the Dimash Digital Show on Jan. 31.  The music video for “Golden” aired immediately following the final show and showcased the artists’ latest work with a…

UNDP in Kazakhstan to Provide Loans for Rural Businesses Aimed at Conserving Biodiversity

NUR-SULTAN – The rural dwellers of Kazakhstan will receive loans for up to 4.5 years for businesses that contribute to the conservation of biodiversity within the Eco-Damu Loan Program for 2020-2024, the UNDP in Kazakhstan press service reported on Jan. 20.  The project is part of the second phase of the Eco-Damu Loan Program for…

Thematic Squares in Honor of Medical Workers and Teachers to Open in Nur-Sultan

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Capital of Nur-Sultan will open and renovate thematic squares which will be named after the teachers, doctors and rescuers who were at the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19, announced Nur-Sultan Akim (Mayor) Altai Kulginov on his instagram page on Jan. 28, the city’s press service reported. “The pandemic has shown…

Anti-Corruption Agency in Kazakhstan to Expand Work on Innovative Solutions to Corruption Problem

NUR-SULTAN – Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Agency Alik Shpekbayev reported to the head of state about the implementation of anti-corruption initiatives and the Agency’s key performance indicators in 2020 at a Jan. 28 meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.  Shpekbayev reported on the country’s progress in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by Transparency International.  According to…

WHO Delivers EU-funded Medical Supplies to Kazakhstan to Help Medical Workers Fight COVID-19 

NUR-SULTAN – The World Health Organization (WHO) has shipped 8,317 kilograms of medical supplies to Kazakhstan with the European Union’s (EU) financial support to assist and protect medical workers in their fight against COVID-19, the EU delegation to Kazakhstan announced on Jan. 26.  The shipment contains personal protective equipment, such as surgical masks, gowns and…

Kazakhstan Joins European Civil Aviation Conference as Observer Nation 

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has received observer status at the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) and has become the third CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) country to be admitted to the ECAC, the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan announced.  The Civil Aviation Committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development and the Aviation Administration of…

Kazakh School Students Win Top Awards at 17th International Mathematics Science Olympiad 

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh school students have won one gold, silver and three bronze medals at the most prestigious international competition IMSO (International Mathematics Science Olympiad) for middle school students on Jan. 21-24, Kazinform reported.  The International Mathematics and Science Olympiad (IMSO) is an annual competition in math and science for middle school students under the…

Non-Cash Payments Increase among Kazakh Residents

NUR-SULTAN – The volume of non-cash transactions in Kazakhstan using Kazakh and foreign issuers’ payment cards between Jan.-Nov. 2020 amounted to almost 30 trillion tenge (US$71 billion). The number increased by 2.6 times over the year, a record figure of, according to a report by ranking.kz.  Kazakh residents increasingly prefer non-cash payments, this became noticeable…

New Distributor of KIA Cars to Create Affordable Car Market For Kazakh Buyers

NUR-SULTAN – Allur Motor Qazaqstan has become the official distributor of the KIA brand in Kazakhstan, according to an official announcement by Kia Motors Russia and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States). The decision was made to further strengthen and develop KIA’s positions in the CIS. Seven dealer centers located in Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Atyrau, Aktau, Kostanay…

New Tourist Corridor to Connect Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan’s Main Pilgrimage Sites

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are launching a tourist corridor that will connect the main pilgrimage sites of two countries as part of their cooperation in the tourism sector, reports 24.kz news agency. “It is very exciting to create this travel corridor. The travel route starts with Arystanbab, a mausoleum in the Turkestan Region followed…

Kazakh Nomad Stunts Hard-Earned Taurus World Stunt Award Arrives in Almaty (Video)

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Nomad Stunts director Zhaidarbek Kunguzhinov and Nomad Stunts team won the US Taurus World Stunt Awards for best action in a foreign film for their work in Kazakhfilm’s “Tomiris” in November 2020. The award has been delivered in Almaty, Kazakhfilm shared in a facebook post Jan. 22.  Immediately after receiving the…

Epidemiological Situation in Kazakhstan Remains Under Control, Reports Kazakh Healthcare Minister 

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Healthcare Minister Alexei Tsoy reported on the measures taken to combat the coronavirus infection in Kazakhstan at a Jan. 22 meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.  Tsoy informed the head of the state about the main epidemiological trends observed worldwide and on Kazakhstan’s status on key indicators in combating the virus.  According to…

Kazakh Citizen Dives into Ice Hole to Promote Healthy Lifestyle and Country’s Traditions (Video)

NUR-SULTAN – Petropavlovsk resident Vladimir Pekarsky featured a video in an ice hole in which he performed “Kara Zhorga,” a Kazakh folk song and dance. His videos on the TikTok account are going viral with thousands and even millions of hits.  Vladimir Pekarsky, 28, bathes in an ice-hole when the frost outside feels like -45…

Astana Ballet to Present “The Nutcracker” with Soloists from Mariinsky Theater 

NUR-SULTAN – The Astana Ballet will present Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s and Vasily Vainonen’s “The Nutcracker” on Jan. 29 and Jan. 30.  On the first day of the performance, Mariinsky Theater’s actors, prima ballerina Oksana Skorik and soloist Yevgeny Konovalov, will stage Mashenka and the Nutcracker at the Astana Ballet for the first time   On the second…

Breathtaking Video Features Return of Swans and Ducks to Karakol Lake (Video) 

NUR-SULTAN – Aktau resident Azamat Sarsenbayev, author of a recent video featuring pink flamingos, releases a new video spotlighting the swans and ducks on Lake Karakol in the Mangistau region. “It is a glorious pleasure to listen to the sounds of many swans and ducks at such a close distance,” Sarsenbayev wrote in his video…

First Ayusai Visitors Center Opens at Ile-Alatau National Park to Promote Sustainable Ecotourism

NUR-SULTAN – The Ayusai visitor center at the Ile-Alatau national park has opened its doors. It aims to promote sustainable ecotourism and acts as an environmental awareness-raising educational complex.  The center is located in the Ayusai river gorge. Visitors will be provided with detailed information about the Ile-Alatau national park when they visit.  “The construction…

Minister of Culture and Sports Pledges to Continue Supporting Kazakh Tourism Industry 

NUR-SULTAN – The government has successfully dealt with propping up the tourism industry because of the pandemic in 2020, the Minister of Culture and Sports Aktoty Raimkulova concluded in the ministry’s statement on Jan. 18.  Raimkulova shared the challenges that the tourism sector has faced and the measures introduced to overcome them.  A state of…