Articles by AIDANA YERGALIYEVA

Astana Opera Conductor Astonishes Kazakh Audiences with New Art Form

NUR-SULTAN – Alan Buribayev, the principal conductor of the Astana Opera house, blew away Nur-Sultan’s audience with the opera and symphony concert titled “Molière, Voltaire, and Beaumarchais, or the Fathers of the French Comedy” on Oct. 17 and 18 in Nur-Sultan. The audience gave standing ovations, the Astana Opera press service reported. “The maestro once…

British All-Party Parliamentary Group for Kazakhstan Celebrates 5th Anniversary

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Embassy in the U.K. celebrated the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Kazakhstan with an Oct. 19 celebratory virtual event. The British Parliament first registered the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Kazakhstan in the autumn of 2015 to develop inter-parliamentary dialogue. Representatives of the group are…

Kazakhstan Completes Pilot Canal Project in Turkestan, Says Ecology Minister

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan completed a pilot project for the digitization of a canal in the Maktaaral district of the Turkestan Region, which significantly reduced water consumption in the region, Kazakh Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources Magzum Mirzagaliyev said in an Oct. 20 report to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. “The process of providing water…

Kazakhstan Increases Gasoline Exports During Lockdown To Compensate For Low Domestic Demand

NUR-SULTAN — Over the first eight months of 2020, the Kazakh petroleum producing companies exported 362,100 tons of motor gasoline worth $125.6 million compared to only 6,300 tons in the same period in 2019, reported energyprom.kz. Kazakhstan exported 103,300 tons of gasoline worth $36.7 million to the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The…

Abu Nasr Al-Farabi’s 1150th Anniversary Celebrations Wrap Up in Almaty

NUR-SULTAN – The Al-Farabi International Center in Almaty gathered leading national Farabi scholars to the closing event of the 1150th anniversary of medieval philosopher and scientist Abu Nasr Al-Farabi on Oct. 16. Abu Nasr Al-Farabi is a figure equally important to the west as he is important in Kazakhstan and other Turkic countries. Jewish medieval…

Semei Begins Implementing 2025 Socio-Economic Development Plan

NUR-SULTAN – Semei has begun to implement the 2025 comprehensive plan of socio-economic development, reported Kazakh Prime Minister’s press service. In October of 2019, the Kazakh government allocated 260.2 billion tenge (US$606.00 million) to complete 56 projects in the city. Semei’s renovations began with the housing and social facilities. In 2020, the government commissioned seven…

Abai’s Legacy About to Be Brought to Japanese Audience (Video)

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh cultural diplomacy continues to make great strides with the 175th anniversary of Kazakh poet and philosopher Abai Kunanbayev. Japanese readers can now get a closer connection with Kazakh culture in their native language through books on Abai’s works at national libraries and educational institutions in Japan. The Kazakh Embassy in Japan presented…

Kazakh Archaeologists Discover Artifacts With Potential to Rewrite Entire History of Golden Horde

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh scientists have recently found archaeological artifacts that can complete or rewrite the established history on the Kazakh Khanate. The excavation complex in the North Kazakhstan Region just 300 kilometers away from Nur-Sultan can become “a new political and cultural center,” the region’s Deputy Akim (Governor) Gani Nygymetov said in a facebook post.…

Central Asia + Russia Foreign Ministers Reaffirm Commitment to Strengthen Interstate Relations

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen interstate relations and ensure sustainable growth in the region during the Oct. 15  Central Asia + Russia virtual ministerial meeting, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service reported. This is the third meeting of the heads of the foreign affairs agencies. The…

Kazakhstan Ranks 53rd in Health Care Index, First in Post-Soviet Space

NUR-SULTAN – Numbeo, a crowd-sourced global database, placed Kazakhstan 53rd in the health care index ranking among 93 countries’ mid-year results. The rating calculated an index for health care quality based on online surveys about the overall quality of the health care system, health care professionals, equipment, staff, doctors, and cost among other factors. Kazakhstan…

Pavlodar Region Akimat and Halyk Bank Launch Unique Lending Program For Young Entrepreneurs

NUR-SULTAN – Halyk Bank and the Pavlodar Region Akimat (local administration) launched Zhas-Halyk.Ertis, a special lending program to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Pavlodar Region and to mitigate the consequences of the strict quarantine regime, the akimat’s press service reported. The young entrepreneurs, all aged 21 to 30, can get a loan…

Kazakhstan, UAE Ink $6.1 Billion Agreement to Develop 21 Joint Projects

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government’s delegation headed by Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin signed a $6.1 billion agreement on investment cooperation with the Emirati government during their Oct. 12 working trip to Abu Dhabi. The document envisages the implementation of 21 projects. Kazakhstan proposed projects that will create new industries with high added value and…

