Articles by Aidana Yergaliyeva

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh professional figure skaters Elizabet Tursynbayeva and Kseniya Pankratova recently went viral on the Kazakh internet with their stunning performances on the frozen lakes of Kazakhstan. Tursynbayeva awed her instagram audience with a gentle dance on a lake in the Burabai district. She performed her dance to the accompaniment of a song titled…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed further political modernization and outlined his 2021 priorities for the Kazakh Parliament and government at the Dec. 15 opening of the first session of the Parliament of the seventh convocation. At the end of the last parliamentary elections, two Kazakh political parties were just a few percent away…

NUR-SULTAN – The Valley Irrigation, a US-based global leader in irrigation technologies, inked an investment agreement with the Kusto Group, a Kazakhstan-based diversified international holding company, and the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry at a Jan. 12 video conference, primeminister.kz reported. Valmont Industries, which owns Valley Irrigation, has been in the field since 1954 and holds nearly…

NUR-SULTAN – International observation mission heads and delegates summed up their observations and recommendations on voting procedure and citizen participation in the Jan. 10 Kazakhstan’s parliamentary election at the Jan. 11 press briefings in Nur-Sultan. Similar to observers from foreign states, observation missions from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-Speaking Countries…

NUR-SULTAN – Foreign observers reported high levels of preparedness at the polling stations and their compliance with democratic best practices during the Jan. 10 press briefings in Nur-Sultan. The Kazakh Central Election Commission accredited 398 foreign observers, of which 76 were from 31 foreign countries and 322 from ten international organizations. As the polling stations…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh political analysts and experts commented on the progress and development of the Kazakh political environment, political competition and forecasts on the Jan. 10 regular parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan at a Jan. 8 press briefing. “The political system in Kazakhstan is developing into a stable political environment which is characterized by a multi-party…

NUR-SULTAN – As of Jan. 8, the Kazakh Central Election Commission (CEC) has received 104 appeals from individuals, legal entities, and press since the Oct. 21 announcement of the parliamentary elections. Most of the appeals requested clarification of the electoral legislation, the rest asked for information on electoral processes, offers, statements, among other issues. The…

NUR-SULTAN – Foreign banks will be able to open branches in Kazakhstan by submitting a single, simplified application. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law on the restoration of economic growth, which included amendments regarding registration procedures of foreign banks on Jan. 2, the press service of the Kazakh Agency for Regulation and Development of…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Central Election Commission (CEC) held 5,180 training events for election commission members and other participants integral to the electoral process during the campaign for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan, CEC Secretary Sabila Mustafina announced at a Jan. 5 CEC meeting. The CEC held the training in two stages – at…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Central Election Commission (CEC) accredited a total of 398 foreign observers ahead of Kazakhstan’s Jan.10 parliamentary elections, CEC member Anastasia Schegortsova reported at the Jan. 4 commission meeting. The list included 322 observers from ten international organizations and 76 from 31 foreign countries. More than half of the observers from international…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh political party leaders debated on Dec. 30 live on air on the Khabar national television channel with seats in the Majilis (lower house of the Parliament) at stake. The citizens watched the pre-election debates live unlike the last debates in 2016 that were pre-recorded. The televised pre-election debates featured the speeches…

NUR-SULTAN – At the end of 2020, Kazakhstan’s epidemiological situation has become less stable along with many countries similarly affected worldwide in the run up to the New Year holidays. Yet the common effort of the government, citizens, and international cooperation helped to hold the situation under control. As of Dec. 28, Kazakhstan confirmed 152,460…

NUR-SULTAN – ASTANA TV channel premiered the Zhuldyzdar Sherui (The March of the Stars) cinematic concert featuring songs from Disney animated films in Kazakh on Dec. 27. This is the third licensed cinema concert that the Bolashak (Future) Corporate Fund organized in partnership with the Disney company in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States…

