Articles by Aibarshyn Akhmetkali

ASTANA – The Akmola Region is recasting itself as a promising travel destination, with its diverse landscapes and nature reserves, said its Akim (Governor) Marat Akhmetzhanov during the May 11 field trip to the region’s Korgalzhyn state nature reserve. Heads of the Astana-based diplomatic missions from European countries visited the village of Korgalzhyn on that…

ASTANA—Requiring good marksmanship and tactics, the Kazakh traditional game of assyk (knucklebone) is one of the oldest and most popular outdoor nomadic games. The Astana Times interviewed Zhomart Sabyrzhanuly, founding president and executive director of Kazakhstan’s Assyk Federation, about the game’s cultural significance and preparations for the upcoming fifth World Nomad Games. Sabyrzhanuly’s significant pioneering…

ASTANA – A solemn flag-raising ceremony of Kazakhstan’s flag took place at the Faouar peacekeeping base in the Golan Heights on May 7, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Defense’s press service. The event coincided with Defenders of the Fatherland Day and the formation of Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces. Earlier this year, Kazakhstan deployed its first independent…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has a good partner in Singapore as the nation looks towards engaging with Southeast Asia, said Seah Kian Peng, speaker of the Parliament of Singapore in an interview with The Astana Times. Kazakhstan has strong and longstanding relations with Singapore that date back over three decades. There had been a dynamic exchange…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s golden age in animation lies ahead despite challenges such as the lack of adequate funding and commercial unfeasibility, according to the founders of Tasqyn Animation Studio. They attribute its success solely to the enthusiasm and innovation of idea-driven creators. In an interview with the Astana Times, the studio managers share what the…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the government’s efforts to aid flood victims at the 33rd session of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan (APK) on April 25 in Astana, reported the Akorda press service. It has been almost a month since Kazakhstan’s eastern, northern. and western regions were affected by massive floods.  Despite…

ASTANA – The World Bank has identified 10 critical actions that can address the most pressing short-term bottlenecks across the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, according to a brief published on the bank’s official website. The solutions are based on a report presented by the World Bank last year,…

ASTANA – The United Kingdom seeks enhanced partnership with Kazakhstan in education, business, economy, energy, and climate change, said David Cameron, the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, during his visit to Astana on April 24. “What I want to mark is it’s been 11 years since my visit here as…

ASTANA – Bright colors are springing to life as Kazakhstan’s signature rare Greig’s tulip blooms near Temirlan village in the Turkistan Region, reported the Kazinform news agency. Spread over 100 hectares, tulips in intense shades of red attract travelers eager to capture stunning photographs. “Tulip fields in the region are increasing every year. I think…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan celebrates the Day of Lovers on April 15, also called Kozy Korpesh – Bayan Sulu Day, in honor of the iconic Kazakh love epic. February may be the time for celebrating Valentine’s Day, but since 2011, Kazakhstan has embraced Kozy Korpesh—Bayan Sulu Day in April as a distinctive alternative enriched with a…

ASTANA – A new exhibition offering a true visual feast opened at the National Museum of Kazakhstan on April 5, celebrating the museum’s 10th anniversary. The exhibition will remain open until July 31. Over the decade, the National Museum has accumulated a wealth of paintings and other art objects reflecting the rich Kazakh art history…

ASTANA – Dombra performance and meet-ups with people: artists are expressing their support for the rescuers and people affected by the flood, which resulted in the evacuation of nearly 100,000 as of April 12. 100 dombra players of Alatau folklore ensemble came together in Almaty on April 11 to perform a kui (musical composition) thanking…

ASTANA – The 13th meeting of the Kazakh-Finnish Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation was held in Astana to discuss prospects of cooperation in transport and trade on April 11, reported the press service of the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. Other topics on the agenda were higher education, industry, geology, energy,…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan celebrates the 125th anniversary of the leading academic geologist and founder of the Kazakh Science Academy, Kanysh Satpayev, on April 12.  His research during the 1930s provided evidence of large copper deposits in Zhezkazgan, which played a key role in the growth of the industry, transforming Kazakhstan from an agrarian country into…

ASTANA – Three premieres and a dozen of old favorites made for a memorable gala event, Dreams Come True, at Astana Opera on April 7. The program featured the debut of the Spanish dance “Panaderos” from Alexander Glazunov’s ballet “Raymonda” along with two one-act ballet premieres by Astana Opera’s emerging choreographers: Aidan Kalzhan’s “Temptation” to…

ASTANA – Sustainability reporting with broader value and upskilling is to play a key role in sustainable development of Kazakh companies in accordance with environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, said Vikas Aggarwal, regional head of public affairs for Europe, Eurasia, Middle East and the Americas at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in…

ASTANA – Days of Kyrgyz cinema opened on April 3 in Astana with “Beyish – Enenin Tamaninda” (Paradise – Under the Mother’s Feet), a heartfelt road movie that explores tender mother-son relationship on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. The latest offering by director Ruslan Akun tells the story of Adil, a 35-year-old…

BERLIN – Experts discussed ways to realize Kazakhstan’s green hydrogen production ambitions by overcoming high production costs, market ambiguity, and water sustainability challenges in Central Asia during the 10th Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD) in Berlin on March 19-20.  Hydrogen, especially green hydrogen, is expected to be a critical fuel of the future, replacing natural…

ASTANA – The curators of the Kazakh pavilion have unveiled details about Kazakhstan’s participation at the coming 60th Venice Biennale, which opens on April 20, in an interview with Kazinform news agency. Titled Jerūiyq (promised land): a Look Beyond the Horizon, the project will explore a utopia rooted in Kazakh legends, symbolizing a metaphor for…

ASTANA – Vice Minister of Industry and Construction Olzhas Saparbekov discussed Kazakhstan’s potential in rare metals development at the conference on critical raw materials and trade policy, organized within the Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) on March 26 in Brussels, reported Kazinform news agency. The Kazakh delegation, headed by Saparbekov,…

ASTANA—Kazakhstan is bringing government officials, artists, and famous athletes to the opening ceremony of the year of Kazakh tourism in China as it seeks to deepen its tourism ties with the world’s second-largest economy. Kazinform news agency reported that the opening ceremony of the year of Kazakh tourism will be held in Beijing on the…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan expands its connectivity with Central Asian countries by introducing two new flights from Turkistan to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and Astana to Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The first international flight on the Turkistan-Samarkand route operated by Qazaq Air Airlines carried the first 66 passengers on March 22, reported the airline’s press service. This initiative aims to…

ASTANA— President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the strategic significance of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in deepening Kazakhstan’s multifaceted ties with China during a meeting with Erkin Tuniyaz, deputy secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xinjiang Committee and XUAR chairman, on March 26 in Astana, reported the Akorda press service.

ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will pay a working visit to the People’s Republic of China and take part in the session of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) on March 28-29, Akorda press service reported. The visit agenda includes several meetings between the Kazakh President and the Chinese leader, heads of international organizations…

ASTANA – There is a huge potential for expanding cooperation between Kazakhstan and Cyprus, said Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos during his March 25 meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana, reported Akorda. The two sides exchanged views on the prospects of cooperation in trade and economics, investment and tourism spheres. According to Tokayev, over…