Articles by Assel Satubaldina

ASTANA – The average inflation rate in Kazakhstan for the first half of 2018 was 6.4 percent, down from 7.7 percent in the same period the previous year, reported energyprom.kz. Prices for food products grew 5.2 percent during the first half of this year, in contrast to the growth of 9.6 percent last year. Non-food…

ASTANA – Kazakh National Bank and Uzbek Central Bank signed July 10 an agreement to exchange information in the banking sector that will allow Kazakh banks to open subsidiaries and offices in Uzbekistan, said Kazakh National Bank Chair Daniyar Akishev at a press conference following the signing of the agreement. Kazakh banks, however, need to…

ASTANA – “Party’s Over,” the first feature film by French director and screenwriter Marie Garel-Weiss, won the grand prix of the July 1-7 Eurasia Film Festival in Astana. Established in 1998, the Eurasia Film Festival is the largest film festival in Central Asia. The festival is accredited by the International Federation of Producers’ Associations and…

ASTANA – The share of gold reserves in the Kazakh foreign reserves portfolio grew 3.3 percent reaching $31.2 billion as of the end of May over the same period in 2017, reported finprom.kz. Last year, the figure was $29.7 billion. The increasing volume of gold reserves is underpinned by the rising price of gold reserves…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s ambitious project to establish a financial services centre in Astana is now real, as the country launched July 5 the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). The new financial centre, in a new part of Astana where the city hosted EXPO 2017, is set to offer financial services, including in financial technologies, Islamic…

ASTANA – Astana Finance Days, a series of forums focusing on finance and markets, took place July 3-5 in Astana ahead of the official presentation of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) that took place July 5. The Astana Finance Days gathered more than 150 speakers and 2,500 participants in the Kazakh capital for eight…

ASTANA – Kazakh regions abound in adventure and tourism opportunities and Campit, a group promoting hiking and excursion tours, gives locals and visitors a chance to discover Almaty’s natural beauty and magnificent landscapes in the foothills of the Zailiysky Alatau mountains. Yerzhan Aldabergenov, Sultan Kusherbayev and Denis Lukyanchuk founded Campit in 2015. In addition to…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan celebrated Dombyra Day July 1 for the first time ever commemorating its national musical instrument, the dombyra. The dombyra is a double-string lute instrument and the oldest Kazakh folk instrument.  Central to the history of Kazakh people, the dombyra was an integral part of nomad life accompanying nomadic tribes traversing the steppes…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan offers a myriad of unique places to enjoy breath-taking scenery and nature and the Zerenda resort area is one of them. Zerenda is located 300 kilometres from Astana and is part of the Kokshetau National Park along with Shalkar, Imantau and Saumalkol lakes. It offers blue lakes and crystal-clear springs, pine forests,…

ASTANA – The number of Kazakh citizens diagnosed with cancer increased 9.5 percent in 10 years, while mortality rate from the disease declined by 28.5 percent, said Minister of Healthcare Yelzhan Birtanov in a June 25 report. The nation’s cancer rate is currently estimated at 199.1 per 100,000 people. “Based on the results of 2017,…

ASTANA – The capital’s population agglomeration has reached 1.189 million and officials expect a 33-percent demographic growth to 1.6 million by 2030, reported Kazakh First Vice Minister of National Economy Ruslan Dalenov during the June 26 government meeting. Developing the areas around the city, home to 1.041 million people, is part of the government effort…

ASTANA – Kazmunaygas (KMG) International, part of the Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company Kazmunaygas, showed 12 percent growth in operating profits in the first quarter of 2018 over 2017. The company’s operating profits reached $47 million and net profits reached $8.5 million in the first three months of 2018. Exports reached 1.3 million tonnes.…

