Articles by Saniya Sakenova

Kazakhstan Plans to Export 68.8 Million Tons of Oil This Year

ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to export nearly 68.8 million tons of oil in 2024, based on production forecasts of 88.4 million tons, Kazakh Energy Minister Almassadam Satkaliyev said at a Nov. 25 meeting in the Mazhilis, a lower house of the Kazakh Parliament. Export routes and production According to the ministry’s press service, key routes…

Kazakh PM: Digital Solutions to Combat Shadow Economy, Improve Budget Efficiency

ASTANA – Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov highlighted in a Nov. 25 meeting focused on digital solutions that these innovations are crucial in combating the shadow economy, improving tax and customs administration, and ensuring more efficient planning and allocation of budget funds. According to the Prime Minister’s press service, the Ministry of Finance has introduced the…

Kazakhstan Set to Expand Business Partnership with Croatia

ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu met with Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković on Nov. 22 to discuss enhancing political dialogue and expanding business ties. According to the Foreign Ministry’s press service, the meeting took place during Nurtleu’s official visit to Zagreb. Nurtleu encouraged Croatian companies to explore trade…

Kazakhstan Marks 30 Years of UN Child Rights Convention

ASTANA – The Kazakh Foreign Ministry hosted a ceremony to unveil a commemorative postage stamp block, marking the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and celebrating World Children’s Day on Nov. 22, reported the ministry’s press service. The CRC was one of the first international…

National Bank Explains Why Inflation in Kazakhstan Remains High

ASTANA – Despite the overall downward trend during the year, annual inflation in Kazakhstan rose to 8.5% in October, up from the previous month, Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) Vitaliy Tutushkin said at a Nov. 21 plenary session of the Senate, an upper house of the Kazakh Parliament, reported the NBK’s…

Kazakhstan Releases Record Number of Nearly 90 Films This Year

ASTANA – Kazakhstan released a record number of nearly 90 films in 2024, which is 1.5-fold more than 60 movies produced last year, film critic Karim Kadyrbayev told Kazinform ahead of the 17th Eurasia International Film Festival (EIFF), scheduled for Nov. 24-30. Kadyrbayev, who also heads the EIFF business platform, noted that six films this…

Turkic World Business Women to Launch Digital Platform

ASTANA – The Women Entrepreneurs Board (WEB) of the Union of Turkic Chambers of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) signed a crucial memorandum of cooperation to launch the Turkic Business Hub digital platform at the third WEB general assembly and the Turkic World Business Women forum on Nov. 19, reported the Asmar National Association of Women…

Cardiff University to Open Branch in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Cardiff University signed an agreement with the Qualified Centre of Education Public Foundation (QCEF) on Nov. 20 to establish its branch in Astana, marking the first Russell Group university presence in Kazakhstan, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The agreement was reached during a meeting between Kazakh Minister of Science…

Kazakhstan, Hungary Set $1 Billion Trade Turnover Goal

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced plans to bring trade turnover with Hungary to $1 billion at a joint media briefing with Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán on Nov. 21 in Budapest during his state visit to Hungary. Tokayev said Kazakhstan offers 95 types of goods worth $700 million. Outcomes of the visit Tokayev,…

President Tokayev’s First Visit to Serbia Opens New Chapter in Bilateral Ties

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the significance of his first official visit to Serbia as the head of state, describing it as the beginning of a new and important chapter in Kazakh-Serbian relations during narrow-format talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on Nov. 19, Akorda reported. Tokayev acknowledged the trust-based partnership between the two…

Kazakhstan to Launch First Forest Climate Project

ASTANA – SEFE Marketing & Trading international energy company signed an Emission Removal Purchase Agreement (ERPA) with Kazakhstan’s SAFC – agency to remove and reduce greenhouse gas emissions – on Nov. 18 to finance a forest planting initiative and issue carbon units over 30 years, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. The project will establish…

Kazakhstan Enters Top Ten Countries Worldwide for Internet Accessibility 

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has entered the top ten countries with the lowest cost for one gigabyte (GB) of mobile data, according to the 2024 MoneySuperMarket Internet Accessibility Index published on Sept. 6. The average price of the internet in Kazakhstan is only $0.59 per 1 GB. In general, Central Asian countries demonstrate high internet availability.…

