Kazakhstan Abolishes Death Penalty
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan abolishes death penalty, as Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signs a decree ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that commits countries to abolish death penalty, the Akorda press service reported. Tokayev announced that Kazakhstan will join the protocol in December 2019 at the second meeting…
UNGA Adopts Resolution to Rehabilitate Semey Region from Soviet Nuclear Testing
NUR-SULTAN – The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on international cooperation and coordination of activities in human and ecological rehabilitation and economic development in the Semey Region on Dec. 21. The region suffered from the consequences of nuclear testing conducted at Semipalatinsk test site by the Soviet Union, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press…
Televised Debates in Kazakhstan: Political Candidates Voice Their Party Platforms
NUR-SULTAN – Qazaqstan national TV channel aired the Dec. 22 televised debates between the representatives of the five parties participating in the elections to the Mazhilis, the lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament, set for Jan. 10, 2021. The main topic of the debates was national values and ideology. Gaziz Kulakhmetov represented the People’s Party…
Kazakh Healthcare Ministry, UNFPA Launch Website, App to Raise Sexual and Reproductive Health Literacy among Youth
NUR-SULTAN – Young people in Kazakhstan now have more information channels to get credible information about sexual and reproductive health, now that the Kazakh Healthcare Ministry and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Kazakhstan have launched the Shyn (truth in Kazakh) app, website, and a Telegram bot (@shynkzbot) that seeks to improve sexual and…
Production of Chinese Yutong Buses Launched in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda Region
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin participated in the launch of the QazTechna plant in the town of Saran in the Karaganda Region on Dec. 21 that will produce buses, electric buses, and special equipment, the Kazakh Prime Minister’s press service reported. The plant was built in partnership with China’s Yutong corporation, one of…
Farkhat Sharipov’s “18 Kilohertz” Named Best Youth Film at Film Festival in Germany
NUR-SULTAN – Farkhat Sharipov’s “18 Kilohertz” was named the Best Youth Film after it won in the U18 Youth Film Competition at the 30th FilmFestival Cottbus in Germany that is taking place online from Dec. 8 through Dec. 31. The film narrates the realities of teenage life in Kazakhstan’s largest city Almaty in the 1990s…
Kazakhstan Tightens COVID-19 Restrictions Ahead of Holidays
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin chaired the meeting on the prevention of the spread of coronavirus that tightened existing COVID-19 restrictions ahead of the New Year holiday season. Starting Dec. 25 and through Jan. 5, the government decided to ban all entertainment, sport, and public events, including the much-expected New Year celebrations and…
Kazakhstan’s Economy of Simple Things Program to Boost Domestic Production
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan implemented 1,666 projects over the past 11 months as part of the nation’s Economy of Simple Things program designed to boost domestic production of goods and services used by consumers on a daily basis, said Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Chair Ablai Myrzakhmetov. The net worth of approved projects amounted to 696…
Tokayev Addresses CIS Heads of State, Calls for Greater Cooperation
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev participated in the meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Council of Heads of State Dec. 17 held via a videoconference, reported Akorda press service. The meeting explored aspects of cooperation within the CIS, prospects for its development, and efforts to counter the coronavirus pandemic. Taking part in…
Kazakh President Presents Awards to Prominent Public Figures, Artists, Ahead of Independence Day
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev presented awards to prominent public figures and artists for their contribution to the country’s social, economic, and cultural development, strengthening friendship and cooperation between the people of the country as well as their active public lives on the eve of Independence Day which is celebrated Dec. 16 in Kazakhstan,…
Tokayev Announces Kazakhstan’s Pledge to Reach Carbon Neutrality by 2060
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced that Kazakhstan will reach carbon neutrality by 2060 as part of the nation’s strengthened national climate plan during the Climate Ambitions Summit held online Dec. 12. Tokayev joined nearly 70 leaders, and heads of businesses delivering their remarks at the summit which is considered an important step ahead…
Kazakhstan Honours Best Domestic Producers
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan hosted the Altyn Sapa (gold quality in Kazakh) annual awards ceremony on Dec. 11 honoring the country’s best producers ahead of the upcoming Industrialization Day in Kazakhstan. The award, established in 2006, is meant to encourage industrial development and increase the quality of goods and services produced in the country. More than…
Tokayev Outlines Administration Priorities as Kazakhstan Prepares to Chair Eurasian Economic Union in 2021
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will take over the presidency at the Eurasian Economic Union in 2021 after Belarus. Full implementation of the EEU agreement, elimination of barriers to trade, development of cooperation within and beyond the union, and strengthening the functionality of the EEU Commission are among the country’s priorities, said Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at…
