Kazakhstan Gives Green Light to French Development Agency Group’s Activities
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the law to ratify an agreement between the Kazakh and French governments on Jan. 8, enabling the French Development Agency (AFD) Group to begin operations in Kazakhstan. This agreement was reached following French President Emmanuel Macron’s official visit to Kazakhstan in November 2023. It outlines the legal, tax,…
Kazakhstan to Enhance Connectivity Via Improved Transport Infrastructure This Year
ASTANA — This year, Kazakhstan plans to construct new airports in resort areas, invest over nine trillion tenge (US$17.1 billion) in new highways, and increase freight traffic along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), or the Middle Corridor. Aviation projects Kazakhstan has begun implementing the most important infrastructure projects in aviation. New airports will be…
China Hails Strong Ties with Kazakhstan, Promises New Heights in 2024
ASTANA – China and Kazakhstan are good neighbors bound together by mountains and rivers, good friends sharing a high degree of mutual trust and good partners enabling each other’s success, said China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun’s during a Jan. 7 press conference in Beijing. Commenting on Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s extensive interview on Jan.…
Kazakh Foreign Ministry to Enhance Collaboration With International Fund for Saving Aral Sea
ASTANA — Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Yermukhambet Konuspayev met with Askhat Orazbay, chair of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) executive committee, on Jan. 6 to discuss the cooperation plan. During the meeting, the officials addressed the outcomes of the country’s first year as chair, the work of the executive committee, and…
President Tokayev Visits Project Office for National Development Plan Implementation
ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited the Project Office, which will develop solutions to ensure the high-quality implementation of the main tasks outlined in the President’s annual state-of-the-nation addresses and Kazakhstan’s National Development Plan on Jan. 8, reported Akorda press service. Similar structures established by the highest authorities exist in several nations. For example, in…
Kazakh President Congratulates Orthodox Christians on Christmas Day
ASTANA — Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated the country’s Orthodox Christians on Christmas on Jan. 7. “This bright holiday is the embodiment of goodness and hope. It unites believers in pursuing humanism’s high ideals. At Christmas, human hearts are filled with special joy. Orthodox people seek to demonstrate care and attention to their loved ones…
Jibek Joly Tourist Train Embarks on Another Journey via Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan
ASTANA – The Jibek Joly (Silk Road in Kazakh) tourist train began its second voyage on Jan. 2, expanding the geography of the railway tour to include two new cities: Shymkent in Kazakhstan and Samarkand in Uzbekistan. According to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), the Jibek Joly tourist train departed on the Almaty-Turkistan-Tashkent-Samarkand-Shymkent-Almaty route on Jan.…
Kazakh-Uzbek New Railway Line to Increase Export Volumes
ASTANA – A new railway connecting Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will open in 2027, increasing the volume of export transportation, reported the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) press service on Jan. 3. According to the KTZ, constructing a new railway line would allow freight to be redirected from the existing Saryagash-Tashkent section to the new branch, relieving…
Almaty Among CNN Travel’s Best Places to Travel in 2025
ASTANA – Almaty has been named among the top 25 destinations worth visiting in 2025, according to CNN Travel. “Central Asia’s dramatic landscapes and unique urban centers are proving to be particularly alluring. Leading the way is Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, which as we recently reported has become the region’s new ‘Capital of Cool’,” reads…
Kazakhstan to Send Black Boxes of AZAL Aircraft to Brazil for Decoding
ASTANA – Black boxes of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed near Aktau on Dec. 25 will be sent to Brazil for decoding. According to the standards of Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the state conducting the investigation ensures the reading of the flight recorders and decides which country will read…
IATA Releases Statement on Azerbaijan Airlines Plane Crash in Aktau
ASTANA – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expressed condolences after the tragic crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane on Dec. 25 in Aktau and called for a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation. Such an investigation must be conducted following the provisions of Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention, which requires the publication of an…
Kazakh State Counselor Talks on Recognizing Merits, Increasing Working Person’s Authority
ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s State Counselor Erlan Karin commented on the law signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on amendments concerning state awards, education and the protection of the child’s rights in a Dec. 30 Telegram post. According to Karin, the President methodically promotes the notion that it is necessary to cultivate the values of hard work…
President Tokayev Awards Kazakh Citizens for Bravery After AZAL Plane Crash in Aktau
