Government should control bitcoin operations, says Mazhilis deputy

ASTANA – Kazakhstan Mazhilis (lower house) deputy Amanzhan Zhamalov suggested placing bitcoin operations under the government control during a Sept. 13 Mazhilis plenary session. Referring to the...


Jordan launches ‘GGG’ clothing line with Kazakh ornamentation

ASTANA – The Jordan American brand of sportswear recently presented a collection of clothes devoted to Kazakh boxer Gennady Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs), vesti.kz reports. Nike has...


Modernising Kazakhstan’s identity in globalised world discussed in Astana

ASTANA – The Institute for Eurasian Integration held its second international conference in the capital Sept. 15 within a series of meetings on “Modernisation 3.0: Modernisation of...


Prime Minister discusses Digital Kazakhstan with international experts

ASTANA – Kazakh Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev discussed with international experts Sept. 13 in Astana the development of the Digital Kazakhstan programme, according to prime minister’s press...


S&P upgrades Kazakhstan’s outlook to stable

ASTANA – S&P Global Ratings has revised its outlook on Kazakhstan from negative to stable. At the same time, the BBB- long-term and A-3 short-term sovereign ratings...


Final de-escalation zone established as Syrian talks end in Astana

ASTANA – The sixth round of the international meetings on Syria ended Sept. 15 in Astana with the participants agreeing on a final de-escalation zone in Syria’s...


UN Rapporteur praises Kazakh commitment to persons with disabilities, notes areas for improvement

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has demonstrated a commitment to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities, but has not yet reached international standards in some areas, said UN...


Astana’s international green technologies centre to help Kazakhstan transition to a green economy

ASTANA – The international green technologies centre to open in Astana next month will help Kazakhstan transition to a green economy and will focus on renewable energy...


Electric car charging stations launch in Astana and Almaty

ASTANA – Construction of electric car charging stations under the pilot project has been completed with the active support of the Almaty and capital administrations and private...


Joint development proposed to digitalise Kazakh and Russian economies

ASTANA – Russian Minister of Communications and Mass Media Nikolai Nikiforov, who has proposed strengthening Kazakhstan’s and Russia’s joint digitalisation work, spoke about the initiative during the...


Conference considers updating 10-year-old European Union Central Asia strategy

BRUSSELS – The Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted Sept. 12 in Brussels an international...


Kazakhstan to issue Sukuk worth $300 million next year

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will issue Islamic independent bonds, or Sukuk, worth $300 million next year, according to the announcement of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev during the recent...


KitapFest book festival held in Almaty

ASTANA – For the fourth consecutive year, KitapFest, organised by the Bauyrzhan Charity Foundation and Eurasian Franchise Association with support from the akimat, was held in Almaty...


Kazakhstan to have 36 new schools in 2018

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will unveil 36 schools next year, Kazakh Vice Minister of Education and Science Bibigul Assylova announced at a Sept. 11 Mazhilis (lower house of...


Nurly Zher programme introduces first housing in Aktobe

ASTANA – The first housing constructed under the Nurly Zher programme was commissioned in Aktobe, reported forbes.kz. Regional Akim (Governor) Berdibek Saparbayev, Aktobe Akim (Mayor) Ilyas Ispanov,...


TCO partnership key to Tengiz reaching 3 billion barrels milestone

Significant and often untapped oil and gas reserves can still be found in abundance and in places where the business climate is conducive and attractive to energy...


Harvest campaign shows positive results

ASTANA – Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev reviewed the nation’s harvesting progress Sept. 12, noting the quantity of Kazakh grain has increased this year. The gross grain harvest...


St. Regis opens hotel in Astana

ASTANA – Astana is becoming an attractive tourist destination, as the young and vibrant city has been recently hosting numerous international events and the Aug. 21 opening...


Feasibility study necessary to determine if planned nuclear power plant is built, says Kazakh minister

ASTANA – The Kazatomprom national atomic company will complete a feasibility study by the end of this year before deciding whether to move forward with a planned...


Nazarbayev encourages Polish businesspersons to invest in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev during a Sept. 6 Kazakh-Polish business forum in Astana encouraged Polish business persons to invest in Kazakhstan. “We are interested in...


Films in memory of Nelson Mandela shown in Astana

ASTANA – The South African Embassy in Kazakhstan with the support of Kinopark 8 IMAX Saryarka (Kazakhstan), Videovision Entertainment (South Africa) and the South African Honorary Consulate...


Kazakhstan’s experience shapes its actions on UNSC

As world leaders and foreign ministers prepare to fly to New York for United Nations General Assembly next week at a time of real challenge for the...


House Construction Savings Bank launches video banking service

ASTANA – The House Construction Savings Bank (HCSB) has introduced a new video banking service, according to chairperson of the bank’s board Lyazzat Ibragimova, kapital.kz reports. The...


700,000 South Kazakhstan inhabitants to be provided with drinking water

ASTANA – Forty moraine lakes have been identified in the highland areas of the South Kazakhstan region which, due to their melting and the Ugam River, are...


Kazakh banking sector revenues drop 40 percent in 2017

ASTANA – Total Kazakh banking sector revenues decreased almost 40 percent compared to last year, however, banks also reduced expenses and increased revenues from core activities, according...


Erdogan, Nazarbayev advance economic agreement worth $1 billion during Astana meeting

ASTANA – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev oversaw the signing Sept. 9 in Astana of protocols to the New Synergy Joint Economic...


EXPO 2017 best pavilions awarded as exhibition closes, legacy lives on

ASTANA – EXPO 2017, Kazakhstan’s biggest and probably most ambitious event, ended Sept. 10. While the average was 22,840 guests daily, slightly more than 100,000 visited on...


First OIC Summit on Science and Technology takes place in Astana

ASTANA – Sept. 10 in the capital featured not only the spectacular closing of EXPO 2017, a major event in Kazakh history, but also the first Organisation...


Astana opera lovers give thunderous applause to La Scala

ASTANA – For more than 200 years, La Scala, the prestigious Italian theatre, has brought its musical pleasures to various corners of the world, delighting fans at...


Samruk Kazyna hosts int’l forum of sovereign wealth funds, inks multiple agreements

ASTANA – Multiple agreements were signed during the ninth International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds (IFSWF). The event, with the theme Exploring New Frontiers, was hosted by...