Articles by Aidana Yergaliyeva

Kazakhstan Digital Accelerator Project Invests $500,000 Into 10 New Startups

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakhstan Digital Accelerator (KDA) program handed $50,000 investment checks to 10 startups during the Sept. 22 launching ceremony in Nur-Sultan, forbes.kz reported. KDA received around 200 applications from Kazakhstan, the U.K., India, Singapore, South Korea, and Uzbekistan. The first ten KDA finalists will develop projects in Edtech (Aero, Okoo, Qlang), Agrotech (Egistic),…

Kazakhstan Increases Cargo Transit with China, Plans to Expand Dostyk Station Capacity

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) National Company CEO Sauat Mynbayev and China Railway General Director Lu Dongfu have continued their negotiations around increasing transit volume, and loosening administrative barriers between China and Kazakhstan in a Sept. 20 virtual meeting, KTZ press service reported. The transit volume between China and Kazakhstan has been demonstrating…

Kazakhstan, US Sign Statement to Minimize High Enriched Uranium, Promote Nuclear Nonproliferation

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Energy Ministry and the US National Nuclear Safety Administration of the Energy Department signed a Sept. 23 joint statement on the minimization of high enriched uranium (HEU) at the 64th session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, the Kazakh Energy Ministry press service reported. The Kazakh…

Central Asian Youth Turn to Online Skill Improvement Courses to Continue Learning During Lockdown 

NUR-SULTAN – The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged every aspect of youth development worldwide. UNESCO Social and Human Sciences (SHS) Program Specialist Arina Myassoyed observed significant growth in the interest of Central Asian youth in self-development courses during the lockdown. “We have had a huge response. So we decided to create an online platform (Central Asian…

Japanese Companies to Invest $46 Million Into Developing Key Economic Sectors in Kazakhstan

NUR-SULTAN – Japanese companies have signed on for three investment projects totaling $46 million during the Sept. 16 ceremony at the Kazakh Embassy in Japan, the Kazakh Foreign Affairs Press Service reported. Two of the projects will be built in Atyrau, which is one of Kazakhstan’s largest industrial cities. The largest Japanese project will be…

Nazarbayev Reviews International Tourist Hub on Caspian Sea Coast

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s First President Nursultan Nazarbayev reviewed a plan for the development of a tourist hub on the Caspian Sea coast as part of his Sept. 18 working trip to the Mangistau Region, elbasy.kz press service reported. The resort area on the Caspian coast will create 50,000 new jobs and attract approximately $2 billion…

Kazakhstan to Start Human Trials of QazCovid-in

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Ministry of Healthcare permitted to conduct the first and second phase clinical trials of QazCovid-in vaccine against coronavirus infection, the Kazakh Ministry of Education and Science press service reported. The Kazakh Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems (RIBSP) developed the inactivated vaccine. On July 27, the developers of the QazCovid-in first…

EU to Fund Extension of Border Stability Program to Include Afghanistan

NUR-SULTAN – The European Union (EU) will extend its Border Management Program in Central Asia (BOMCA) to Afghanistan and has already made a 21.75 million euro (US$25.67 million) pledge for the 10th phase of the program from 2020 to 2025, the BOMCA press service reported. Since 2003, BOMCA has been assisting Central Asia in countering…

Almaty State Bodies, Foreign Representatives Discuss Ways to Improve Tax, Customs Administration

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh state department and foreign representatives established an open dialogue to improve the investment climate and the ease of doing business during a Sept. 16 forum on tax and customs administration in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s financial and economic center. The forum is part of the Protecting Business and Investments project, which was launched…

Kazakh PM Prepares Report On Economic Situation Within Kazakhstan to President Tokayev

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin reported on Kazakhstan’s socio-economic development results in the first eight months of 2020 at a Sept. 15 meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, reported Akorda press service. According to Mamin, state programs employed 847,000 people in the first eight months of 2020, which is 82.1 percent more than…

Kazakhstan Launches 28 Projects Worth $477.6 million to Develop Industrial Potential of Country

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has launched 28 projects worth 204 billion tenge (US$477.6 million) through the first eight months of 2020 to begin rapidly developing and expanding the industrial sector of the country, said Minister of Industry and Infrastructural Development Beibut Atamkulov during a Sept. 15 government meeting. These investments are all part of the Industrialization…

FDI to Kazakhstan Reaches $3.6 billion, AIFC to Become Key Driving Factor for Economic Development in Future

NUR-SULTAN – The gross foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to Kazakhstan totaled $3.6 billion in the first quarter of 2020, the Finprom financial and business analytical service reported. The largest investors were the Netherlands ($988.3 million), the United States ($744.9 million), and Russia ($379.9 million). The quarantine measures implemented to mitigate the spread of COVID-19…

Real Sector of Kazakh Economy Has Continuous Positive Growth, Says Economy Minister

NUR-SULTAN – The real sector of the Kazakh economy has experienced continuous positive growth due to production increase in construction, agriculture, and manufacturing over the first eight months of 2020, said Kazakh Minister of National Economy Ruslan Dalenov during a Sept. 9 government meeting. Construction increased 6.5 percent, agriculture – 4.9 percent, and manufacturing –…

