The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – The ASEAN Summer Festival brought Southeast Asia closer to Kazakhstan on Aug. 22, turning the Kazakh capital into a showcase of the region’s cultures, traditions, food and tourism while underscoring growing people-to-people ties. Organized by the Astana ASEAN Committee (AAC), comprising the Embassies of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, with the support of… The post ASEAN Summer Festival Bri...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ALMATY – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has made a number of senior state appointments, reappointing the heads of the National Bank, National Security Committee and Supreme Judicial Council, as well as the Commissioner for Human Rights on Aug. 24.  Timur Suleimenov was reappointed the Governor of National Bank of Kazakhstan. He first became Governor in September… The post Tokayev Makes Senior Appointments Am...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – The Adilet party secured 71.17% of the vote in Kazakhstan’s first elections to the Kurultai, according to preliminary results announced by the Central Election Commission (CEC) on Aug. 24. A total of 9,351,539 citizens participated in the election out of 12,623,289 registered voters, bringing preliminary voter turnout to 74.08%. The Adilet party received… The post Adilet Party Leads Preliminary Resul...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – The Adilet party was projected to receive around 72% of the vote in Kazakhstan’s inaugural election to the Kurultai on Aug. 23, according to three exit polls released at midnight on Aug. 24. Exit polls, which were announced during a live election night broadcast, also showed four other parties narrowly clearing the threshold… The post Exit Polls Put Adilet Party Near 72% in Kazakhstan’s First Kurulta...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said the new Vice President is expected to be appointed within the next week or 10 days, speaking to media representatives after casting his ballot in the country’s first elections to the Kurultai on Aug. 23. Responding to questions about the reforms and the changes expected after the Kurultai and… The post Tokayev Says Vice President Appointment Expected Within 10 Day...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ALMATY – Kazakhstan opened 10,363 polling stations across the country on Aug. 23 for Kazakhstan’s first elections to the Kurultai, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC). Polling stations began operating at 7 a.m. Astana time, while 107 of them opened earlier at 6 a.m. based on decisions by territorial election commissions. In total, 12,605,788… The post Kazakhstan Opens More Than 10,000 Polling S...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. I had lived in Astana for years before I finally visited the greenhouse at the city’s Botanical Garden. Looking back, I’m not entirely sure why it took me so long. I’d walked through the park countless times, watched runners weave between its paths, admired the flower beds in summer and the endless white snow in… The post How Tropical Greenhouse in Astana Quietly Changes Way You Think About Survival appeared ...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s first campaign for the new Kurultai has brought all seven registered political parties into a national political debate, with televised discussions and public meetings highlighting their policy priorities ahead of the Aug. 23 vote. A campaign built around debate The campaign has emphasized televised debates. Over four weeks, representatives of all seven… The post Kazakhstan’s First Kurul...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – From gallery openings and live music to high-octane drift shows, Astana and Almaty are heading into the weekend with a packed cultural and entertainment calendar. The Astana Times has rounded up some of the most interesting events worth stepping out for, whether you are looking for art, music, adrenaline or simply something different… The post Mid-August Weekend Full of Art, Music and Adrenaline appe...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ALMATY – Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific will launch direct flights between Almaty and Hong Kong on Jan. 9, 2027, establishing the first direct air link between Kazakhstan and Hong Kong and expanding connections between Central Asia and the carrier’s global network. The airline will operate the route three times a week using wide-body Airbus… The post Cathay Pacific to Launch Direct Flights From Almaty...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA — Muay Thai is deepening cultural ties between Thailand and Kazakhstan by creating connections beyond language and politics, Ambassador of Thailand to Kazakhstan Piyapin Niyomrerks told The Astana Times. Her comments came as three prominent fighters opened a two-day Muay Thai master class in Astana on Aug. 20.  “Beyond sports and competition, soft power… The post Muay Thai Legends Bring Sports Diplomac...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ALMATY – Kazakhstan plans to commission 845 megawatts of new power generation capacity in 2027 as part of a broader effort to meet growing electricity demand and build a reserve in the national power system. The planned projects combine gas-fired generation with renewable energy, reflecting the country’s strategy to expand capacity through multiple sources rather… The post After Ending Power Shortages Kazakhs...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – A total of 777 foreign observers from 42 countries and 13 international organizations have been accredited to monitor Kazakhstan’s Kurultai election, Central Election Commission (CEC) Secretary Mukhtar Yerman said on Aug. 18. The figure includes 138 members of parliaments from 41 countries. International monitoring According to the CEC, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs… The post Kazakhstan’s First Kur...