Almaty Court Arrests Suspected Coordinator of Attacks on Journalists for Two Months
ASTANA – The Almaty specialized interdistrict investigation court ruled on Feb. 24 to arrest for two months a person suspected of coordinating provocative attacks against journalists, reported the court’s press service. “The court decided to satisfy the request of the pre-trial investigation and authorized the use of a preventive measure in the form of an…
New York-Based Think Tank Includes Astana in Smart Communities List
ASTANA – The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), a New York-based global network and think tank, listed Astana among the world’s Smart21 Communities of 2023, the organization announced during a Feb. 23 virtual conference. “This may be ICF’s most ‘youthful’ and diverse group of cities,” said ICF co-founder Lou Zacharilla. “As we continue to move to…
President Tokayev Congratulates Nation on Gratitude Day
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated the nation on the Day of Gratitude celebrated on March 1, the Akorda press service reports. Celebrated since 2016, the holiday marks the establishment of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan on March 1, 1995. “This holiday embodies the enduring values of friendship, kindness, and solidarity, which are…
New Rules for Schengen Visa Not to Delay Applications for Kazakh Nationals, Says MFA Spokesperson
ASTANA – As of March 1, Kazakhstan will be included in the list of countries whose citizens will be required to pass through additional consultations to obtain a Schengen visa, Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Aibek Smadiyarov noted at a press briefing on Feb. 27. “As for the question that supposedly Kazakhstan is included in some kind…
Kazakh CEC Announces Schedule for Pre-Election TV Debates
ASTANA – Pre-election debates among political parties ahead of the upcoming parliamentary election will take place throughout March, the Kazakh Central Election Commission (CEC) announced on Feb. 27. Sixty-three million tenge (US$141,158) will be allocated to organize the debates. Both Khabar and the Qazaqstan TV channels were selected to air the debates, with the aim…
More Than 200 Voter Services Call Centers Now Operate Nationwide in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Since the beginning of the election campaign, 230 call centers have received more than 17,000 requests on voter verification and registration as of Feb. 27, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC). Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry Aset Turysov said the ministry organized call centers for voter services in…
Oman to Launch Direct Flights to Kazakhstan in July
ASTANA – Oman’s Salam Air low-cost airline plans to launch regular direct flights between Almaty and Muscat from July 1, reported the press service of the Civil Aviation Committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development. Flights will be operated two times a week on Thursdays and Sundays on Airbus A320neo and А321neo…
Maternal Mortality Rate Declines in Central Asia, According to Latest UN Report
ASTANA – Central Asia’s maternal mortality rate declined by 67.5 percent in the last 20 years, according to a study on the trends in maternal mortality prepared by the United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group and released on Feb. 23. According to the UN report, the region of Central and Southern Asia saw the…
Kazakh Break-Dancer Wins 2023 Breaking for Gold World Series in Japan (VIDEO)
ASTANA – Kazakh breakdancer Amir Zakirov won the Breaking for Gold World Series 2023 in Japan’s Kitakyushu, reported the tournament’s press service on Feb. 25. In the fight for gold, the Kazakh break-dancer overpowered opponents from the United States and Japan. The competition brought together 180 strongest break-dancers, including 99 boys and 81 girls, from…
National Bank to Keep Base Rate at 16.75 Percent
ASTANA – The monetary policy committee of the National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) has decided on Feb. 24 to keep the base rate at 16.75 percent, according to the bank’s press service. The decision is based on the bank’s updated forecasts, data analysis, and an assessment of the inflation risks balance. External pro-inflationary factors remain…
Kazakh FM Meets with UN Officials in Almaty, Reaffirms Country’s Commitment to Multilateralism
ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi congratulated the United Nations on the 30th anniversary of UN presence in Kazakhstan during his meeting with representatives of UN agencies and diplomatic corps on Feb. 24 in Almaty, reported the ministry’s press service. Tileuberdi noted the high level of interaction between Kazakhstan and…
Kazakh Startup 1Fit Announces Launch in UK
ASTANA – The 1Fit mobile application for unlimited fitness membership, founded by a Kazakh developer, announced its launch in the United Kingdom (UK) on its LinkedIn page on Feb. 20. London residents will be able to try it out as early as this month. The application provides the opportunity to organize and pay for all…
Kazakhstan Sends First Batch of Oil to Germany via Druzhba Pipeline
ASTANA – The system of main oil pipelines of the KazTransOil national company started receiving Kazakh oil for transportation to Germany on Feb. 23, said Shyngys Ilyasov, director of the public relations and internal communications department at KazTransOil, in a press statement. According to the oil supply schedule approved by the Kazakh Energy Ministry, KazTransOil…
