Articles by ASSEL SATUBALDINA

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev gave a big interview to the Egemen Qazaqstan national newspaper on Jan. 3, covering the administration’s top priorities for 2024 and discussing crucial topics on the national agenda. The interview covered the tragic January events in 2022, ambitious economic plans, and the country’s foreign policy. A significant part of the…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s big interview with the Egemen Qazaqstan newspaper is stirring considerable attention, marking it as the most talked-about event on Kazakhstan’s first working day of 2024. Government officials and experts shared their thoughts about the President’s multi-page interview, highlighting its multi-faceted nature. Cultivating national values that unite rather than divide the…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev revealed his reflections on the tragic events that unfolded in January 2022 in Kazakhstan and shed light on what he deemed was a multifaceted conspiracy aimed at destabilizing the country’s socio-economic stability. He said as a nation, Kazakhstan’s citizens collectively navigated through this crisis, stood their ground, and emerged even…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev gave a big interview to the Egemen Qazaqstan national newspaper, shedding light on the administration’s top priorities for the year 2024 and addressing crucial topics on the national agenda. From the tragic January events in 2022 to the ambitious economic plans and how the nation builds its foreign policy, Tokayev…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will continue a constructive and balanced foreign policy, taking into account the national interests, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in an interview with the Egemen national newspaper published on Jan. 3. In 2024, the country is expected to host a series of summits and forums. Against the backdrop of a polarized international order,…

ASTANA – Mastercard’s Regional Hub for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Central and Eastern Europe in Almaty will focus on data and services, said Mastercard General Director for Central Asia Rafal Trepka in an interview with The Astana Times.  Mastercard is a global fintech company working in more than 210 countries around the world…

ASTANA – The volume of cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, surged by 88% in the first nine months of 2023, reaching 2 million tons. In the first nine months of 2022, the figure stood at 1.1 million tons.  The volume of cargo transportation along the…

ASTANA – The United States should view Central Asian countries as the subjects of their own stories rather than mere objects in the broader competition with other nations, said Evan Feigenbaum, the vice president for studies at Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in an interview with The Astana Times.  Feigenbaum was visiting the Kazakh…

ASTANA – The latest data from the National Human Rights Center indicates that in 2023, the number of complaints regarding violations of citizens’ rights and freedoms in Kazakhstan exceeded 4,300, twice as much as in 2022 and three times more than in 2021. This increase indicates growing legal literacy in Kazakhstan, said Human Rights Commissioner…

ASTANA – Central Asia played a crucial role throughout history in shaping global connections, but it does not always need to be seen solely as a bridge between other people, said Peter Frankopan, a British historian, professor, and author best known for his work on global history and the Silk Roads, in an interview with…

ASTANA – The first day of the Astana Club, a platform to discuss the most pressing issues on the global and regional agenda, kicked off in the Kazakh capital on Dec. 11. Rising economic fragmentation, the future of Central Asia and Afghanistan and what stands ahead for the Middle East were among the topics on…

ASTANA – The Kazakh government and ArcelorMittal have completed negotiations for the purchase of all shares of ArcelorMittal Temirtau and ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Aktau by the Kazakh state investment fund, Qazaqstan Investment Corporation (QIC), for $286 million, announced Minister of Industry and Construction Kanat Sharlapayev at a press briefing on Dec. 8. “The cost of…

ASTANA – Astana hosted an international conference on Dec. 7 titled Constitutional Reform and Electoral System to mark the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission (CEC). Heads of central election commissions from 10 countries and six international organizations attended the conference. Opening the conference was Advisor to the President Yernar Baspayev, who read out…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed into law Kazakhstan’s budget for 2024-2026 on Dec. 6, reported the Akorda press service.  The bill was first presented on Sept. 11 in the Mazhilis, a lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament, before endorsing it on Nov. 1. However, the Senate returned the bill to the Mazhilis with several…

ASTANA – Astana Opera hosted the DOMBRAsadors live concert on Dec. 4, featuring a unique blend of foreign diplomats and local theater artists. Breaking away from the traditional concert format, the event showcased not only the musical talents of diplomats but also championed a good cause, with all proceeds generated from the event to be…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Mazhilis, a lower chamber of the Parliament, endorsed a three-year budget plan on Nov. 1. The budget expenditures are expected to grow by 1.3 trillion tenge (US$3.2 billion) to reach nearly 24 trillion tenge ($54 billion) in 2024,  according to the draft law.  In 2025, the budget spending is estimated at 23.8…

ASTANA ­­– TikTok and Kazakh Tourism have launched a large-scale initiative, under the GuideToKazakhstan hashtag, that promises a virtual journey to the country’s major sights, reported the Kazakh Tourism national company. As part of this initiative, they created a video guide showcasing landmarks, cultural facilities, and gastronomic destinations across the country. Each month, the TikTok…

ASTANA – Amidst a complex web of geopolitical shifts, Kazakhstan is emerging as the veritable powerhouse in Eurasia’s transport and logistics landscape. In his previous state-of-the-nation address on Sept. 1, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev set an ambitious objective for Kazakhstan to become what he called a “full-fledged power” in this field.  With its vast landmass and…

ASTANA – Representatives of Central Asian countries and international organizations convened in the Kazakh capital on Nov. 7 to explore where the countries stand in their efforts to address climate change and come up with a joint regional strategy in the run-up to the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly referred to as…

ASTANA – 2023 has witnessed a multitude of health crises from extreme climate conditions to wars, which have rendered healthcare inaccessible for a significant portion of the population, said World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in an interview with The Astana Times.  The world does not have a moment to lose. “2023…

ASTANA – Turkic integration is gaining momentum amidst ongoing geopolitical turbulence. As the 10th anniversary summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) concludes in Astana on Nov. 3, experts are optimistic about the future of the organization.  The summit, hosted by Kazakhstan, was attended by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of the Kyrgyz…

ASTANA – French President Emmanuel Macron paid an official visit to Kazakhstan on Nov. 1, meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and delivering a speech at Narikbayev University. Experts see Macron’s visit as a testament to Kazakhstan’s growing role in ensuring energy security, including critical raw materials, not only for France but for the European Union…

ASTANA – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Global Director for Gender Equality Raquel Lagunas visited Kazakhstan on Oct. 16-20, meeting with senior government officials, parliamentarians, and women’s organizations and attending several strategic events. She spoke about what it takes to promote gender equality, the challenges facing Kazakhstan and Central Asia, and the role of media…

ASTANA – The Kazakh government has no plans to consider foreign investors following the transfer of ownership of ArcelorMittal Temirtau to Kazakhstan, said Kazakh Minister of Industry and Construction Kanat Sharlapaev at a press briefing on Oct. 31. “The government is not considering any foreign investors following the transfer of ownership rights to Kazakhstan. All…

ASTANA – Last week, the Kazakh capital hosted a conference dedicated to the Alma-Ata and Astana declarations on primary healthcare. It also convened representatives of 53 countries for the 73rd session of the World Health Organization’s Regional Committee for Europe. In an interview with The Astana Times, WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Kluge,…