Articles by Ayana Birbayeva 

ALMATY – Starting March 29, Air Astana will begin operating regular flights on the Almaty–Shanghai route. Flights will be scheduled three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. With the addition of this new route, the total number of weekly flights between Kazakhstan and China will increase from 81 to 84, reported the Civil…

ALMATY – The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) is operating at full capacity, loading two tankers per day, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov announced during a Jan. 28 briefing at the Mazhilis (Parliament’s lower chamber). “On Sunday, we restarted unit No. 3, which had been under repair. Due to severe winter weather in the Black Sea, we…

ALMATY – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a meeting with Kazakh IT entrepreneurs  Erzat Dulat, technical director of the startup Higgsfield AI, and Murat Abdrakhmanov, founder of the venture platform MA7 Ventures, on Jan. 28. During the meeting, the parties discussed the introduction of artificial intelligence in the economy, public administration, and the social sphere, as…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was briefed on the progress of Kazakhstan’s constitutional reform on Jan. 27, including the development of proposed new wording for parts of the Constitution, following six months of public consultations. The update came during a meeting with Chair of the Constitutional Commission and Chair of the Constitutional Court Elvira Azimova,…

ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Jan. 27, underscoring both countries’ commitment to strengthening comprehensive cooperation. President Tokayev noted that the minister’s visit reflects Israel’s firm intention to deepen bilateral ties with Kazakhstan across a wide range of sectors. During the meeting, both sides discussed trade, economic,…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy has reported significant progress in restoring production operations at oilfields in the Atyrau region, following disruptions earlier this month. According to the ministry, the key milestone was the successful restart of the Second Generation Plant (SGP) on Jan. 26. The plant is now operating on feedstock from the Korolevskoye…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan exported 5.1 million tons of grain from the new harvest between September 2025 and Jan. 15, 2026, marking an increase compared to 4.3 million tons shipped during the same period last year, according to the data provided by the Ministry of Agriculture on Jan. 21.  The most substantial growth was recorded in…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan plans to open and resume multiple international air routes in 2026 while increasing flight frequencies on existing destinations, as part of broader efforts to strengthen the country’s role as a regional aviation hub, Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev said at a Jan. 21 government meeting. According to Sauranbayev, airlines are expected to resume…

ALMATY – Trade and economic cooperation between China and Central Asia reached a historic milestone in 2025 as bilateral trade volumes exceeded $100 billion for the first time, according to data released by China’s Ministry of Commerce on Jan. 18.  Total imports and exports between China and Central Asian countries reached $106.3 billion, representing a…

ASTANA – In the second half of 2025, Kazakhstan’s foreign policy gained particular momentum, marked by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s intensive schedule of high-level international engagements across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. Tokayev said the pace and geography of these contacts reflect Kazakhstan’s growing international standing and demand as a responsible actor…

ALMATY – Astana will host the President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian on an official visit on Dec. 10–11, marking a new stage in the strengthening of Kazakh-Iranian cooperation across key strategic sectors. According to the official announcement, the program of the visit includes negotiations,  during which the sides will discuss a wide range of issues…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan is rapidly consolidating its position as one of Eurasia’s leading education destinations. In the 2025 academic year, 35,075 international students from 88 countries are enrolled in Kazakh universities, marking an 11% increase from the previous year and underscoring the growing global competitiveness of the country’s higher education system. The expanding geography of…

ALMATY – The international Observatory of Public Sector Innovation (OPSI) platform of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published Kazakhstan’s experience in implementing e-Qyzmet, the country’s integrated digital human resource management system.  The inclusion marks a crucial international acknowledgment of Kazakhstan’s progress in modernizing HR processes across its public sector, reported the…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s football scene is experiencing an unprecedented moment of global recognition as 17-year-old forward Dastan Satpayev was named among the top five best young players globally by the platform Score 90, while Italian powerhouse Inter Milan highlighted the remarkable performance of Kairat goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov in a new social media feature. Together, these…

ALMATY – Kazakh world-renowned artist Dimash Qudaibergen gave his first-ever solo concert in Egypt on Nov. 30 as part of the inaugural The Pyramids Echo festival.  The performance marked his debut on the African continent and the first appearance of an artist from the CIS at the foot of Egypt’s iconic pyramids, reported the DimashNews…

ALMATY – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) remains one of Kazakhstan’s largest investors, with more than $1.3 billion invested over the past decade, as was announced during a Nov. 25 tenth Kazakhstan–UAE Intergovernmental Commission, marking a major step toward strengthening digital, technological and economic cooperation between the two strategic partners. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister…

ALMATY – Kazakh university diplomas will be recognized in China, Japan, South Korea and other Asia-Pacific nations, following the Nov.19 Mazhilis (lower chamber of Parliament) ratification of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education, adopted in Tokyo in 2011. The move is expected to significantly expand academic and professional…

ALMATY — Kazakhstan has officially been selected as the host country of the 2027 World Taekwondo Championships (WT), marking the first time the global competition will take place in Central Asia.  The competition is expected to take place in Astana, with the event serving as a key milestone in Kazakhstan’s sports diplomacy and development of…

ALMATY — LOT Polish Airlines, Poland’s national carrier, will launch direct flights, linking Almaty and Warsaw, starting May 31, 2026. During the summer season, flights will operate four times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. In winter, the airline will reduce its frequency to three flights per week, departing on Mondays, Wednesdays, and…

ALMATY – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held official talks with President of Italy Sergio Mattarella on Sept. 29 in Astana, highlighting the strong political, economic and cultural ties between the two countries and charting new areas for cooperation. Welcoming the Italian leader at Akorda, Tokayev said Mattarella’s visit marks a milestone in bilateral relations. “I am…

ALMATY – The ceremony to mark the Kazakhstan Football Federation (KFF) Academy receiving the official status of a FIFA Talent Academy was held in Talgar, Almaty region, on  Sept. 18.  The Kazakh football federation became the ninth association in the world and the second Union of European Football Associations member to have its academy recognized…

ALMATY – The Embassy of Spain in Kazakhstan and Esentai Gallery have announced the launch of the 2025 Art Residency Program, featuring Spanish contemporary artist Juan Saliquet and his new research project, “Archaeology of a City.” The project, centered on Almaty as a space of memory and personal archaeology, invites the public to see the…

ASTANA – Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan Zhaslan Madiyev met with Simon Milner, Meta Vice President, to discuss prospects for cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), digital security and the protection of minors from harmful online content, reported the ministry’s press office on June 10. The meeting addressed key areas, including…