NUR-SULTAN – Nur-Sultan Chief State Sanitary Doctor Zhanna Pralieva signed a Dec. 24 decree that allowed for the work of the capital’s cinemas and extended the working hours of supermarkets and restaurants to restock and prevent overcrowding during the week before the New Year holidays. The cinemas were out of work since mid-March in Kazakhstan.…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan sent 100 sets of Kokchetav-4P mobile mechanical ventilators as humanitarian aid on Dec. 22 to Tajikistan, the Kazakh Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development press service reported. The ministry sent humanitarian aid to Tajikistan as part of the Dec. 10 Kazakh government resolution and on a presidential order. The Tynys (Breathing) plant,…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Central Election Commission (CEC) discussed the registration, ballots, and expenses for Majilis (a lower house of the Kazakh Parliament) deputies nominated by the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan (APK) Council during the Dec. 24 commission meeting. The commission scheduled the elections of the APK deputy group, the assembly-nominated Majilis deputies, on…

NUR-SULTAN – The Cambridge International Financial Advisory (IFA) Board placed six Kazakh finance professionals in its WOMANi 2020 annual report, which features the 300 most influential women in Islamic business and finance. Madina Tukulova, Kuralay Yeldesbay, Gulnara Mukhanova, Alfiya Salikhova, Aigerim Marsali, and Aizhan Kuanysh – all made it to the top of the report.…

NUR-SULTAN – The Astana Hub, the Kazakh international technopark of IT startups, presented their annual rating of the ten best national IT startups. The technopark ranked the startups based on their market assessment, problem solving, innovativeness, go-to-market strategy, growth rate, and business development, teams, and social importance. The OrionM2M startup team led the list with…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Central Election Commission (CEC) accredited 190 foreign observers and reported on the explanatory works regarding voter lists procedures to the upcoming regular parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan during the Dec. 22 commission’s meeting. As of Dec. 22, the CEC has accredited 276 international observers since the Oct. 22 opening of the Institute…

NUR-SULTAN – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) decided to include Togyz kumalak (nine stones), a Turkic strategy board game, in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity on Dec. 17, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry press service reported. The UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the ICH…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems (RIBSP) began the third phase of clinical trials of QazCovid-in, the Kazakh inactivated vaccine on Dec. 19. The third phase presumes the vaccination of 3,000 volunteers. RIBSP vaccinated its first volunteers at clinics in Almaty and Taraz. The institute will complete the third phase by…

NUR-SULTAN – The investors in a new hotel construction project in the Bozzhyra Gorge will move the construction site to the outer territory of the Zhabaiushkan reserve in the Mangystau Region, announced Magzum Mirzagaliev, the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology, Geology, and Natural Resources, on his twitter page. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed the Kazakh government…

NUR-SULTAN – The manufacturing industry was among Kazakhstan’s key growth sectors since achieving independence in the 1990s. Kazakhstan’s industrialization agenda gave rise to thousands of new modern high-tech industries creating jobs and new products. Kazakhstan expects the industry to keep pace during the coming years and revitalize the economy. Since 2000, the production volume of…

NUR-SULTAN – The quarantine measures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have canceled many of the festivities around celebrating Kazakhstan’s main state holiday – Independence Day on Dec. 16. Kazakhs still found ways to express and honor the long-awaited independence by proudly displaying the Kazakh national flag on their balconies, on their social media pages, among…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Central Election Commission (CEC) discussed the terms around pre-election televised debates and absentee certificates ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections during a Nov. 15 CEC meeting. The CEC scheduled the pre-election debates on Dec. 30.  The commission adopted a resolution to conduct a television debate on the Khabar national TV channel…

NUR-SULTAN – The Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan (APK) nominated nine candidates for its deputy group in Majilis (lower house of Parliament) during the Dec. 11 APK council meeting, the press service of the assembly reported. Since 2007, the APK has had the right to appoint a deputy group of nine people that represents…

NUR-SULTAN – The tickets for the Jan. 16 Dimash Digital Show went on sale recently, Dimash News reported. This will be the first concert during the pandemic of world-famous Kazakh singer Dimash Kudaibergen. The virtual format makes the concert truly global as anyone can get a ticket to watch Kudaibergen perform live on the Tixr…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Central Election Commission (CEC) summed up the results of the nomination and registration of party lists of candidates for deputies of the maslikhats (local representative bodies) during the Dec. 11 meeting of the commission. The nomination, confirmation and registration of party lists took place for maslikhat deputy elections from Nov. 10…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh political parties were off to the races at 6 p.m. on Dec. 10 working on their pre-election campaigns. The campaign period will last until 12 a.m. sharp on Jan. 9. Nur Otan, the Kazakhstan’s ruling party, gathered Dec. 10 in their first meeting to discuss their pre-election campaign. The party plans…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakhfilm studio’s full-length animated film titled “Muzbalak” recently won the nomination of the Best Animation Film at two international film festivals – the Swedish Stockholm Film & Television Festival and the Indian Golden Bee international children’s film festival, the Kazakhfilm studio reported on their instagram page. “Muzbalak” narrates the story of a…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Central Election Commission (CEC) summed up the results of the nomination and registration of the official party lists, and addressed appeals from public organizations on the foreign observers of the upcoming parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan during a Dec. 10 commission meeting. The nomination process lasted through Nov. 10-30. The CEC registered…

