New UN Installation Calls to Break Silence on Violence Against Women
ASTANA – The Untold installation, which calls for speaking out in the face of violence towards women, opened on Nov. 23 at the Nurly Zhol railway station in Astana. The presentation of the installation comes ahead of the United Nations (UN) 16 Days of Activism Against Violence campaign. With every sixth woman subject to violence…
Kazakhstan Witnesses Fourfold Increase in Cases Won by Citizens Against State Bodies
ASTANA – The number of cases won by citizens and businesses from state agencies increased from 15% to 60% in two years, said Nazken Zhamaladin, the director of the Department of Legal Propaganda of the Kazakh Ministry of Justice, during the meeting of the Dialogue Platform on Human Dimension Consultative and Advisory Body (DPHD CAB)…
Astana Ballet Unveils Spectacular Lineup for Freedom Ballet Festival Celebrating 30 Years of Tenge
ASTANA – Astana Ballet set the scene for the Freedom Ballet art festival taking place for the second time in Astana with a program of contemporary and classic ballet performances by revered artists from around the world dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the national currency tenge on Nov. 21. Sponsored by Freedom Holding Corp,…
Kazakhstan Expects 35 Million Ton Surge in Transit Traffic by 2029
ASTANA – The transit traffic through Kazakhstan will increase to 35 million tons by 2029, said the Minister of Transportation Marat Karabayev at the government meeting on Nov. 21 in Astana, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. According to him, to reach that goal, the ministry will implement measures, such as increasing the capacity of…
President Tokayev Leads with Social Reforms, Experts Say
ASTANA – As Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev heads into the second year of his seven-year term, the experts highlight his far-sighted social reforms that head the country in the right direction. According to experts, Tokayev’s promises best resonated where it matters the most – in the social area that concerns each and every person in…
Indonesian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Talks Trade Diversification, Flights to Bali
ASTANA – Indonesia and Kazakhstan have substantial potential to boost cooperation in areas such as energy, trade, tourism as well as investment cooperation between the sister-cities Astana and Nusantara, said Ambassador of Indonesia to Kazakhstan Mochamad Fadjroel Rachman in an interview with The Astana Times. Ambassador’s two years in Kazakhstan For almost two years as…
From Dust Storms to Desertification: UN Experts Unveil Central Asian Struggle Against Land Degradation
SAMARKAND – The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) experts highlighted land management challenges specific to the Central Asian region, which include virgin lands history during the Soviet period, dust storms and shrinkage of the Aral Sea at the 21st session of the Committee on the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC21)…
It is Time to Measure Pulse of Planet, UNCCD Leader Says
SAMARKAND – With 100 million hectares of land degraded every year, it is time to measure the pulse of the planet, said Ibrahim Thiaw, the Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) at the opening of the 21st session of the UNCCD Committee on the Review of the Implementation…
UN’s Review Session to Combat Desertification Kicks Off in Uzbekistan
SAMARKAND – The 21st session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Committee on the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC21) kicks off in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on Nov. 13. More than 500 delegates from 196 countries gathered at CRIC21, which will run through Nov. 17, to address drought resilience, the promotion…
Kazakhstan Marks 125 Years of Temirbek Zhurgenov, Educational and Cultural Reformer
ASTANA – Kazakhstan commemorates the 125th anniversary of the Kazakh Soviet statesman Temirbek Zhurgenov, a key architect of Kazakhstan’s educational and cultural landscape. His reforms established a thriving base for Kazakhstan’s current higher education and cultural institutions. Early life Zhurgenov was born in 1898. His father, Kara, was a man of substantial wealth who possessed…
Biopic “Oyan, Kazakh!” Fuels Kazakh Historical Curiosity
ASTANA – The impressive success of the film “Mirzhakyp. Oyan (Wake up), Kazakh!” in movie theaters underscores the growing interest Kazakh society holds in its nation’s history, eminent historical figures, and the Kazakh language. “Mirzhakyp. Oyan, Kazakh!” tells the life story of Mirzhakyp Dulatov, a prominent Kazakh poet, writer and one of the leaders of…
Kazakh Government Reports on Mine Fire Rescue Efforts
ASTANA – The Kazakh government reported to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on its efforts to eliminate the consequences of the mine fire on Oct. 28 during the meeting of the operational headquarters in the Karagandy Region, reported Akorda press service. The fire occurred in the Kostenko mine operated by the ArcelorMittal Temirtau (AMT) mining company, killing…
Kazakhstan Marks 130 Years of Toraigyrov, Poet of Enlightenment
