Articles by ASSEL SATUBALDINA

ASTANA – The people of Hungary and Kazakhstan, who share a nomadic past, are almost like relatives, said Hungarian Cultural Centre Head Aleksandr Papp. In a recent interview with The Astana Times, he marked common roots and historical circumstances among the key factors explaining their similarity. Uniting the small diaspora of 457 Hungarians in Kazakhstan,…

ASTANA – Thinking of Kazakhstan would bring Almaty, Astana or Shymkent to one’s mind, yet there is a place of equally significant importance to the young Central Asian nation. Baikonur, in the country’s south-western area near the Syrdarya River, once a secret location used by the Soviet Union to build the world’s first and to…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is seeking to make greater use of the private public partnership (PPP) mechanism that has commissioned 140 projects since 2006 and reduced the burden on the national budget by 90.6 billion tenge (US$281.7 million), reported Minister of National Economy Timur Suleimenov. To date, 78 more objects are being constructed. “The experience shows…

ASTANA – The Astana Ballet recently launched its tour of performances in Kyzylorda, Almaty, Taldykorgan and Aktau and will present the Astana Ballet Gala programme it previously brought to the world’s prominent stages. The ballet troupe performed April 7-8 in the Kyzylorda Regional Music and Drama Theatre and will visit Almaty May 4-6, Taldykorgan May…

ASTANA – Dutch company Farm Frites, one of the world’s largest potato processing companies, will build a potato processing plant in the Almaty region. The cost of the project is forecast to be $165 million and the construction is expected to begin next year. Founded in 1971 as a family business, Farm Frites is now…

ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry of National Economy projects the nation’s real GDP will reach 3.8 percent this year, which is 0.7 percent higher than the previous projected indicator voiced in August 2017. The ministry also projects per capita GDP will rise to $9,200, Economy Minister Timur Suleimenov told an April 3 government meeting. “Nominal…

ASTANA – The Kazakh inflation rate has reached 1.8 percent since the beginning of the year, reported Minister of National Economy Timur Suleimenov during an April 3 government meeting. At the same time, the rate remained within a 5-7-percent range. The rates demonstrated a downward trend in prices for food products (2.2 percent) and non-food…

ASTANA – Aktobe city in western Kazakhstan is one of the nation’s rapidly growing cities. Founded in 1869 as a fortress to protect the then Russian Empire, the city is now home to more than 417,000 people, making it the fifth largest city in Kazakhstan after Almaty, Astana, Shymkent and Karaganda. Major enterprises are based…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s robot surgery and transplantology centre based in the city hospital in Ust-Kamenogorsk recently performed the nation’s first robotic surgery, removing gallbladder of a 50-year-old woman, reported inform.kz. Italian surgeon and D’Annunzio University of Chieti–Pescara Professor Stefano Gidaro managed the operation and Kazakh surgeons Nartai Turakhanov and Rinat Muzdybayev assisted. Robotic surgery refers…

ASTANA – Schools in Kazakhstan will receive more than 15 billion tenge (US$47.25 million) in 2018 to access broadband Internet and to provide technical equipment for school information systems, said Social and Cultural Development Committee Chair Gulnur Iksanova during a March 19 session in the Mazhilis (lower house of the Parliament). Sixty-two percent of schools…

ASTANA – Astana Business Campus, project  of the Nazarbayev University Research and Innovation System (NURIS), seeks to develop the knowledge-based economy in Kazakhstan by equipping entrepreneurs with facilities, resources as well as a community of support, said NURIS Head Aidar Zhakupov. The Astana Business Campus has a 50-hectare campus near Nazarbayev University, the nation’s leading…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will more than quadruple its budget to $837 million in the next five years to fight terrorism and extremism, said National Security Committee Deputy Chair Nurgali Bilisbekov during a March 6 government meeting. The 2018-2022 funding is four times the $202.8 million the country spent on its 2013-2017 counterterrorism programme. The additional…