Kazakh School Students Win Top Awards at 2020 European Junior Olympiad in Informatics

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh school students have won gold, silver, and two bronze medals at the 2020 European Junior Olympiad in Informatics (EJOI) on Sept. 2-6, Kazinform reported. The students distinguished themselves among 90 schoolchildren from 27 countries. The 2020 EJOI, overall, had eight gold, 17 silver, and 23 bronze medalists. Ukrainian school student Oleh Naver…

Pandemic Has Doubled Growth of Kazakh Retail Investors, According to Kazakh Stock Exchange

NUR-SULTAN – The world has seen a sudden increase in the numbers of retail investors amid the pandemic and Kazakhstan has followed a similar trend. The growth rate of new accounts has doubled, reaching 4.5 percent in the first seven months of 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019, the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange…

Nomad Stunts Mark 20th Anniversary of Work With Premiere of Disney’s New “Mulan” Remake

NUR-SULTAN – Almaty-based Nomad Stunts marked their 20th anniversary of work with an appearance in Disney’s live-action movie “Mulan.” The movie premiered on Sept. 4 after multiple delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nomad Stunts shared fragments from the shooting of “Mulan” on their social media pages. The group was the first stunt performers from…

Putintseva Becomes First Kazakh Tennis Player to Advance to US Open’s Quarterfinals

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh tennis player Yulia Putintseva, 25, became the first player from Kazakhstan to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2020 US Open Tennis Championships in singles. In the fourth round, No.23 seed Putintseva beat No.8 seed Croatian Petra Martić in the Sept. 6 three-setter. The intense match ended with the score 6:3, 2:6,…

Kazakh Capital to Open Eco Parks for Birdwatching, Horse Trails Around Taldykol, Maibalyk Lakes

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh capital plans to build two ecological parks around lakes in the southern parts of the city, reported the Nur-Sultan Akimat (city administration) press service. The eco parks will boost eco tourism and preserve the natural habitat of animals and rare birds from Kazakhstan’s Red Book of endangered species. “These kinds of…

Kazakh National Bank, Finance Ministry Begin Work on Plan Put Forward in President’s Address to Nation

NUR-SULTAN – The heads of the Kazakh National Bank (NBK) and the Kazakh Ministry of Finance began enforcing measures to update strategies and laws to ensure an immediate execution of presidential instructions from the Sept. 1 state-of-the-nation address during a Sept. 2 government meeting. The NBK is developing a 2030 Monetary Policy Strategy. To improve…

Foreign Experts and Public Figures Write Book Explaining Importance of Constitution in Establishing Kazakh Statehood

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Constitutional Council presented the book “Kazakhstan Way: Constitutionalism, Person, Peace and Prosperity” during an Aug. 28 virtual international scientific and practical conference. More than 30 authors contributed articles discussing the role of the Constitution in constructing Kazakh statehood. Among the contributing authors there were the constitutional justice bodies of 11 countries,…

Dimash Dears Broadcast Kudaibergen’s Hit Songs on Cuban television, Dedicate Radio Station, Paint 3D Graffiti

NUR-SULTAN – Dears (die-hard fans of Kazakh singer Dimash Kudaibergen) worldwide seem to have a religious mission to ensure that as many people as possible get to hear Kudaibergen’s fascinating vocals and his famous six octave range. Fans have requested that their local media start streaming him on television and radio as well as paint…

Kazakh Ecology Minister Introduces $8.83 million Development Plan For Charyn National Park 

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Deputy Minister of Ecology, Geology, and Natural Resources Yerlan Nysanbayev presented a development concept for the Charyn National Park in the Almaty Region during a Aug. 21 virtual public discussion, Kazinform state news agency reported. Charyn National Park is among Kazakhstan’s 10 top priority development destinations. The national park has the four…

Kazakh Government Forecasts Kazakhstan to Have 2.8 Percent GDP Growth in 2021

NUR-SULTAN  – The Kazakh Ministry of the National Economy has projected a 2.8 percent growth in real gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021, and 4.6 percent in 2025. This was announced by the National Economy Minister Ruslan Dalenov during an Aug. 25 government meeting. The ministry relied on a baseline scenario to calculate Kazakhstan’s economic…

Kazakhstan and Turkey to Resume Passenger Flights On Aug. 27

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan and Turkey will lift restrictions on regular passenger flights on Aug. 27, the Kazakh Civil Aviation Committee confirmed. Prior to this, Turkey abruptly suspended flights on Aug. 5 with Kazakhstan and several other countries because of the epidemiological situation surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak. The Kazakh Civil Aviation Committee asked the Turkish Ministry…

Fitch Rating Agency Gives Firm BBB Credit Rating to Kazakhstan

NUR-SULTAN – The Fitch Ratings credit rating agency affirmed Kazakhstan’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at the BBB with a stable outlook on Aug. 21. Despite the shocks associated with oil prices and the coronavirus epidemic, Kazakhstan has managed to maintain a low level of public debt that can cushion the country from external…