Kazakhstan Promotes Turkic Integration Ahead of OTS Summit
ASTANA – Preliminary results of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) for 2023-2024 held under the TURKTIME! (Traditions, Unification, Reforms, Knowledge, Trust, Investments, Mediation and Energy) motto, along with preparations for the OTS summit in the Kyrgyz Republic were discussed at a Sept. 10 meeting between OTS Secretary General Kubanychbek Omuraliyev and…
Kazatomprom Secures License for Uranium Exploration in Turkistan Region
ASTANA – Kazatomprom National Atomic Company obtained the exclusive subsoil use license for uranium exploration at block 5 of Budenovskoye deposit, located in the Suzak district of the Turkistan Region, for six years, reported Kazatomprom press service on Sept. 10. The Budenovskoye deposit is part of the Mynkuduk ore district in the Kentse-Budenovskoye metallogenic zone…
Nomads’ Ancient Intellectual Game Togyzkumalak Travels to Space
ASTANA – The board for the Togyzkumalak (nine pellets) game was taken to space on Sept. 9 to celebrate the Togyzkumalak Day and the fifth World Nomad Games and returned to Earth the same day. The traditional Kazakh board game, also known as the “chess of the steppes” or the “algebra of the shepherds,” fosters…
World Nomad Games: Kazakh Team Secures 48 Medals, Gets Ready for Fourth Day
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s national team leads the medal standings with 48 medals, including 21 gold awards, after three days of the fifth World Nomad Games (WNG) competitions, which take place from Sept. 8 to 13. According to the National and Equestrian Sports Center’s press service, the fourth day of the WNG will feature nine sports.…
Kazakh Monetary Policy Committee Projects Base Rate Reduction to 11.9% by 2025
ASTANA – Members of the National Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) estimate the base rate to be 11.9% in 2025 and 10% in 2026, according to the National Bank’s forecasts on the trajectory of the base rate for 2024-2026 released on Sept. 9. The Monetary Policy Report, which is published quarterly four times a year,…
Moody’s Upgrades Kazakhstan’s Ratings to Baa1, Outlook Stable
ASTANA — The international rating agency Moody’s upgraded the Kazakh government’s long-term local and foreign currency issuer ratings to Baa1 from Baa2 and changed the outlook to stable from positive on Sept. 9. Concurrently, Moody’s has upgraded the foreign currency senior unsecured debt and MTN program ratings to Baa1 and (P)Baa1 from Baa2 and (P)Baa2,…
Second Day: Kazakh Athletes Win 23 Medals at Nomad Games
ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s national team won 23 awards, including 13 gold medals, on the second day of the World Nomad Games competitions. Batyr Beksauyt won gold in Asian-style zhamby atu, or traditional horseback archery competitions, while Aitbek Sarybai won silver and Yeralkhan Aikoz earned bronze. According to the Center for National and Equestrian Sports, Yermek…
Kazakhstan’s National Bank Releases Collectible Coins Dedicated to Jochi Khan
ASTANA—The National Bank of Kazakhstan issued collectible coins dedicated to Jochi Khan’s 800th anniversary as part of its Outstanding Events and People series. Jochi Khan is the eldest son of Genghis Khan and the founder of the Ulus of Jochi, widely known as the Golden Horde. The mausoleum of Jochi Khan is located in the…
Kazakhstan, UNWTO Agree to Promote Tourism
ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Presidential Property Management Department signed a memorandum with the World Tourism Organization to develop tourism in Kazakhstan during a Sept. 7 round table. United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili took part in the meeting. Kazinform reported on Sept. 7 that Deputy Chief of Staff of the President of Kazakhstan…
Binance Kazakhstan Becomes First Digital Asset Platform to Receive AFSA Full Regulatory License
ASTANA — Binance Kazakhstan, the world’s leading cryptocurrency and blockchain infrastructure provider’s subsidiary, received formal approval from the Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) for a full regulatory license on Sept. 6. With this approval, Binance Kazakhstan will become the first fully regulated Digital Asset Trading Facility (DATF). This important milestone demonstrates Binance Kazakhstan’s compliance with…
Kazakh Athletes Win in Assyk Atu First Round, Reach Final in Audaryspak at Nomad Games
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s assyk atu (knocking out knucklebones) team managed to beat the Mongolian team in the first round with a score of 2:0 at the fifth World Nomad Games on Sept. 9. Also, three Kazakh athletes reached the final in audaryspak or horseback wrestling. Sixty-four athletes from nine countries are participating in the audaryspak…
Fifth World Nomad Games: Kazakh National Team to Compete in Ten Sports on Sept. 9
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s national team will compete in ten sports on Sept. 9 as the fifth World Nomad Games kicked off in the Kazakh capital on Sept. 8. The Kazanat Hippodrome will host kokpar competitions, with 104 athletes from nine countries participating. The teams of China, Hungary, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Russia, Türkiye, the…
German Chancellor Scholz to Visit Kazakhstan Next Week
ASTANA – Germany’s Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz will pay an official visit to Kazakhstan on Sept. 16-17. Scholz plans to hold talks with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and take part in the second meeting in the Central Asia + Germany format, reported Akorda on Sept. 7. In September last year, Tokayev participated in the C5+Germany…