NUR-SULTAN – The Central Asian region has been swiftly developing between 2007 and 2019 thanks to foreign direct investments (FDI), the gross inflow of which totaled $378.2 billion. The countries of the European Union (EU) invested 40 percent of total FDI in Central Asia, energyprom.kz reported. A significant part of them fell on the development…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Central Election Commission (CEC) adopted a resolution to register the People’s Party of Kazakhstan and delivered an update on the registration status of foreign observers to the upcoming parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan during the Dec. 7 commission’s meeting. The People’s Party of Kazakhstan presented a party list of 114 people Nov.…

NUR-SULTAN – Analysts at the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) projected a 3.2 percent increase in the aggregate gross domestic product (GDP) of its member countries in 2021, after 3.8 percent drop in 2020. The forecast assumes that the COVID-19 spread will slow down and countries globally will lift restrictions in the first half of 2021.…

NUR-SULTAN – English DAZN sports streaming service recently presented a promo video about Kazakh middleweight boxer Gennady Golovkin also known by his nickname GGG or Triple G. This is a promo for Golovkin’s upcoming fight against Polish professional boxer Kamil Szeremeta on Dec. 18. For Golovkin, it’s a chance to make the 21st successful title…

NUR-SULTAN – The Ambassadors Spouses Association in Kazakhstan (ASA) in Kazakhstan has been organizing Christmas Charity Bazaars for the past twelve years. These events used to gather thousands of people each year. This year the association introduced the ASA Charity Drive 2020 to replace the old format and continue spreading the spirit of goodwill despite…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Central Election Commission (CEC) has adopted resolutions on the registration of the party lists of the Adal (Honest) political party and the Ak Zhol (White Way) Democratic Party at the upcoming parliamentary elections during the Dec. 4 meeting of the commission. The commission also adopted a resolution that clarifies the rights…

NUR-SULTAN – The Astana Ballet theater is set to premiere “Sultan Beibars” Dec. 4-5 in Nur-Sultan. According to the creative team behind the ballet, “Sultan Beibars” is an important piece of history for Kazakhs and a new milestone in Kazakh ballet history as it introduces a new genre for Kazakhstan, the television ballet. Sultan Beibars…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will run deputy elections for the Majilis (a lower house of the Kazakh Parliament) and the Maslikhats (local representative bodies) on Jan. 10, 2021. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stressed that the elections will be fair and transparent during the Dec. 2 virtual session of the council for the Collective Security Treaty Organization…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) summed up the results of 2020 during the Nov. 27 virtual regular meeting, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service reported. The commission revised the results of its thematic committees, clubs, and…

NUR-SULTAN – Rising young Kazakh signer Karakat Bashanova, 12, won second place at the 2020 Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Bashanova captivated millions of viewers with her spectacular and emotional performance of the song titled “Forever” that she dedicated to her deceased father. “When I met the composer. I found the courage to tell him that…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan Ashikbayev reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to supporting the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia during the Nov. 26 high-level virtual meeting discussing the results of the United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP’s) violent extremism prevention project in Central Asia. He also stressed the importance of promoting the Code of…

NUR-SULTAN – One of the core forms of entertainment for Kazakhs from times immemorial was something called the Akyndar Aitysy, which is a contest of improvised oral poetry spoken or sung to the accompaniment of traditional musical instruments. Since Kazakhstan’s independence, the Kazakh government has revived the ancient tradition and brought them to the national…

