Nazarbayev Discusses EU-Kazakhstan Partnership and Cooperation With Senior European Officials on Visit in Brussels
ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev paid a working visit to Brussels March 30, meeting President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and President of the European Council Donald Tusk and laying flowers at a memorial to those killed in the recent terror attacks in Brussels. “With my friend President Nazarbayev, we discussed topical…
President Addresses First Joint Session of New Kazakh Parliament, Sets Priorities
ASTANA – Following the election of members of the Mazhilis in the March 20 nationwide vote, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev addressed the first joint session of the Senate and the Mazhilis of the 6th convocation March 25. “Kazakhstan meets the 25th anniversary of independence with the newly elected parliament. Three parties and nine members of…
Kazakh Secretary State Shares Country’s Gender-Sensitive Policies with UN Commission on Women
Kazakhstan’s Secretary of State Gulshara Abdykalikova told the March 14-15 60th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women that her country’s women-oriented and gender-sensitive policies enable women to succeed at the national level. According to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press release, Abdykalikova said during the session, dedicated to “Women’s empowerment and its…
Hundreds Attend Kazakh Food Festival in New York City
The Festival of Kazakh Cuisine took place at the United Nations headquarters in New York March 7-11, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan reported. Five well-known chefs from Kazakhstan visited New York to take part in the festival and presentKazakh dishes, sweets and drinks to the public. President of the UN General Assembly Mogens…
Nur Otan Party is Most Active in the Media, Election Commission Says
ASTANA – The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Kazakhstan recently summed up the intermediate results of monitoring the activeness of political parties in the media. The Nur Otan Democratic Party was the most active, the commission reported on its website election.gov.kz. “The monitoring covers 48 national newspapers, 15 magazines, 16 national TV channels, 12 radio…
Historical Photo and Documentary Exhibit Marks 24 Years of Kazakhstan’s UN Membership
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry opened an exhibition of unique archival materials from the Archives of the President of Kazakhstan and historic photographs reflecting the country’s cooperation with the United Nations and its member states to mark the 24th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s accession to the UN March 2. “Twenty-four years ago today, the newly independent…
Kazakh Senate Speaker Calls for Spirit of Dialogue in OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
ASTANA – The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) should act in “a spirit of a common political project” and seek understanding, rather than create divisions, Speaker of Kazakhstan’s Senate Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told parliamentarians from 57 participating states. “The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly should act in the spirit of a…
Kazakh, Egyptian Presidents Discuss Trade, Cooperation in Astana
ASTANA – Kazakh President Nazarbayev discussed bilateral cooperation in the trade, economic, agricultural, pharmaceutical, space and atomic spheres, as well as infrastructure construction and transport with Arab Republic of Egypt President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Astana on Feb. 26. “We agreed to strengthen cooperation between Kazakhstan and Egypt in the framework of international organisations. We…
Kazakh Human Rights Office Received 1,340 Requests for Assistance in 2015, Says New Report
ASTANA – Kazakh Commissioner for Human Rights Askar Shakirov presented a report of the National Ombudsman’s work in 2015 to President Nursultan Nazarbayev Feb.24, reported the press service of the Akorda. The document reflected the analysis of the human rights situation in the country, including received complaints of citizens, human rights projects, regional monitoring and…
Nazarbayev, EEC Chairman Examine EAEU Strategy Given Global Economic Challenges
ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Tigran Sargsyan discussed the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) development strategy in the framework of the global crisis, deepening of EAEU economic relations with outside countries and the main directions of current EEC activities Feb. 25, the press service of Akorda reported.…
KTZ President, Iranian Transportation Officials Discuss Development of Eurasian Transcontinental Corridor
Kazakhstan Temir Zholy National Company Chairman Askar Mamin and a company delegation met with the heads of Iranian transportation companies in Tehran on Feb. 22 to discuss Kazakhstan’s integration into international transport and communication flows and the creation of the multi-modal Eurasian Transcontinental Corridor in the framework of the programme 100 Concrete Steps. At a…
Mazhilis Election Registration Closes, Six Parties and 234 Candidates Approved by CEC
ASTANA – The political party registration process for the March 20 parliamentary elections ended Feb. 20 with a six-party list that includes 234 candidates approved by the Central Election Commission (CEC). On the same day, the nomination of candidates for maslikhat (regional legislatures) elections was also completed. Campaigning, which began Feb. 21, will now last…
Election Commission Releases Early Mazhilis and Maslikhat Nomination Information
