Articles by Saniya Sakenova

ASTANA – Kazakh chess player Bibisara Assaubayeva is participating  in the Global Chess League, which takes place on Oct. 3-12 in London, reported Kazinform news agency. The Global Chess League is an innovative, team-based chess tournament that was launched to bring a fresh dynamic to the traditional chess format.  In the tournament, men and women…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined the major priorities for improving courts activities during the ninth Congress of Judges of Kazakhstan on Oct. 4, reported Akorda. Tokayev emphasized that the ability to appeal court decisions through cassation plays a key role in ensuring justice. He referenced a law signed in July establishing three independent cassation…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has issued a $1.5 billion 10-year bond with a coupon rate of 4.714%, marking its first return to the U.S. dollar-denominated eurobond market since 2015, the Finance Ministry’s press service reported on Oct. 4. The transaction followed a one-day virtual roadshow, accessible only to countries with high investment ratings, attracting over 100…

ASTANA – The information and explanatory campaign for the referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, which lasted 400 days, ended on Oct. 4, State Counselor Erlan Karin wrote in his Telegram channel. “During this campaign, for the first time, the country’s public forces were consolidated not for political but for…

ASTANA – The European Parliament hosted a conference on Oct. 2, discussing the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and the European Union (EU).  Tomáš Zdechovský, a member of the European People’s Party, the largest group in the European Parliament (EP), emphasized the substantial potential for growing bilateral ties, particularly in trade and developing connections between people.…

ASTANA – Ankara hosted an event to mark the 15th anniversary of the Nakhchivan Agreement, which established the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and the Day of Turkic States Cooperation, reported the organization’s press service. The panel session, titled The Current State and Future Prospects of Turkic Cooperation, focused on the achievements, challenges, and future…

ASTANA—Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) welcomed its first international student Zhaiylkhan’s quadruplets, Alikhan, Alizhan, Zaragul, and Zeregul, all 17, from Kazakhstan on Sept. 8. They will pursue their studies at the Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU) in Kuala Lumpur, reported the EMGS’s press service. Based on the latest statistics from EMGS, Kazakhstan…

ASTANA — The fifth World Nomad Games became the center of attraction this week, drawing people from around the world to witness traditional nomadic competitions. According to Kazinform, many were inspired to explore Kazakhstan’s rich nomadic heritage and even create art based on their experiences. French journalist Lucas Pueyo is working with two colleagues to…

ASTANA — The Turkic World Common Alphabet Commission has agreed on a proposal for a Latin-based Common Turkic Alphabet consisting of 34 letters during its third meeting, held from Sept. 9 to 11 in Baku, Azerbaijan. According to the Turkic Academy’s press service, each letter in the proposed alphabet represents different phonetic sounds found in…

ASTANA – Togyzkumalak competition participants from the Kyrgyz Republic, Hungary, Germany, Bangladesh, Argentina, and other countries planted 50 spruce and pine seedlings along Turan Avenue in Astana as part of the Taza Kazakhstan eco-campaign on Sept. 11. According to the Astana administration’s press service, this initiative also included landscaping flower beds near the Khan Shatyr…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s national team secured 21 medals on the fourth day of the World Nomad Games, including six gold, seven silver, and eight bronze. The overall medal count now stands at 69, reported the National and Equestrian Sports Center’s press service. Kazakhstan’s togyzkumalak team claimed two golds in individual events and another gold in…

ASTANA – The UN Development Program (UNDP) and the Japanese government signed a $4.9 million project to strengthen urban resilience against climate-driven risks in Central Asia on Sept. 11 in Astana, reported the UNDP’s press service. The project will be implemented as a part of the regional cooperation under the Central Asia plus Japan Dialogue.…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reiterated the importance of promoting working professions, particularly among youth, as he toured the KamLitKZ iron foundry during his working visit to the Kostanai Region on Sept. 10, reported Akorda. High-Tech Foundry creates 500 jobs and boosts efficiency The plant, which has an annual capacity of 45,000 tons of castings,…

ASTANA — A Qatari investor plans to attract nearly $50 million to construct a new airport complex at Atyrau International Airport named after Khiuaz Dospanova, as reported during a working visit by Kazakh Minister of Transport Marat Karabayev to the Atyrau Region on Sept. 9. According to the ministry’s press service, construction will begin in…

ASTANA – Astana Opera House opened its 12th theatrical season with the “Kazakh Opera Gala” concert on Sept. 9, showcasing the rich tradition of Kazakh classical music, reported the Astana Opera’s press service. “Such concerts, performed with high quality, are a real rarity, and a tribute to the great composers school of Kazakhstan,” shared spectator…

ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov discussed the prospects for joint cooperation and potential projects with Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development, and Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, Director-General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development, during bilateral meetings on Sept. 10. According…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev confirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to close cooperation with the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and expressed readiness to implement joint initiatives in tourism at a Sept. 9 meeting with UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. According to the press statement released by Akorda, Tokayev thanked the UNWTO delegation and personally Pololikashvili for their…

ASTANA—The U.S. kokpar team arrived in Kazakhstan on Sept. 5 to compete in ethnic equestrian sports at the fifth World Nomad Games, Kazinform reported. Ladd Howell, the team captain, shared his lifelong passion for horses, which began with his interest in American professional rodeo. He first discovered kokpar in 2018 through a YouTube video, instantly…

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu reiterated Kazakhstan’s commitment to advancing the priorities of its chairmanship in the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) at a Sept. 5 meeting with IFAS Executive Committee Chairman Askhat Orazbay. Kazakhstan assumed the three-year chairmanship of IFAS from Tajikistan on Jan. 1.…

ASTANA – Akmaral Nauatbek from Kazakhstan claimed a gold medal in para judo at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris on Sept. 5, reported the National Olympic Committee. She triumphed in the 48-kilogram weight category, defeating France’s Sandrine Martinet with an ippon score (one full point) in the final. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated the Paralympic…

ASTANA – On Sept. 5, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with key leaders of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development, and the Arab Coordination Group to discuss expanding cooperation, reported Akorda. During the meeting with IsDB President Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser, Tokayev highlighted the bank’s…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Director-General of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Gilbert Houngbo on Sept. 5, noting the exceptional importance of his first official visit to Kazakhstan, as it gives serious impetus to cooperation with the country, reported Akorda. The President emphasized the ILO’s role in promoting the principles of social justice…

ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined several critical points during a Sept. 5 meeting of the AIFC Management Council aimed at strengthening the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) as a thriving regional financial hub, reported Akorda.  He stressed that boosting investment in Kazakhstan’s economy and improving the investment ecosystem are crucial. Tokayev highlighted that the…

ASTANA — The Digital Family Card, designed to ensure equal access for Kazakh citizens to state support in the social sector, was among the innovative GovTech solutions Kazakhstan presented at the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Digital Inclusion and Transformation on Sept. 3. According to the UN Development Program’s (UNDP) press service, the Digital Family Card…

ASTANA— The Koshpendiler Alemi (World of Nomads) ethno-village will be set up near the Kazanat racetrack in Astana for the fifth World Nomad Games. Spanning ten hectares, the village will immerse visitors in the rich traditions of the Kazakh people and the unique cultures of nomadic nations.  According to the Astana administration’s press service, the…