NUR-SULTAN – The South Korean Embassy in Kazakhstan has organized a Nov. 25 webinar to discuss the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and Kazakhstan’s experience in nuclear disarmament. The South Korean experts stressed the value of Kazakhstan’s experience in voluntarily renouncing its nuclear potential. Cheon Myeong Guk, a research fellow at the Korea Institute…

NUR-SULTAN – The Majilis (a lower house of the Kazakh Parliament) organized a Nov. 26 International Parliamentary Conference dedicated to the Day of Kazakhstan’s First President in Nur-Sultan. The participants commended the role of Kazakhstan’s First President Nursultan Nazarbayev in the formation and development of parliamentarism in Kazakhstan. The representatives of the parliaments of Vietnam,…

NUR-SULTAN – A Kazakh delegation led by Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi met with their South Korean and Central Asian counterparts to discuss the possibility of cooperation in the area of improving healthcare, distance education, standardization, and the environment during the Nov. 25 13th meeting of the Central Asia – Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum in…

NUR-SULTAN – Members of the Presidential youth reserve discussed approaches by the Kazakh government that could help in reaching out to young people and getting them involved in Kazakhstan’s development at the Millenials and Social Change discussion panel on the second day of the Nov. 23-27 ninth Civil Forum in Nur-Sultan. The Kazakh government should…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Ministry of Information and Public Development gave start to the ninth Civil Forum week on Nov. 23 in Nur-Sultan. The forum will offer 12 virtual meetings between heads of ministries and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The forum will last through Nov. 27. The forum is themed “Society and the State:…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Nomad Stunts founder, director and performer Zhaidarbek Kunguzhinov received the US Taurus World Stunt Award for best action in a foreign film, Nomad Stunts said in a facebook post. The Taurus is an equivalent to an Oscar award for stunt performers. This is a historical moment for the Kazakh movie industry…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan plans to deploy another unit of 120 Kazakh peacekeepers for a six-month UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. The Kazakh soldiers will join the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to patrol a 16-kilometer section of the Lebanese-Israeli border in February of 2021, Channel One Eurasia reported. The Kazakh contingent will serve…

 NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh pop singer Dimash Kudaibergen’s voice touches the souls of millions around the world. Professional vocalists translate and cover his songs, while Russian composers gladly gift him new ones. Talented Chilean vocalist Jonathan Donoso, 32, has been creating covers for the singer’s songs for more than a year. Donoso has been following Kudaibergen’s…

NUR-SULTAN —  The Kazakh Central Election Commission (CEC) commented on the status of accreditation of foreign observers to deputy elections in the Majilis (lower chamber of Parliament) and the Maslikhats (local representative body) during the Nov. 20 virtual meeting of the commission. The commission scheduled the election for Jan. 10, 2021. As of Nov. 20,…

NUR-SULTAN —  The G-Global International Secretariat announced the introduction of the Global Silk Road Prize to the agenda of 2021 G-Global and proposed to create a permanent organizing committee for the congress during the Nov. 19 virtual plenary session of the 2020 G-Global. 21st Century international congress. The proceedings started Nov. 18.  The G-Global congress…

NUR-SULTAN – The Australian-based Lonely Planet travel guide book listed Kazakhstan among its 2021 Best in Travel destinations. The travel giant also placed Central Asia at the top of 2020 Best in Travel regions in January. The list usually includes the Best in Travel cities, countries, and regions. The 2021 travel guide split the single…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will provide Kyrgyzstan with 400 sets of mobile medical ventilators for intensive care units and two million medical masks produced at Kazakh enterprises, the prime minister’s press service reported. The Kazakh government will render humanitarian assistance on behalf of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as part of the fight against coronavirus, the press…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi participated in the Nov. 16-17 third Ministerial Conference to Advance Religious Freedom, the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign affairs press service reported. Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau and US State Secretary Mike Pompeo co-chaired the videoconference. Tileuberdi stressed Kazakhstan’s efforts in ensuring religious freedom of citizens, as well as…

NUR-SULTAN – World-famous Kazakh singer Dimash Kudaibergen spoke about his childhood, the aftereffect of fame, day-to-day life, his creative team, his music, and his future in an interview with the Muz-TV channel general director Arman Davletyarov. While many people jump from occupation to occupation interchangeably throughout their lives, Kudaibergen knew that he wanted to pursue…

