Kazakh FM praises appointment of new U.N. special envoy for Syria
ASTANA – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Kairat Abdrakhmanov recently praised the appointment of Geir Pedersen as new UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria in comments reported by Zakon.kz. “I am personally acquainted with the well-known Norwegian diplomat Geir Pedersen who received such an important and responsible post. He assumes a new position after…
Kazakh Senate adopts amendments to 2018-2020 budget plan
ASTANA – The Kazakh Senate adopted changes to the national budget for 2018-2020 during its Oct. 25 plenary session. The updated document increased the expected exchange rate per dollar from 340 tenge to 350 tenge and raised the expected price for a barrel of oil from $55 to $60. It also incorporates the revised data…
Kazakh citizens withdraw more than $21.6 billion from payment cards
ASTANA – Kazakh citizens withdrew 8.6 trillion tenge (US$21.6 billion) from payment cards from January-August, a 26.4-percent increase compared to the same period last year. At the same time, they are more actively using non-cash payments. According to a study by ranking.kz, withdrawals from international system cards accounted for 99.9 percent of the amount. Figures…
Qarakoz features evil spirits from Kazakh folk tales
ASTANA – The new horror film “Qarakoz,” featuring evil characters from Kazakh tales and legends in all their glory, went into wide distribution Nov. 1. The film opens at night, with five youngsters sitting around a campfire in the woods sharing their scary “true” stories of confronting monsters. The demon-like creatures from Kazakh mythology include…
Astana considers reducing speeds in bus lanes to prevent accidents
ASTANA – The speed on certain sections of bus lanes in Astana will be reduced to decrease the number of traffic accidents, said Deputy Chairman of Astana LRT Beibut Yeszhanov at a recent press conference. To reduce the number of accidents involving cars and public transport, the Administrative Police Department of Astana Internal Affairs and…
Kazakh Prosecutor General’s Office transitions activities to digital format
ASTANA – The Kazakh Office of the General Prosecutor is transitioning its criminal and administrative proceedings to electronic format, automating the registration of inspections of state bodies and the consideration of appeals of citizens under Digital Kazakhstan programme. The transition is meant to increase citizen protections, ensure timely justice and increase transparency. Electronic criminal cases,…
Kazakh Senate ratifies border agreements with Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan
ASTANA – The Kazakh Senate ratified Oct. 25 the border agreement between Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan that determined the points of juncture on the countries’ border. The agreement was signed in November in Samarkand with the participation of Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs Kairat Abdrakhmanov and his counterparts from Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov and Turkmenistan Rashid…
Kazakhstan to export gasoline to Kyrgyzstan
ASTANA – As the Russian embargo on gasoline export from Kazakhstan to Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) has been lifted, Kazakhstan expects to start shipments to Kyrgyzstan in November. Approximately 300,000-400,000 tonnes will be sent by the end of the year, with a forecast of approximately 1.2 million tonnes in 2019. Russia and Kazakhstan signed…
Kazakhstan opens rehabilitation centres across country for children with cerebral palsy
ASTANA – Rehabilitation centres for children with cerebral palsy are being developed across Kazakhstan’s regions to make treatment more accessible. More than 19,000 children have been diagnosed with cerebral palsy in Kazakhstan. Twenty percent are undergoing rehabilitation, and the rest await in line for treatment. There are 35 rehabilitation centres for children with cerebral palsy…
Astana launches housing assistance programme for social sector employee
ASTANA – The Kazakh government will provide one million tenge (US$2,711) for health care, education, police and social sector workers to help purchase new housing, the city administration press service reported on Oct. 24. Providing housing for public sector workers remains an urgent issue, said Astana Construction and Housing Policy Administration head Ruslan Akhmetov. More…
Astana’s school canteens to use video surveillance cameras to enhance food quality
ASTANA – The local government will be installing video surveillance cameras in school canteens and kitchens throughout the city next year in an effort to enhance food quality, said capital education department head Anuar Zhangozin at an Oct. 15 akimat (city administration) briefing. Parents suggested the initiative to observe how and what quantities their children…
Triathlon academy to open next year in Astana
ASTANA – BI Healthcare LLP will open a triathlon academy in July in the capital’s Triathlon Park, reported Elorda Info. The facility will occupy 4,500 square metres at the crossroads of Sarayshyk, Elim-ai and Zhalaiyri streets in the Almaty district. The first floor of the two-storey building will include a sports area with a gym,…
Prime minister visits East Kazakhstan to assess progress on latest presidential address
ASTANA – Prime Minister Bakhytzhan Sagintayev visited the East Kazakhstan region Oct. 10, meeting members of the public and business representatives and visiting social institutions there. He noted the positive experience of the region in implementing the Menin Mektebim (My School) project and in introducing modern healthcare technologies. The region has opened a unique centre…
