EBRD Organises $300 Million Syndicated Loan for Modernisation of Kazakh Railways

ASTANA – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and a group of international commercial banks are providing a syndicated financing package of $300 million in...


Nine Kazakh Startup Teams to Receive Technology Training in Silicon Valley

ASTANA –Nine Kazakh tech startup teams have won the opportunity to receive training in Silicon Valley as a result of their performance in the Technation competition, which...


Astana Pro Team, Captain Nibali Finish Fourth at Tour de France

ASTANA – The Astana Pro cycling team and its captain Italian Vincenzo Nibali finished the July 4-26 Tour de France fourth overall. After 21 stages of one...


Argentinean Artist Creates Giant Mural in Almaty

ASTANA – Argentinean artist Marina Zumi has created an amazing artwork on the walls of Kasteev’s School of Fine Arts and Technical Design in Almaty with the...


Beibut Shumenov Captures WBA Interim World Championship Title

ASTANA – Kazakh professional boxer Beibut Shumenov defeated American B.J. Flores to become an interim world champion under the WBA. The fight, held in Las Vegas, lasted...


Multi-Day National Bike Race Attracts Young Cyclists from Kazakhstan, Russia

On July 17, participants of the multi-day Kazakhstan Umiti National Bike Race for Juniors started their journey in East Kazakhstan region. After the opening ceremony, which took...


FC Astana, Kairat Almaty to Meet Finnish, Scottish Clubs in European Cups

ASTANA – After a 0-1 away defeat July 15 and an impressive 3-1 victory at Astana Arena a week later despite being a player down for the...


Karaganda Professor Makes Pilgrimage to Grave of Chronicler of Kazakh Khanate

ASTANA – Teacher of Kazakh history Olga Kovtun’s favourite era to help students discover is the birth of the Kazakh state in the mid-15th century. But she...


Individual, Group Charity Has Deep Roots in Kazakhstan, Needs New Legal Foundation

ASTANA –Kazakhstan has seen an increase in the last 10 years in aid organisations workingtoupgrade the law on charity. The country also recently announced itself as adonor...


Race to Host 2022 Winter Olympics Has Been Well Run Regardless of Who Wins

The long race to host the 2022 Winter Olympics is in the final straight. The marathon that began more than two years ago for those cities taking...


First Kazakh Rap Music Film to Be Presented in Almaty

ASTANA – “Detective Johnny,” the first rapmusic film shot in the territory of the former Soviet Union, will premier July 31 in Almaty.  Directed by Miras Toleukhanov,...


Technology Centre Announces Three More Commercial Successes

ASTANA – Three more projects funded by the Technology Commercialisation Centre (TCC) in Astana have found commercial success in Kazakhstan and beyond in agricultural, cosmetics and mining,...


Drop Irrigation Technology to Develop Kazakh Farms

ASTANA – The Kazakh Fund for Financial Support of Agriculture (FFSA) started recently implementinga drop irrigation programme under the Agrobusiness-2020 state branch programme. Equipment for 40 projects...


Kazakh Banks Decrease Foreign Debt to 10 Billion Tenge

Kazakh banks recently restructured and decreased their foreign debt to 30 billion tenge (US$161 million). “A determined effort was made to restructure foreign debts of corresponding banks,...


Swiss Embassy Celebrated its National Day in Astana, Switzerland Enjoys Solid Relations with Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Switzerland, one of the first countries to confirm its participation in EXPO 2017, enjoys durable relations with Kazakhstan. As members of the same voting group...


Astana Hosts Biggest Ever Traditional Music Council

ASTANA – The Kazakh National University of Arts in Astana hosted the World Conference of the International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM), the first time the event...


Kazakhstan: 100 Steps Toward a New Nation

Kazakhstan’s 100 Concrete Steps initiative was launched in the spring as a direct response to worsening regional and global conditions. Increased tensions between the major powers had...


Almaty 2022, the Perfect Fit for Agenda 2020

With just 10 days left to go, the Host City race for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games is shaping up to be one of the most exciting...


Venetian Cartographer to Help Prove 550th Anniversary of Kazakh Statehood

The question of undeniable importance for Kazakhstan: to consider the year 1991 as a starting point, or to look for and find the origins of statehood in...


Australia Defeats Kazakhstan in Davis Cup Quarter Finals

ASTANA – Despite leading 2-0 the first day, the Kazakhstan national tennis team was unable to reach the Davis Cup semi-finals, losing 3-2 to host country Australia....


Japanese EXPO 2017 Delegation Pays Scouting Visit to Astana

ASTANA – A Japanese delegation headed by Deputy Director of International Exhibitions Promotion Office of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan Koki Otsuka recently...


Hosting Olympic Games Offers Widespread Benefits, Kazakh Diplomat Says

ASTANA – During its 121st session in Copenhagen, Denmark in October 2009, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) selected Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as host city for the...


Kazakhstan Ranks 50th in Global Competitiveness Rating

ASTANA – Kazakhstan was ranked 50 out of 144 countries in the 2014–2015 Global Competitiveness Report issued by the World Economic Forum, putting it ahead of all...


Kyrgyzstan Requests Changes to 800 Metres of Shared Border with Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Kyrgyzstan has asked Kazakhstan to deal with an 800-metre stretch of the border between the two countries in the Chu region, zakon.kz said on its...


Nazarbayev University Holds Training for African Healthcare Officials

ASTANA – A fortnight-long international seminar on public health for specialists from Africa began July 20 at Nazarbayev University (NU), reported the university’s press service. Scholars from...


Astana Introduces New Bus Vehicles, Routes

ASTANA – Twenty-six busses in Kazakhstan’s capital changed their itinerary and more than 200 new passenger vehicles were put into operation on the existing city routes, according...


Kazakhstan Offers $4 Billion Record Bond Sale

ASTANA – Kazakhstan offered $4 billion in bonds July 14, a record for the state and made the nation the first among developing counties to take advantage...


Bolashak Association Launches Business Startup Contest

Astana – The Bolashak Fellows Association, the international scholarship launched by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in 1993, announced the beginning of a startup contest for entrepreneurs aged...


Kazakh PM Treks to Kyrgyzstan, Discusses EAEU, Tourism

ASTANA – On Sunday, July 19, Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov paid a one-day visit to Kyrgyzstan where he discussed bilateral cooperation with his counterpart Temir Sariyev,...


Almaty 2022 Bid Confirms Readiness of Accommodations

ASTANA – As a lead-in to the July 31 vote in Kuala Lumpur, where the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will select the host city for the 2022...