Moldova Expresses Interest in Buying Kazakh Railroad Products
Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) President Askar Mamin and the head of the Railroad of Moldova Yuryi Topal held a meeting in Astana on April 25. The Moldovan representative expressed the high interest of his company in purchasing Kazakh railroad products, reported the press service of KZT. During the meeting, the sides discussed issues of bilateral…
Astana Commemorates Kazakhs Who Helped Clean up after Chernobyl
Astana recently held a ceremony honouring the more than 30,000 Kazakhs who helped clean up and mitigate the consequences of the April 26, 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. The ceremony started with a minute of silence followed by the laying of wreaths at a monument. The people who helped clean up the accident and…
New Centre for Children with Disabilities Opens in Taraz
The new modern Centre for Psychological and Pedagogical Correction for Children with Disabilities was opened in Taraz on April 20, reported the press service of Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund. This is the fifth centre to be opened in Kazakhstan as part of the Dara Charitable Fund programme supported by Samruk Kazyna. Specialists will work…
Kazakh Residents’ Currency Preferences are Changing, Say Experts
ASTANA – Raising rates on deposits in tenge has affected Kazakh residents’ currency preferences, according to analysts at Ranking.kz. Deposits in the national currency showed record growth in February, with the volume increasing by 8 percent to 1.53 trillion tenge (US$4.54 billion) compared to the previous month, reported Kazpravda.kz. At the same time, currency deposits…
More Kazakh Products to be Exported to Tajikistan
Kazakh and Tajik businesses recently signed agreements to export from Kazakhstan to Tajikistan grains from the Akmola region, flour and pasta from Aktobe, Kyzylorda rice, Kostanay sweets and cement from Taraz, according to the Foreign Trade Chamber of Kazakhstan. The agreements were signed as a result of meetings of Kazakh businesspersons with Tajik colleagues. “Tajik…
Air Astana Boeing 767 Passengers Will Soon be Able to Surf the Web
ASTANA – Air Astana will install the Inmarsat Global Xpress (GX) high-speed broadband Internet system in Boeing 767 planes, starting September 2016. The airline will become one of the first around the world to implement the GX system for its passengers, according to a recently signed contract with air transport IT provider Rockwell Collins. “As…
Kazakhstan Temir Zholy Reduces CO2 Emissions
The press service of the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy National Company (KTZ) recently announced that the volume of the company’s carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere has been reduced by 1.5 percent during 2014-2015. According to the press statement, the negative impact on environment was downgraded thanks to the implementation of prescribed measures of environmental legislation.…
Kazpost Opens Second Self-Serve Centre in Astana
Kazpost recently announced the opening of its second automated postal service point in Astana. This is a new self-service format to send and receive packages. According to the Kazpost press statement, the opening of the second point was dedicated to the Nauruz celebrations. By the end of the current year, one more is planned to…
Hazrat Sultan Mosque Launches Online, 3D Tour
The Hazrat Sultan mosque in Astana has introduced a virtual tour on its website www.muslim.kz/ru/virtual-tour. The option offers virtual guests 3D panoramas of what is inside the biggest mosque in Central Asia. The name of the mosque, which was first opened in July 2012, means the Holy Sultan and was proposed by Kazakh President Nursultan…
Barsakelmes Nature Reserve Added to UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves
ASTANA – Located in the Sahara-Gobi Desert zone of the Aral Sea basin, the Barsakelmes Nature Reserve was added to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) during a meeting of the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme of UNESCO in Lima, Peru on March 18 and 19, according to…
Top Gear’s Extreme G-Wagen Arrives in Almaty
ASTANA – Top Gear TV are shooting a series of episodes in Kazakhstan in late March and early April. Top Gear is a British television show about cars considered one of the most commercially successful television and radio shows of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). It has been airing since 1977 and is watched by…
Astana Improves Public Transport System
The Astana LRT (light rail transit) recently developed a modernisation programme for the capital transport system for 2015-2019. The company and city administration for public transport and roads conducted an analysis, identifying the following problems: low pass-through capacity of streets, growing number of public transport users, increase in cars, shortage and poor condition of public…
KazGUU Academic Diplomatic Club Hosts Farewell to UAE, Japanese Ambassadors
ASTANA – The South African Embassy to the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway together with the KazGUU Academic Diplomatic Club hosted a farewell event Feb. 15 in honour of the outgoing Ambassador of Japan Masayoshi Kamohara and his spouse and the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates Suhail Matar…