ASTANA – Prominent public figures and members of the film industry from around Central Asia gathered March 8-10 in Almaty to discuss gender issues during FemAgora gender equality week and related film festival. The festival is encouraging the public to examine gender issues through the lens of art, politics, human rights and science. “The main…

ASTANA – The Zhambyl region will focus on seven priorities to develop the region’s agricultural sector, Regional Agriculture Department Head Nurzhan Nurzhigitov said during a recent meeting of regional officials. Those priorities include developing farming, increasing arable land areas, developing agriculture chemistry, increasing seed production, improving agriculture products processing, protecting flora and updating agriculture equipment.…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan improved its ranking nine spots to 122 and was removed from the list of the world’s most corrupt countries on the recently released 2017 Corruption Perception Index (CPI). The index is published by Transparency International and analyses the perception of corruption across 188 countries. Nations are ranked from 0 to 100 points…

ASTANA – Fighting terrorism and extremism, including radicalisation, tackling drug and arms trafficking as well as environment and water management issues are among key security challenges faced by the European Union (EU) and Central Asia, according to experts who gathered Feb. 22-23 in Astana for the international conference marking the 25 anniversary of diplomatic ties…

ASTANA – Last year was a milestone for Tengizchevroil (TCO), the Chevron-led joint venture operating the Tengiz oil and gas field in Atyrau region, as the company achieved a record-high 28.7 million tonnes in oil production. TCO General Director Ted Etchison reported the 2017 results and plans for 2018 during a recent press conference in Almaty.…

ASTANA – Bank Astana recently introduced microbusiness loans for entrepreneurs, reported Forbes.kz. The loans are up to 3 million tenge (US$9,330) for a maximum of 24 months. Kazakhstan’s one million individual entrepreneurs often lack their due attention, said Bank Astana Managing Director Aidos Zhumagulov, as the bigger focus is on large corporations and small and…

ASTANA – The European Union (EU) seeks to further expand its partnership with Central Asia and refine new cooperation mechanisms to address existing and emerging security challenges, said EU Special Representative for Central Asia Peter Burian Feb. 22 during the international conference in the Kazakh capital marking the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the…

ASTANA – Ust-Kamenogorsk, a city in eastern Kazakhstan with a population of more than 300,000, is a must visit destination for someone starting his or her journey through the country. It offers both historic insight and a pleasant vacation near the beautiful Rudny Altai Mountains, canyons and beaches. Located where the Ulba and Irtysh rivers…

ASTANA – The Kazakh capital recently hosted the launch of Garage incubator seeking to provide a platform for start-up development ahead of the upcoming launch of Astana Hub accelerator programme in September. With more than 150 applications, only best 14 were selected for the incubator. Garage is a free start-up incubator offering developers and innovators…

ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry of Labour and Social Protection will focus on formalising the self-employed workforce and continue digital transformation in the field in 2018, according to newly-appointed Minister Madina Abylkassymova. The issue of the self-employed population, which currently accounts for nearly one-quarter of the nation’s workforce, was raised during a Feb. 9 extended…

ASTANA – One year after celebrating their 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Malaysian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Syed Mohamad Bakri recently told The Astana Times the two countries have built strong and friendly ties. He also discussed the current state of relations, possibilities to deepen cooperation and similarities between the nations. “Relations have been very strong,…

ASTANA – The Kazakh Civil Service Affairs and Anti-Corruption Agency registered 1,835 corruption-related crimes in 2017 and prosecuted 320 individuals, according to agency chair Alik Shpekbayev. The number of cases is 18 percent less than 2016. The measures returned nearly 14 billion tenge (US$43.4 million) to the national budget last year. Shpekbayev discussed the outcomes…

ASTANA – Kazakh producer Timur Bekmambetov’s new film “Search” won the Audience Award and Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. North America’s leading independent film festival gathered 123 feature-length and 68 short films this year – the result of a thorough selection from 13,468 submissions. “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” “Kailash,”…