President Highlights Priorities for Kazakhstan’s Agriculture Development

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined key priorities to advance Kazakhstan’s agro-industrial complex at the first Forum of Agricultural Workers on Nov. 15, reported Akorda. Despite the challenging year, Kazakhstan harvested 26.7 million tons of grain, a record figure in the past ten years. The country ranks sixth globally in terms of arable land and…

Mitsubishi Corporation to Expand Presence in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Mitsubishi Corporation expressed interest in expanding its presence in Kazakhstan and launching new initiatives to support the region’s sustainable development, CEO of Mitsubishi Corporation in Kazakhstan Tetsuya Sugita said at a Nov. 13 meeting with Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Kuantyrov and Kazakh Invest Deputy Chairman Madiyar Sultanbek. Mitsubishi Corporation representatives outlined their…

Kazakhstan to Launch Digital Investment Coin Next Year

ASTANA – In celebration of the national currency day – tenge, on Nov. 15, the National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) announced plans to launch a Digital Investment Coin in the first quarter of 2025. According to the NBK’s press service, gold investment coins will be available for online purchase and sale at any time globally…

Kazakh Movie Wins Special Jury Prize at France’s Cinema Heritage Festival

ASTANA – The Kazakh film “Bauryna Salu” (Adoption) by Askhat Kuchincherekov received the Special Jury Prize at the Cinema Heritage annual international film festival, held on Nov. 4-8 in Paris, reported the Culture and Information Ministry’s press service. The festival organizers noted that the movie promotes a deep understanding and value of Kazakh culture, playing…

Kazakhstan Opens New Terminal at Kyzylorda Airport

ASTANA – Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov took part in opening a new terminal at Korkyt Ata Airport in Kyzylorda on Nov. 12, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. The terminal’s launch is expected to increase the airport’s capacity sevenfold from 300,000 to two million passengers annually. The 7,500-square-meter facility has advanced technologies such as…

Kazakhstan Secures $3.7 Billion in Green Energy Deals at COP29

ASTANA – Kazakh Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev signed several documents worth nearly $3.7 billion on cooperation with international companies and development institutions in green energy development on Nov. 13 on the sidelines of the World Leaders Climate Action Summit, held as part of the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on…

Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan Sign Agreement on Energy System Integration

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a strategic partnership agreement on production and transfer of green energy on Nov. 13 on the sidelines of the World Leaders Climate Action Summit, held as part of the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework…

Kazakhstan’s Water Sector Receives Record $1.15 Billion from IsDB

ASTANA – The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) will invest $1.15 billion in Kazakhstan, marking the largest project in the bank’s 51-year history, as was reported during a Nov. 12 meeting between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and IsDB President Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser, according to Akorda. The corresponding agreement was signed at the 29th Conference of the…

President Tokayev Meets with Foreign Leaders, Deepens Strategic Partnerships at COP29 Summit

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with leaders of several countries on the sidelines of the 29th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change on Nov. 12 in Baku, Azerbaijan, reported Akorda. With President of Finland Alexander Stubb, Tokayev highlighted Finland’s role as a reliable and proven partner of Kazakhstan…

Kazakhstan’s Population Rises by 1.4 Million Over Five Years

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s population grew by over 1.4 million people from 2019 to 2023, reaching 20,033,842 by the end of 2023, Economy.kz reported in an analytical article on Nov. 7. This significant increase resulted from complex demographic processes influenced by internal factors and external challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The population saw increases in both…

Kazakhstan Increases Agricultural Exports, Plans to Boost Machinery Production

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is ramping up agricultural exports while meeting domestic needs, increasing preferential financing in the agro-industrial sector, reforming the subsidy system, and enhancing the production and leasing of agricultural machinery, the Prime Minister’s press service reported on Nov. 11. Rising crop exports According to the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) national railway company, Kazakhstan…

CAREC Program Invests Over $9 Billion in Kazakhstan 

ASTANA – The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program has invested more than $9 billion in Kazakhstan projects out of nearly $51 billion across Central Asia in over 20 years, said Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov at the 23rd CAREC Ministerial Conference on Nov. 8. In a statement released by the Prime Minister’s press service,…

News Digest: Foreign Media on President Tokayev’s Visit to France, Green Corridor Project, and More

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest includes President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to France, the development of Kazakh-French relations, the goal of Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan to implement the Green Corridor project, and insights on how corporations can benefit from partnering with startups…