EU-Central Asia Conference Focuses on Climate Action and Green Transition Efforts
ASTANA – Rome hosted the seventh European Union – Central Asia High-Level Conference on Environment and Water Cooperation on Feb. 23-24 under the auspices of the EU-Central Asia Platform for Environment and Water Cooperation, reported the platform’s press service. More than 100 delegates attended the conference, including ministers, deputy ministers, high-level Central Asian and EU…
US Secretary of State to Visit Kazakhstan, Participate in C5+1 Meeting
ASTANA – US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will pay his first official visit to Kazakhstan on Feb. 28, according to the U.S. Department of State statement. Blinken is expected to meet with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister-Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi to deepen bilateral cooperation. He will also participate in…
Kazakhstan’s Top International Tourist Arrivals Hail from Germany, Türkiye, UK, and US in 2023
ASTANA – Germany, Türkiye, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US) have entered the top ten countries of tourist arrivals to Kazakhstan since the beginning of this year, according to the Kazakh Culture and Sports Ministry. Some 2,500 tourists came from Türkiye, nearly 1,400 from Germany and the US and roughly 1,200 from…
Kazakhstan Approves Occupation Lists for Foreign Workers
ASTANA – Kazakhstan approved the list of 21 professions in the healthcare, science, engineering, and IT sectors set to employ foreign specialists, reported the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection on Feb. 22. A relevant government decree will come into force on Feb. 28. The list includes the occupations of neurosurgeon, oncologist, neonatologist, research engineer…
National Kurultai Facilitates Dialogue Between President and Society, Says State Counselor
ASTANA – The National Kurultai, a key presidential consultative and advisory body, has developed the practice of direct communication between the President and social activists and experts, Kazakhstan’s State Counselor Erlan Karin wrote on his Telegram channel on Feb. 22 following President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s meeting with a kurultai member Talgat Kaliyev on Wednesday. At the…
Kazakhstan’s CICA Chairmanship Prioritizes Enhancing Connectivity in Asia
ASTANA – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kanat Tumysh and Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Kairat Sarybay signed a Roadmap for the Implementation of the Kazakh Chairmanship’s Priorities in CICA for 2023-2024 on Feb. 22, outlining major efforts to strengthen connectivity in Asia, according to the…
Kazakh Government, People Stand in Solidarity with Türkiye After Deadly Earthquake, Says Turkish Ambassador
ASTANA – Turkish Ambassador to Kazakhstan Ufuk Ekici commended Kazakhstan’s assistance to Türkiye, highlighting the support of Kazakh citizens following the deadly earthquake. “President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan saying he is ready to provide all possible assistance. The second day after the disaster, the first search and rescue…
Türkiye Earthquake Disrupts Tengiz Oil Shipment Through Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline
ASTANA – The Feb. 6 devastating earthquake in Türkiye damaged the Ceyhan oil terminal, hampering the start of the planned shipment of Kazakh oil through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan route, said Tengizchevroil General Director Kevin Lyon at a Feb. 21 press conference in Almaty, reported Kazinform. According to Lyon, KazMunayGas, Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company, is…
Dimash Kudaibergen Introduces American Colleagues to Kazakh Traditional Musical Instruments
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s most famous modern singer Dimash Kudaibergen introduced his American colleagues to the sounds of the kobyz, a traditional Kazakh musical instrument. A video posted on his Instagram page on Feb. 22 depicts Dimash and his American colleagues watching the singer’s live performance of “Stranger” at the 2021 New Wave competition accompanied by…
Kazakh Authorities Detain 18 People for Committing Illegal Acts Against Journalists
ASTANA – Some 18 people have recently been detained for committing illegal acts against journalists and bloggers carried out over the last six months in Astana and Almaty, reported the press service of the Kazakh Ministry of Internal Affairs on Feb. 21. Six journalists and bloggers and one person associated with their activities suffered from…
Kazakhstan Takes Part in African Union Summit in Ethiopia as Observer State
ASTANA – Kazakh Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union (AU) Barlybai Sadykov participated in the annual 36th African Union summit in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, on Feb. 18-19, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry. The summit agenda included discussions on security, terrorism, unconstitutional coups, food security, United Nations Security Council…
Kazakhstan Ranks 48th Out of 192 Countries in Open Data Inventory Ranking
ASTANA – Kazakhstan jumped six spots up and ranked 48th out of 192 countries in the latest Open Data Inventory (ODIN) ranking by Open Data Watch, reported the Bureau of National Statistics on Feb. 20. The ODIN ranking evaluates the coverage and openness of official statistics in four categories: national statistics, social and demographic statistics,…