NUR-SULTAN – The annual report of the 2020 Basel AML Index ranked Kazakhstan 73rd among 141 countries in terms of the level of risk in the area of illegal money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF). This is a significant improvement for Kazakhstan as it jumped up by 45 points compared to its 2019 ranking. This…

NUR-SULTAN – Although quarantine restrictions paralyzed the Kazakh cinema industry for months, the industry has recently started to revive. Kazakh animators have high ambitions and confidence in streaming their cartoons on the world’s biggest streaming entertainment services such as Netflix, ivi, and Amediateka. In July, the Kazakh National Cinema Support Center approved funding of 1.1…

NUR-SULTAN – The students of Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS) all over Kazakhstan have recently got the hang of Togyz Kumalak (nine stones). It is an ancient two-player strategy board game that is played in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Scientists estimate that the game might date back 4,000 years ago. Kyrgyzstan even included it in its program…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government and Turkish business circles signed five preliminary agreements on a number of projects worth $160 million during the Nov. 9 Kazakh government’s visit to Istanbul, Kazakh Invest reported. The parties expect to begin new investment projects in infrastructure, machinery building, food processing, and woodworking by the end of 2020. The…

NUR-SULTAN – Nur Otan, Kazakhstan’s ruling party, with branches in Shymkent, and Almaty finalized party lists for their maslikhats (local representative bodies) and party lists of candidates for the Majilis (lower chamber of Parliament) during the Nov. 10-11 extraordinary conferences. The Shymkent and Almaty maslikhats selected 60 and 78 candidates, respectively, depending on their branch…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government summed up social-economic development from January to October during the Nov. 10 government meeting. The real sector of the economy demonstrated growth dynamics in almost all sectors despite the global slowdown, said Minister of National Economy Ruslan Dalenov. The Kazakh economy observed the biggest growth in its automotive industry, which…

NUR-SULTAN  – MFA Mask, one of the largest Turkish respiratory masks manufacturers, will build a plant producing respiratory masks on the territory of Astana – in the New City special economic zone (SEZ) in Nur-Sultan. The project will cost approximately $9.3 million. The enterprise will produce respirators of the FFP2 and FFP3 class, gas masks,…

NUR-SULTAN – Before the pandemic, Nazarbayev University students and faculty would book the biggest 1,000 seat-capacity hall in the first three minutes when tickets went on sale – all to listen to the NU Orchestra covering famous songs with classical and Kazakh national instruments. The orchestra always sandwiches popular modern themes such as the one…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh self-taught hyperrealist sculptor Aidos Yesmagambetov created a realistic sculpture of Kazakh poet and philosopher Abai Kunanbayev to commemorate his 175th anniversary. The sculpture has even the tiniest details such as blood vessels in the eyes and hairs on the hands. According to Yesmagambetov, the sculpture is “the result of four months of…

NUR-SULTAN – The international community has again expressed interest in Kazakhstan’s experience in the rehabilitation and adaptation of believers who have suffered from radical ideologies, according to zakon.kz Alim Shaumetov, the director of the Aqniet information-propaganda and rehabilitation center, spoke about Kazakhstan’s experience at a recent virtual conference with diplomats from more than 30 foreign…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Ministry of Ecology, Geology, and Natural Resources finalized the restoration plan for Turanian tigers in Central Asia, the ministry’s press service reported. The ministry designated a 15-year long program for the restoration of a tiger in the southern shore of the Balkhash Lake and the region of the Ili River delta.…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has ample opportunities to develop the country’s own organic agriculture, said Kazakh Minister of Agriculture Saparkhan Omarov at the Nov. 3 virtual meeting of the 32nd session of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO’s) regional conference, the ministry’s press service reported. Kazakhstan will focus efforts on improving product quality, as well as…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s first ATP 250 Astana Open Tennis tournament ended Nov. 1 at the National Tennis Center in Nur-Sultan. The pandemic cut down the tournament draw, which made the participation in Astana Open a lucky opportunity to gain additional points in the rankings. The contestants played long and intense games. Australian tennis player John…

NUR-SULTAN – The Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) placed Kazakhstan 70th in the Global Peace Index (GPI) ranking, the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness, inform.kz reported. “Kazakhstan entered the list of states with a fairly reliable level of security, taking 70th place out of 163. Kazakhstan according to these findings came out on…

