Articles by Saniya Sakenova

Kazakh PM Reiterates Commitment to OPEC+ Cooperation

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is committed to further cooperation within the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+), Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said at an Aug. 26 meeting with OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. “We support the initiatives of the organization, accept restrictions along with other countries, including on…

Fifth World Nomad Games to Feature Kazakh-Made Arrows

ASTANA – Over 200 archers from 35 countries will compete using arrows made in Kazakhstan during the traditional archery competitions at the fifth World Nomad Games, the event’s press service reported on Aug. 21. “If earlier we relied on imported equipment, purchasing it in Türkiye, Hungary, and Russia, now the situation is gradually changing. I…

Task to Increase Trade Volume Between Kazakhstan and Tajikistan is Feasible, Says Tajik PM

ASTANA – The task set by Presidents of Kazakhstan and Tajikistan for their governments to increase mutual trade volume to $2 billion is really feasible, Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda said at an Aug. 23 meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, reported Akorda. “Kazakhstan has been steadily occupying one of the key positions in foreign trade…

Kazakh Athletes Poised for Gold in African Intellectual Game Ovari

ASTANA – Ainur Zhakapbayeva, head coach of Kazakhstan’s national togyzkumalak team, expressed confidence in the team’s potential to win a gold medal in ovari, an intellectual game from West Africa, at the fifth World Nomad Games, the event’s press service reported on Aug. 23. “Despite the fact that ovari has not yet become widespread in…

German Companies Expand Investment Presence in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – The Kazakh Invest national company delegation, led by Chairman Yerzhan Yelekeyev, paid a working visit on Aug. 19-21 to Germany to engage in discussions with the heads of major German companies and reported the Kazakh Invest’s press service. Siegmar Römhild, general director of WIS Kunststoffe GmbH, discussed plans to produce compounds and plastics…

Kazakhstan Imports Record Number of Passenger Aircraft

ASTANA – Kazakhstan imported 13 aircraft with a capacity of 50 to 300 passengers in the first six months of this year, a record number since 2018 when the country imported eight aircraft in January-June, Data Hub reported on Aug. 22, citing the State Revenue Committee of the Kazakh Finance Ministry. Kazakhstan usually imports no…

Road Infrastructure Improvement Near Completion in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is nearing completion of a large-scale road infrastructure improvement program, which includes constructing, reconstructing, and repairing 7,000 kilometers of roads by the end of the year, the Prime Minister’s press service reported on Aug. 23. Progress was made in reconstructing major transport arteries such as the Karagandy-Almaty, Taldykorgan-Oskemen, and Aktobe-Atyrau-Astrakhan highways, which…

Kazakh-Tajik Investment Forum Yields Nearly $900 Million in Contracts

ASTANA – The Kazakh-Tajik Investment Forum, held in Dushanbe on Aug. 21 ahead of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state visit to Tajikistan, resulted in the signing of several commercial agreements and contracts worth approximately $900 million, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. According to the Khovar National Information Agency of Tajikistan, the countries also plan to…

Interstate Relations Between Kazakhstan and Tajikistan Reach Allied Cooperation Level

ASTANA — The Treaty on Allied Relations between Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, signed on Aug. 22 by both leaders, marks the beginning of a qualitatively new stage of bilateral cooperation, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during a joint media briefing with President Emomali Rahmon, reported the Akorda press service. During the talks, the leaders confirmed their mutual…

Kazakhstan Sees Twofold Increase in Sea and Coastal Cargo Transportation

ASTANA – In January-July, Kazakhstan’s sea and coastal cargo and baggage transportation volume reached 1.6 million tons, marking a 2.1-fold increase compared to the same period in 2023, EnergyProm reported on Aug. 19. This year’s transportation volume surpassed the annual figures recorded over the past five years. Previously, higher figures were recorded only before 2014.…

Kazakh PM Sends Off National Team to Summer Paralympics

ASTANA – Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov presented Kazakhstan’s national Paralympic team with the state flag, which they will carry during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in Paris, scheduled from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. “The Paralympic Games are not just a sport, they are a…

Cargo Transportation Along Middle Corridor Grows 63% in Seven Months

ASTANA – The volume of cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) increased by 63% to 2.5 million tons in seven months of 2024, Kassym Tlepov, deputy chairman of the Railway and Water Transport Committee of the Kazakh Transport Ministry said at an Aug. 20 briefing in the Central Communications Service (CCS), reported…

