Novel by Saken Zhunusov for English readers presented
A novel by Kazakh prose writer Saken Zhunusov called “Amanai and Zamanai” has been translated into English and was recently presented in the framework of the Rukhani Zhangyru programme. That significant event associated with the name of the famous countryman, was attended by the members of the Akmola regional branch of the Union of Writers…
Kazakhstan supports settlement of intra-Syrian conflict by peaceful means
ASTANA – Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the United Nations Kairat Umarov reiterated at the Sept. 11 United Nations Security Council meeting on Syrian conflict Kazakhstan’s endorsement of a peaceful settlement of intra-Syrian conflict. Umarov welcomed the joint declaration emanating from the Sept. 7 trilateral summit (Iran, Russia, Turkey), noting that it includes a common understanding…
Kazakh National Bank revokes Astana Bank licence, buys Tsesna Bank agriculture loans
ASTANA – Kazakh National Bank revoked Astana Bank’s licence Sept. 19. The bank suspended operations in May and National Bank has appointed temporary management. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev criticised Astana Bank April 19. Three days later, the financial institution imposed its first restrictions, forbidding clients from making monetary transfers greater than 200,000 tenge (US$600) and…
Influenza vaccination begins in October
ASTANA – Influenza vaccination will be conducted in Kazakhstan starting Oct. 1. Nearly 1.5 million doses were purchased for approximately one billion tenge (US$2.76 million), according to the Healthcare Ministry’s public health protection committee chairperson Zhandarbek Bekshin. The cost of a flu shot will vary from 1,600 tenge (US$4.42) to 3,500 tenge (US$9.67). “Anyone may…
Ban on non-lethal weapons use proves effective, says Kazakh minister
ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of Internal Affairs Kalmukhanbet Kassymov clarified the decision-making process behind the country’s ban on non-lethal weapons during a recent Central Communications Service meeting. During the past ten years, 4,236 crimes involving the use of weapons were committed in the nation. Authorities purchased back and seized 60,000 pistols and one million cartridges…
Kazakh Foreign Ministry works to return citizens from refugee camp in Syria
ASTANA – The Kazakh Foreign Ministry is working to return 23 Kazakh citizens, seven women and 16 children, from a refugee camp in Syria. The individuals must be determined by Syrian and Iraqi authorities as to not be involved in terrorist activities before they can be returned. “I want to assure that the work is…
Kazakhstan expands social assistance while reducing overall national budget spending
ASTANA – The Kazakh government has significantly increased budget spending on social assistance and security this year while achieving an overall decrease in budget expenses compared to 2017. State budget expenditures totalled 6.2 trillion tenge (US$17.12 billion) from January-July. The figure is 18.8 percent less than the approximately 7.7 trillion tenge (US$21.26 billion) spent during…
Kazakh President notes challenges of relocating regional centre to Turkestan
ASTANA – Relocation of a regional centre from Shymkent to Turkestan is a difficult process in every respect, said Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev during a meeting at the Akorda presidential residence focusing on Turkestan’s development. Nazarbayev declared the establishment of the Turkestan region June 19, when he changed the status of Shymkent city, previously centre…
Kazakh blind and visually impaired cyclists complete intercontinental bike ride in Paris
ASTANA – Sport Without Limits, the intercontinental Astana-Paris bike marathon for visually-impaired and blind cyclists, came to a memorable end Sept. 10 in the French capital near the Kazakh Embassy, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry. Launched more than a month ago at the Kazakh Eli monument, the unique project helped 17 individuals, including cyclists and…
Kazakhstan to launch nationwide housing and municipal services reform
ASTANA – Amendments to the housing and municipal services bill stipulating the relationship between apartment owners and property managing companies will be proposed to the Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament) by the end of September. The “one house, one association, one account” approach will allow every resident to track an apartment building’s operational and maintenance…
Optimised ambulance work key to increasing life expectancy in Kazakhstan, says Ministry of Healthcare
ASTANA – Medical reforms adopted in July 2017 significantly enhanced the performance of emergency medical care in Kazakhstan, Minister of Healthcare Yelzhan Birtanov told a Central Communications Service (CCS) press conference, citing a ministry report. The average arrival time of ambulance teams dropped by 28 percent to 18 minutes and the rate of successful resuscitation…
Kazakh MPs, citizens discuss Internal Affairs Ministry reform
ASTANA – Discussion platform PaperLab hosted a Sept. 5 talk, “Reform of the Kazakh Ministry of Internal Affairs: How to shape citizen-oriented police?” with the support of the Soros Foundation-Kazakhstan. Invited speakers included operational leader of the European Union project Enhancing Criminal Justice in Kazakhstan Saule Mektepbayeva, representatives of the civil initiative For the Reform…
Weightlifter Ilya Ilyin wins first tournament after two-year doping ban
