Articles by STAFF REPORT

EBRD Invests $630 million in Kazakhstan in 2021, Green Financing Remains Priority

NUR-SULTAN – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) invested $630 million in 18 projects in Kazakhstan in 2021, reported the bank’s press service.  Forty percent of projects are aimed at promoting the green economy. The EBRD will also support Kazakhstan in implementing its long-term cooperation strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Overall,…

President Tokayev Becomes Chairman of Ruling Nur Otan Party

NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has been unanimously elected as the Chairman of the Nur Otan party on Jan. 28 at the extraordinary 21st   Congress of the Party, reported Akorda. First President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who headed the party since its foundation in 1999, made a proposal to elect Tokayev as the party’s chairman.  “I…

Kazakhstan’s AI-Powered Medical Software Enters World’s Ten Most Innovative MedTech Startups

NUR-SULTAN – Cerebra, Kazakhstan’s AI-powered software for early stroke detection and faster and more accurate treatment, has been included in the list of the world’s ten most innovative projects in the field of medical artificial intelligence, according to Medtronic APAC Innovation Challenge.  This is a platform for startups and businesses run by Medtronic, a Florida-based…

First Deputy Prime Minister Meets with Тоp German Companies, Key Investors Pledge Further Investment

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan seeks to strengthen Kazakh-German relations, economic and investment cooperation and to implement joint projects. This was announced by First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar at the online meeting with the executives of German companies on Jan. 26, reported the Prime Minister’s Office.  Approximately 90 representatives of German companies and heads of the…

Kazakh Government Implements Plan to Help Businesses and People Recover After January Events

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government has implemented a package of measures for socio-economic development on President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s instructions, reported the Prime Minister’s Office.   A moratorium on tariffs and prices for utilities (heat supply, water supply, sanitation, electricity, gas supply) was introduced for 180 days from Jan. 5. The Ministry of Internal Affairs plans…

CSTO United Staff to Analyze Measures in Kazakhstan to Improve Crisis Response Mechanisms

NUR-SULTAN – The CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) United Staff will analyze what happened in Kazakhstan to improve its crisis response mechanisms, said Turaly Koyshikulov, deputy chief of the CSTO joint staff at a Jan. 19 press briefing.  The CSTO United Staff is a permanent working body of the organization responsible for preparing proposals on…

President Tokayev Appoints New Minister of Defense, Outlines Priorities for Reforms in Armed Forces

NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dismissed Murat Bektanov from the Minister of Defense’s position and appointed Ruslan Zhaksylykov as the new minister, the Akorda reported on Jan. 19.  Zhaksylykov previously served as the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs – Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard.  Zhaksylykov was born in 1966 in the Almaty region. He started…

Omicron Continues to Spread in Kazakhstan, Top Health Officials Recommend Strict Measures

NUR-SULTAN – On Jan. 18, Kazakh Minister of Healthcare Azhar Giniyat reported that COVID-19 cases have increased by 19.6 times over the past month. Daily laboratory testing has increased by 3.5 times and reached 50,000 tests per day. Despite the incidence rate, the mortality rate has decreased by 2.5 times over the past day.  The…

Nursultan Nazarbayev: “We Must Support the New Program of Reforms Put Forward by President Tokayev”

NUR-SULTAN – The President has put forward a new program of reforms to improve the well-being of people. We must support this program, said Nursultan Nazarbayev in a video addrees on Jan.18 Read the full text of address of Kazakhstan’s First President on Jan.18 Dear people of Kazakhstan! The events of early January shocked the entire…

Kazakhstan’s Human Rights Ombudsperson: State Must Investigate All Reports of Cruel Treatment, Conduct Thorough Legal Investigation

NUR-SULTAN – Peace, order and rule of law in the country depend not only on the legislative and executive authorities but also on every citizen of Kazakhstan. What happened must become a lesson for all, said Elvira Azimova, Kazakhstan’s Human Rights Ombudsperson in Kazakhstan, at an online media briefing at the Central Communications Service. “Human…

Almaty Police Department Releases Details Surrounding Tragic Events in Almaty

NUR-SULTAN – The situation has stabilized in Almaty, reported Head of the Almaty Police Department Kanat Taimerdenov at the Jan. 16 Central Communications Center briefing. As a result of the clashes,149 civilians and 11 officers were killed. The police continue to seize stolen firearms. Terrorists damaged and destroyed more than 356 cars including 163 police…

Kazakh Prosecutor’s General Office Releases Statement on Legal Procedures Against Suspects in Events of Tragic January

NUR-SULTAN – Forty-four terrorism cases related to the recent attacks in some regions are under investigation, the General Prosecutor’s Office reported on Jan. 13. As of Jan. 14, the high (orange) level of terrorism threat has been set in the Kazakh capital. The critical (red) level of the terrorism threat has been lifted in 14…