ASTANA – To mark the 25 years of diplomatic relations and 10 years of strategic partnership reaching a milestone in June, Kazakhstan and France are seeking to expand existing affiliations with new ones on the horizon. Education and innovation are among key areas, according to French Ambassador to Kazakhstan Philippe Martinet. Of the 310,000 foreign…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will allocate 23.6 billion tenge (US$69.38 million) to develop the areas around Almaty until 2020, Minister of National Economy Timur Suleimenov announced during a recent government meeting. Development of the Almaty agglomeration that occupies 9,400 square kilometres is envisioned in the interregional plan until 2020, said Suleimenov. The document includes 67 measures,…

ASTANA – Kazakh National Bank approved June 14 the voluntary reorganisation of Qazkom, formerly known as Kazkommertsbank, through its accession to Halyk Bank. The permit issued by the country’s financial regulator also envisions the purchase of Qazkom subsidiaries by Halyk Bank, owned by Kazakh businessman Timur Kulibayev and Dinara Nazarbayeva. “Halyk Bank was granted a permit…

ASTANA – Kazakh artist Hashim Kurbanov displayed his combination of painting and applied arts in a seven-day exhibition the last week of May at the Riddaren Gallery in Stockholm. The event was organised by the Kazakh Youth Association in Sweden. The exhibition displayed more than 40 works, including the artist’s paintings created with ink and…

ASTANA – French photographer Erik Vazzoler visited Almaty May 28 to conduct a series of photography workshops for children with Down syndrome. The two-week event was organised by the Foundation of the First President and supported by the Kenes Social Adaptation and Labour Rehabilitation Centre. The 10 children taking part in the workshops attend the…

ASTANA – The Atyrau region, one of Kazakhstan’s major oil producing regions, is seeking to boost agricultural development in an effort to diversify its economy. The changes also include the fishing industry, an important area for the region located on the shores of the Caspian Sea. During the recent expanded meeting, regional Akim (Governor) Nurlan…

ASTANA – The Nur Kelbetti Festival unveiled an exhibition June 12 at Kazakhstan’s National Museum featuring paintings of Astana’s landscapes and sights from different angles. The exhibition will run through June 30. Twenty artists from around the world were tasked with painting their visions of Astana within four days after touring the city and its…

ASTANA – Central Asian governments should consider introducing a single visa for the region, said Kazakh Senate Deputy and International Affairs, Defence and Security Committee Chair Dariga Nazarbayeva during a recent meeting with Uzbek colleagues in the Saryagash border town in southern Kazakhstan. She stressed the importance of developing tourism to “know better and trust…

ASTANA – The European Union delegation to Kazakhstan hosted another Ambassadors’ Cafe gathering June 5, drawing European ambassadors and Kazakh young people for an informal discussion at a local café. The event is part of the Day of Europe celebrations that started May 31 in Astana. Europe Day is celebrated May 9 every year worldwide…

ASTANA – Five-hundred and twenty-eight of Kazakhstan’s best student athletes competed May 31 through June 5 in the finals of the nationwide SportFEST competition in Shchuchinsk in northern Kazakhstan. SportFest is Kazakhstan’s largest student athletic competition and includes disciplines such as futsal, military applied sports, chess, table tennis, basketball and the Kazakh national game, togyzkumalak.…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s non-permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council, its hosting of the Astana Process Syrian peace talks and contributions to negotiations on the Iranian nuclear deal have increased Kazakhstan’s international influence, German Ambassador to Kazakhstan Rolf Mafael told The Astana Times in a recent interview. The Central Asian nation’s growing relevance as…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is consulting other producers on the potential easing of a 2016 oil output reduction agreement between the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC members, Kazakh Energy Minister Kanat Bozumbayev said recently. OPEC and non-OPEC countries agreed in November 2016 in Vienna to cut oil production by 1.8 million barrels…

ASTANA – The sixth International Festival of Contemporary Ethno Music, known as the Spirit of Tengri, will kick off June 2 in Almaty, reported Tengrinews. The two-day open-air event, starting 5 p.m. in Abai Square in front of the Republic Palace, will feature a rich programme culminating in the performance of ethno music bands coming…