Articles by Assel Satubaldina

NUR-SULTAN – Turkestan, the nation’s major spiritual and cultural center, unveiled its brand new international airport Sept. 28, reported the Kazakh Civil Aviation Committee.  Kazakhstan’s First President Nursultan Nazarbayev also attended the opening ceremony as part of his working visit to the region.  The airport is located 20 kilometers from the city and stretches across…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited the Hyundai Trans Plant in Almaty and its new production facility ahead of its official launch scheduled for Oct. 15, reported Akorda press service.  The Hyundai TransPlant, built by Kazakhstan’s leading car distributor Astana Motors, stretches across 25 hectares in the city’s special industrial zone. Founded in 1992,…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited the new branch of Almaty’s clinical infectious hospital named after Izatima Zhekenova during his working visit to the city on Sept. 25.  The branch is designed to provide medical care to 500 people, the Akorda press service reported. Tokayev met with medical workers and discussed the development of…

NUR-SULTAN – Students and researchers from Central Asia and the Caucasus are waiting for a historic chance to meet Nobel laureates and scientists from across the world at the Central Asia Nobel Fest 2020 scheduled to take place online on Oct. 1-4.  The Central Asia Nobel Fest is a unique platform for discussion and the…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh artists recently participated in the Ost Anders International Festival online performing jazz, soul and electro beats to their virtual venue. The festival for music, art and performance has been held since 2005 in Nurnberg and seeks to build bridges between the cultures of East and West.  Nasia, a young singer and a…

NUR-SULTAN – The 14-year-old rising star from Kazakhstan Daneliya Tuleshova stunned American audiences with her cover of Sia’s “Alive” at America’s Got Talent finals which aired on NBC on Sept. 22. The voting took place online, and only U.S. citizens were eligible to vote.  Spoken word artist Brandon Leake took home a $1 million prize…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan may export up to eight million tonnes of grains in 2020, said Kazakh Minister of Agriculture Saparkhan Omarov at a Sept. 22 government meeting.  Traditional export markets for Kazakh wheat and flour are Afghanistan, China and Central Asia. Exports to China, in particular, can be increased due to the higher quality of…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will speak at the United Nations virtual high level meeting Sept. 21 commemorating the organization’s 75th anniversary, said Tokayev’s spokesperson Berik Uali. “Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is expected to speak about the importance of consolidated efforts of international community in addressing current global challenges, including the coronavirus infection, global economic growth…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has resumed air travel with Russia today, Sept. 21, on a reciprocal basis, the Kazakh Embassy in Russia reported. Flights will be operated once a week. The decision was made at the Sept. 18 meeting of the Russian coronavirus task force. Along with Kazakhstan, Russia, which suspended regular air travel with foreign…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi participated in a meeting of the Public Council that explored the work of the ministry amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the new edition of Kazakhstan’s law on diplomatic service, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry press service reported. Public councils are consultative and advisory bodies created by ministries and state…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan took a step to further ease COVID-19 restrictions allowing theatres to reopen and cafes to work on weekends, but with limited capacity, according to the latest decree of the nation’s chief sanitary doctor.  The number of people allowed in cafes and outdoor dining facilities, which can now work on weekends as well,…

NUR-SULTAN  – Kazakhstan’s rising star Daneliya Tuleshova made it to the finals in NBC’s America’s Got Talent (AGT), a well-known American talent show.  Tuleshova, who is regarded as a star in her home country, is now growing her fan base in the United States, as she advances in the show. In the semi-finals, she stunned…

NUR-SULTAN – The Islamic Finance Centre at Al Farabi Kazakh National University won the title of Best Emerging Islamic Finance Education Provider at the Global Islamic Finance Awards 2020 held online Sept. 14.   The center, deemed the first Islamic education provider in the country and in Central Asia, was established in 2019 in cooperation…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree Sept. 14 establishing the Supreme Council for Reforms in the country, reported Akorda press service.  The goal of the new body, announced by Tokayev in his Sept. 1 state-of-the-nation address, is to “ensure strategic planning of the country’s sustainable development and the deepening of economic, social…

NUR-SULTAN  – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Sept. 12, who was on an official visit to the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan, and reaffirmed the countries’ commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, reported Akorda press service.  The sides discussed prospects to expand bilateral and multilateral cooperation and coordination of efforts…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh officials are optimistic about the COVID-19 situation in the country. 94 percent of the COVID-19 patients in Kazakhstan have recovered, said Kazakh Healthcare Minister Alexey Tsoy at a government meeting, reported Kazakh Prime Minister’s press service.  As of Sept. 10, Kazakhstan had 106,584 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 100,248 recovered, and 1,634 deaths.…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan resumed flights to Uzbekistan today, Sept. 11, and will resume flights to Kyrgyzstan starting from Sept. 20.  The flights on the Almaty to Tashkent route will be operated by Uzbekistan Airways on Fridays and by Kazakhstan’s Air Astana on Thursdays.  The flights on Almaty to Bishkek route will be operated by Air…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan is mulling the tightening of penalties for environmental damage caused by citizens and companies, said Kazakh Minister of Ecology, Geology, and Natural Resources Magzum Mirzagaliyev, reported Kazakh Prime Minister’s press service.  The fines will be doubled from 27,780 tenge (US$65) to 55,560 tenge (US$130), according to the draft environmental code. The fines…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has restored the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the decree on Sept. 9, the Akorda press service reported. The Ministry of Emergency Situations was abolished in 2014. Tokayev announced the decision to bring back the ministry during his Sept. 1 state-of-the-nation address noting that the nation was…

NUR-SULTAN –  The S&P Global Ratings international rating agency recently confirmed the long-term and short-term sovereign credit ratings of Kazakhstan at the level of BBB-/A-3 with a stable outlook, said Kazakh Deputy Minister of National Economy Zhaslan Madiyev.  The sustainable fiscal position of the country supports Kazakhstan’s rating, said the agency, including the nation’s assets…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan fulfilled its obligations in August under the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agreement achieving 100 percent conformity, reported the Kazakh Energy Ministry press service.  In August, Kazakhstan’s average daily oil production stood at 1.345 million barrels. Kazakhstan fulfilled compensation deadlines set by the OPEC after the nation oversupplied in May and committed…

NUR-SULTAN – The U.S. Commerce Chamber announced the creation of the U.S. – Kazakh Business Council to expand bilateral trade and economic cooperation, reported the commerce’s press service. The new council, which will seek to deepen business contacts between the two countries and help American companies expand their presence in Kazakhstan, will be chaired by…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Minister of National Economy Ruslan Dalenov summarized his ministry’s plan to fulfill the tasks set out by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in his state-of-the-nation address, reported Kazakh Prime Minister’s press service.  The ministry will focus its efforts on five areas – development of entrepreneurship, enhancement of tax and budget policy, attracting investments,…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government will subsidize businesses affected by the pandemic as part of a broader and continued effort to support its economy, said Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.  The subsidies will be provided to small and medium-sized enterprises with interest rates of up to six percent per annum for 12 months starting March 16,…

NUR-SULTAN – The ANSA Silicon company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will invest $100 million in a silicon plant in the Ekibastuz town in the Pavlodar Region. The project will be implemented with the support of the Kazakh Invest national company and is currently at the design and budget documentation stage – a…