Kazakh PM proposes projects on economic integration of CIS and EAEU members

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin attended Oct. 26 the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Council of Heads of Government  and Eurasian Intergovernmental Council (EIC) in...


Eurasian Economic Union, Serbia sign free trade agreement 

NUR-SULTAN – The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Serbia signed a free trade agreement (FTA) on the sidelines of the Oct. 25 meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental...


Kazakhstan’s Olga Rypakova wins gold at seventh CISM World Games in China

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s prominent track and field athlete and London Olympic champion Olga Rypakova claimed gold in the triple jump at the seventh International Military Sports Council...


Kazakh National Bank to introduce 200 tenge coin

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh National Bank announced Oct. 17 the release of a new 200 tenge coin in 2020 to increase the life span of lower denominations,...


Economic news in brief

Kazakhstan has increased its gold reserves, reported the Tau-Ken Samruk national mining company press service. The state balance sheet registered the Gagarinskoye and Shokpar deposits as containing...


Kazakh, British companies, institutions sign agreements to enhance cooperation

LONDON – Various Kazakh and British companies and institutions signed agreements and memoranda Oct. 23-24 during the visit of Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko to London....


ASA Charity Bazaar brings Kazakh capital spirit of goodwill

NUR-SULTAN – Are you excited about exploring new cultures? Do you like to help charities? The Association of Spouses of Ambassadors (ASA) welcomes everyone to do both...


Business news in brief

FlyArystan, a division of Air Astana and Kazakhstan’s first low-cost airline, will launch its inaugural daily international route Dec. 13 from Nur-Sultan to Moscow. The flight will...


National news in brief

Almaty Akim (Mayor) Bakhytzhan Sagintayev met with an Almaty writers’ community representative to award grants, reported tengrinews.kz. The grants, determined by the Kazakh Writers’ Union commission, totalled...


External news in brief

Kazakhstan advanced from 28th to 25th place in the latest World Bank Doing Business Report released Oct. 24. The report examined the changes in regulation in 12...


Kazakh Senate proposes electronic hunting ground competitions in 2021

NUR-SULTAN – The Senate is proposing e-format competitions to secure hunting grounds and fishery waters starting in 2021 to ensure the procedure is more accessible and transparent....


Kazakhstan’s payment balance develops $1.9 billion deficit, external debt shrinks by $467.6 million in first half of 2019 

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s current account payment balance developed a $1.9 billion deficit in the first half of 2019 and external debt was $158.3 billion, or 87.7 percent...


Kazakh, Belarusian presidents agree to enhance long-term trade cooperation

NUR-SULTAN – The Presidents of Kazakhstan and Belarus oversaw the signing of five bilateral agreements and held a joint press conference Oct. 25, concluding a two-day official...


Kazakh-South Korean relations strengthen after top-level visit, says envoy

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh-South Korean relations have been growing at a dynamic pace since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992. The bilateral relationship was strengthened further...


Kazakh start-up makes innovative portative preamp and amplifier to sell on Amazon

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh entrepreneur Temirlan Aigozhin’s Champloo start-up is set to produce an innovative portative preamp and amplifier. The device is made to sell in Kazakhstan and...


Kazakhstan to introduce ‘blind’ peer review of new school textbooks

NUR-SULTAN – The Ministry of Education and Science is seeking to improve and renew the quality of school books through a system of blind peer review, reported...


Kazakhstan to introduce tax-free system, bed tax, among other measures to increase tourism 

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Sports presented amendments to the law on tourism Oct. 10 at the plenary session of the Kazakh Mazhilis (lower...


Khan’s residence in northern Kazakhstan gives a unique glimpse into history 

NUR-SULTAN – The residence of Abylai Khan in Petropavlovsk in northern Kazakhstan offers a unique glimpse into the history of medieval khans. The museum opened in 2008...


Astana Hub, UNICEF launch Social Innovation Lab to solve children’s social problems

NUR-SULTAN – Astana Hub and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have launched Social Innovation Lab, which will create favourable conditions for supporting and developing projects aimed...


Kazakhstan jumps three spots to 25th in World Bank Doing Business Report 

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan moved up three spots to 25th on the World Bank Doing Business 2020 report, according to the report published on Oct. 24. Kazakhstan made...


Kazakhstan to ban loans to low income citizens

NUR-SULTAN – A ban will soon be introduced to prevent low income citizens from getting unsecured loans. “The measures providing the ban on giving loans to people...


Nur-Sultan’s Uzbek ethno-cultural centre is growing rapidly

NUR-SULTAN – The relevance of the Uzbek ethno cultural centre in the capital continues to grow with the increasing number of ethnic Uzbeks living in the city....


Kazakh PM instructs government to prioritise development of public-private partnerships 

NUR-SULTAN – Prime Minister Askar Mamin directed government agencies Oct. 22 to prioritise the development of private-public partnerships (PPP). “The development of PPP is one of the...


QazTrade unifies support measures for Kazakh exporters

NUR-SULTAN – QazTrade, established in September under the recently created Ministry of Trade and Integration, seeks to unify all support measures for Kazakh exporters, said QazTrade Director...


Kazakh athletes win medals at Asia Track Cycling Championship

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh senior and junior athletes won one gold, three silver and three bronze medals Oct. 17-19 at the Asia Track Cycling Championship in Seoul, South...


Kazakh government estimates Nurly Zhol programme will cost $16.91 billion over next five years

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government estimates 6.598 trillion tenge (US$16.91 billion) will be necessary to fund the Nurly Zhol state infrastructure development programme for 2020-2025, said Minister...


Nur-Sultan public transit system does not plan to raise prices in 2019, says official

NUR-SULTAN – Despite rising public transit system maintenance costs, Astana LRT does not plan to raise ticket prices this year, company chairperson Bekmyrza Igenberdinov said Oct. 15....


IMF to locate new regional technical assistance centre in Almaty

NUR-SULTAN – The International Monetary Fund will launch a new regional technical assistance centre (RTAC) in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Deputy Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer of the...


Oil companies to launch five renewable energy projects in Kazakhstan by beginning of 2020 

NUR-SULTAN – Major oil companies plan to launch five renewable energy projects by the beginning of 2020, Ministry of Energy Department of Renewable Energy Sources Head Ainur...


Almaty’s Ascension Cathedral reopens following major restoration 

NUR-SULTAN – Almaty’s St. Ascension Cathedral reopened in October following major restoration started in 2017.  Standing under the arches, the Metropolitan of Astana and Kazakhstan Aleksander congratulated...