Kazakh PM Proposes New Set of Initiatives To Increase EAEU Competitiveness

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin proposed a number of initiatives on strengthening the competitiveness of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), in an Oct. 9 offline meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council (EIC) in Yerevan, Armenia. To ensure the effective functioning of free markets, Mamin proposed to form a tax and customs space in…

Kazakh Government Adopts Comprehensive Plan Through 2025 To Develop Domestic Pharmaceutical Industry

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government has adopted a Comprehensive Plan for the Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry through 2025 in a Sept. 6 government meeting. As part of the plan, the government will launch more than 30 new large pharmaceutical industries for 77.8 billion tenge (US$181.64 million). The projects will double the medicine production to…

Kazakhstan Introduces Ban On Gifts To Civil Servants To Reduce Corruption

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law amending the work of civil servants on Oct. 6, the Akorda press service reported. The amendment introduced a complete ban on gifts, material rewards, and services of any value to civil servants and their families for actions in favor of the donor. The anti-corruption legislation also…

Nazarbayev Publishes Article On Abai’s Influence On His Own Life and In Shaping Contemporary Kazakhstan

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s First President Nursultan Nazarbayev wrote an article titled the “Spiritual Legacy of Abai” on Sept. 7 where he narrates his experience with Abai’s life and the influence it had on his personality and his life. According to Nazarbayev, Kunanbayev is a “phenomenon” and a milestone connecting the past with the future. Abai…

EIB Lends $30 million To Support Kazakh SMEs

NUR-SULTAN – The European Investment Bank (EIB) provided KazMicroFinance (KMF), the largest microfinance organization in Kazakhstan, with $30 million to provide affordable lending to Kazakh small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), reported forbes.kz. The KMF will allocate the funds to Kazakh self-employed entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises in urban and rural areas. “The EIB continues to support…

AFSA Launches Third Virtual World Investor Week in Kazakhstan to Increase Financial Literacy

NUR-SULTAN – The Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) launched on Oct.5 the third Virtual World Investor Week in Kazakhstan to give lectures on the basic principles of investing, consumers’ rights, and financial services at the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC). The online event will last through Oct. 9. World Investor Week is an annual international…

WHO Launches Project to Improve Gender Equality in Kazakh Healthcare Model

NUR-SULTAN – The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Kazakhstan has launched a one-year project to study and provide recommendations to improve gender equality in the healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic, the country office reported. The WHO will run a cross-sectional survey as part of the project to study the degree of and…

Aspan Gallery Paves Way For Kazakh Contemporary Artists in London

NUR-SULTAN – The Almaty-based Aspan Gallery recently became a member of Cromwell Place, a brand-new hub for the arts located right in the heart of London’s museum district. The partnership will allow Aspan Gallery’s artists to regularly organize exhibitions at the Cromwell Place. “New places, new spaces, and contexts force artists to look at their…

Kazakh Capital to Unveil New Arbat Pedestrian Promenade

NUR-SULTAN – What is a weekend in the Kazakh capital like? One of the best ways to find out is to visit the city’s arbat, a pedestrian promenade. The capital’s arbat is located along the Yessil River. It is a stage for street performers, a point for street food trucks, outdoor cafes, and a bazaar…

EU Diplomats Symbolically Plant 27 Trees in Nur-Sultan

NUR-SULTAN – The European Union (EU) Delegation to Kazakhstan and the EU member states planted 27 trees at the EXPO site in Nur-Sultan as part of the European Union Climate Diplomacy and the #EU4GreenKZ campaign, the delegation’s press service reported. The diplomats planted 15 Christmas trees and 12 oak trees. The Nur-Sultan Akimat (city administration)…

Kazakh Government, EDB to Strengthen Cooperation in Trade and Eurasian Integration

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin and Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Board Chair Nikolai Podguzov met Sept. 30 to discuss prospects for the bank’s involvement in the implementation of the Kazakhstan-Russia Cross-Border Cooperation Program in Kazakhstan, primeminister.kz reported. On the same day, Podguzov also met with Kazakh Minister of Trade and Integration Bakhyt Sultanov.…

Kazakhstan, Tatarstan Lay Foundation Stone For Two Plants In Automotive Industry, Begin Tire Production

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin and President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov launched the construction of two plants in Kostanai and a tires production operation in the Karaganda Region during a Sept. 27 meeting in Kostanai. The three projects are worth 261 billion tenge (US$609.37 million) in total. The plants in Kostanai will produce…

Jackie Chan Movie Featuring Kazakh Singer Dimash’s Original Soundtrack To Premiere Sept. 30

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh pop singer Dimash Kudaibergen sang the original soundtrack “Happy For A While” to the upcoming Jackie Chan movie “Vanguard.” The movie release date is set for Sept. 30. “This movie teaches us that we shouldn’t give up on humanity, our dreams, and kindness. I have been a Jackie Chan fan for a…