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev awarded Kazakh citizens for bravery, professionalism and civic responsibility in rescuing passengers from an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane that crashed in the Mangystau Region on Dec. 25. The awardees include staff of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, doctors, police officers, employees of the Mangystau Regional Electric Grid Company and personnel…
News Digest: Foreign Media on Middle Corridor, Kazakhstan’s Tourism and More
ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest covers the Middle Corridor, Kazakhstan’s tourism sector and more. Officials report 29 survivors and 38 killed as plane crashes in Kazakhstan This week, the world mourns the 38 killed in an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash near…
Kazakh Mazhilis Chair Recaps Year’s Work
ASTANA — Since the beginning of the session, the lower house of Kazakhstan’s Parliament, Mazhilis, has considered 106 draft laws. Of these, 37 have been adopted, and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed 19. Yerlan Koshanov, chairman of the Mazhilis, discussed the most important of them at the last plenary session, reported the Kazinform on Dec.…
Kazakhstan Named Most Peaceful Country in Eurasia in 2024 Global Peace Index
ASTANA — The 2024 Global Peace Index (GPI), produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), ranked Kazakhstan as the most peaceful country in Eurasia. The 18th edition of the GPI evaluates 163 independent states and territories on their levels of peacefulness, encompassing 99.7% of the global population. Among the region’s 12 countries, Kazakhstan…
New Terminal Opens at Shymkent International Airport
ASTANA – A new terminal opened at the Shymkent international airport on Dec. 25. The terminal will initially serve mainly local flights, with international flights anticipated to commence by the end of January. According to the city’s akimat (administration), the new terminal covers an area of 39,000 square meters and employs 700 people. It is…
Kazakh PM Holds Government Meeting on AZAL Plane Crash
ASTANA – According to the Kazakh Emergency Ministry’s updated data, 38 bodies of the deceased were found and delivered to the forensic center, including six citizens of Kazakhstan and three crew members, as a result of the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane crash near the city of Aktau on Dec. 25, reported the Prime Minister’s press…
Azerbaijan Airlines Plane Crash Leaves 38 Dead, 29 Survivors
ASTANA – An Azerbaijan Airlines plane flying from Baku to Grozny with 67 people on board crashed on Dec. 25 morning in Aktau, killing 38 people, including six Kazakh nationals, and leaving 29 survivors. According to Kazakh Transport Minister Marat Karabayev, 67 people were on board, including 62 passengers and five crew members. “There were…
Japan’s Globe-Trotter Travel Guidebook’s Latest Edition Features Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Japanese travel publication Globe-Trotter Travel Guidebook published detailed information about tourism and culture of Kazakhstan and Central Asian countries in its latest edition for 2025-2026. According to the Kazakh Tourism national company, an entire chapter of the Globe Trotter Central Asia 2025-2026 handbook is dedicated to Kazakhstan. The publication covers significant topics of…
Kazakh Movie Wins Main Prize at Cinema Vérité Festival in Iran
ASTANA — Kazakh director Alina Mustafina’s documentary road movie “Gingerbread for Her Dad” won the main prize at the Cinema Vérité festival, the International Documentary Film Festival of Iran. Magazine98 reported on Dec. 24 that the documentary film premiered at the Busan International Film Festival and was screened at the Turin Film Festival. An 84-year-old…
Kazakhstan to Enhance Digital Safety, Improve AI Literacy Among Population
ASTANA – Kazakh officials discussed the introduction of new digital technologies and artificial intelligence in everyday activities during a Dec. 24 government meeting chaired by Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov at the Digital Government Office. According to the Prime Minister’s press office, Kazakh Minister of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry Zhaslan Madiyev reported on…
Kazakhstan Welcomes Nearly 12 Million Foreign Tourists This Year
ASTANA – The number of international tourists visiting Kazakhstan doubled, hitting 11.5 million this year. The Kazakh capital brought together more than 30 foreign and local officials and experts in tourism to discuss the industry’s development in Kazakhstan. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports’ press service reported on Dec. 23 that accommodation facilities’ income increased…
Headlines in 2024: Key Events in Various Fields
ASTANA — This year, Kazakhstan witnessed a lot of events ranging from political and social to sporting success, all of which had an impact on everyone. These include the biggest floods in decades, Olympic triumphs in Paris, the ongoing battle against domestic abuse, and much more. The Astana Times presents a roundup of top-viewed stories…
Air Astana Sets to Launch Flights from Almaty to Frankfurt in June 2025
ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s flagship airline, Air Astana, will launch a new direct route between Almaty and Frankfurt on June 1, next year. The flights will be operated three times a week on Airbus A321LR, with tickets already on sale. The new service will complement existing flights to Frankfurt from Astana and Uralsk. Air Astana first…