ASTANA – Kazakhstan commemorates the 130th birthday of eminent poet and writer Sultanmakhmud Toraigyrov on Oct. 28. His life and works have been devoted to educating the Kazakh people and liberating them from socio-political and spiritual oppression. Born in 1893 in the Pavlodar Region to a cattle breeder’s family, Toraigyrov received first literacy lessons from…
Kazakhstan Suspends Investment Cooperation with ArcelorMittal Following Mine Fire
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed the government to cease investment cooperation with ArcelorMittal Temirtau mining company following the fire at the Kostenko mine on Oct. 28 that killed at least 21 people, reported the Akorda press service. Tokayev expressed condolences to the families of the victims of the mine fire. He instructed the government…
Kazakhstan Emerges as Global Peacemaker, Says Political Analyst
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s multi-vector foreign policy is a unique phenomenon that positions Kazakhstan as a key neutral ground for global negotiations, observed Andrey Vypolzov, political analyst and expert of the Russian-Kazakh press center, in an article published in Nezavisimaya Gazeta (Independent Newspaper) on Oct. 25. Vypolzov points out that many international observers…
Alash Orda: Reflecting Foundations of Kazakh Statehood
ASTANA – Republic Day is a time to celebrate statehood and honor the role of the Alash (Kazakh intelligentsia) movement in shaping the nation’s destiny during the foundational period of Kazakhstan’s modern history. Alash was a political movement in the early 20th century that aimed to establish an autonomous Kazakh state within the Russian Empire.…
Annual Lotus Bloom in Kazakhstan Attracts Nature Lovers
ASTANA – Each summer in Kazakhstan, the blossoming lotus flowers become a news highlight, captivating both locals and international visitors. From mid-July, the Kigash-Shora River begins to be adorned with shades of pink and white as lotus flowers bloom, reaching their peak in August. Located in the Kurmangazy district of the Atyrau Region, close to…
Kazakhstan’s Saty Village Named UNWTO’s Best Tourism Village 2023
ASTANA – Saty village in the Almaty Region was named one of the Best Tourism Villages 2023 by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on Oct.18 in Samarkand, reported Kazakh Tourism press service. Saty is located in the Kolsai kolderi (Kolsai lakes) national park which attracts tourists worldwide to the bluest and clearest waters…
Mutual Trust Drives Government-Civil Sector Partnership, Says Mazhilis Chairman
ASTANA – The government is increasingly relying on the civil sector to provide more effective collective solutions to prevailing challenges, said Yerlan Koshanov, chairman of the Mazhilis, the lower house of Kazakhstan’s Parliament. His remarks came on the second day of the 11th Civil Forum in Astana on Oct. 19. “If there is no mutual…
Muslim Council Inaugurates Kazakhstan Branch, Commends Dialogue Initiatives
ASTANA – The inauguration of the Central Asian branch of the Muslim Council of Elders in Astana on Oct. 11 will foster religious diplomacy and serve a catalyst towards peace, understanding and cooperation, said Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders in an interview with The Astana Times. The Muslim Council…
Civil Forum in Astana Reviews Kazakhstan’s SDG Progress
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s civil community discussed key initiatives to advance the country’s progress towards its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the 11th Civil Forum in Astana on Oct. 18. The forum, which is the largest civil dialogue platform in the country, gathered over 600 delegates from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), chairpersons of public councils, members of…
Astana Ballet Revives Timeless Melodies by Kazakh Composer Kurmangazy
ASTANA – Astana Ballet symphony orchestra brought a fresh dynamic to traditional pieces by Kurmangazy, a renowned 19th-century Kazakh composer, during a concert in the Kazakh capital dedicated to his 205th anniversary on Oct. 14. “Kurmangazy is one of the most significant and important names in our history. We are confident that this concert will…
Kazakhstan’s Liberal Environment Has Potential to Create Unicorns, Says Tim Draper
ASTANA – A leading American venture capitalist and co-founder of Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) and Draper University Tim Draper commended Kazakhstan’s political freedom as an important step towards fostering creativity and business development, during a press briefing on the sidelines of the Digital Bridge international forum on Oct. 13. “In Kazakhstan, I’m seeing great freedom.…
Kazakh Ministry Partners with SpaceX to Provide Internet to Rural Schools
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s partnership with SpaceX to provide 2,000 rural schools with internet is one of the major achievements of Digital Bridge, said Bagdat Mussin, Kazakh Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry during the briefing dedicated to preliminary achievements of the conference on Oct. 13 in Astana. More than 20,000 participants from at…
Congress of Religious Leaders Unveils 10-Year Development Plan
ASTANA – World religious leaders approved the development concept of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions for the next ten years during the 21st session of the secretariat of the congress on Oct. 11 in Astana. “At the first stage of our forum’s activity from 2003 to 2023, the main goal was…