Smailov Becomes Kazakhstan’s New Prime Minister

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev presented Alikhan Smailov’s candidacy for the Prime Minister’s Office at the Jan. 11 meeting of the Majilis, the lower house of Parliament. During the meeting, the majority of deputies supported the President’s decision. Smailov previously served as the First Deputy Prime Minister.  Alikhan Smailov was born in 1972 in…

WATCH: Striking Video of Terrorists Rampaging Through Almaty, Taldykorgan, Aktobe, Looting Businesses, Assaulting Police, Injuring Civilians

Telegram channel “KeyNews” presents a video montage of the tragic events that occured in the beginning of January 2022 in Kazakhstan. In just 5 days, bands of terrorists and opportunists and marauders turned one of the most peaceful and stable Central Asian republics into a war zone. January 10 has been declared the National Day…

Spectacular Skating Performance on Lake Kolsai is Becoming Popular on Instagram (Video)

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh figure skater Kseniya Pankratova’s dance performance on the frozen Lake Kolsai recently attracted quite an audience on Instagram, reported Kazinform. A short video titled “The magic ice of Kolsai” is available on Pankratova’s account.  Pankratova went viral on the internet with her performance on the Big Almaty Lake in December 2018. This…

Kazakhstan Adopts Law on Abolition of Death Penalty and Law on Commissioner for Human Rights

NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the laws “On Amendments and Additions to Some Legislative Acts on the Abolition of the Death Penalty” and “On the Commissioner for Human Rights in Kazakhstan” on Dec. 29, reported Akorda.   According to the law “On Amendments and Additions to Some Legislative Acts on the Abolition of the…

New Industrial Projects and Investments to Contribute to Almaty City’s Economic Growth

NUR-SULTAN – Seven projects have been launched at the Almaty Industrial Zone, reported head of the industrial zone Adil Amralin at the Dec. 27 press conference.  The projects, worth more than 48 billion tenge (US$110 million), will create 749 workplaces.  In February, a plant for the production of copper and aluminum wire rod worth more…

Kazakh Minister of Trade and Integration Visits Afghanistan to Discuss Bilateral Trade Opportunities

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan expressed readiness to strengthen bilateral trade with Afghanistan. This was announced during the visit of the Kazakh trade and economic mission to Afghanistan headed by Minister of Trade and Integration Bakhyt Sultanov, the ministry’s press service reported on Dec. 25. Sultanov discussed cooperation with the representatives of the acting Afghan administration including…

Young Kazakh Tennis Player Ranks First in Tennis Europe Junior Masters Ladder

NUR-SULTAN – 13-year-old Zangar Nurlanuly topped the list of Tennis Europe Junior Masters, by the end of the tennis season, with 255 points among players under 14 years of age, according to the Kazakh Tennis Federation. Junior Masters is a major sporting event, featuring the young European tennis elite (players under 14 and 16 years…

Interaction and Cooperation as Part of CICA Forum are Vital for Central Asia, Says Expert

NUR-SULTAN – Sanat Kushkumbayev, the Deputy Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of Kazakhstan (KazISS), spoke about Kazakhstan’s role and its activities in international organizations in a recent interview to the Lomonosov Moscow State University’s information and analytical centre. It is reported that Kazakhstan is a member and a participant…

From the UK to Russia: the World Marks the 30th Anniversary of Kazakhstan’s Independence (Video)

NUR-SULTAN – This year, Kazakhstan celebrates the 30th anniversary of its independence, and events around the world are taking place to mark this important occasion and pay tribute to the country’s legacy and thriving culture. On Nov. 30, the Online Kazakhstan Film Week in London kicked off. The festival presents the best classic films as…

UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Manizha Visits Almaty to Promote Initiatives Against Gender-Based Violence

NUR-SULTAN – Singer, finalist of Eurovision 2021 and UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Russia Goodwill Ambassador Manizha visited Almaty on Dec. 9 to mark the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, reported the UNHCR Central Asia. Manizha became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in December 2020. She helps to raise…

Monument Honoring Great Kazakh Poet and Philosopher Abai Kunanbayev Unveiled in Paris

NUR-SULTAN – The monument to Kazakh poet and philosopher Abai Kunanbayev was unveiled on Dec. 6 in Paris, reported the press service of the Nur-Sultan city administration.  The event is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence. “The initiative belongs to our President so that the heritage of great poets such as Abai will…

Kazakhstan Praises Results of Recent P5 Conference on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement lauding the results of the P5 Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, reported the ministry’s press service. The representatives from the five Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) also referred to as P5 including the United States, Russia,…

Prime Minister Reaffirms Kazakhstan’s Commitment to Reach Carbon Neutrality Targets by 2060 as Part of COP26 Goals

NUR-SULTAN – Prime Minister Askar Mamin reiterated Kazakhstan’s commitment to meet its obligations under the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, also referred to as COP26 at the Nov. 3 Council on Improving Investment Climate, reported the Prime Minister’s Office.  Mamin recalled that the country announced its ambitions to increase energy production from renewables from…