Articles by Dana Omirgazy 

ASTANA – Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) national railway operator has increased grain shipments to Azerbaijan by 25 times, transporting 600,000 tons to date, said  KTZ Chairman Talgat Aldybergenov following the plenary session of the Council for Railway Transport of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on Nov. 26 in Baku.  The surge is attributed to…

ASTANA — Azerbaijan plans to increase freight volume along the North-South transport corridor to 5 million tons by 2028, with a long-term goal of expanding the route’s annual capacity to 15 million tons, said Rashad Nabiyev, Azerbaijan’s minister of Digital Development and Transport, at the 83rd meeting of the CIS Council for Railway Transport in…

ASTANA – SCAT Airlines will launch new flights connecting Turkistan with Bukhara, Urgench (Khiva), and Samarkand starting Dec. 1. Each route will operate three times per week, with one-way fares beginning at 40,000 tenge (US$77).  The initial stage of operations will be subsidized to maintain stable passenger demand, reported the Prime Minister’s press service on…

ASTANA – A Kazakh delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Galymzhan Koishybayev took part in the third European Union-Central Asia Economic Forum on Nov. 26 in Tashkent, highlighting Kazakhstan’s commitment to deepening economic cooperation with the EU. The forum brought together representatives of the European Commission, senior officials from Central Asian countries, and representatives of…

ASTANA — President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in the meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization meetings on Nov. 27 in Bishkek. The meetings brought together the heads of state of Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, and Tajikistan to discuss pressing topics of international and regional security. During the sessions, leaders reviewed…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry underscored the ethical and legal dangers posed by AI-driven weapons, as Director of International Security Department Arsen Omarov called for a preemptive global ban on fully autonomous systems and stronger international regulation. Omarov participated in the Regional Roundtable on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), held by the International Committee of…

ASTANA — Almaty’s FC Kairat may have fallen 3-2 to Denmark’s FC Copenhagen on Nov. 26, but the match will be remembered as a breakthrough moment for Kazakhstan’s football and for its two rising stars. In a UEFA Champions League match in Copenhagen, Kairat’s homegrown talents Dastan Satpayev and Olzhas Baibek scored both goals for…

ASTANA — Presidents of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Serdar Berdimuhamedov, held talks on Nov. 25 to reaffirm the strong foundations and strategic depth of relations between the two neighboring states. President Tokayev warmly welcomed his counterpart, noting that Kazakhstan considers Turkmenistan a strategic partner and fraternal nation, united by centuries-old friendship, shared history,…

ASTANA — The third EU-Central Asia Economic Forum will take place in Tashkent on Nov. 26, gathering representatives of the EU and its member states, Central Asian governments, the private sector from Europe and Central Asia, International Financial Institutions, and other international organizations. As a key platform for EU-CA cooperation, in line with the EU’s…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Passenger Transportation company will launch a new Talgo train service on the Almaty–Kostanai route starting Dec. 16, operating on even-numbered days. The Talgo will reduce travel time by 12 hours compared to standard passenger trains, offering a significantly faster option for long-distance travel. The train will accommodate over 600 passengers and stop…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Armenia unveiled trade plans and cultural initiatives to deepen ties. Following high-level talks, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a media briefing on Nov. 21, emphasizing the growing strategic partnership between the countries. Tokayev underscored that Armenia is an important and reliable partner for Kazakhstan, noting…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Atomic Energy Agency held a meeting dedicated to expanding local production within the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant, Balkhash. Discussions centered on involving domestic enterprises, technology transfer, strengthening industrial capacity, and creating sustainable employment, reported the agency’s press service on Nov. 20. A significant portion of nuclear plant construction…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development has launched the Academy of IT Architects, a new training program aimed at improving the architectural and AI competencies of specialists responsible for building the country’s digital government. The initiative, developed by the Digital Government Support Center, addresses a key challenge of accelerated digitalization: fragmentation…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan has signed a trilateral agreement with the UN Development Program (UNDP) and the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) to launch a $5.3 million project aimed at transforming the country’s irrigation system and improving water management efficiency. The agreement was signed by Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, UNDP Resident Representative in…

ASTANA — The state visit of Estonian President Alar Karis to Kazakhstan on Nov. 17 marked a renewed push to strengthen cooperation in trade, digital technologies, logistics, and international diplomacy, with both countries committing to advancing a broad strategic partnership. During talks, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized that Kazakhstan views Estonia as a key and trusted…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov reviewed major developments in national oncology and biomedical research during visits to the National Research Oncology Center (NROC) and the Nazarbayev University Biomedical Research Center. The inspections focused on accelerating the adoption of advanced medical technologies and strengthening the national healthcare system. Bektenov examined the new NROC facility,…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will pay a state visit to Uzbekistan on Nov. 14-15 at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The program of the visit includes bilateral talks between the presidents and participation in a meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, reported Akorda on Nov. 13.  On Nov. 16,…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s gross domestic product surged by 6.4% from January to October compared to the same period last year, fueled by growth in industry, trade, and transportation, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of National Statistics. The industrial sector alone expanded by 7.3%, contributing more than 30% of the total GDP increase, while…

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest includes the C5+1 Summit, Kazakhstan’s decision to join the Abraham Accords, the European Union’s growing partnership with Kazakhstan and more. Kazakhstan will join the Abraham Accords with Israel in symbolic move to boost the Trump initiative…

ASTANA — Coca-Cola İçecek Kazakhstan and the Agriculture Ministry have signed a framework agreement to construct the company’s fourth bottling plant in Aktobe. The agreement was concluded during the Kazakhstan Global Investment Roundtable (KGIR) with the support of Kazakh Invest national company. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, creating more than 120 new jobs…

ASTANA — Investment activity in Kazakhstan slowed notably in January-September, with fixed capital investment growth easing to 13.5% year-on-year, compared to 19.3% at the end of June. The deceleration reflects the fading impact of last year’s low base and a reduction in transfers from the National Fund, which supports the economy. The main contributors to…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan increased oil exports to Germany through the Druzhba pipeline to 225,000 tons in October, up from 180,000 tons in September. The country plans to deliver a total of 2 million tons via Druzhba this year, below the initial target of 2.5 million tons. In addition to the Druzhba route, Kazakhstan exported 27,000…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s annual inflation rate slowed for the first time this year, reaching 12.6% in October compared to 12.9% in September. Monthly inflation also declined sharply, to 0.5% from 1.1% a month earlier, the lowest rate since early this year. The slowdown was mainly driven by a sharp decline in housing and utility service…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan has reduced customs clearance time for rail transit cargo from three hours to just 30 minutes under a pilot automation project launched along the China-Central Asia and China-Europe routes.  The initiative has already streamlined the processing of 2.5 million tons of cargo in January-October, reinforcing Kazakhstan’s position as a key transport and…

ASTANA — The eight OPEC+ countries, namely Algeria, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, agreed to increase output by 137,000 barrels per day from the 1.65 million barrels per day in additional voluntary cuts announced in April 2023, following a virtual meeting on Nov. 2. The adjustment will take…