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,…
Nearly 72 Percent of Citizens Say Kazakhstan Moving in Right Direction, Survey Says
ASTANA – Some 71.7 percent of Kazakh people believe the country is on the right track, according to the results of a regional monitoring effort conducted by the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS) in February, reported the institute’s press service on Feb. 20. Among the respondents, young people and rural residents tend to be…
Condé Nast Traveler Magazine Spotlights Most Breathtaking Places in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – The Condé Nast Traveler magazine published an article titled “The Most Breathtaking Places to Visit in Kazakhstan” on its website, describing the beauty of Kazakh cities and spectacular landscapes. “With untouched natural beauty and an abundance of cultural wonders, this awe-inspiring country might be one of the world’s most underrated destinations,” reads the…
Astana to Host ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour Next Week
ASTANA – Astana will host the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Women’s World Tennis Tour from Feb. 27 to March 12, the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation’s press service reported. The series of tournaments, BeeTV 40 Women’s and BeeTV 60 Women’s, will take place at the Beeline Arena National Tennis Center. The total prize fund will be US$100,000.…
Kazakh Startups Attract $130 Million in Investments in 2022
ASTANA – Astana Hub, an international technopark of IT startups, attracted $130 million of startup investments while exporting $165 million worth of digitally-delivered services in 2022, said Yersultan Yermanov, director of the IT Industry Development Department at the Kazakh Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry, during a Feb. 17 press briefing. Kazakhstan plans…
Team Kazakhstan Wins Quebec International Peewee Hockey Tournament
ASTANA – A team of young hockey players from Kazakhstan participated in the Quebec International Peewee Hockey Tournament for the first time in history and became champions in the BB category (ages 11-12), the tournament’s official Instagram account reported. The team won the final 4-2 against the Haute-Beauce Lynx team from Canada. Team Kazakhstan competed…
Kazakhstan Experiences Surge in FDI Inflows
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s gross inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) grew by 17.8 percent to $22.1 billion over nine months of last year, said Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov during the Investment Climate Improvement Council on Feb. 18, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. Smailov commended the country’s growth rates and investment attractiveness despite external…
Kazakh Rescue Teams Return from Quake-Hit Türkiye
ASTANA — Nearly two weeks later, the Kazakh rescuers who went on a mission to help Türkiye cope with the aftermath of the Feb. 6 deadly earthquake returned home, with the first unit that assisted in the Turkish city of Gaziantep landing in Almaty on Feb. 18, the press service of the Kazakh Ministry of…
Kazakh Designer Presents National Hats at New York Exhibition
ASTANA – Kazakh accessories designer Aliya Zhamantayeva presented her new designs of the Kazakh traditional hat, the saukele, at a New York LOVE.MAKE.LOVE pop-up store exhibition on Feb. 9-16, Kazinform reported. The saukele is a traditional headdress typically worn for weddings. Zhamantayeva, who is also Kazakh Tourism national company’s creative ambassador, began her career by…
Norway’s Artist Performs Kazakh Songs at Music Festival in Fredrikstad (Video)
OSLO – A 17-year-old Norwegian musician Felix Ulrik Motzfeldt (FUMA) performed the Kazakh song “Airport” of popular singer Yerke Yesmakhan at the UKM Ung Kultur Møtes music festival on Feb. 11 in Fredrikstad, reported the Kazakh Embassy in Norway. Video credit: Facebook/UKM Fredrikstad. “I really love to try to sing in different languages because I…
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Trade Reaches Record-High Level in 2022
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s foreign trade turnover hit a record high of $134.4 billion in 2022, a rise of 82 percent over 2021 and four times that of 2020, reported the Ministry of National Economy on Feb. 15. Export volumes reached $84.4 billion in the reporting period, growing by 40 percent in 2021 and 78 percent…
Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s Debottlenecking Program Increases Kazakhstan’s Shipments in 2022
ASTANA – The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) debottlenecking program allowed for an increase in the pipeline capacity to approximately 72.5 million tons per annum from Kazakhstan in 2022, said CPC Director General Nikolay Gorban at the meeting with Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov on Feb. 16, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. The sides addressed…