NUR-SULTAN – The fourth international Vmeste Navsegda (Together Forever) exhibition of art dolls will showcase 100 art dolls depicting mystical creatures and heroes of Kazakh, Russian, and the world’s tales and legends. Fifty Kazakh doll artists and 20 foreign artists from France, Belarus, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia will gather in Almaty. The works of both…

NUR-SULTAN — The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO’s) Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program added the Almaty and West Altai natural reserves to 25 new sites part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The International Co-ordinating Council of UNESCO’s MAB approved the additions during a virtual meeting Oct. 27-28, the UNESCO…

NUR-SULTAN — Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev praised the South Korean government’s Northern Policy program during the Oct. 30 video address at the International Forum for Northern Economic Cooperation 2020 in Seoul, the Akorda press service reported. The 2020 forum theme is Global сhanges after COVID-19 and the Future of Northern Economic Cooperation. The Korean trade…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin recently reviewed a few models of domestically produced electric vehicles, including electric busses, at the National Automobile Pavilion in Nur-Sultan. The prime minister reviewed electric crossovers of Chinese brands: the JAC (IEVS4, IEV7S), and NIO (ES6, ES8). The Association of the Kazakhstan AutoBusiness (AKAB) President Andrey Lavrentiev and…

NUR-SULTAN – Alan Buribayev, the principal conductor of the Astana Opera house, blew away Nur-Sultan’s audience with the opera and symphony concert titled “Molière, Voltaire, and Beaumarchais, or the Fathers of the French Comedy” on Oct. 17 and 18 in Nur-Sultan. The audience gave standing ovations, the Astana Opera press service reported. “The maestro once…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Embassy in the U.K. celebrated the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Kazakhstan with an Oct. 19 celebratory virtual event. The British Parliament first registered the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Kazakhstan in the autumn of 2015 to develop inter-parliamentary dialogue. Representatives of the group are…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan completed a pilot project for the digitization of a canal in the Maktaaral district of the Turkestan Region, which significantly reduced water consumption in the region, Kazakh Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources Magzum Mirzagaliyev said in an Oct. 20 report to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. “The process of providing water…

NUR-SULTAN — Over the first eight months of 2020, the Kazakh petroleum producing companies exported 362,100 tons of motor gasoline worth $125.6 million compared to only 6,300 tons in the same period in 2019, reported energyprom.kz. Kazakhstan exported 103,300 tons of gasoline worth $36.7 million to the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The…

NUR-SULTAN – The Al-Farabi International Center in Almaty gathered leading national Farabi scholars to the closing event of the 1150th anniversary of medieval philosopher and scientist Abu Nasr Al-Farabi on Oct. 16. Abu Nasr Al-Farabi is a figure equally important to the west as he is important in Kazakhstan and other Turkic countries. Jewish medieval…

NUR-SULTAN – Semei has begun to implement the 2025 comprehensive plan of socio-economic development, reported Kazakh Prime Minister’s press service. In October of 2019, the Kazakh government allocated 260.2 billion tenge (US$606.00 million) to complete 56 projects in the city. Semei’s renovations began with the housing and social facilities. In 2020, the government commissioned seven…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh cultural diplomacy continues to make great strides with the 175th anniversary of Kazakh poet and philosopher Abai Kunanbayev. Japanese readers can now get a closer connection with Kazakh culture in their native language through books on Abai’s works at national libraries and educational institutions in Japan. The Kazakh Embassy in Japan presented…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh scientists have recently found archaeological artifacts that can complete or rewrite the established history on the Kazakh Khanate. The excavation complex in the North Kazakhstan Region just 300 kilometers away from Nur-Sultan can become “a new political and cultural center,” the region’s Deputy Akim (Governor) Gani Nygymetov said in a facebook post.…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen interstate relations and ensure sustainable growth in the region during the Oct. 15  Central Asia + Russia virtual ministerial meeting, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service reported. This is the third meeting of the heads of the foreign affairs agencies. The…

NUR-SULTAN – Numbeo, a crowd-sourced global database, placed Kazakhstan 53rd in the health care index ranking among 93 countries’ mid-year results. The rating calculated an index for health care quality based on online surveys about the overall quality of the health care system, health care professionals, equipment, staff, doctors, and cost among other factors. Kazakhstan…