ASTANA – The Central Election Commission (CEC) held a briefing Feb. 12 devoted to the election campaign of deputies of the Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament) and maslikhats of Kazakhstan. Speaking at the press conference, CEC member Marat Sarsembayev noted that the process of registration of party lists was continuing and will last until Feb.19. In…
Kazakhstan Getting Ready for Election
ASTANA – All political parties taking part in the March 20 early parliamentary elections will be required to pay a mandatory election fee for their candidates, according to Central Election Commission (CEC) Deputy Chairman Vladimir Foos. The political parties must contribute 15 minimum wages (342,885 tenge [US$898.66]) for Mazhilis deputies and five minimum wages (114,295…
Political Parties Weighing Participation in Parliamentary Election
ASTANA – In light of an initiative by the Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament) deputies to dissolve the chamber and set early parliamentary elections and a meeting with top officials and the public, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev set March 20 as the date for early Parliamentary elections. Candidate nominations from the political parties, which began…
Emergency Meeting of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers Held in Jeddah
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held an emergency meeting of its Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) to discuss the effects of protestors breaking into the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and Saudi Consulate General in Mashhad. The meeting, called by Saudi Arabia, took place Jan. 21 at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah, reported the organisation…
China Invites Kazakhstan to G20 Summit in September
ASTANA – During a recent China-Kazakhstan conference in Astana, Ambassador of China to Kazakhstan Zhang Hanhuey reiterated his nation’s invitation for Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to participate in the Sept. 4-5 G20 Summit in Hangzhou. China is this year’s G20 Summit president. The reiterated invitation came during the One Belt – One Road conference organised…
President Consults with Mazhilis, Senate Speakers, and Prime Minister regarding Proposed Election
ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev consulted on Jan. 18 with the chairmen of both chambers of Parliament, as well as the prime minister and other top officials concerning the initiative of the deputies of the Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament) to dissolve the chamber and set early parliamentary elections, the President’s press service…
President Establishes Two New Professional Holidays
ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev recently signed amendments to the country’s laws on national holidays to make March 1 Day of Gratitude and the first Sunday of April Day of Geologist. March 1 was chosen as Day of Gratitude because it marks the day of the creation of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan back…
Early Parliament Election Will Help Reforms, Says Director of Kazakh Think Tank
ASTANA – The director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of Kazakhstan (KazISS) Erlan Karin said recently dissolving the existing Mazhilis (lower chamber of Parliament) and holding early parliament elections will create a strong platform to continue the country’s structural reforms. “In our opinion, early election will ensure that the new…
Public Service Centres Reduce Kazakh Bureaucracy, Help Investors
ASTANA – In the next few years, Kazakh citizens will receive all needed public services, which total more than 700, through public service centres. The newly established one-stop shops at the public service centres will also simplify conditions for investors. Kazakh Minister for Investment and Development Asset Issekeshev announced the innovation during his tour of…
Nazarbayev, Poroshenko Discuss Situation in Ukraine, Bilateral Ties
ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev spoke by telephone Jan. 12 with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the Akorda press service reported. The presidents exchanged opinions on the situation in southeastern Ukraine. Nazarbayev called for a compromise in resolving the conflict and relieving tensions between Ukraine and Russia. They also discussed bilateral cooperation in utilising alternative…
Deputy FM Promotes Presidential Initiatives, UN Security Council Bid in New York
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Ashikbayev promoted the international initiatives of President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Kazakhstan’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2017–2018 during a Jan. 11-13 visit to New York, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). During his visit, Ashikbayev briefed ambassadors from the…
Kazakh NGOs Support Initiative to Dissolve Mazhilis, Hold Early Election
ASTANA – The Jan. 13 initiative of the deputies of the Mazhilis (lower chamber of Parliament) to ask President Nursultan Nazarbayev to dissolve the chamber and set early parliament election was supported by the National Consumers League (NCL), the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan (APK), the Youth Congress, Association of the Deputies of Maslikhats, representatives…
Mazhilis Asks President to Dismiss Chamber, Set New Parliamentary Election
ASTANA – The deputies of the Mazhilis (lower chamber) of Kazakhstan’s Parliament voted unanimously Jan. 13 to ask President Nursultan Nazarbayev to dissolve the chamber and set early parliament election. “We initiate the termination of powers of the deputies of the Mazhilis of the fifth convocation and the setting of new parliamentary election,” Deputy Vladislav…