ASTANA – Kazakh weightlifter Ilya Ilyin recently won the Kazakhstan Championship in the 102-kilograms weight category. Ilyin showed a result of 380 (172+208) kilograms on the sum of two exercises at the competition in Taldykorgan. “Today is my first start. I am back. I will continue to work further, the next is the World Championship.…
China to increase gas supplies from Kazakhstan, Russia
ASTANA – China intends to increase natural gas supplies from Kazakhstan and Russia, reported the China News Service citing the Chinese representative of state administration for energy affairs. The country plans to encourage diversifying its natural gas imports. “China imported 94.6 billion cubic metres of natural gas in 2017, both through the Central Asian gas…
Young Kazakh families, public sector workers entitled to lower down payment through home loan programme
ASTANA – New options have been created by Baspana Mortgage to reduce the financial burden for young families and public sector workers, who can now provide a lower down payment when applying for a mortgage within the 7-20-25 home loan programme. The organisation will cooperate with local executive bodies who will subsidise half the down…
Kazakh President: let people build their own houses
ASTANA – Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev visited AlmatyGenplan Research Institute Sept. 5, where he was presented with a three-dimensional model of the city. He noted people moving to the urban area is a natural process, resulting in the need to help them build their own houses and develop the city’s infrastructure. The 3D-project shows the…
Kazakh companies expand in pharmaceutical market in Russia, edging Belarus
ASTANA – Kazakh pharmaceutical companies operating in Russia recently passed traditional market leader Belarus in market share, reported 24.kz. Belarus has been a recognised leader in pharmaceutical market in Russia for the last five years. “There is nothing to be surprised at. Quality is valued most in pharmacology. The matter in question is people’s health.…
Korean investors to build bus terminals in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – A plan for Korean companies to build a network of modern bus terminals in Kazakhstan was reviewed by representatives at a seminar in Seoul organised by the Kazakh embassy in Korea, Kazakh Invest and the Kazakh PPP (public-private partnership) centre. Korean partners were presented with a variety of investment projects, including the depots.…
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan solve border congestion issue
ASTANA – Representatives of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan reached an agreement to begin measures to stop border traffic congestion at the Konysbayev customs post during an Aug. 18 meeting in Kazakhstan’s Turkestan region. The issue stemmed from 315 freight vehicles stalled Aug. 1-7 before entering the checkpoint. Truck drivers were forced to wait two-six days Aug.…
Kazakhstan, China to cooperate on coal methane exploration and production research
ASTANA – Delegations from Satbayev Kazakh National Research and Technical University and the ArcelorMittal Temirtau company recently visited the China Coal Technology & Engineering Group (CCTEG) in China, where they signed a trilateral cooperation agreement. The agreement will increase the commercial production of methane in Kazakhstan. Under the agreement, CCTEG and Satbayev University will conduct…
L’Etrange Festival to feature three films by Kazakh director
ASTANA – The 24th French film festival, L’Etrange Festival, taking place in Paris Sep. 5-16, will show the entire filmography of Kazakh director Adilkhan Yerzhanov within its special Focus programme, reports the Kazakhfilm press service. “The Owners” (2014), “Night God” (2018) and “Realtors” (2017) are among the films to be presented at the festival. They…
Kazakhstan to revoke licenses from universities producing low employment
ASTANA – The Ministry of Science and Education will be introducing new measures that will revoke licenses from higher educational institutions or their faculties producing specialists that have low employability opportunities. The announcement was made Aug. 17 at the annual Kazakh teachers conference in the capital. The ministry has withdrawn 17 licenses from various universities…
Kazakh Prosecutor General’s Office qualifies Ablyazov’s crime as premeditated murder
ASTANA – The Kazakhstan Prosecutor General’s Office announced Aug. 17 that fugitive banker Mukhtar Ablyazov is suspected in organising a premeditated murder of BTA Bank’s former Chairman of the Board of Directors Yerzhan Tatishev committed out of mercenary motives in a group of persons on a preliminary conspiracy with businessman Muratkhan Tokmadi. The announcement was…
Astana offers free, short-term job training
ASTANA – More than 700 unemployed young people in Astana have been going through short-term professional trainings under Employment and Mass Entrepreneurship Programme since the beginning of the year. Currently, 333 people are training for occupations, including 24 people training to be cooks, 48 hairdressers and 85 tailors. The sessions also prepare eight trade managers,…
Kazakhstan to launch one card library pass
ASTANA – Digital library cards, which give readers access to libraries nationwide using a single pass, will soon be introduced in the country, said National Academic Library acting head Nurzhan Zholdybalinov in an Aug. 14 announcement. The project is one of several successful electronic updates, which include implementing automated information systems to ease workloads. Now,…
