Articles by Dana Omirgazy

ASTANA — August 29 marks the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, a date established by the United Nations General Assembly at the initiative of Kazakhstan. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev commemorated the day with a message on social media, recalling that the Kazakh people suffered from the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons testing. He stressed that this…

ASTANA — Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of Jordan reaffirmed their commitment to deepening economic, technological, and investment cooperation during the Kazakhstan–Jordan Business Forum on Aug. 27, highlighting opportunities in energy, agriculture, logistics, medicine, and finance. President Tokayev welcomed King Abdullah II and emphasized the importance of his visit,…

ASTANA — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has financed projects in Kazakhstan worth more than $7.5 billion over three decades, becoming a key partner in transport, energy, housing, and the social sector. Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin met with ADB’s Country Director in Kazakhstan Kumar Utsav on Aug. 26…

ASTANA — Royal Jordanian Airlines plans to launch direct flights between Amman and Almaty next year.  This was announced during an Aug. 27 meeting between President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of Jordan, the Akorda press service reported. The new route will improve air connectivity between Central Asia and…

ASTANA – At the initiative of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Taza Kazakhstan large-scale national environmental campaign has become one of the most significant social movements in the country. Its primary goal is not only to improve the ecological situation, but also to instill environmentally responsible thinking, patriotism, and a culture of caring for nature among…

ASTANA – Almaty’s FC Kairat achieved a historic milestone by qualifying for the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time in the club’s history. The Kazakh team defeated Scotland’s Celtic in a dramatic playoff clash on Aug. 26 at the Central Stadium in Almaty. Following two goalless legs, the decisive match was settled…

ASTANA — A special session on the Caspian Sea crisis will be held at the Regional Environmental Summit in Astana in 2026. Experts from the Central Asian Climate Fund have prepared a review of the Caspian’s ecological issues. In less than 20 years, the surface area of the Caspian Sea has shrunk by more than…

ASTANA — President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Aug. 25, focusing on strengthening the expanded strategic partnership between the two countries. The officials discussed cooperation in trade, investment, transit and transport, as well as cultural, humanitarian, and multilateral spheres, reported Akorda. Tokayev emphasized that Iwaya’s visit would…

ASTANA — A new sculpture by renowned British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare has been installed in front of the Almaty Museum of Arts. Created especially for the museum, Wind Sculpture symbolizes freedom and cultural exchange. The work, resembling the sails of a ship, references the transatlantic slave trade while embodying the artist’s vision of “sculpting the…

ASTANA — The number of electric vehicles in Kazakhstan continues to rise, with 17,976 units now officially registered, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In February, their number surpassed 12,000 vehicles, reported Kazinform on Aug. 23. In July last year, Kazakhstan adopted a law on amendments and additions to certain legislative acts related to…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan national mining company Tau-Ken Samruk and U.S.-based Cove Capital will commence geological exploration at the Akbulak site in the Kostanai Region to search for rare earth elements. According to the press service of Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund, the initiative is part of a strategic partnership between the two companies, aimed at…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is strengthening trade development and expanding non-resource exports in line with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s 2024 state-of-the-nation address titled ‘Just Kazakhstan: Law and Order, Economic Growth, Public Optimism’. The government is implementing comprehensive measures to protect the domestic market, support producers, and promote national goods abroad, ensuring sustainable economic growth and competitiveness. Steady…

ASTANA — The Kazakh capital is set to host the eighth Astana Finance Days on Sept. 4-5, under the auspices of the Astana International Forum (AIF). According to AIF press service, this year’s theme, dubbed Where Capital Empowers the Future, plays on the dual meaning of the word “capital”: referring both to Astana – Kazakhstan’s…

ASTANA – The Astana Times has curated a selection of articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest includes topics such as the Baikonur spaceport, World Library Congress, efforts to address severe water-related challenges in Central Asia and more. Kazakhstan aims to revive Cold War-era Baikonur spaceport for the new rocket…

ASTANA — Kazakh Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev met with Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao to discuss ways to double bilateral trade by 2030 on Aug. 20 in Beijing. According to Wang, bilateral trade continued to grow, reaching $43.8 billion in 2024, which is 9.2% higher than the previous year, and $21.8…

ASTANA — Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov held a meeting on the development of the rare and rare-earth metals industry as part of the President’s instructions to attract advanced technologies and investments into the sector on Aug. 21. During the meeting, Bektenov emphasized the need to modernize existing production facilities and infrastructure, expand geological…

ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons and Asian Paralympic Committee President Majid Rashed on Aug. 19 to discuss the development of Paralympic sports in Kazakhstan. Tokayev praised the mission of the Paralympic movement and noted that the achievements of Kazakh Paralympians on the world stage enhance the…

ASTANA – The opening ceremony of the fourth International Youth Festival of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) took place in Almaty on Aug. 18, marking the city’s designation as the Youth Capital of the Turkic World 2025. The event was attended by Minister of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan Aida Balayeva, OTS Secretary General…

ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Tanzila Narbayeva, chairwoman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan, on Aug. 18 to discuss the Kazakh-Uzbek strategic partnership and inter-parliamentary cooperation. Tokayev emphasized the special nature of relations between the two countries, noting their importance for stability and security in Central Asia. He highly…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will introduce the Aitu national messenger in all government agencies, quasi-public organizations, and the Armed Forces, following a decision of the digital headquarters chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov on Aug. 18. The move responds to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s instruction to shift official communications to a secure domestic platform. By Sept. 15,…

ASTANA – Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov chaired an Aug. 18 meeting of the newly formed digital headquarters, established to oversee the implementation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s instructions on artificial intelligence and digital transformation. The meeting approved a comprehensive plan for integrating information systems of government agencies, regulations for working with data arrays for…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is undertaking a comprehensive modernization and digital transformation of its railway sector through infrastructure upgrades and the implementation of digital solutions to enhance efficiency, increase transit volumes, and strengthen its position as a key international logistics hub.  At an Aug. 19 government meeting chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Minister of Digital…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Energy Agency has launched preparations for a nationwide competition to select the name for the nuclear power plant planned in the village of Ulken, Zhambyl district of the Almaty Region. Following the proposal of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the agency has issued an order establishing a working group tasked with developing an…

ASTANA — As cross-border e-commerce is booming in Kazakhstan, the government is moving to bring foreign marketplaces under stricter regulatory oversight. The big picture Over the past four years, Kazakhstan’s e-commerce sector has expanded sixfold, with online sales reaching 14.5% of total retail turnover. The Kazakh government intends to increase this figure to 20%. Meanwhile,…

ASTANA – The Japanese government will allocate a grant of nearly 4 billion tenge ($7.4 million) to support victims of nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk test site. The funds will be used to purchase modern medical equipment for the hospital of Semei Medical University, enabling free, high-quality diagnostics and treatment for residents affected by radiation.…