AERC Forecasts Kazakhstan’s Economic Growth to Reach 4.4% in 2023
ASTANA – The Applied Economics Research Centre (AERC) improved its forecast of Kazakhstan’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth to 4.4% in its macroeconomic review published on July 31. Kazakhstan has experienced significant external shocks related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and internal challenges, including the fires in the Abai Region that claimed the lives of 14…
Kazakhstan Hosts International Tournament With World Chess Champions
ASTANA – Uralsk Open 2023 international chess tournament, a stage of Kazakhstan’s Cup among men and women, took place from July 21 to 28 in Uralsk city with the participation of world chess champions, reported the Kazakhstan Chess Federation’s press service. The tournament, with a total guaranteed prize pool of 23 million tenge ($51,487), brought…
Kazakhstan Sends First Trucks on New Trade Route to Pakistan
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has sent several trucks on a new trade route to Pakistan through Afghanistan in a pilot mode as part of a recently launched project, Kairat Torebayev, Vice Minister of Trade and Integration, said at a July 31 press briefing, reported Kazinform. According to Torebayev, Kazakhstan is currently negotiating with National Logistics Cell,…
Output of Machine-Building in Kazakhstan Triples to $6.7 Billion
ASTANA – In the past five years, the share of the machine-building industry in Kazakhstan’s economy grew 1.5 times, with the production output tripling to over three trillion tenge ($ 6.7 billion), Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov said at an Aug. 1 government meeting, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. According to Minister of Industry and…
Astana Hosts Conference on Initiatives to Combat Human Trafficking
ASTANA – A conference titled Strengthening National and International Partnerships to Combat Trafficking in Persons, dedicated to the World Day against Trafficking in Persons observed on July 30, took place in Astana on July 27-28. It is reported that Kazakhstan registered 110 cases of human trafficking in the past six months, reported Khabar news. Every…
Kazakh Defense Minister Briefs President Tokayev on Strengthening National Defense
ASTANA – Kazakh Defense Minister Ruslan Zhaksylykov briefed President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the outcomes of the work in the first half of 2023 and the steps taken to strengthen the country’s defense at a July 25 meeting, reported the Akorda press service. Zhaksylykov informed about a new format of military training of the Kazakh army,…
Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company Reveals Cause of Emergency Shutdown
ASTANA – Excessive wear and tear of the generation equipment caused an emergency shutdown at a large unit of the Mangystau Atomic Energy Complex (MAEC) on July 3, Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company (KEGOC) reported on July 25. As noted in the company’s statement, a protection relay and an automatic emergency response system of the…
Kazakh President Condemns Quran Burnings as Unacceptable Provocations
ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev considers the acts of burning the Quran in several countries of Northern Europe as unacceptable provocations aimed at escalating tension in the world and undermining trust between peoples and states, the Akorda press service reported on July 26. As stated by the President, the increasing cases of religious…
Kazakhstan Increases Rail Freight Transportation to China by 37% This Year
ASTANA – Kazakhstan shipped 8.3 million tons of cargo to China by rail in the first six months of 2023, 37% more than in the same period last year, according to the outcomes reported on July 21 by the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) national railway company. Kazakhstan has tripled grain exports to one million tons,…
Katon-Karagai National Park Upgrades UNDP-Sponsored Tourist Route
ASTANA – The Katon-Karagai State National Natural Park, one of the largest in Kazakhstan, opened an upgraded tourist route Orman Zholdary (Forest Route), in the East Kazakhstan Region on July 21 with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), reported the UNDP Kazakhstan. The route’s concept is based on the idea that each…
Kazakhstan, UNICEF Address Improving Quality of Children’s Lives
ASTANA – Improving the quality of children’s lives was discussed at a July 23 meeting between Tamara Duisenova, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor and Social Protection, and Octavian Bivol, Deputy Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, the Prime Minister’s press service reported. UNICEF…
Cargo Transshipment in Aktau Port Grows 23% in 2023
ASTANA – The volume of cargo transshipment in the Aktau port grew 23% to over two million tons so far this year, the Atameken Business reported on July 19. Located on the northeastern shore of the Caspian Sea, the Aktau port, with three dry cargo and three oil terminals, holds major international importance in the…
US Investments in Kazakhstan’s Economy Exceed $60 Billion
ASTANA – The United States, one of the largest foreign investors in Kazakhstan’s economy, has invested $62.7 billion since 1993, announced Ardak Zebeshev, chairman of the Investment Committee of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, the country’s investment promotion company Kazakh Invest reported on July 19. At a meeting with the participation of Kazakh Invest Chairman Meirzhan…
