Articles by Staff Report

ASTANA – The Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (NU ISSAI) at Nazarbayev University has launched Oylan, a multimodal AI model capable of processing both images and text in Kazakh, English, and Russian, reported the NU ISSAI’s press service. To train Oylan, NU ISSAI researchers created the largest AI dataset in Kazakhstan, comprising over…

ASTANA — ​​Chevron has started production at its $48 billion expansion of the Tengiz oilfield in Kazakhstan. The expansion is expected to increase output to nealry 1  million barrels of oil per day, or approximately 1% of the global crude supply, reported Reuters on Jan. 24. Due to high sulphur levels and harsh weather conditions,…

ASTANA — The Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA)’s achievements during Kazakhstan’s 2020-2024 chairmanship were circulated by UN Headquarters as an official document of the UN General Assembly and Security Council.  Under the leadership of Kazakhstan, CICA has made major strides in advancing multilateral cooperation across Asia. Notable accomplishments include the effective…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s ice cream exports reached a record 9,800 tons from January to November 2024, a 70% increase compared to the same period in 2023, Data Hub’s press service reported on Jan. 21. This is the highest volume since 2002. Russia accounted for the largest share of exports at 69%, followed by the Kyrgyz…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan ranked first among China’s trade partners in Central Asia in 2024, with trade turnover reaching $43.82 billion, Kazinform reported on Jan. 23, citing the Chinese General Administration of Customs. The Kyrgyz Republic followed with $22.71 billion, Uzbekistan ranked third with $13.78 billion, Turkmenistan placed fourth with $10.65 billion, and Tajikistan came fifth…

ASTANA – Nazarbayev University (NU) presented its innovative AI solutions, including the Soyle App, ISSAI KAZ-LLM Kazakh language model, and Artisan Education – a startup revolutionizing self-paced learning in robotics and programming at the British Educational Training and Technology Show (Bett Show), which takes place on Jan. 22-24 in London. A global hub for educational…

ASTANA – Dastan Satpayev, a 16-year-old forward from Almaty’s Kairat football team and the Kazakhstan youth team, is set to join London’s Chelsea Football Club in 2026, Tengri Sport reported on Jan. 21. An official announcement regarding his transfer is expected this week. However, Satpayev will remain with Kairat until he turns 18 and will…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has become one of Uzbekistan’s largest foreign economic partners, ranking among its top three, with trade turnover reaching $4.22 billion in 2024, Uzbekistan’s Statistics Agency reported on Jan. 20. China remains Uzbekistan’s leading trading partner, with a trade turnover of $12.4 billion, accounting for 18.9% of the total. Russia is second, with…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will chair an expanded meeting of the Kazakh government on Jan. 28, reported Akorda. The meeting will sum up the outcomes of Kazakhstan’s socio-economic development in 2024 and formulate the key tasks for the government. Reports are expected from Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, National Bank Chairman Timur Suleimenov, and regional…

ASTANA – Joint investigations are underway into the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane near Aktau, in coordination with authorities of Kazakhstan and Russia, including the Prosecutor’s Office and law enforcement agencies, the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev told media, reported Trend on Jan. 20. Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev stated that…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sent a congratulatory telegram to Donald Trump on his inauguration as the 47th President of the United States, held on Jan. 20 in Washington. In the telegram, President Tokayev expressed confidence in the further strengthening of the partnership between Kazakhstan and the United States, emphasizing opportunities for cooperation in energy,…

ASTANA – Uzbekistan currently has 1,041 enterprises with Kazakh capital, which contributes significantly to its economy, the Uzbekistan Statistics Agency reported on Jan. 14. The number of foreign-invested enterprises in Uzbekistan has grown by 1.3 times over the past five years. China leads with 3,357 enterprises with full and partial participation, making up 21.8% of…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has surpassed Japan in mobile internet speed, securing the 57th position globally compared to Japan’s 58th, according to the Speedtest Global Index for December 2024. In particular, the median download speed in Kazakhstan was 53.76 megabits per second (Mbps), and in Japan, it was 53.54 Mbps. In terms of fixed broadband speed,…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Air Astana and Egypt’s Air Cairo will open new flights to China, Vietnam, and Egypt this year, the Civil Aviation Committee reported on Jan. 20. From March, Air Astana will launch routes from Almaty to Nha Trang, Vietnam, with four weekly flights, and from Astana to Nha Trang with three weekly flights.…

ASTANA – Cargo transportation by rail between Kazakhstan and China reached a historic high of over 32 million tons by the end of 2024, the Railway and Water Transport Committee of the Kazakh Transport Ministry reported on Jan. 16. Kazakhstan’s exports increased by one million tons to 13.7 million tons. The main export commodities included…

ASTANA – The Kazakh capital will host the Astana Indoor Meet for Amin Tuyakov Prizes international athletics tournament on Jan. 25, featuring top athletes, including Olympic champions and world championship medalists. According to the National Olympic Committee’s press service, the massive event will mark the start of the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold 2025 series,…

ASTANA – Three artificial glaciers have been created in the Batken Region in the southern Kyrgyz Republic to solve problems with irrigation water in the spring, Kazinform reported on Jan. 16, citing the press service of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Kyrgyz President in the Batken Region. One of the glaciers is located in the…

ASTANA – Kazakh pop star Dimash Qudaibergen received the People’s Favorite award on Jan. 16 in Astana, reported dimashnews.com. Now in its 14th year, this prestigious award celebrates the most beloved figures in various fields, based on public votes. Qudaibergen was recognized in the Cultural Figure of the Year category. Kanat Aitbayev, Qudaibergen’s father and…

ASTANA — Decrypted black boxes of the AZAL plane, which crashed on Dec. 25 last year in Aktau, were brought from Brazil to Kazakhstan. Today, their data is being examined by specialists, reported Kazinform referring to the Kazakh Ministry of Transport on Jan. 15. The Commission for the Investigation of the Aviation Accident of the…

ASTANA – Tax revenues from Almaty’s tourism sector reached 85.5 billion tenge (US$161.8 million) in the first 11 months of 2024, doubling the previous year’s figures, the city administration’s press service reported on Jan. 13. The growth was caused by a 14.2% increase in tourist flow – Almaty welcomed 1.7 million visitors in the first…

ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ahead of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) Summit on Jan. 13, reported Akorda. Tokayev highlighted the UAE as a key partner in the Arab world, emphasizing the strategic partnership’s growth in friendship,…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will modernize nine border checkpoints with China, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan this year, aiming to increase throughput capacity sixfold from 170 to 960 vehicles daily and reduce border crossing time to 30 minutes, the Prime Minister’s press service reported on Jan. 10. An automated electronic queue system, accessible via the Qoldau.kz platform and…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received Kai-Fu Lee, a renowned global entrepreneur and artificial intelligence (AI) expert, on Jan. 10, reported Akorda. The President highlighted the strategic importance of adopting advanced technologies and noted that exchanging experience with leading global experts supports Kazakhstan’s ambitious digital transformation goals. The parties discussed integrating AI into various sectors…

ASTANA – Embamunaigas, a 100% subsidiary of KazMunayGas (KMG) national oil and gas company, has begun drilling the first exploratory well at the Taisoigan site in the Atyrau Region, KMG’s press service reported on Jan. 8. The site, located within the Caspian sedimentary basin, consists of Mesozoic suprasalt structures. Eight structures at depths ranging from…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ratified Kazakhstan’s law on the framework agreement for comprehensive economic cooperation and the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and its member states, and Singapore, on Jan. 9, reported Akorda. The law, now published in print, envisages that upon the agreement’s entry into force, Singapore will…