Articles by Aibarshyn Akhmetkali

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attended the state flag-raising ceremony at Atameken Ethno-Memorial Complex on June 5, following Kazakhstan’s Day of State Symbols celebrated on June 4. “The sky-blue flag, the emblem, and the anthem are sacred to all our people. Independence is our primary value, and the proudly flying flag embodies the country’s high…

ASTANA – Nearly 80 cycling enthusiasts participated in a traditional bicycle ride on June 3 in Burabay national park, organized by the Secretariat of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) to enhance understanding, cooperation and exchange among people and states. The event coincided with World Bicycle Day, declared by the…

ASTANA – Teach for Qazaqstan (TFQ) program with a mission to raise educational standards and reduce the gap between rural and urban education selected its first 49 finalists who will enroll in rural schools starting in September, reported TFQ press service. Launched in January, the program received over 3,000 applications. After a thorough selection process…

ASTANA – From owning top seafood restaurants to hosting a television show, Yves Mattagne, a Belgian chef who has earned two Michelin stars, visited Astana and Almaty for the first time on May 19-23. In an exclusive interview with The Astana Times, he discussed his inspirations in cooking and revealed the secret to creating an…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is celebrating the Day of State Symbols, which include its flag, the emblem and the national anthem, on June 4.  Although the symbols were first approved in 1992, the constitutional law on the state symbols of Kazakhstan was adopted on this day in 2007 and the date has been celebrated annually ever…

ASTANA – Crypto exchanges, asset management in emerging markets and the impact of economic sanctions on financial centers will be among the key topics at the Astana Finance Days (AFD) on June 7 on the eve of the Astana International Forum (AIF).  Around 3,000 participants and 200 speakers from more than 70 countries are expected…

ASTANA – The State Commission of the Full Rehabilitation of Victims of Political Repressions examining the fate of Kazakhs who were executed during Stalinist repressions carries out an important task of healing the collective trauma that remains in the Kazakh society, said Sabyr Kassymov, head of the project office of the state commission and president…

ASTANA – Following the victory of Türkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the presidential election on May 28, the bilateral relationship between Kazakhstan and Türkiye will continue to develop, according to experts. Mukhit Assanbayev, chief expert of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS), said Erdoğan’s legacy builds on his role as a globally important leader…

ASTANA – Willy Kempel, an artist and an acting ambassador of Austria to Kazakhstan, discussed his art and vision related to modern communication in a new The Golden Key to Life exhibition in Astana on May 24. The artist first, ambassador second, are the right words to describe Kempel, who has incorporated art into his…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom enjoy a profound trade partnership and are committed to expanding cooperation across a range of priority sectors, such as green technology, mining and education, said Kenan Poleo, the British Consul General and Trade Commissioner for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, who arrived on his first visit to Kazakhstan…

ASTANA – BeNeLux Chamber of Commerce, uniting the trade circles of the Kingdoms of Belgium and the Netherlands and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, celebrated two years of tangible cooperation with Kazakh companies with a friendly tennis tournament on May 20 in Astana. The chamber was established in 2021 with a mission to represent the…

ASTANA – The Central Trans-Caspian Network, traversing through southern Kazakhstan, is the most sustainable option for forging the links between Central Asia and Europe, increasing container volume from 18,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in 2022 to 130,000 TEUs by 2040, according to the European Union (EU) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)…

ASTANA – There are many pillars in the blossoming partnership between Japan and Kazakhstan, but the common historical background and cultural exchange is what drives both countries to the next chapter of international engagement, said Jun Yamada, the ambassador of Japan to Kazakhstan, in an exclusive interview with The Astana Times. From the rich history…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan gears up to commemorate the 310th anniversary of a towering figure in Kazakh history Abylai khan, best known as the ruler who united the 18th-century Kazakh Khanate and liberated its territories from foreign invaders. Abylai khan was known as a courageous warrior and an able diplomat, with a mission to reunite the…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is well positioned to expand its business and travel opportunities to serve the markets of Belgium, said Anna Sussarova, a lawyer and an Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan in the Walloon Brabant province in Belgium, in an exclusive interview with The Astana Times. Sussarova started her legal work in Belgium in 2008, specializing…

ASTANA – The Abai Region akimat (administration) has set out the Alakol Lake development roadmap that includes 40 measures to improve the quality of services, allowing tourists seeking to swim and laze comfortable access to Kazakhstan’s remote and stunningly beautiful lake, reported the region’s press service on May 4. One of the main strategies is…

ASTANA – Ding Liren became the new world chess champion after he defeated Ian Nepomniachtchi in the final game of the tiebreak on April 30 in Astana, which hosted the FIDE World Chess Championship. For over three weeks, the world’s two best grandmasters sat against each other in a back-and-forth showdown of games that ended…

ASTANA – Przewalski’s horses, the last truly wild horses on the planet, could return to the Kazakh steppe once again after a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Forestry and Wildlife Committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology, Geology, and Natural Resources and the Prague Zoo during the Kazakh-Czech business forum on April 24,…

ASTANA – This year, Kazakhstan is celebrating 200 years of Kurmangazy Sagyrbayuly, a leading figure in Kazakh traditional music, composer, and versatile dombra performer, whose music reflected personal narratives and stories of Kazakh people in the 19th century. Kurmangazy spoke to the hearts of less privileged Kazakh people, fighting against injustice and the unaccountability of…

ASTANA – With the last two games of the World Chess Championship remaining, the spectators are no closer to a verdict, as Ding Liren emerged victorious in game 12, equalizing his chances for the champion title with Ian Nepomniachtchi at 6:6, reported the International Chess Federation (FIDE). The ceremonial first move in game 12 was…

ASTANA – The European Union (EU) began talks with Kazakhstan aimed at preventing Russia from using third countries to bypass the restrictions imposed by the EU, said International Special Envoy for the Implementation of EU Sanctions David O’Sullivan at a press conference during his visit to Astana on April 24. The context of the visit…

ASTANA – The New Day exhibition brought together two contemporary artists, Amanat Nazarkul and Vladimir Gvozdev (Shege), and a traditional carpet (tuskiiz) collector, Natalya Krivets, to share with a wider audience their firsthand experiences in art and working methods on April 14 at the Kulanshi Art Center in Astana. It is rare to find all…

ASTANA – Kasym Kaisenov, a frontline guerrilla fighter during World War II and a novelist whose chronicles explored the war’s legacy for a post-war generation, is being celebrated in Kazakhstan on his 105th anniversary on April 23. Personal war experience and memories of his comrades From the standpoint of a guerrilla fighter, Kaisenov possessed a…

ASTANA – It has been a promising year for the 17-year-old Meruert Kamalidenova, Kazakhstan’s national chess team member, who made an eye-catching performance on the final day of the women’s teams match, defeating China’s four-time Women’s World Chess Champion Hou Yifan. In her recent interview with the Kazinform news agency, she talked about her approach…

ASTANA – Astana Ballet is premiering Ainur Abilgazina’s neoclassic “Soli Deo Gloria” and Olzhas Makhanbetaliyev’s modern “Nine” to highlight the theater’s 10th anniversary season on April 15-16 in the capital. By bringing different dance styles together the artists have created new transformative ways to interpret the music and the narrative arc. Both choreographers are staging…