Kazakhstan Establishes Organizing Committee for Fifth World Nomad Games
ASTANA – Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov signed a decree dated July 13 on establishing the organizing committee to prepare for hosting the fifth World Nomad Games on Sep. 8-15 next year in Astana, according to online.zakon.kz. The organizing committee will consist of ministers and deputy ministers of all government agencies, representatives of cities’ and…
President Tokayev Sets Out Priority Areas for Closer Interaction Between Gulf Countries and Central Asia
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered his remarks at the first Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Central Asian countries summit, outlining top priorities for further cooperation on July 19 in Jeddah, the Akorda press service reported. The President thanked King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, and his son, Crown Prince…
Tokayev Underlines Saudi Arabia’s Key Strategic Role for Kazakhstan in Arab World
ASTANA – Saudi Arabia is a key strategic partner of Kazakhstan in the Islamic and Arab world, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at a July 19 meeting with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, reported the Akorda press service. The President thanked him for the hospitality and…
More Middle Eastern Travelers Choose Almaty as Travel Destination
ASTANA – The city of Almaty is becoming very popular among business tourists and regular travelers from the countries of the Middle East, said the head of the city’s tourism department Galiya Tokseitova, the press service of the Almaty Akimat (administration) reported on July 12. The growing demand came after the opening of direct flights…
KazTransOil Increases Oil Transportation in First Half of 2023
ASTANA – KazTransOil national oil transporter delivered 21.3 million tons of oil in total through the main oil pipeline system in the first six months of this year, which is 1.3 million tons more than in the same period last year, the company reported on July 17. The volume of oil transportation to the country’s…
Kazakhstan’s Economy Cuts Energy Intensity by 37% Over Ten Years
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has cut the economy’s energy intensity by 36.7% to a 2008 level over a decade, announced Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Zulfiya Suleimenova at a July 17 meeting of the Council on the transition towards a green economy chaired by Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. The…
Kazakhstan, UNDP Present New Initiative to Support Most Vulnerable Groups
ASTANA – The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Kazakhstan and the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the United Nations (UN) presented a flagship initiative of their partnership that facilitates providing state support to the most vulnerable population groups, the Kazakh Ministry of National Economy’s press service reported on July 18. The Digital Family Card…
Kazakh PM Briefs President on Investigation of Power Outage Causes
ASTANA – Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov briefed President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the results of the investigation into the causes of a power outage on July 3 at the Mangystau atomic energy complex and the Atyrau oil refinery at a meeting on July 13, according to the Akorda press service. The investigation into the emergency…
President Tokayev and Foreign Minister Outline Regional Security Priorities at CAF
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has consistently adhered to the principle a “successful Central Asia means a successful Kazakhstan,” said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in his remarks delivered by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu on the first day of the Central Asian Security and Cooperation Forum (CAF) in Astana on July 13. The President stressed…
Kazakh President Signs Law on Return of Illegally Acquired Assets
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed on July 12 the law on returning to the state illegally withdrawn assets, the day after the Constitutional Court certified it to be consistent with the country’s Constitution, reported the Akorda press service. In accordance with the provisions of the law, the return mechanisms will be applied to oligopolistic…
Border Demarcation Agreement Between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Comes into Force
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan finalized an agreement on border demarcation, which came into force on July 4 after a 19-year process, Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Aibek Smadiyarov said at a July 10 press briefing. It took 100 rounds of negotiations within the Joint Kazakh-Uzbek Demarcation Commission to enact the border demarcation deal that was…
Kazakh Economy Maintains 5% Growth Rate in First Half of 2023
ASTANA – The economy of Kazakhstan grew 5% in January-June this year, seeing the positive dynamics in the real sector by 4.8% and the service sector by 4.9%, Kazakh Minister of National Economy Alibek Kuantyrov said at a July 12 government meeting, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. The mining and manufacturing industries, construction and…