Moscow Commemorates 170th Anniversary of Birth of Zhambyl Zhabayev
The Union of Kazakh Youth together with the Kazakh Embassy in Moscow organised a musical evening to commemorate the 170th anniversary of the birth of Kazakh poet Zhambyl Zhabayev on Feb.16. The event was held in the Moscow House of Nationalities, where best music pieces and poems created by Zhambyl Zhabayev were performed. Zhabayev’s…
British Superb Films to Shoot Genghis Khan Movie in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Sports and British company Superb Films have agreed to cooperate in the field of culture and film arts, according to a Feb. 8 report by Kazpravda.kz with reference to the ministry’s press service. “Agreements were signed for 2016-2017 in arranging the ‘We will rock you’ musical and filming…
Kazakh Senate Ratifies Free Trade Agreement between EAEU and Vietnam
ASTANA – Members of the Kazakh Senate have adopted a law “On ratification of the free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and its member states on the one hand and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on the other hand,” reported Kazpravda.kz on Feb. 11. “The free trade agreement with Vietnam covers areas…
Crimean Artist Creates Sand Animation about Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Famous Crimean artist and sand animation performer Kseniya Simonova has dedicated her new film to Kazakhstan, reported Kazpravda.kz on Feb. 9, citing Argumenty I Fakty Crimea. The five-minute film “Astana, My Love” is gaining popularity among Internet users. “Astana is a beautiful, new, totally unique city. I was honoured to be able to…
More than 6,000 Kazakh Citizens Received Microcredits in 2015
ASTANA – The Employment Road Map programme functioning since 2011 is already bearing fruit, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Protection Bauyrzhan Nurymbetov said recently at a Central Communications Service briefing. The employment road map consists of three areas: repair of social facilities and infrastructure, promotion of the self-employed population through microcredits and training for…
Iran Introduces Protective Duties for Kazakh Grain Imports
ASTANA – The Iranian government recently introduced protective duties for the import of Kazakhstan grain to protect its domestic market, according to President of Aktau International Seaport Mikhail Yalbachev. This is expected to decrease cargo traffic to Iranian sea ports from Kazakhstan. At that, cargo traffic to Azerbaijan increased and great volumes of cargo traffic from…
Russian, Kazakh Leaders Discuss Crisis in Turkish-Russian Relations
President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and President of Russia Vladimir Putin discussed bilateral ties, the situation in Ukraine and the deterioration of Russian-Turkish relations in a Feb. 8 phone call. Putin reiterated that the current tense state of affairs is Turkey’s doing and it is Turkey who has to take steps to normalise the situation,…
National Bank to Remain in Almaty, Plans for Relocation to Astana Cancelled
The Kazakh President recently halted plans to relocate the country’s National Bank from Almaty to Astana. The government had planned to move the bank in 2017. “In two years, we are preparing to relocate the infrastructure and the head office to Astana. Nonetheless, Almaty remains a major financial centre. I think, two major cities will…
Birlik (Unity) Party Announces Participation in Early Mazhilis Election
ASTANA – On Feb. 5, the second extraordinary congress of Birlik (Unity) announced the party’s intention to run in the upcoming election for the Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament) and approved an eight-point electoral programme under the slogan “Clean intentions, clean actions, clean environment.” The list of Birlik candidates for the Mazhilis includes eight people.…
Kremnii Kazakhstana Sold for More Than $36 Million
ASTANA – The Investment Fund of Kazakhstan (IFK), a subsidiary of Baiterek Holding, sold 100 percent of Kremnii Kazakhstana (Silicium Kazakhstan) LLP shares to the Tau-Ken Samruk National Mining Company, Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper reported Jan. 29, referring to the press service of IFK. Chair of IFK Rinat Sisembayev and Chair of Tau-Ken Samruk Mazhit Turmagambetov…
Kazakh Specialists Restore Ancient Artefacts Dated from Third Century B.C.
Artefacts dating from the third century B.C. have been restored over 16 years by specialists under the supervision of art restorer Krym Altynbekov, reported Kazpravda.kz, citing MIR 24 TV channel on Jan. 25. Artefacts, including a fox fur coat, hat and stockings of a Saka rider, were found at excavations in different regions of Kazakhstan…
Ak Zhol Party Cautious About Electoral Prospects, Reiterates Pro-Business, Anti-Crisis Agenda
ASTANA – The Ak Zhol (Bright Path) Democratic Party of Kazakhstan approved a list of 35 candidates during its Feb. 3 congress. The slate will run in the March 20 early parliamentary election for seats in the Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament). Party chairman Azat Peruashev urged “pragmatism” and not nurturing “exaggerated expectations” to increase…