Kazakhstan following five-year $95 million plan to improve cancer survival rate
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is using a $95 million, five-year plan to improve its cancer survival rate. “(Kazakhstan’s 50 percent survival rate) is not a very high rate, which is approximately 70 to 80 percent in OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries,” Kazakh National Academy of Sciences Scholar Dilyara Khaidarova said at a recent…
Kazakhstan citizens buy rubble and euro more often, as dollar remains in largest demand
ASTANA – Recently the purchase of Russian rubbles and euros increased in Kazakhstan. A year-on-year 56.2 percent rise in expenses for the Russian rubbles in cash at the National Bank is associated with the increased use of national currencies in trade relations, especially in the border regions, according to the National Bank. “In comparison with…
Romanian energy official ‘very optimistic’ about progress, prospects for energy industry cooperation with Kazakhstan
In an interview with this newspaper during his recent visit to Kazakhstan, Robert Tudorache, secretary of state of the Ministry of Energy of Romania, spoke about the state and the future of energy cooperation between his country and Kazakhstan. “The Joint Investment Fund of the Government of Romania and KMGI will strengthen the company’s position…
International Committee of the Red Cross to open office in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – The Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament) approved in an Oct. 3 plenary meeting an agreement for the International Committee of the Red Cross to open an office in Kazakhstan. The agreement was first reached in 2011 and defines Red Cross operations in the country. “The agreement covers privileges and immunities for the International…
Former Almaty mayor, wife, sentenced to prison
ASTANA – Former Almaty Akim (mayor) Viktor Khrapunov and his wife Leila Khrapunova were convicted in absentia for misappropriation and embezzlement of entrusted property, fraud, money laundering and abuse of office, taking bribes and creating and leading a criminal group Oct. 8 by the Almaty Specialised Inter-District Criminal Court, reported Tengrinews.kz. The financial damage to…
Astana to host Sixth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religion
ASTANA – Eighty-two delegations from 46 countries representing the world’s religions are expected to gather in Astana Oct. 10-11 for the Sixth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. The Congress is to be held under the subject of “Religious Leaders for a Secure World” and will include the third session of its Council…
Kazakh doctors develop tool to alleviate brittle bone disease pain
ASTANA – Kazakh doctors have developed a tool to significantly relieve the discomfort of children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), also known as brittle bone disease. The condition is such that there is no cure and affected individuals experience only temporary relief. “This condition is an extremely rare genetic disease, which is inherited and characterised by…
Almaty police call centre doubles personnel, seeks quicker call times
ASTANA – Almaty recently doubled the number of personnel at its police service call centre to make it easier for residents to contact the police. The operations centre of the Almaty Interior Department that employs 50 people has a goal to process calls within two minutes. “The most important thing is to understand that a…
Kazakhstan completes three-year, EU-backed project to reform criminal justice system
ASTANA– Kazakhstan marked Oct. 4 the completion of a three-year project to improve its criminal justice system. The project, titled Enhancing Criminal Justice in Kazakhstan (EUCJ), is the first project to seek institutional change to Kazakhstan’s Supreme Court, Office of the Prosecutor General, Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and academies. The project sought to strengthen…
Kazakhstan to increase agro-industry effectiveness with new investment subsidies and automation processes
ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture has shifted subsidies from being product specific to new investments that meet market demands for products, said First Vice Minister Arman Yevniyev at an Oct. 2 Central Communications Service briefing. Further automation of public service processes, including the subsidies, should facilitate the work and decrease corruption rates. The…
At UN General Assembly, FM presents Kazakh initiatives, meets foreign officials, US business representatives
ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs Kairat Abdrakhmanov participated in the signing of the Code of Conduct Towards Achieving a World Free of Terrorism while in New York Sept. 24 to 28 for the UN General Assembly, where he presented Kazakhstan’s position on international challenges at the General Debate and met with foreign politicians…
Kazakh Supreme Mufti calls for compromise on dispute over headscarves at schools
ASTANA – The Kazakh Supreme Mufti and Chairperson of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan (SAMK) Serikbay kazhy Oraz called for a compromise among schoolchildren’s parents and teachers regarding their disagreements on the wearing of headscarves at schools during his visit to Aktobe. The dispute on headscarves at schools began at the start of…
