Kazakh Feature Film “The Crying Steppe” Selected as Kazakhstan’s Entry For the Oscars (Video)
NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh feature film “The Crying Steppe” directed by Marina Kunarova has been included in the long list as Kazakhstan’s entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards scheduled for April 25 this year. The film tells the story behind real events that happened in Kazakhstan in 1931-33, when…
Kazakh Capital Nur-Sultan Attracts Record $2.6 Billion Investments in 2020
NUR-SULTAN – The year 2020 was harsh for many economies worldwide with capital cities everywhere going into lockdowns. For the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan, however, the last year has become a record one, as it attracted 1.1 trillion tenge (US$2.6 billion) of investments in 2020, according to the city’s press service. It is 20 percent…
Dimash Kudaibergen’s Online Concert Attracts Viewers From 100 Countries
NUR-SULTAN – World famous Kazakh pop singer Dimash Kudaibergen has once again stunned the world. Kudaibergen’s online concert, his first during the pandemic, has gathered viewers from 100 countries worldwide. The concert was streamed live Jan. 16 on the Tixr American streaming platform that previously hosted virtual large-scale concerts with millions of people for celebrities…
Kazakhstan to Hit Coronavirus Peak in March, Says Kazakh Healthcare Minister
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan may reach a coronavirus peak in the end of March, said Kazakh Healthcare Minister Alexey Tsoy at a Jan. 19 government meeting. The ministry’s working group has been dealing with forecasting different scenarios of how an epidemiological situation may unfold. It has prepared the projections through the end of 2021 given the…
Kazakh Capital Introduces New COVID-19 Restrictions Amid Surge in Cases, Cancels Epiphany Bathing Holiday
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan is witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases and to address the spike, the nation saw another tightening of COVID-19 restrictions. Starting Jan. 18, the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan restricted operating hours for cafes, and restaurants, according to a new decree of the city’s chief doctor Sarkhat Beisenova. With the new rules in place,…
New Kazakh Parliament Has Pressing Responsibility to Implement Tokayev’s Reforms, Say Political Experts
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the first session of the newly elected Kazakh Parliament Jan. 15. Political experts believe the Kazakh legislative body has a huge responsibility to ensure the reforms announced by Tokayev will come into effect. Among the initiatives voiced by Tokayev were introducing a five percent electoral threshold for parties…
Epidemiological Situation in Kazakhstan Worsens, Says Vice Healthcare Minister
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s Vice Healthcare Minister and Chief Sanitary Doctor Yerlan Kiyasov reported on the worsening epidemiological situation in Kazakhstan at a Jan.13 press briefing at the Central Communications Services. As of Jan. 15, Kazakhstan had 166,146 coronavirus cases and 2,386 deaths. 835 new cases were recorded over the past day. Kazakhstan also confirmed 46,666…
Kazakhstan Completes Five-Year Privatisation Plan, Says Kazakh Finance Minister
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan successfully completed its privatization plan for 2016-2020, said Kazakh Minister of Finance Yerulan Zhamaubayev at a Jan. 12 government meeting. In 2015, Kazakhstan developed a privatisation plan to decrease the participation of the state in the country’s economy – up to 15 percent of the gross domestic product. Despite the big plans,…
Kazakh GDP Shrinks By 2.6 Percent in 2020, Says Kazakh Economy Minister
NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh economy shrank by 2.6 percent in 2020 as it takes a heavy hit from the coronavirus pandemic, said Kazakh Minister of National Economy Ruslan Dalenov. State support measures, growing investment activity in the non-extractive sectors, real sector growth and increasing in lending supported the economy throughout 2020, said the minister. “The…
Turkish Company Invests $5.2 Million in Wood Processing Plant in Northern Kazakhstan
NUR-SULTAN – A wood processing plant opened in Petropavlovsk in the North Kazakhstan Region, Kazakh Invest press service reported. Turkish company Butuğ İnşaat headquartered in Ankara invested in the project. The opening ceremony was attended by North Kazakhstan Regional Governor Kumar Aksakalov, Atamaken Regional Chamber of Entrepreneurs Head Arman Urazgulov and Kazakh Invest Regional Director…
Exit Poll Confirms Nur Otan Party Lead in Kazakh Parliamentary Elections
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s ruling Nur Otan Party is leading in the election to Majilis – the lower house of the Kazakh Parliament – with 71.97 percent of votes, according to exit poll results announced at midnight on Jan. 11 by the head of the Qogamdyq Pikir (Public Opinion) Research Institute Ainur Mazhitova. The Ak Zhol…
Party Leaders Vote, Express Hope Elections Will Be Fair, Transparent
NUR-SULTAN – Election day continues in Kazakhstan and the leaders of the parties participating in the parliamentary elections also voted. This year, five political parties are competing for seats. Together they are the Nur Otan ruling party, People’s Party of Kazakhstan, Auyl (Village) democratic patriotic party, Ak Zhol (White Way), and Adal (Faithful) parties. Kazakhstan’s…
President Tokayev Casts Vote at Kazakh Parliamentary Election
NUR-SULTAN – The parliamentary election for the Majilis, a lower house of the Kazakh Parliament, and the maslikhat, local representative bodies, began in the country on Jan. 10. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was among the first who voted at the polling station at the Schoolchildren’s Palace in the Kazakh capital. He told the media that…
Kazakh PM, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation CEO Explore Investment Cooperation Possibilities, Support for the Private Sector
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Prime Minister and the United States International Development Finance Corporation CEO Adam Boehler met to discuss the prospects for investment cooperation in agriculture, tourism, logistics, infrastructure, finance and technologies, the Kazakh Prime Minister’s press service reported. The sides noted the primary importance of projects and initiatives aimed at developing the private sector…
Registration Kicks Off for 10th Annual Almaty Marathon in April
NUR-SULTAN – Registration opened for the tenth Almaty Marathon scheduled to be held April 11. Participants can register at almaty-marathon.kz for any of five distances – 10 kilometres, 21.1 kilometres, 42.2 kilometres, Ekiden relay race and 10 kilometres Nordic walking. The participation fee ranges between 7,000 tenge (US$17) to 150,000 tenge (US$356) for the Ekiden…
Kazakhstan to Increase Oil Production under OPEC Agreement
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Energy Minister Nurlan Nogayev participated in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) ministerial meeting held Jan. 5 that permitted Kazakhstan to increase oil production by 10,000 barrels a day in February and March, reported the Kazakh Energy Ministry’s press service. In December 2019, OPEC and other major oil-producing countries, collectively known…
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…
