Articles by Dana Omirgazy

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s firefighters have localized steppe fires in the Karagandy and Pavlodar Regions on Oct. 8. Evacuated citizens returned to their homes after almost three days. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, a steppe fire broke out in the Karagandy Region on Oct. 6, subsequently spreading to the territory of the Pavlodar Region.…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to subsidize more than 20 routes, including nine tourist destinations, with 6.4 billion tenge (US$13.2 million) allocated for next year to promote tourism and enhance the attractiveness of local sites. The Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs hosted a meeting on Oct. 7 to discuss measures to develop the country’s tourism. Next…

ASTANA – Kazakh and Slovak officials and business executives expressed their readiness to expand economic and investment cooperation during an Oct. 5 business forum in Astana. According to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, the meeting brought together more than 80 representatives of leading Kazakh and Slovak companies, becoming an essential platform for discussing new opportunities and…

ASTANA – The 2024 Asian Table Tennis Championships kicked off on Oct. 6 at the Astana-based Beeline Arena National Tennis Center, bringing together 210 athletes from 26 countries. The championships will run through Oct. 13. According to the National Olympic Committee, ten athletes from Kazakhstan will compete in the tournament. Medals will be awarded among…

ASTANA – Kazakh Healthcare Ministry is strengthening control over the epidemiological situation, following the World Health Organization’s warning of the first confirmed Marburg virus disease outbreak in Rwanda, announced country’s Chief State Sanitary Doctor Sarkhat Beissenova on Oct. 7. Marburg is a highly virulent disease that can cause hemorrhagic fever, affecting both humans and other…

ASTANA – International consortium for nuclear power plant construction goes in line with Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, said Nikita Shatalov, deputy of Mazhilis, the lower house of the Kazakh Parliament. Commenting on the country’s energy sector, Shatalov referred to the President’s opinion that an international consortium of leading global companies with advanced technologies should be involved…

ASTANA – All 74 precinct commissions of the nuclear power plant referendum abroad have completed their work. According to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, 9,976 Kazakh citizens cast their votes in 59 countries. This marked a voter turnout of 81.06%. Approximately 69.8 percent of people voted in favor of constructing a nuclear power plant, according to…

ASTANA – Kazakh scientists discovered two new species of spider in the Kyzylkum desert in the country’s south. Scientists from the Kazakh Zoology Institute identified 54 species of spiders, with 27 of them (over 50%) being recorded in the desert for the first time. Notably, 10 species (19%) had never before been documented within Kazakhstan’s…

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected a range of articles on Kazakhstan featured in international media this week. Today’s foreign media digest covers topics such as the Chinese-Kazakh digital cooperation, Kazakhstan’s recent transformations, the upcoming referendum on building a nuclear power plant and more. Kazakhstan becomes a more reliable partner of the European Union…

ASTANA – The Civil Aviation Committee of the Kazakh Transport Ministry recommended domestic airlines to bypass Iranian airspace after the escalation of the situation in the Middle East on Oct. 2. “In connection with the escalation of the situation in the Middle East, Kazakh airlines are recommended to bypass Iranian airspace and choose alternative routes,…

ASTANA—Kazakhstan’s chess players have secured spots among the world’s elite in several updated rankings released by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) on Oct. 1. Bibisara Assaubayeva leads the way, topping both the Blitz and Rapid Top 100 Girls rankings for October. The blitz top ten also includes Meruyert Kamalidenova, who ranks fourth, Alua Nurman at…

ASTANA—The member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) explored the potential expansion of agricultural product transportation via the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) during the third Eurasian Economic Forum, which was held Sept. 30—Oct. 1 in Yerevan. This key corridor links the EAEU with Iran, the Middle East, and other strategic markets. The Eurasian…

ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry of Transport recently hosted the first meeting of the working group on cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) between Kazakhstan and China. During the meeting, the parties discussed and finalized projections for cargo flow volumes from China along the TITR on the China-Europe route and in reverse,…

ASTANA – Bakytzhan Sagintayev, chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), unveiled the Digital Union initiative during an Oct. 1 plenary session of the Eurasian Economic Forum in Yerevan. The concept seeks to highlight the tangible benefits of deeper Eurasian economic integration for businesses and the wider population. According to him, the concept has been…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission has accredited 177 observers from 30 countries and four international organizations for the nuclear power plant referendum scheduled for Oct. 6. Addressing an Oct. 1 meeting of the commission, CIC member Mukhtar Yerman said the international organizations participating in the referendum include the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the…

ASTANA – The Asset Recovery Committee of the Kazakh Prosecutor General’s Office strengthens international legal cooperation to identify and repatriate assets illegally acquired and taken out of the country. “Particularly, information is exchanged through the Central Asia Regional Information Network [CARIN] and the Asset Recovery Interagency Network Asia Pacific [ARIN-AP] networks, as well as through…

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Nurlan Baibazarov discussed the country’s financial stability and long-term economic development with senior management of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund on Oct. 1. At the meeting with Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of the World Bank Group Anshula Kant, the…

ASTANA – Almaty hosted two dog shows of all breeds: the Aurora Cup National Dog Show and the Land of Nomads International Dog Show on Sept. 28-29. According to the Kazakh Union of Cynologists, more than 500 dogs from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Russia participated in the event. Kazinform reported that international experts…

ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed an idea of indivisible Eurasian security that might serve as the foundation for creating a multipolar global order during a Sept. 30 Sustainable Development and Security in the Eurasian Space conference. According to the Akorda, Tokayev, in his speech, noted that in the face of unprecedented geopolitical…

ASTANA – China’s Tianjin Museum opened an international exhibition dedicated to the Golden Man and the Great Steppe on Sept. 30 at the initiative of the Kazakh National Museum. The exhibition displays 185 unique pieces from the collection of the Kazakhstan National Museum, reported Kazinform. The exhibition is divided into three thematic sections, each dedicated…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s economy to grow by 4% this year, with upside from public spending to restore flood-affected infrastructure and housing, according to the latest edition of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) Regional Economic Prospects report, published on Sept. 26. “The trade, transport, warehousing, services and information technology (IT) sectors were the main…

ASTANA – The average annual river runoff in Kazakhstan has decreased by 12.5 cubic kilometers since 1960, said Kazakh Deputy Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Bolat Bekniyaz during a Sept. 30 meeting of the coordinating council of partners on the development of Kazakhstan’s water sector. According to Kazinform, 72% of this decline, or nine…

ASTANA—Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies released the results of a telephone survey conducted by the Democracy Institute on Sept. 30. The survey gauged public readiness to participate in the upcoming referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant, set for Oct. 6. The survey revealed that 62% of respondents demonstrate a civic position and…

ASTANA – Kazakh President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev visited educational, cultural and sports facilities in the Turkistan Region during his Sept. 27 visit. The President’s working trip began with a visit to the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi Mausoleum, according to the Akorda press service.  Tokayev honored the memory of the poet, thinker and spiritual teacher Khoja Ahmed Yasawi,…

ASTANA—Some 230 public associations of Kazakhstan will participate as observers in the national referendum on the construction of the nuclear power plant, scheduled for Oct. 6. International observers will also monitor the transparency of the voting, said Central Election Commission Chairman Nurlan Abdirov. According to the Khabar TV channel, Abdirov explained the novelties in the…