Articles by staff report

Netflix to Film Reality Travel Show in Almaty

ASTANA – Global streaming platform Netflix will shoot a reality travel show in Almaty from May 20 to 30, reported the city administration’s press service. Having opted for Almaty’s beautiful mountains, Netflix, a key player in the global entertainment industry, aims to capture the authenticity of nature in the Kyrgyz Republic as well. According to…

Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia to Meet in Almaty This Week

ASTANA – The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia will meet in Almaty on May 10 for peace treaty negotiations, Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson reported on May 6. The talks will take place in Kazakhstan’s largest city in accordance with previously reached agreements. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev suggested providing a platform for peace treaty negotiations during…

Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan Sign Agreement on Energy Interconnection

ASTANA — The energy ministries of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan signed a historic memorandum at the Tashkent International Investment Forum on May 1, marking a significant step towards interconnecting the energy grids of the three countries, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Energy. The memorandum aims to determine the foundational terms of cooperation for the ambitious…

Student with Special Needs Wins National Olympiad Among Peers

ASTANA – Beknur Zhanibekuly, a 6th-grade student, won a gold medal in the English language competition of the national scientific olympiad, held between grades 5 and 6 at a republican level at the Binom School named after Kadyr Myrza Ali in Astana, the school’s press service reported on April 28. This is perhaps the first…

Dimash Kudaibergen’s New Song Premiers on All Music Platforms

ASTANA – Kazakh pop star Dimash Kudaibergen’s new composition “Smoke” is now available on all music platforms, the singer announced on his Instagram page on April 26. He first performed this song at his solo concert in Hong Kong in December 2023, which was dedicated to a memorable date: seven years ago, Kudaibergen arrived in…

Kazakhstan Prepares Gradual Compensation Plan for Oil Overproduction

ASTANA – In response to the decision of the 53rd meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee, Kazakhstan has prepared a detailed plan for the gradual compensation for overproduction observed during the first quarter of 2024, the Energy Ministry reported in an April 24 statement. The country reaffirmed its commitment to the agreement by the…

Qazaq Air Links Turkistan to Samarkand, SCAT Resumes Flights to Prague

ASTANA—Kazakhstan’s airline Qazaq Air will launch Turkistan–Samarkand direct flights from June 2, according to the company’s press service report on April 23. Flights will be operated twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays on De-Havilland Dash 8-Q400 aircraft. SCAT Airlines is set to resume flights between the capitals of Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic on…

Kazakhstan Baby Boom: Male Births Take Center Stage in 2023

ASTANA — Of the 388,400 children born in Kazakhstan last year, boys accounted for 51.6% and girls for 48.4%, the Bureau of National Statistics reported on April 22. Urban areas saw 59% of total births, with the remaining 41% occurring in rural areas. The highest birth rates were observed in the Mangystau and Turkistan Regions,…

Carlsberg Kazakhstan Opens New Production Facility in Almaty

ASTANA — Carlsberg Kazakhstan has inaugurated a new production facility in Almaty worth $50 million on April 19, reported Kazakh Invest press service.   The project was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Kazakh Invest National Company, This expansion will significantly boost the plant’s output capacity for non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, scaling up from 2.3…

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic Initiate Draft Decision of Supreme Interstate Council Meeting

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu and Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev initiated the draft decision of the sixth meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council of both countries at an April 18 meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service.  The leaders of the…

Kazakhstan’s IT Exports Exceeds $Half Billion in 2023

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s exports of computer services reached $529 million last year, according to statistics on foreign trade in services published by the National Bank on April 10. Sales of computer services abroad grew by 57% from $337 million recorded in 2022. Kazakhstan exported IT services mostly to Cyprus, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and…

Tokayev Stresses Urgent Need for Lasting Peace Between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Offers Kazakhstan as Negotiation Venue

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the importance of quickly establishing a solid, long-term peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and expressed Kazakhstan’s readiness to assist by providing a venue for negotiations during his talks with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on April 15 in Yerevan, reported Akorda. Focusing on stability and security in the…

President Tokayev Cancels 2024 Astana International Forum Amidst Massive Floods

ASTANA – In an unexpected move, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has announced the cancellation of the Astana International Forum (AIF) scheduled for June 13-14, 2024.  Such a decision was made in connection with the unprecedented flooding in Kazakhstan. “Due to the severe flooding in Kazakhstan and the need to allocate financial resources for relief efforts and…

