New Astana railway station set to open June 1
ASTANA – Astana is set to open a new railway station ahead of the EXPO 2017 international specialised exhibition, to be called Nurly Zhol. The facility will open June 1, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy press service reports. The project is divided into two stages ensuring the integration of the Astana railway junction and the construction of…
Modern micro district to be built for young families in Taraz
ASTANA – Young families and couples in Taraz will now be able to purchase an apartment in a new residential area with modern infrastructure. The Zhambyl region administration had a look at a master plan and micro district miniature. “The residential complex should appear at the entrance to the regional centre from the north, along…
Scientists, Academics Discuss President’s Aim of Alphabet Switch, Raising Cultural Awareness
ASTANA – Leading academic and cultural voices met in Astana to discuss the Kazakh President’s goal of shifting written Kazakh from the Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet within 10 years. President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev set a target for completing the transition to the Latin alphabet by 2025 in an April 12 article published in…
Caspi Bitum plant increases efficiency with innovative storage, transport method
ASTANA – Aktau bitumen plant has developed an innovative way of storing and transporting bitumen, kazinform.kz reports. “Viscous road bitumen is packaged in Big Bag disposable transport containers and plastic bags with a capacity of 1,000 and 40 kilogrammes respectively. New technology implies the packing of cold bitumen allowing not only to preserve the quality…
Astana improves services, enhances security to welcome EXPO 2017 visitors
ASTANA – In anticipation of the EXPO 2017 international specialised exhibition, the city administration is taking a holistic approach to preparing for the country’s main event in a decade. The capital’s municipal enterprises and businesses are completing preparatory works to provide a safe and positive experience for tourists and citizens during the informative and recreational…
U.S. filmmaker chronicles Kazakh eagle hunters in Western Mongolia
ASTANA – A stunning video named “Nomads of Mongolia” describing the life of Kazakh eagle hunters in Western Mongolia shot by U.S. filmmaker Brandon Li has been amazing YouTube and Vimeo viewers over the past few months. The former MTV producer and current global nomad took some time from his schedule to give an exclusive…
Social Health Insurance Fund CEO clarifies system for health contributions
ASTANA – The Kazakh Parliament is considering amendments to the law on compulsory social health insurance. If they are approved, contribution rates to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) will be reduced to ease the burden on the economy and business, said SHIF chairperson Elena Bakhmutova. “In general, the proposal is to reduce the rate…
Turgay geoglyphs can help reveal nomadic secrets, says discoverer
ASTANA – “Perhaps there are no monuments of global significance on our land like the Egyptian pyramids or the Colosseum, but the role of nomads in world history is undeniable,” said Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in June 2008. More than a year had passed since mysterious structures were discovered across Northern Kazakhstan in March 2007…
Kazakhstan’s agricultural sector needs more investments
ASTANA – The Kazakh economy was backed by the agricultural sector in 2016, however, the level of investment remains low, rising just 3.3 percent of the total investment volume, reported finprom.kz. “Despite a sharp increase in 2016, agriculture is still experiencing a deficit of investment support compared to other sectors of the economy. Over the…
Movie about Alexei Leonov, first man to walk in space, to premiere April 6
ASTANA – “Vremya Pervyh” (“The Time of the First Ones”), the first Russian movie about the heroic story of Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, will be released April 6 in 3D. The film will also be available in the Kazakh language. The picture tells the real story of Leonov’s spacewalk during the one-day Voskhod 2 mission.…
UN Commission praises development of women’s entrepreneurship in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – The March 13-24 61st session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations headquarters in New York praised approaches taken by Kazakhstan to increase employment and boost women’s entrepreneurship in rural areas, reported the press service of KazAgro National Management Holding. Deputy Chairperson of KazAgro Aigul Mukhamadiyeva spoke…
Stability and strong ethnic, religious relations key to unity, Kazakh supreme mufti says
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is undertaking major political steps to strengthen the country’s position in the world and become an ever-better model of peace and friendship. The deep religious commitment of tolerant, generous people can help maintain harmony and mutual understanding between all of Kazakhstan’s people and, indeed, all people, Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of…
Kazakh uranium production to decrease eight percent this year, say experts
ASTANA – Approximately 22,000 tonnes of uranium, representing an 8-percent decrease, will be extracted this year compared to a 25-percent increase in gold production, according to the research and knowledge management department of Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund, reported abctv.kz. “In 2016, nearly 24,000 tonnes of uranium were produced in Kazakhstan, 1.7 percent more compared…
