Kazakhstan Welcomes Trump-Putin Meeting in Alaska as Launch of High-Level Negotiations on Ukraine
ASTANA – Kazakhstan welcomes the meeting of United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15 in Anchorage, Alaska, as the start of high-level peace talks on Ukraine, announced Ruslan Zheldibay, advisor to the President and press secretary of the President of Kazakhstan. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev believes this historic summit became possible…
Three Kilometers That Changed My View on Running
This Sunday, I woke up very early, a rare thing I do on weekends. One and a half hours later, my mom and I were standing shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of runners, tightening shoelaces and feeling our hearts beating faster seconds before a signal to run. It was my first time joining the Juregimnin…
National Bank Launches Regulatory Sandbox for Digital Assets
ASTANA – The National Bank of Kazakhstan launched a special regulatory framework, called a regulatory sandbox, for digital assets, announced the bank’s press service on July 28. The regulatory sandbox enables real-world testing of new services and business models using digital assets. The move comes a month after President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law amending…
Kazakhstan’s Unemployment Rate Hits 4.6%, While Structural Pressures Remain
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s unemployment rate hit 4.6% as of 2024, Vice Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population Askar Biakhmetov said at a July 29 government meeting. He noted that the main contribution to employment growth was made by employed workers, whose number reached 7.1 million, while the number of self-employed was 2.1…
When Erdoğan Tells Tokayev ‘Welcome to Your Second Home,’ I Feel It Too
When President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev flew into the Esenboğa international airport in Ankara, he was greeted there by President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a move full of symbolism, but also a rare one. The smiles and the long handshake that proceeded further and were captured nicely in photos speak a lot about the nature of…
What We Know about Data Leak Affecting 16 Million Kazakh Citizens
ASTANA – A database containing personal information of nearly 16 million Kazakh citizens was leaked in June, sparking fresh concerns about data security. As an official investigation is underway, The Astana Times digs deeper into what this incident reveals about the country’s digital infrastructure and why digital hygiene matters now more than ever. Digitalization is…
What Happens to Kazakhstan’s Billion-Dollar Asset Recovery Effort
ASTANA – In 2023, Kazakhstan launched a large-scale asset recovery campaign to recover millions of dollars stolen and transferred abroad by corrupt officials. Two years later, the volume of returned assets exceeded 1.2 trillion tenge (US$2.3 billion). The Astana Times delves into key facts, figures, and results of this ambitious effort. A law born from…
Central Asia Attracts $25 Billion, as China’s Belt and Road Investment Hits Half-Year Record
ASTANA – Africa and Central Asia emerged as the top destinations for Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) investments, attracting $39 billion and $25 billion, respectively, in the first half of 2025, according to a joint research report by Australia-based Griffith University and the Beijing-based Green Finance and Development Center. The report, published on July 17,…
Presidential Advisor Zulfiya Suleimenova Outlines Kazakhstan’s Vision for Climate Action
ASTANA – When leaders gathered for the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku in November, expectations were high and stakes even higher. As the world looks ahead to COP30 in Belém, Special Representative to the President on International Environmental Cooperation Zulfiya Suleimenova explains in an interview with The Astana Times why climate…
IFC Reaffirms Support for Kazakhstan’s Diversification Push
ASTANA – Wiebke Schloemer, a regional director for Türkiye and Central Asia at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), explores key milestones in more than 30 years of partnership with Kazakhstan and what comes next in an interview with The Astana Times YouTube channel. IFC is a private sector arm of the World Bank Group, and…
Kazakhstan Secures 8 Golds, As World Boxing Cup Stage Wraps Up in Astana
ASTANA – The World Boxing Cup stage concluded in Astana on July 6, with more than 400 boxers representing 31 countries battling it out for medals. Host country Kazakhstan secured eight gold medals, four silver medals, and four bronze medals, reported to the National Olympic Committee. The competition has been hosted in Astana’s Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov…
EBRD President Highlights Shared Strategic Priorities with Kazakhstan
ASTANA – European Bank for Reconstruction and Development President Odile Renaud-Basso commended an enduring partnership with Kazakhstan, one built on trust and shared strategic priorities, in an interview with The Astana Times. Long-standing partnership As the bank enters its 33rd year of partnership with Kazakhstan, it has invested more than 11 billion euros (US$12.7 billion)…
More Than 50 Kazakh Citizens Remain in Iran, Majority Are Diplomats
