Kazakhstan President to Continue Current Policies, Institute Infrastructure Programmes in New Term
ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, who was announced the winner of the country’s presidential election early morning on April 27, expressed his “grand satisfaction” at the country’s record-breaking voter turnout and said it was important to him to get a fresh mandate from the people in order to embark on the major infrastructure…
Polls Close on a Day of Record Voter Turnout
ASTANA – Kazakhs went to the polls in record numbers for the country’s early presidential election, the Central Election Commission (CEC) of the country has announced: 95.11 percent of the country’s registered voters had cast their ballots by the time polls closed at 8 p.m. local time and observers at the polling stations have reported…
Two New Subway Stations Open in Almaty
ASTANA – Two new subway stations opened in Almaty on April 18, and President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev was among the first to take a ride. The new Moscow and Sairan stations, which are consecutive and today are the end of the metro’s red line, will connect the city centre with residential neighbourhoods. The new…
New Research Finds Majority of Kazakhs Think Country Is Moving in Right Direction, Ready for Election
ASTANA – New research conducted by U.K. market research agency Ipsos MORI with Kazakh adults shows that a large majority of citizens of the country believe the country is moving in the right direction and that most also agree that the country is ready to hold the presidential election scheduled for April 26. The research,…
Astana’s Rotary Club Launches
ASTANA – Astana’s Rotary Club has now become operational, marking their launch with an opening ceremony in the capital’s Hilton Garden Inn on April 16. The humanitarian club has launched with around 30 members, but will be hoping to attract more, Chairman of the Membership Committee Taylan Karamanli confirmed in an interview on April 17.…
The Short, Colourful Lives of Spring Steppe Flowers
ASTANA – The hardy souls who stick out one of Astana’s long and frigid winters can count on at least one reward: when the snows finally melt in April and May, the steppe bursts brightly, if briefly, into bloom around them in the few weeks between extreme cold and extreme heat that constitute spring in…
Marriott Seeks New Partners, New Local Relationships with Open Day
ASTANA – The Marriott Astana opened its third floor event facilities to all comers during its Open Day on April 13, an event intended to demonstrate the hotel’s event capabilities and reach out to new and existing partners in the Kazakh capital. “We’re trying to reach out more,” said General Manager Philippe Mahuas. “I think…
More Than One Million Square Metres of Rental Housing to be Built Before 2020
ASTANA – As part of the country’s regional development programmes, 1.4 million square metres of rental housing is scheduled to be built over the next four years, First Vice Minister of National Economy Marat Kussainov said at a Central Communications Service briefing on April 6. “In general, the amount of financing for the construction and/or…
Kashagan to Start Production in 2017, Says Royal Dutch Shell Report
ASTANA – Production at Kazakhstan’s giant Kashagan offshore oil field is expected to restart in 2017, Royal Dutch Shell stated in its 2014 annual report. “After the start of production from the Kashagan field in September 2013, operations had to be stopped in October 2013 due to gas leaks from the sour gas pipeline. Following…
Nazarbayev University Commercialisation Office Supports Domestic Innovation
ASTANA – At Nazarbayev University, the drive to research and innovate is being balanced and informed by the need to create practical, marketable products – a process that is supported by the university’s Commercialisation Office, launched in the beginning of 2013. “[The Commercialisation Office] provides administrative assistance (procurement, contracting, consulting, patenting, et cetera) to approved…
Czech Ambassador Seeks to Share Kazakh Culture with her Countrymen
ASTANA – Czech Ambassador Eliška Žigová is in Kazakhstan to help bring this country and hers together – or, more specifically, to bring Czechs of all kinds to the steppe. The job can be a bit one-sided sometimes, she said in an April 2 interview with The Astana Times. As she discovered when she arrived,…
EBRD to Finance Ore-Processing Plant in Karaganda
ASTANA – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will loan $100 million to finance the construction of a new plant for processing copper and gold ore in a remote region of Karaganda, the bank announced on March 31. The loan will go to the Altai Polimetally and Terekty Ken Baity companies, which are…
Semey Engineering Launches New Armoured Fire Fighting Vehicle
ASTANA – The Semey Engineering company, which produces combat and armoured vehicles, has created a new, unique, armoured vehicle for use in fighting fires, Kazakh TV reported on March 24. “It’s a Kazakh vehicle,” said Deputy Director of Semey Engineering Ramil Bayazitov, as quoted in the Kazakh TV report. “We have the rights to it.…