Exhibition opens marking 25th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s accession to UN
ASTANA – The “Kazakhstan and the United Nations: Interaction for Peace” exhibition has opened in the Museum of the Library of the First President of Kazakhstan to mark the 25th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s accession to the UN and the beginning of the country’s activity as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. The exhibition…
KAZGUU provides additional scholarships to gifted students
ASTANA – KAZGUU University (Kazakh Humanities and Law Institute) allocates 80 million tenge (US$251,440) every year for tuition fee concessions, educational grants and scholarships for gifted students who have demonstrated good academic results. “The KAZGUU Endowment Corporate Fund was created in 2016 to support talented students offering young people, including those from socially vulnerable families,…
Finland, Kazakhstan have great potential for cooperation in clean energy, envoy says
ASTANA – Over 25 years of diplomatic ties, Kazakhstan and Finland’s strong and peaceful relationship has grown more intense, Finnish Ambassador to Kazakhstan Ilkka Raisanen said in a March 7 interview with The Astana Times. “We have many exchanges at different levels based on good relations that our Presidents have. President Nursultan Nazarbayev has been…
Baiterek Holding finances construction of hydroelectric power plant
ASTANA – BRK Leasing, a subsidiary of the Development Bank of Kazakhstan (DBK), has begun financing construction of the Turgusun hydroelectric power plant on the Turgusun River in the East Kazakhstan region, reported forbes.kz. The project will cost more than 11.6 billion tenge (US$36.49 million), including 3.6 billion tenge (US$11.33 million) provided by BRK Leasing…
To ensure security, Central Asian countries need to strengthen cooperation within region and beyond, scholar says
ASTANA – Central Asia is a historically important region comprised of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mongolia, the north-western part of China and some regions of the Russian Federation are also designated as part of the Central Asian region. Geographically it is located between Europe and Asia, rapidly-developing China with a population of almost…
Kazakh student opens social café as supportive workplace for mentally challenged youth
ASTANA – A young and aspiring Nazarbayev University student is set to open a social café paving the way out of isolation for people with mental health challenges. The new project, created by 20-year-old Maulen Akhmetov, aims at recruiting people with mental disorders, promoting charity and spreading social awareness among youth and understanding and respect…
Short film by Kazakh director to be shown at Cannes Short Film Corner
ASTANA – The “UltiO” short film directed by promising filmmaker Dias Azimzhanov has been accepted to the Cannes Short Film Corner, according to the Bolashak Association website. The psychological drama with elements of mysticism describes complicated relations between spouses, parents and children. “Submitting the film to the Cannes Festival Short Film Corner gives the right…
Expert consults citizens on IPO investments as privatisation advances
ASTANA – Forex Club information and analysis centre head Nikolai Ivchenko has advised citizens to invest funds intelligently when purchasing national companies’ shares at initial public offerings (IPOs), specifically, not to spend all their money on one particular company no matter how stable they are. “It is hard to talk about issuers; we need to…
Justice Ministry amends administrative code to humanise laws
ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry of Justice, in cooperation with non-governmental organisations and the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, has developed a draft law “On introducing amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences,” Justice Minister Marat Beketayev announced at a Feb. 10 enlarged board meeting devoted to the results of 2016 and priorities for 2017.…
Kaznex Invest reveals top four sectors for international investors
ASTANA – Kaznex Invest national export and investment agency and leading global strategic management consulting firm McKinsey & Company have determined the four most attractive sectors for foreign investors in short and medium terms, said Kaznex Invest Chairperson Borisbiy Zhangurazov on his Facebook page Feb. 10. The areas are food manufacturing, the chemical industry, machinery…
Full moon, penumbral lunar eclipse expected this weekend
ASTANA – The Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon for the first time this year on Feb. 11. According to Associate Professor of Astronomy at Kozybayev North Kazakhstan State University Andrei Solodovnik, the February eclipse is of the penumbral type, which is very difficult to detect, tengrinews.kz reports. “Lunar eclipses are among…
Officials Discuss Developing Nomadic Tourism, Other Challenges at Tourism Conference
ASTANA – Tourism officials discussed ways to boost domestic tourism, including promoting nomadic tourism, environmental tourism and working in conjunction with the government, during a Feb. 1 tourism development meeting. “These two types of tourism (nomadic and environmental tourism) need more support from the state, although they are among the most popular and promising trends…