Turkish Athletes to Compete in Nine Sports at Fifth World Nomad Games

ASTANA – Türkiye will send 120 athletes to compete in nine sports at the fifth World Nomad Games, Kazinform reported on Aug. 19. Türkiye previously hosted the event in İznik two years ago.  Osman Başer, a member of the board of the World Ethnosport Confederation, noted the importance of such events for the cultural education…

Kazakhstan to Launch Eight Chemical Industry Projects Worth $27 Million

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is set to commission eight chemical industry enterprises by the end of the year, with a total investment of 12.9 billion tenge ($27 million), the Central Communications Service’s press office reported on Aug. 14, citing the Kazakh Ministry of Industry and Construction. The new ventures will generate nearly 350 jobs. The projects…

Dimash Kudaibergen to Spotlight Mangystau’s Beauty and Culture in New Project

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s singer Dimash Kudaibergen will create a project to spotlight the spirituality, culture, and tourism of the Mangystau Region, which he visited as an ambassador of Kazakh Tourism national company on Aug. 19, the regional administration’s press service reported. During his first tour of Mangystau’s historical and cultural attractions, Kudaibergen was captivated by…

Kazakhstan Revises Business Support Measures

ASTANA – The Kazakh government adopted a comprehensive program to support and develop small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), integrating the Business Roadmap and Economy of Simple Things programs, the Prime Minister’s press service reported on Aug. 19. This program envisages support for effective projects, with up to 50% of the budget for subsidizing new ventures…

Astana to Host Conference on Digital Inclusion and Transformation This September

ASTANA — The Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Digital Inclusion and Transformation, organized by the Kazakh Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), will be held from September 3 to 5 in Astana. According to the conference’s press service, the event will…

Kazakhstan’s Asset Recovery Efforts Yield $2.2 Billion from Corruption Cases

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Anti-Corruption Agency has returned assets worth 1.09 trillion tenge (US$2.2 billion) over the past 2.5 years, including assets from oligopolies, the agency’s press service reported on Aug. 15. Since the beginning of 2024, the Anti-Corruption Service has reimbursed approximately 195 billion tenge (US$405.8 million) as part of completed criminal cases. The Asset…

Euronews Central Asian Hub to Open in Astana

ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva and Pedro Vargas David, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Euronews, signed a historic agreement to open a Euronews representative office for Central Asia in Astana on Aug. 14 in Brussels, reported the ministry’s press service. Kazakhstan is undergoing large-scale transformations in all spheres…

Kazakh PM Calls for Maximizing Oil and Gas Revenue in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s oil and gas industry should primarily benefit all Kazakh citizens by ensuring that as much revenue as possible stays within the country, contributing to national business growth, job creation, and the overall improvement of living standards, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said at an Aug. 14 meeting focused on the oil and gas…

Kazakhstan Plans to Boost Exports to Thailand Worth Over $900 Million

ASTANA – Kazakhstan sees significant potential to increase exports to Thailand, targeting over 100 product categories valued at more than $900 million, Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev said at an Aug. 14 meeting with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Phumtham Wechayachai. According to the Kazakh Trade and Integration Ministry’s press…

Dimash Kudaibergen Visits Tourist Capital of Turkic World

ASTANA – Turkistan Region Governor Darkhan Satybaldy welcomed Kazakh famous singer Dimash Kudaibergen, who arrived in Turkistan city, the 2024 tourist capital of the Turkic world, on Aug. 15, reported the regional administration’s press service. “I am glad to see in our region a person of high art who represents our country on the world…

Kazakhstan Reports Increase in Personal Data Violations 

ASTANA – Kazakhstan registered 65 administrative violations of personal data laws in January-July, a 75.7% rise compared to the same period in 2023, Finprom.kz reported on Aug. 12. During this period, 61 cases were adjudicated, compared to only 23 cases handled a year earlier. As a result, 61 people were held administratively responsible, a figure…

National Bank Reports $800 Million Current Account Surplus as Economy Recovers

ASTANA – The National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) reported a significant improvement in the current account balance, with a surplus of $0.8 billion in the first half of 2024, compared to a deficit of $5.0 billion in the same period of 2023, according to the NBK’s quarterly report Kazakhstan Macro and Market Overview, published on…

Kazakhstan Reduces Dependence on External Supplies, Boosts Domestic Production

ASTANA – Several industries in Kazakhstan demonstrate stable import reductions and production growth. The manufacturing industry’s reliance on imported products has decreased by 7%, while production volumes have increased by 4%. Dependence on external supplies has been reduced in mechanical engineering and the production of metal and paper products, as was reported during an Aug.…