ASTANA – More than 50 Kazakh citizens are still in Iran amid rising regional tensions, according to a statement delivered Monday by Aibek Smadiyarov, a spokesperson of Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry. The majority of them are diplomats. Speaking at a June 23 press briefing in Astana, Smadiyarov confirmed that the Kazakh Embassy in Tehran remains operational…
What History Tells and Teaches Us? We Ask Oxford Professor
ASTANA – In a recent interview with The Astana Times, Peter Frankopan, a professor of global history at Oxford University, emphasized the importance of reexamining historical narratives and highlighted the role of education in shaping how societies engage with the past and the future. Frankopan is the author of “The Silk Roads: A New History…
Kazakhstan to Fully Own and Control Operations of First Nuclear Power Plant
ASTANA – Russia’s Rosatom was announced on June 14 to lead an international consortium to build Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant. Kazakhstan’s Atomic Energy Agency Chairman Almassadam Satkaliyev said that Kazakhstan will be the sole owner, operator, and producer of uranium fuel, as well as the holder of all technological processes of its future nuclear…
EU Keen to Deepen Work with Central Asia on Human Capital Dev’t
BRUSSELS – Education has been a key aspect of the relations between the European Union (EU) and Central Asia. Pilvi Torsti, director of the European Training Foundation, a key EU agency helping countries reform education and training systems, emphasized that investing in education and skills should come as a priority before major infrastructure projects are…
Kazakhstan Eyes Stronger Ties with African Nations, Develops Dedicated Strategy
ASTANA – While distant partners on a global map, Kazakhstan and African nations are drawing closer together. With several high-level visits in recent years, both sides are eager to maintain the momentum. Growing high-level visits Among the recent visits was that of the President of Rwanda Paul Kagame. It was his second visit to Kazakhstan,…
Experts Highlight Critical Need for Energy Diversification, Say Oil and Gas to Remain Vital
ASTANA – Energy industry leaders and experts discussed the stakes of ensuring energy security, what it takes to balance energy transition and sustainability, and the future of the oil and gas industry at a panel session during the Astana International Forum (AIF) on May 29. AIF, a global dialogue platform, began in the Kazakh capital…
Kazakhstan’s Prominent Producer Highlights Booming Creative Industry, Strong Untapped Potential
ASTANA – Creative industries have received broad attention from the government in recent years, deemed as the next economic frontier and a soft power tool. For Yerkebulan Kurishbayev, an Almaty-based producer and director of QARA Studios, creativity is not a new gold rush, but what has been personal from the very start. In an interview…
What It Takes to Work with Ancient Artifacts But Leave History Intact
ASTANA – Imagine restoring a thousand-year-old door in a centuries-old mausoleum, a feeling as if you are touching the past. In an interview with The Astana Times, Elina Altynbekova, Kazakhstan’s prominent conservation and restoration specialist, shares what it takes to breathe life back into fragile artifacts, a process she likens to a detective story, where…
Top Czech Official Hails Comprehensive Cooperation with Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic are keen to expand and diversify bilateral ties. A Czech delegation, led by Vice Minister of Industry and Trade Martin Frélich, visited Kazakhstan at the end of April, meeting with senior Kazakh officials and participating in the 12th session of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic, Industrial and Scientific-Technical…
Austrian Envoy On Mission to Put Kazakhstan on Austrians’ Mental Map
ASTANA – Ambassador of Austria to Kazakhstan Andrea Bacher embarked on her mission in January. A few months into her tenure, she finds her agenda packed with opportunities to strengthen bilateral ties. The Astana Times sat down for an interview with Ambassador Bacher to explore the latest developments in the Kazakh-Austrian ties and her priorities…
Kazakhstan to Tackle Gaps in Waste Management with Strategy Due by September
ASTANA – The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources will prepare a dedicated strategy on waste management by September. It will offer a holistic approach to managing different types of waste and address the deep-seated problems in the field, said Ablai Almukhanov, deputy director of the ministry’s Waste Management Department, in an interview with The…
Kazakhstan’s Youngest Rector Shares Journey in Education Leadership
ASTANA – At 34, Laura Karabassova has shattered glass ceilings to lead the Aktobe Regional University and become the youngest rector in the country. Beyond the title, she brings a fresh perspective on higher education and the kind of leadership students might need today. In an interview with The Astana Times, Karabassova opens up about…
Uzbek Airline My Freighter Expands Into Kazakhstan
ASTANA — Uzbekistan’s My Freighter airline will launch flights from Tashkent to Almaty starting May 5, reports the Kazakh Transport Ministry on May 2. The airline, which operates passenger and cargo flights, will fly from Tashkent to Almaty twice a week. Starting June 6, one more weekly flight will be added, bringing the total number…