Kazakh Labor Ministry to Implement Employment Plan in Regions
ASTANA – Nearly 950,000 people will be employed in 2023 as part of the regional employment road map, said Kazakh Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Tamara Duissenova at a Feb. 16 government meeting that focused on measures to ensure employment, reported the ministry’s press service. “In 2023, 947,800 people will be employed…
Kazakhstan, Netherlands Eхplore New Investment Opportunities at Forum in Naaldwijk
ASTANA – Kazakh and Dutch officials and business leaders explored new investment opportunities and cooperation prospects at a Feb. 16 Kazakhstan-Netherlands Investment Roundtable in the city of Naaldwijk, reported the Kazakh Invest national company’s press service. The two countries have established solid and reliable cooperation in the political, economic, and cultural spheres over the past…
Kazakh Search Dogs Help Find Earthquake Survivors in Türkiye (Video)
ASTANA – Kazakh-trained search dogs are helping in identifying the whereabouts of people trapped behind layers of concrete and the wreckage in Türkiye, the Kazakh Emergency Situations Ministry’s press service reported on Feb. 15. The dogs are trained to smell a human scent, stand there, and bark loudly to notify rescuers of the location. The…
Kazakhstan, France to Intensify Ties in Culture and Sports
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and France will intensify their collaboration in culture, tourism and sports, said Kazakh Minister of Culture and Sports Askhat Oralov in a Facebook post on Feb. 14, following his meeting with French Ambassador to Kazakhstan Didier Canesse the same day. Among the subjects covered by the minister and the ambassador was the…
Turkic States United in Helping Earthquake-Struck Türkiye
ASTANA – Kazakhstan sent more than $3.6 million to Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) official relief account, the Turkish Embassy in Astana wrote on its official Facebook page on Feb. 15. “Today [Feb. 15], the AFAD relief fund’s account received $216,000 from Kazakhstan. The total sum of donations exceeded $3.6 million,” reads the…
Kazakhstan, India Explore Ways to Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and India agreed to diversify bilateral cooperation in medicine, pharmacology, agriculture, information technology, space, and energy. This was announced during the meeting between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kanat Tumysh and Secretary (West) of the Ministry of External Affairs Sanjay Verma during the eighth round of political consultations in New Delhi on…
Kazakhstan, UAE Agree to Enhance Cooperation in Public Administration
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) agreed to bolster cooperation in public administration during the World Government Summit on Feb. 13-15 in Dubai, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. Held under the theme Shaping Future Governments, the event brought together nearly 10,000 international government officials, opinion leaders, global experts, and decision-makers. Deputy…
Astana to Host BIZZ Awards Eurasia 2023 in May
ASTANA – Astana will host the BIZZ Awards Eurasia 2023 at the Sheraton Astana Hotel on May 25-28, announced the Kazakh Tourism national company. The awards ceremony is organized by the World Confederation of Businesses (WORLDCOB), an American business organization that promotes business development worldwide, recognizing and boosting the growth of leading companies. “We are…
Kazakhstan to Convert Regional Presidential Residences for Children’s Needs
ASTANA – The presidential residences in the cities of Aktobe, Atyrau, Aktau, Kostanai and Taraz will be converted to better serve the needs of Kazakhstan’s children on the directives of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, reported the press service of the cities and regional administrations. The residences, which were primarily used for official purposes on the large…
Kazakhstan to Open Branches of Twelve Foreign Universities by 2029
ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to open 12 branches of foreign universities by 2029, said Kazakh Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek, as Kazinform reported on Feb. 7. According to Nurbek, branches of Türkiye’s Gazi University in Shymkent, the Michigan State University (the United States) in Astana, the Heriot-Watt University (Scotland) in Aktobe, Seoul…
Kazakhstan Wins Most Trending Tourism Destination Award in India
ASTANA – Kazakhstan received the award as the most trending excursion destination for Indian travelers at the Versatile Excellence Travel Awards (VETA) ceremony in New Delhi, the Kazakh Culture and Sports Ministry reported on Feb. 13. Dastan Ryspekov, Kazakh Tourism Committee Chairman, noted the flow of Indian tourists has rocketed since the country introduced a…
