Articles by Rufiya Ospanova

ASTANA –The People’s Democratic Party Nur Otan and representatives of the DAMU Fund launched a series of meetings on implementing the Business Road Map 2020 on June 12, during which they called on Astana entrepreneurs to press forward in their activities. The campaign, launched at the Nazarbayev University, marked the beginning of this year’s business…

ASTANA – The most recent Fryday W, held on June 12, gathered people interested in the past and present of the Netherlands to learn about the country from Dutch Ambassador to Kazakhstan Peter van Leeuwen. At the event, which took place in a traditional relaxed setting, participants shared experiences and contacts and chatted about the…

ASTANA – Spain’s Minister of Defense Pedro Morenes Eulate made his first official visit to Kazakhstan June 10-11 to discuss with his Kazakhstan counterpart and other officials expanding bilateral military and military-industrial cooperation as well as regional security in Central Asia. Morenes was met at Astana International Airport by Kazakhstan Deputy Minister of Defense Major…

ASTANA – Chinese food is becoming increasingly popular with both Astana’s residents and visitors. So The Astana Times sat down with Vera Povetina, director of Chinese cuisine at one of Astana’s most popular Chinese restaurants, Zhirnaya Ovechka (The Fat Sheep), to discuss the philosophy and success behind her restaurant. How and when did you found…

ASTANA – During a June 1-3 visit of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso to Kazakhstan he met President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan to discuss a wide range of issues, including the current status of and prospects for political, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation. Meeting in Akorda on June 3, the two leaders…

ASTANA – On June 12-13, Days of Mining and Metallurgy Sector (MMS) will be held in the capital’s Palace of Independence. The Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of Kazakhstan has designated this project for the industry as the main and annual event in the domestic mining and metal sector. The Days will bring together…

ASTANA – The Dutch Embassy in Kazakhstan and the Nazarbayev Center jointly organised an exhibition of reproductions of paintings by Vincent van Gogh, the world-famous Dutch post-Impressionist painter, to be open for the public from June 10 through July 7. The exhibition features 44 reproductions of paintings, landscapes and portraits, which also included “Cypresses,” “The…

ASTANA – The Malaysia Services Exhibition 2013 (MSE 2013), which showcased the best of this country’s services, launched on June 4 at the Korme exhibition complex. The pavilions where representatives of Malaysian companies showed a diverse range of high-quality products and services in spheres including construction, consultancy, healthcare and others were crowded with people interested…

ASTANA – The Malaysia Services Exhibition 2013 (MSE 2013), which showcased the best of this country’s services, launched on June 4 at the Korme exhibition complex. The pavilions where representatives of Malaysian companies showed a diverse range of high-quality products and services in spheres including construction, consultancy, healthcare and others, were crowded with people interested…

ASTANA – On 23 May, the International Tax and Investment Center (ITIC) and the Advisory Committee on Tax Policy and Administration of the Eurasia Economic Commission (EEC) concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in fiscal affairs in the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The MoU was signed by Timur Suleimenov, Member of…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev greeted several thousands of world leaders, scholars, economists and leading experts in various fields as he opened the Sixth Astana Economic Forum (AEF) and the World Anti-Crisis Conference (WAC) on May 23 in Astana. The President set the tone for the forum as he highlighted some of the economic…

ASTANA – On May 22, Astana witnessed the start of the sixth Astana Economic Forum (AEF), held in the Palace of Independence. One of the first conferences held within the AEF was the Conference on Modernisation of Civil Service, which gathered representatives from various organisations and state agencies as well as officials to share their…

ASTANA – The Sixth Astana Economic Forum (AEF), which began May 22 in Astana, has become a unique platform for international dialogue on pressing modern issues facing the world. Experts in various sectors come to the forum to share their knowledge and hear the opinions of others on recent world developments. This year’s forum started…

ASTANA – The Sixth Astana Economic Forum (AEF), which began May 22 in Astana, has become a unique platform for international dialogue on pressing modern issues facing the world. Experts in various sectors come to the forum to share their knowledge and hear the opinions of others on recent world developments. This year’s forum started…

ASTANA – On May 22, Astana witnessed the start of the sixth Astana Economic Forum (AEF), held in the Palace of Independence. One of the first conferences held within the AEF was the Conference on Modernisation of Civil Service, which gathered representatives from various organisations and state agencies as well as officials to share their…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev greeted several thousands of world leaders, scientists, economists and leading experts in various fields as he opened the Sixth Astana Economic Forum (AEF) and the World Anti-Crisis Conference (WAC) on May 23 in Astana. The president set the tone for the forum as he highlighted some of the economic…

ASTANA – On May 11, President Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan and President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan opened the Bolashak (Kazakhstan) – Serkhetyaka (Turkmenistan) railroad crossing which is set to become one of the key links in the growing framework of railways and road connections restoring the ancient Silk Road in the modern conditions. Upon arriving at…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on May 2 that the Kazakhstan authorities were working with the U.S. counterparts on the case of two students from Kazakhstan who were charged by United States authorities on May 1 with obstruction of justice in connection with the terrorist bombings of the Boston Marathon. Students Dias…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on May 2 that the Kazakhstan authorities were working with the U.S. counterparts on the case of two students from Kazakhstan who were charged by United States authorities on May 1 with obstruction of justice in connection with the terrorist bombings of the Boston Marathon. Students Dias…

ASTANA – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working with the U.S. government to resolve the status of two students from Kazakhstan who were acquaintances of the two suspects in the Boston marathon terrorist bombings on April 15. The government of Kazakhstan is cooperating with the United States in the investigation into the terrorist bombing…

ASTANA – A Eurasian Media Forum panel of experts and senior government officials discussed on April 25 what kind of green, or renewable energy initiatives are needed in Kazakhstan and the region. Nurlan Kapparov, the Kazakhstan minister of environmental protection, outlined the government’s plans to educate the public about the issue. He said the examples…

ASTANA – A charity concert was recently held at the Radisson Hotel to help 25-year-old Miss Scuba Kazakhstan Kamilya Aukenovapay for expensive surgery in her fight against acute leukemia. Kazakhstan celebrities urged those who came to the concert to buy a 2,000 tenge ($13) ticket to help raise money. Dinara Satzhan and Ruslan Sultanov were…

ASTANA – Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö paid his first state visit to Kazakhstan on April 17 which focused heavily on expanding already growing commercial ties into areas such as green economy and education. President Niinistö and his delegation discussed plans to expand bilateral relations with government officials. They also participated in a Kazakh-Finnish Forum which…

ASTANA – New regulations and legislation issued over the last two years are succeeding in maintaining freedom of religion in Kazakhstan while preventing abuse by extremist groups, top officials say. “Freedom of religion is the necessary condition for a democratic society, one of the main elements within the system of human rights and freedoms. The…

ASTANA – On April 10, Defence Minister Adilbek Dzhaksybekov paid his first official visit to Afghanistan where he met with President Hamid Karzai, his counterpart and other officials. “President Nursultan Nazarbayev stands for the active involvement of Afghanistan in the integration processes in the region and for strengthening our bilateral economic and humanitarian cooperation,” the…