China, Kazakhstan Sign $23.6 Billion in Agreements, Including Funds for Nurly Zhol Projects
ASTANA – Thirty-three cooperation agreements worth $23.6 billion were signed during the working visit of Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov to China on March 27, Xinhua News reported – some of which will support projects that fall under the umbrella of Kazakhstan’s new Nurly Zhol economic stimulus programme. “During the talks in Beijing both heads…
Women’s Health Coverage in Kazakhstan Becoming More Comprehensive
ASTANA – As a Central Asian country with a Muslim majority and a name ending in ‘stan,’ Kazakhstan might not be expected, by Western observers, to be a place where women are promised access to a spectrum of mostly-publicly funded reproductive options, including a variety of birth control options, abortion, and vaccines against the human…
Three Official Candidates for Presidential Election Remain; Most Self-Nominated Candidates Drop Out
ASTANA – Abelgazy Kussainov, Turgun Syzdykov and incumbent President Nursultan Nazarbayev remain the three official candidates in Kazakhstan’s early presidential election, which has been called for April 26, and hundreds of international observers are preparing to register to take part in monitoring the contest. Nazarbayev and Syzdykov are the only two candidates to have…
Nazarbayev University Launches New Master’s Degree in Economics
ASTANA – Nazarbayev University (NU) launched a new master’s of arts in economics this month, the vice dean of research in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of the school told The Astana Times on March 11. The master’s degree in economics is a two-year programme that is now the third master’s degree to…
Astana Making “Excellent” Progress on EXPO 2017, BIE Chief Says
ASTANA – Secretary General of the International Expositions Bureau (BIE) Vicente Loscertales said Astana was making “excellent” progress in preparations for EXPO 2017 during a March 19 press conference in the Kazakh capital’s Central Communications Service. Loscertales was in town for a two-day visit to meet with officials and assess the country’s progress on the…
Concept of Organic Farming Planted, Growing Slowly in Kazakhstan
Draft law on organic farming awaits vote; private initiatives work to support organic development ASTANA – As Kazakhstan pushes to develop its agricultural sector with increased funding for farming even in times of belt-tightening, organic farming and permaculture experts are hoping the concepts maintain a foothold in the country. Though overlooked in recent decades, the…
Estonia Hopes to Increase Cooperation in Transit, Technology, Education
New NATO Contact Point Hopes to Share Alliance’s Values in Central Asia, Increase Bilateral Trade ASTANA – As NATO Contact Point in Kazakhstan, Ambassador of Estonia Jaan Reinhold hopes to share the values of the alliance in the country; bilaterally, the ambassador is hoping to see an increase in educational, technological and scientific exchanges during…
Historical Connections, Shared Challenges Bind Kazakhstan, Israel, Says Visiting Diplomat
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Israel are united by some common roots and common challenges, Deputy Director General of Israel’s Foreign Ministry Zvi Rav-Ner said during his March 10 – 11 visit to Astana, but it is time for them to create more concrete connections. In town to meet with his counterparts here, Rav-Ner also addressed…
Culinary Arts in Kazakhstan Heating Up as Service Sector Grows
ASTANA – As Kazakhstan develops economically and socially, its culture of hospitality is slowly shifting from the domestic realm to the professional, and while cooking professionals say there is still much ground to cover, interest in the culinary arts is growing. “Culinary arts in the country are growing rapidly, onwards and upwards, especially ahead of…
Estonia Considering Shipping Goods Between Europe and China via Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Estonia is the latest country to publicly mull using Kazakhstan’s transit infrastructure to ship goods between China and Europe. “We’re considering the shipment of merchandise between Europe and Asia through the port of Tallinn on the Baltic Sea and the port of Lianyungang on the Yellow Sea,” CEO of Estonia’s Port of Tallinn…
Adaptability, Heritage, Travel Guide Local Chef
ASTANA – Executive Chef Benoit Letellier, who comes to Astana’s Marriott Hotel from France via the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and Africa, has been blending his French heritage and his Asian experiences with local ingredients and Kazakh dining culture over his four years in the country. “I didn’t know about Kazakhstan when I arrived,” Letellier said…
Scandinavian Team Searches for Indo-European Homeland through Kazakhstan DNA
ASTANA – A Scandinavian team has come to Kazakhstan in search of the common homeland of all Indo-European peoples, collecting bone fragments for analysis in the Centre for Geogenetics at the University of Copenhagen. The researchers are looking for a genetic connection to match the linguistic connections that have already been drawn, Norwegian historian Sturla…
