Articles by Dana Omirgazy 

ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in the official launch of Kazakhstan’s new national supercomputer on July 9.  The new supercomputing cluster is powered by NVIDIA H200  graphics processors and delivers a performance capacity of up to two exaflops using FP8 precision. This makes it the most powerful computing system in Central Asia.  The…

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu met with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira on July 5 in Rio de Janeiro as part of his visit to attend the BRICS Summit. The officials reviewed bilateral cooperation across political, economic, investment, energy, cultural and humanitarian areas, and discussed engagement within international organizations.…

ASTANA – A photo taken at the festival in Aktau has been featured in The Guardian’s July 2 Photos of the Day section, showcasing a model presenting traditional Turkish clothing during the eighth Women and Fashion Festival of Handicrafts of the Turkic World, held on June 28–29. The photo was taken by Turkish photographer Ilkin…

ASTANA – The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its growing strategic interest in the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, a vital multimodal trade route connecting Asia to Europe via Kazakhstan, the South Caucasus, and Türkiye. Amid shifting global trade dynamics and mounting geopolitical uncertainties, the Middle Corridor is…

ASTANA — The first international passenger flight in six years departed from Petropavl International Airport on July 2. Operated by SCAT Airlines, the charter flight connected Petropavl with Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Flights on this route will operate every ten days using Boeing 737 aircraft. The resumption of international flights from Kazakhstan’s northernmost airport marks a…

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu met with his Moldovan counterpart, Mihai Popșoi, on July 1. The two ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties based on the principles of friendship and mutual benefit. The talks coincided with the official opening of the Embassy of Moldova in Kazakhstan, marking…

ASTANA — Six Kazakhstan’s athletes are set to compete at Wimbledon 2025, one of the most prestigious tournaments in world tennis, which kicks off on June 30 in London and will run through July 13. Alexander Shevchenko, Beibit Zhukayev, and Alexander Bublik will compete in the men’s singles draw, while Yulia Putintseva and Elena Rybakina…

ASTANA – Kazakh opera singer Aigerim Altynbek performed with Andrea Bocelli on June 27-28 at a concert of the legendary tenor in the amphitheater in Pompeii. The concerts were held as part of the Andrea Bocelli Live in Concert tour. Traditionally, world-famous artists take part in Bocelli’s concerts. A special moment of the program was…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is set to accelerate economic growth through structural reforms, industrial diversification, and 17 large-scale investment projects, the Ministry of National Economy told Kazinform on June 25. Under the new National Development Plan until 2029, Kazakhstan aims to ensure sustainable GDP growth of 6–7% and expand its economy to $450 billion. The government…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is closely watching developments in the Iran-Israel conflict, with hopes that a peaceful resolution can be reached, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin during a June 23 briefing at the Senate, the upper house of Parliament. According to Zhumangarin, it is too early to make firm predictions,…

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest features coverage of the China–Central Asia summit, Kazakhstan’s nuclear power plant, AI development and more. China’s Xi Jinping meets Central Asian leaders: Why their summit matters Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Kazakhstan on Monday to…

ASTANA — Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has announced the temporary suspension of flights between Astana and Abu Dhabi due to the current political situation in the Middle East, on June 19. According to the Astana International Airport’s press service, the last flight from Astana to Abu Dhabi took place on June 19. “For passengers planning…

ASTANA — Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov met with Li ChunRong, CEO of Malaysian automaker Proton Holdings Berhad, on June 19, to discuss potential collaboration in the automotive industry, including plans to establish a production facility in Kazakhstan. Proton Holdings, a leader in Malaysia’s mechanical engineering sector, exports both internal combustion engine models and…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and the European Union (EU) reaffirmed their commitment to deepening strategic ties during the 22nd meeting of the Kazakhstan–EU Cooperation Committee in Political Configuration (CCPC) on June 17. Discussions centered on the current state and future prospects of bilateral relations, with an emphasis on the practical implementation of the Enhanced Partnership and…

ASTANA – The Children’s Day, marked on June 1, reminds us that a child’s right to safety, dignity, and emotional support should be upheld every day. In Kazakhstan, where concerns over bullying in schools have become increasingly urgent, a wave of new national programs and international partnerships is yielding encouraging results.  Experts, educators, and advocates…

ASTANA — The construction of the strategically important Center – West highway corridor has been launched in the Kostanai Region, as part of Kazakhstan’s efforts to develop the country’s transport infrastructure and transit potential. The construction work began in two places – in the city of Arkalyk and in the village of Torgai. The construction…

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 Kazakhstan’s proposed “blue” foreign policy centered on water diplomacy, deepening strategic ties with India, expanded rail capacity along the Middle Corridor, and more.  The evolution of Kazakhstan’s new “blue”…

ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a meeting with the heads of parliaments of the member countries of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TurkPA) on June 12, underscoring Kazakhstan’s commitment to deepening cooperation within the Turkic world. The meeting was attended by the speakers of the parliaments of all TURKPA member countries,…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s population is steadily increasing, with almost one-third under the age of 15, placing the country at a pivotal demographic turning point. According to Florence Bauer, Regional Director of UNFPA for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, this youth represents both a tremendous opportunity and a critical responsibility. In an exclusive interview with The…

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of North Macedonia Timcho Mucunski met on June 9 to discuss political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian aspects. The diplomats focused on increasing cooperation in key areas, including investments, transportation, and the mobility of citizens. “North…

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected key international media coverage on Kazakhstan this week. Today’s foreign media digest covers the Italy-Central Asia Summit, Kazakhstan’s climate policy, the Astana International Forum (AIF) and more. Kazakhstan’s climate vision: interview with Zulfiya Suleimenova at Astana International Forum During the AIF, Zulfiya Suleimenova, Special Representative of the President…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan ranks 114th out of 139 countries in the 2025 global cost of living index, with prices 73.4% lower than in New York City, which serves as the baseline with a value of 100%. The index excludes housing costs but includes prices for food, transportation, and services. Kazakhstan’s cost of living index stands…

ASTANA – KazMunayGas (KMG) CEO Askhat Khassenov presented the company’s strategic priorities during the Baku Energy Forum, part of Baku Energy Week, held from June 2 to 4. The event gathered representatives from 267 companies across 39 countries to discuss trends in hydrocarbon exploration, production, transportation, green energy, and global investment prospects, reported the company’s…

ASTANA – Seven more Przewalski’s horses, also known by the ancient Kazakh names Kerkulan and Kertagy, arrived in Kazakhstan on June 3 as part of an international effort to restore the species in its historic habitat, with plans to bring around 45 animals by 2029. The horses arrived from the Prague Zoo (Czech Republic) and…

ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev participated in a solemn ceremony to raise the National Flag of Kazakhstan on June 4 at the Atameken Ethno-Memorial Complex, marking the Day of State Symbols. Addressing the event participants, Tokayev emphasized the importance of the National Flag, Coat of Arms, and Anthem as symbols of Kazakhstan’s sovereignty…