NUR-SULTAN – Halyk Bank and the Pavlodar Region Akimat (local administration) launched Zhas-Halyk.Ertis, a special lending program to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Pavlodar Region and to mitigate the consequences of the strict quarantine regime, the akimat’s press service reported. The young entrepreneurs, all aged 21 to 30, can get a loan…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government’s delegation headed by Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin signed a $6.1 billion agreement on investment cooperation with the Emirati government during their Oct. 12 working trip to Abu Dhabi. The document envisages the implementation of 21 projects. Kazakhstan proposed projects that will create new industries with high added value and…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin proposed a number of initiatives on strengthening the competitiveness of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), in an Oct. 9 offline meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council (EIC) in Yerevan, Armenia. To ensure the effective functioning of free markets, Mamin proposed to form a tax and customs space in…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government has adopted a Comprehensive Plan for the Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry through 2025 in a Sept. 6 government meeting. As part of the plan, the government will launch more than 30 new large pharmaceutical industries for 77.8 billion tenge (US$181.64 million). The projects will double the medicine production to…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law amending the work of civil servants on Oct. 6, the Akorda press service reported. The amendment introduced a complete ban on gifts, material rewards, and services of any value to civil servants and their families for actions in favor of the donor. The anti-corruption legislation also…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s First President Nursultan Nazarbayev wrote an article titled the “Spiritual Legacy of Abai” on Sept. 7 where he narrates his experience with Abai’s life and the influence it had on his personality and his life. According to Nazarbayev, Kunanbayev is a “phenomenon” and a milestone connecting the past with the future. Abai…

NUR-SULTAN – The European Investment Bank (EIB) provided KazMicroFinance (KMF), the largest microfinance organization in Kazakhstan, with $30 million to provide affordable lending to Kazakh small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), reported forbes.kz. The KMF will allocate the funds to Kazakh self-employed entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises in urban and rural areas. “The EIB continues to support…

NUR-SULTAN – The Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) launched on Oct.5 the third Virtual World Investor Week in Kazakhstan to give lectures on the basic principles of investing, consumers’ rights, and financial services at the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC). The online event will last through Oct. 9. World Investor Week is an annual international…

NUR-SULTAN – The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Kazakhstan has launched a one-year project to study and provide recommendations to improve gender equality in the healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic, the country office reported. The WHO will run a cross-sectional survey as part of the project to study the degree of and…

NUR-SULTAN – The Almaty-based Aspan Gallery recently became a member of Cromwell Place, a brand-new hub for the arts located right in the heart of London’s museum district. The partnership will allow Aspan Gallery’s artists to regularly organize exhibitions at the Cromwell Place. “New places, new spaces, and contexts force artists to look at their…

NUR-SULTAN – What is a weekend in the Kazakh capital like? One of the best ways to find out is to visit the city’s arbat, a pedestrian promenade. The capital’s arbat is located along the Yessil River. It is a stage for street performers, a point for street food trucks, outdoor cafes, and a bazaar…

NUR-SULTAN – The European Union (EU) Delegation to Kazakhstan and the EU member states planted 27 trees at the EXPO site in Nur-Sultan as part of the European Union Climate Diplomacy and the #EU4GreenKZ campaign, the delegation’s press service reported. The diplomats planted 15 Christmas trees and 12 oak trees. The Nur-Sultan Akimat (city administration)…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin and Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Board Chair Nikolai Podguzov met Sept. 30 to discuss prospects for the bank’s involvement in the implementation of the Kazakhstan-Russia Cross-Border Cooperation Program in Kazakhstan, primeminister.kz reported. On the same day, Podguzov also met with Kazakh Minister of Trade and Integration Bakhyt Sultanov.…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin and President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov launched the construction of two plants in Kostanai and a tires production operation in the Karaganda Region during a Sept. 27 meeting in Kostanai. The three projects are worth 261 billion tenge (US$609.37 million) in total. The plants in Kostanai will produce…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh pop singer Dimash Kudaibergen sang the original soundtrack “Happy For A While” to the upcoming Jackie Chan movie “Vanguard.” The movie release date is set for Sept. 30. “This movie teaches us that we shouldn’t give up on humanity, our dreams, and kindness. I have been a Jackie Chan fan for a…