Almaty Tech Garden CEO Shares Prospects for Kazakh Startups at TechConnect Forum

ASTANA – Almaty Tech Garden CEO Sanzhar Kettebekov shared the prospects for developing Kazakh startup projects Nov. 12 during TechConnect Astana, the first major tech forum in...


Minister of Agriculture Proposes Measures to Protect Domestic Market

ASTANA – The Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament) held Nov. 9 a governmental hour on the topic of improving the efficiency of subsidisation in the agricultural complex....


Almaty Approves Construction of Modern Art Museum

ALMATY – Local patrons from the Museum of Modern Art Public Foundation received approval from the Almaty Planning Council for the construction of a modern art museum...


Kazakhstan’s Largest Transport, Logistics Centre Presented in Astana

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s largest transport and logistics centre (TLC) was launched with an official presentation Nov. 12 attended by city Akim (Mayor) Adilbek Dzhaksybekov, Minister for Investment...


Astana Condemns Terror Attacks in Paris, Offers Condolences to French People

ASTANA – Kazakhstan strongly condemns the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris and declares the unacceptability of terrorism in all its manifestations, the country’s Ministry of Foreign...


President Signs Five New Laws: Local Police Forces to Be Established, Agricultural Lands to be Privatised

ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev signed five legislative acts as part of the implementation of the 100-step Plan of the Nation that is the vehicle...


Kazakh PM, FM Address Newly Established Astana Club, Stress Commitment to Win-Win Cooperation in Central Asia

ASTANA – Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Karim Massimov and Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Erlan Idrissov addressed Nov. 11 the closing session of the first meeting of the...


Tenge Devaluation Benefits Major Kazakh Exporters

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s switch to a free-floating exchange rate – and, thus, a weaker tenge – will help Kazakh companies stay competitive against Russia and China, the...


Biofuels and Climate Change: Challenges of Paris Conference

On the eve of the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP-21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to be held in...


Moscow Holds Abai Reading

The Moscow House of Veterans of Wars and Armed Forces recently held “The Binding Time Thread,” a literary and musical evening dedicated to the 170th anniversary of...


Kazakhstan’s Top Skier Eager to Start New Season

ASTANA – The International Ski Federation (Fédération Internationale de Ski or FIS) World Cup will begin Nov. 27-29 in Ruka, Finland. On the threshold of the new...


EXPO 2017 Expands Country Participation List

A Kazakh delegation led by First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and EXPO 2017 Commissioner Rapil Zhoshybayev paid a working visit to Jordan Nov. 2, Saudi Arabia...


Annual Diplomatic Christmas Charity Bazaar Opens Ticket Sales

ASTANA – Astana’s annual Diplomatic Christmas Charity Bazaar will have more embassies than ever participating this year – 52 in all – and hopes to top the...


London Stock Exchange to Help KASE Create Financial Hub in Astana

ASTANA – During the official visit of the Kazakh delegation led by President Nursultan Nazarbayev to London on Nov. 3, the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) and the...


Kazakhstan to Establish Special Islamic Financial Company

ASTANA –A special Islamic financial company is to be established in Kazakhstan to issue sukuk – Islamic bonds, according to interfax.kz. “The National Bank has developed amendments...


Flydubai to Service Astana, Increases Flights to Central Asian Destinations

ASTANA – United Arab Emirates (UAE) airline Flydubai will increase the number of its flights to the Central Asian region. The Dubai-based airline will be Kazakhstan’s first...


FC Astana Fights to Second Consecutive Kazakhstan Championship, Beats Aktobe at Home 1:0

ASTANA – The Astana Football Club (FC) beat Aktobe 1:0 on Nov. 8 to win its second consecutive national championship in Astana. FC Astana bombarded Aktobe with...


Media Executive Says Freedom, Diversity of Talents Key for Society to be Creative

How do governments encourage creativity to promote innovation-oriented policies? How do businesses advance in technology-driven economies? These questions are frequently asked by Kazakhstan’s private and public sector...


Nauryz Taikazany Monument to be Constructed on Nazarbayev Street in Kazan

A monument representing a huge taikazan, or cup, may be constructed on Nazarbayev Street in Kazan, a large port on the Volga River and the capital of...


My Brother, Dias Omarov

Prominent Kazakh sports journalist Dias Omarov turned 75 in October. The Astana Times offers a short, firsthand essay about this personality prepared by his brother, Timur Omarov,...


Nazarbayev, Business Leaders Visit UK, Ink $5 Billion in Agreements

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s visit to London on Nov. 3-4, resulted in agreements worth more than $5 billion across fields such as energy, pharmaceuticals, aviation and financial...


Health Technology Assessment to Promote More Effective Budgetting, Says Expert

ASTANA – A meeting of the council of international experts held Nov. 2-3 at the World Health Organisation (WHO) headquarters in Geneva served as an opportunity to...


New EBRD Regional Report Predicts Lower Economic Growth for Much of Central Asia

ASTANA – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is predicting lower growth for most of Central Asia in its most recent Regional Economic Prospects report,...


Nazarbayev Visits France, Improves Business Ties, Addresses 38th UNESCO Conference

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev paid an official visit to France Nov. 5-6 to meet French President François Hollande and hold talks with representatives of French business and...


Astana’s Citylove Does What It Does Best and Encourages All Do the Same

ASTANA – When The Astana Times covered the city’s live music scene in its previous issue, the band Citylove stood out. Compared to the average Kazakh or...


Online Registration Opens for Almaty Marathon

ASTANA – The Almaty Marathon, the annual charity marathon, which is to be held in Almaty Nov. 21 starting from the Park of the First President and...


International Association of Public Transport Opens Its Liaison Office in Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Chairman of Astana LRT (Light Rail Transportation) Talgat Ardan and Deputy Secretary General of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) Mohamed Mezghani signed an...


Tenge Falls to 300 per Dollar, No Intervention from National Bank

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s currency, the tenge, fell to 300 per dollar in trading Nov. 5, reaching the low previously set in mid-September after the currency was allowed...


Four Kazakh Cities Join UNDP-GEF Sustainable Cities Project

ASTANA – The akims (mayors) of Taraz, Shymkent, Temirtau and Lisakovsk cities of Kazakhstan officially signed memoranda of understanding with the UNDP-Global Environmental Facility (GEF) project Nationally...


Kazakh Senate Passes Law Bringing Astana Int’l Financial Centre Closer to Reality

ASTANA – The Kazakh Senate passed a draft constitutional law Oct. 5 “On International Financial Centre Astana.” The bill is focused on establishing the Astana International Financial Centre...