Kazakhstan’s Tourism Sees Significant Increase in Investments in January-July
ASTANA – In January-July, Kazakhstan’s tourism sector saw a significant increase in investments. During this period, the volume of investments in fixed assets reached 467.6 billion tenge (US$969.3 million), which is almost twice as much as the same period last year, when the volume of investments was 238.9 billion tenge (US$495.2 million). Investment growth was…
News Digest: Foreign Media on Kazakh President’s State-of-the-Nation Address, Nuclear Power Plant Referendum and More
ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest includes articles on Kazakh President’s state-of-the-nation address, nuclear power plant referendum and more. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state-of-the-nation speech: tax reforms, investment climate, and industrial potential in Kazakhstan EU Reporter published an article on Sept. 4 about…
Kazakhstan’s Business Activity Continues to Improve in August
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Business Activity Index (BAI) continued to improve reaching 51.4 (50.9 in July) in August, according to the results of a monthly survey of enterprises conducted by the National Bank of Kazakhstan. The improvement was noted in all sectors. The greatest improvement was noted in the mining industry, where due to a noticeable…
Eurasian Development Bank Invests $900 Million in Kazakh Economy Since January
ASTANA – The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has financed investment projects worth $900 million in Kazakhstan since the beginning of the year, said Nikolai Podguzov, Chair of the EDB Management Board, during a Sept. 5 meeting with Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. By the end of the current year, the volume of investments is expected…
Kazakhstan’s Budget Deficit Expected to Rise by 2025
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s budget deficit may total 4.1 trillion tenge (US$8.5 billion) by 2025, said Chairwoman of Mazhilis’ Financial Budget Committee and Deputy Tatyana Savelyeva during a plenary session on Sept. 4. The volume of national budget revenues in 2025 is projected at 21.7 trillion tenge (US$45 billion), including revenues – 15.6 trillion tenge (US$32.3…
Kazakhstan Intends to Introduce Institute of Ombudsperson to Protect Consumer Rights
ASTANA – Kazakhstan intends to introduce the institution of an ombudsperson for the protection of consumer rights. Kazakh Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev presented to the deputies of the Mazhilis, lower house of the Kazakh Parliament, a draft amendment to the law on the protection of consumer rights on Sept. 4. The document…
Arab Coordination Group Willing to Invest $7 Billion in Kazakhstan’s Projects
ASTANA – The Arab Coordination Group expressed willingness to finance infrastructure and social projects worth $7 billion in Kazakhstan during a Sept. 4 roundtable meeting. The Arab Coordination Group (ACG) unites institutions such as the Islamic Development Bank, the Saudi Fund for Development, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development,…
Kazakhstan’s Powerlifter Degtyarev Wins Gold Medal at 2024 Paralympics in Paris
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s David Degtyarev won the gold medal in the men’s powerlifting in the 54-kilogram weight category at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris on Sept. 4. Degtyarev triumphed over Cuban weightlifter Pablo Ramirez (185 kilograms) lifting 188 kilograms. China’s Yang Jinglang (179 kilograms) became the third. Degtyarev won the Paralympic Games for the…
S&P Global Ratings: Kazakhstan’s Economic Growth Rate Falls Below Forecasts
ASTANA — The S&P Global Ratings international rating agency affirmed Kazakhstan’s credit rating at BBB and maintained a stable outlook. According to the Halyk Finance analytical center, it is much lower than the levels set in the country’s program documents and refers to the problem of inappropriate budget forecasting. The country’s oil and gas sector,…
Global Anti-Nuclear Activist Kuyukov: We Should Not Hurt Our Earth
ASTANA – Driven by the great love for his father, the support and understanding of millions around the globe, the suffering of people from nuclear testing, and the hope for human kindness, Karipbek Kuyukov, a Kazakh painter and global anti-nuclear activist, continues his struggle for a world without nuclear weapons. Kuyukov was born without arms…
Health Ministry: COVID-19 Situation in Kazakhstan Remains Stable
ASTANA – This year, the situation with COVID-19 infection will not worsen in Kazakhstan compared to last year, said Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova on the sidelines of the joint meeting of the houses of the Parliament on Sept. 2. According to her, nine people with coronavirus infection were hospitalized in the country as of Sept.…
Kazakhstan Anticipates Over 100,000 Foreign Tourists for World Nomad Games
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is ready to welcome over 100,000 foreign tourists for the fifth World Nomad Games, scheduled for Sept. 8 to 13, said Deputy Minister of Tourism and Sports Yerzhan Yerkinbayev. “Over 2,000 athletes from 89 countries have confirmed their participation. International media are also showing considerable interest. For example, representatives of world media,…