Amazon Prime to Film Travel Show in Almaty

ASTANA – Amazon Prime’s Travel by Dart show will film its next adventure in Almaty, the show’s press service reported on April 5 on its Instagram page. Travel by Dart is an inspirational show of Sorin Mihailovici, an adventurer who throws darts at the world map and travels wherever they land. With over 400 million…

Pope Francis Asks to Pray for Flood Victims in Kazakhstan

ASTANA — Pope Francis urged prayers for those affected by the devastating flooding in Kazakhstan during his General Audience on April 10, according to Vatican News. “I wish to convey to the people of Kazakhstan my spiritual closeness at this time,” he said. “I invite everyone to pray for all who are suffering the effects…

EU Stands in Solidarity with Kazakhstan in Aftermath of Devastating Floods

ASTANA – The Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Kazakhstan expressed solidarity in the wake of the recent devastating floods, extending wishes for a swift recovery to the Kazakh people on April 9, reported the delegation’s press service on their Facebook page. With the EU’s full support, the International Science and Technology Center assists…

Number of Foreign Tourists in Almaty Exceeds Pre-Pandemic Level

ASTANA – Last year, 2,038,417 people visited Almaty, which is 12.6% more than in 2022 and 52.7% higher than in pre-pandemic levels in 2019, the city administration’s press service reported on April 4, citing the Bureau of National Statistics. The number of foreign tourists increased 29.5% to 540,744 people, making Almaty a leader among other…

UK Tour Operators Report Rising Tour Sales to Kazakhstan Ahead of  World Nomad Games 

ASTANA – Tour companies of the United Kingdom announced sold-out tours to Kazakhstan with a visit to the World Nomad Games, which will take place in September in the Kazakh capital, reported the Kazakh Tourism national company on April 4. Regent Holidays travel company has sold out tours, while another operator Wild Frontiers has half…

Turkistan Region to Get First Harvest of Bananas This Summer

ASTANA—Gen Group Kazakstan, a greenhouse farm in the Turkistan Region, will harvest its first bananas in early summer, Kazinform reported on April 3. Last summer, the greenhouse farm planted 7,400 banana tree seedlings on an area of 5.3 hectares in the Sairam district. The fruit is grown using Turkish technology. According to Gen Group Kazakstan,…

Direct Flight Links Dushanbe and Astana, Boosting Regional Connectivity

ASTANA – Tajikistan’s national air carrier Somon Air launched a direct regular flight between Dushanbe and Astana on April 2, reported the Civil Aviation Committee’s press service. Flights between the capitals of Kazakhstan and Tajikistan will be operated twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays on a B-737 aircraft. Kazakh Ambassador to Tajikistan Valikhan Turekhanov…

Central Asia – China Secretariat Launches in Xian

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Bakayev attended the Central Asia – China Secretariat opening ceremony on March 30 in Xian, which was chosen as the location for its headquarters, reported the Foreign Ministry’s press service. Bakayev highlighted the importance of the secretariat’s establishment in close collaboration and regional policy, recalling that the corresponding…

Kazakhstan Chooses Uniform for 2024 Paris Olympics

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Sports Development Directorate has chosen design concepts for the parade attire, sports uniforms and equipment of the national team set to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Sports and Physical Culture Committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Tourism and Sports reported on March 29. The selection follows an open competition to…

Trade, Economic Talks Between Kazakhstan and US Advance in Washington

ASTANA — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu engaged in discussions with the United States (US) Trade Representative Katherine Tai during his official visit to Washington on March 26, the ministry’s press service reported. Nurtleu highlighted the key priorities of Kazakhstan’s new government, emphasizing the current trajectory of trade…

Kazakh Team Triumphs at Singapore FIRST Championship 2024

ASTANA – The Ro-Alemi team from the Abai Region clinched the championship title in the Singapore FIRST Championship 2024, held from March 14 to 16, reported the regional administration’s press office.   The team scored 540 points in a game featuring robots with a challenging point threshold. In addition to securing victory in the Robot…

President Tokayev Affirms Continued Growth in Kazakh-American Cooperation

ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the traditionally high dynamics of Kazakh-American cooperation at a March 26 meeting with United States (US) Senator Steve Daines in Astana, reported the Akorda press service. The President emphasized the important role of parliamentary diplomacy in fostering bilateral relations. He underscored Kazakhstan’s focus on attracting investment, economic liberalization, and…