Kazakh Government Officials Report Positive Economic Indicators
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh government officials noted positive economic indicators over the past 11 months and reported them during the Dec. 10 government meeting, the Kazakh Prime Minister’s press service reported. Construction and processing industries show significant growth, said Kazakh Minister of the Economy Ruslan Dalenov. The processing industry grew by 3.3 percent, where pharmaceuticals and…
Almaty Officials Introduce New Coronavirus Restrictions, Situation Stable
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh officials report that the epidemiological situation is generally stable in the country, with some regions witnessing a relative surge in COVID-19 cases. Almaty akim (mayor) Bakytzhan Sagintayev and Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Yeraly Tugzhanov said the coronavirus restrictions will be strengthened in Almaty, as the city witnesses a surge in coronavirus cases. …
Public Administration System Should Serve the Needs of Citizens, Says Tokayev
NUR-SULTAN – The entire public administration system in Kazakhstan should undergo a major upgrade to become people-centered, said Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the second meeting of the Supreme Council for Reforms Dec. 9, the Akorda press service reported. The council was created in September to serve as a supreme body for finalizing and adopting…
UN, EU Launch Spotlight Initiative for Central Asia, Afghanistan to Support Women
NUR-SULTAN – The United Nations (UN) Office and the European Union (EU) have launched a multi-year Spotlight regional programme for Central Asia and Afghanistan designed to eliminate all forms of violence against women. The EU will fund the programme with an initial budget of $4.3 million. The Spotlight project was launched in 2016 by the…
Tokayev Closes Out Year of Volunteer, Announces Volunteer Development Road Map, Training Program
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed the government to prepare a road map for volunteer development and the volunteer training program during the closing ceremony of the Year of Volunteer in Kazakhstan, reported Akorda press service. “Volunteering is not just a social phenomenon, a habit, or skill that is developed overnight. It is a…
Kazakhstan Marks International Volunteer Day
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan marked International Volunteer Day Dec. 5 to celebrate the spirit of volunteering and to recognize the impact that volunteers make on society every year. Established by the United Nations, Volunteer Day has been celebrated worldwide since 1985. Kazakhstan has witnessed a steady growth in volunteerism over the past years. “International Volunteers Day…
Kazakhstan Supports Recent OPEC Agreement to Raise Oil Production
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan supported the recent agreement of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to modestly raise oil production, according to the Kazakh Energy Ministry’s press service. At their latest meeting on Dec. 3, OPEC and other oil-producing nations, including Kazakhstan and Russia, known as OPEC+, agreed to increase oil production by 500,000 barrels…
Kazakhstan Reduces Air Travel with Turkey, Resumes Flights to Uzbekistan
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will reduce the number of flights to Turkey, according to the recent decision of the government commission on the prevention of the spread of coronavirus. The decision takes into account the epidemiological situation in both countries and the recommendation of the Kazakh Healthcare Ministry amid a global spike in coronavirus cases. The…
Kazakh President Tokayev Addresses Artificial Intelligence Conference Together With Russian President Putin
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev participated in the Artificial Intelligence Journey conference that gathered over 28,000 participants from over 90 countries Dec. 3-5, Akorda reported. Artificial Intelligence Journey is a series of events focusing on artificial intelligence and data analysis and hosted by international companies, including Russian ones, working in AI technology development and…
Kazakh Film Named Best Social Drama at Silk Road Film Awards
NUR-SULTAN – The “Girl and Sea” art film directed by Aziz Zairov and Muhammed Mamyrbekov won in the Best Social Drama category at the Silk Road Film Awards Cannes, Kazakh Film Studio reported. The Silk Road Film Awards at Cannes is a monthly competition with annual screenings open to independent filmmakers worldwide, and short and…
New Video Shows Kazakh Capital’s Landmarks from Bird’s Eye Perspective
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s Presidential Teleradio Complex released a short video capturing Kazakh capital from a bird’s eye perspective. “All the unique beauty and grandeur of our capital is captured in incredible fairytale footage taken by a high-resolution bird’s-eye camera,” wrote the presidential teleradio complex in its Telegram channel. The company noted the role of Kazakhstan’s…
Zhas Project Unites Youth, Facilitates Social Entrepreneurship
NUR-SULTAN – The Zhas (Youth in Kazakh) project, a youth corps program, has brought together nearly 9,000 young people from different parts of Kazakhstan over the past four years to generate ideas contributing to the community’s development, said Vera Kim, head of the Coordinating Agency tasked with the implementation of the Zhas Project, in an interview…