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s citizens will elect the members of the Kurultai, a new unicameral Parliament, on Aug. 23, putting a redesigned parliamentary and electoral system into practice for the first time. Beyond determining who receives the 145 seats, the vote will offer an early indication of how the new rules affect party competition, political representation… The post What to Expect from Kurultai Elections in...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s oil sector experienced a period of lower production in the first seven months of 2026, with production falling 8.9% to 53.2 million tons amid disruptions at the Tengiz field and the country’s main export route through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC). Yet the decline in production has not translated into a comparable… The post Kazakhstan’s Oil Sector Stumbles, but Export Revenues Te...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ALMATY – More than 5,500 participants from over 80 countries are expected to gather in Kazakhstan’s capital on Sept. 9-10 for the ninth Astana Finance Days (AFD) 2026 forum, hosted by the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). The forum will bring together investors, representatives of the financial and technology sectors, regulators, government and quasi-state institutions,… The post Astana Finance Da...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. While the prevalent discourse in the 20th century centered on the importance of oil pipelines, gaining access to oil reserves and spotlighting countries controlling energy supplies ranging from OPEC states to European giants such as Norway for economic resilience, the current, global, geopolitical environment points to a new trend.  Supply side shocks impacting the international… The post Beyond Oil: Why New ...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Kurultai election campaign entered its final stretch, with nationally televised debates dominating the campaign. The debates offered voters an opportunity to compare the platforms of the seven competing political parties. The campaign featured the first-ever team debates involving representatives of all seven parties, broadcast on the Jibek Joly television channel. The week… The post Kaz...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. Trump locks Europe out of AI models; China presents the counter-proposal — a global AI platform, and everyone’s invited. What Beijing wants and why Europe remains skeptical. By founding the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), China has created its own international framework for governing artificial intelligence — without the players that have traditionally shaped… The post China’s...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. One of the things that has surprised me most over the past year is how rarely my conversations with futurists actually stay focused on artificial intelligence. We usually begin there. We talk about generative models, autonomous agents, the next version of ChatGPT, the speed at which these systems are evolving. Yet after twenty or thirty… The post Preparing for Economy That Doesn’t Yet Exist: Why Kazakhstan’s ...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. TASHKENT – Digital and financial connectivity could become the next frontier of regional integration in Central Asia, as Uzbekistan seeks to accelerate its fintech development and advance greater connectivity within the region’s markets.   Central Bank of Uzbekistan Governor Timur Ishmetov called on global investors and innovators to work on infrastructure and standards that can connect… The post Central Asia...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA — Kazakhstan has received the least restrictive travel advisory level from the United States, adding to a series of developments leading to strengthening the country’s position as an international tourism destination. On Aug. 18, the U.S. Department of State placed Kazakhstan at Level 1, the lowest (safest) of its four travel advisory levels. The… The post Kazakhstan Gains U.S. Recognition as Safe Tour...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s participation in the G20 summit in Miami this December is set to put Kazakhstan’s carefully balanced foreign policy to a new test, as growing United States (US) interest in the country creates opportunities for deeper economic and strategic cooperation while intensifying competition among the major powers with which Astana has… The post Experts Say Tokayev’s G20 Invi...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Voting in Kazakhstan’s first elections to the Kurultai concluded at all polling stations across the country at 8 p.m. on Aug. 23, with 9,352,151 voters, or 74.19% of those registered, having received ballots, according to preliminary voter turnout data from the Central Election Commission (CEC). Polling stations have now closed nationwide, and precinct… The post Kazakhstan’s First Kurultai Election C...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s transition to a single-chamber legislature entered a new stage Aug. 23 as voters went to the polls to elect the country’s first Kurultai, with international observers monitoring the process. The election is part of a broader effort to modernize Kazakhstan’s political institutions and strengthen their ability to respond to the country’s changing… The post International Observers Deliver A...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – S&P Global Ratings raised Kazakhstan’s long- and short-term sovereign credit ratings on Aug. 21 to BBB/A-2 from BBB-/A-3, while maintaining a stable outlook. The agency also raised its transfer and convertibility assessment to BBB+ and affirmed Kazakhstan’s national scale rating at kzAAA. The upgrade strengthens Kazakhstan’s position among investment-grade sovereigns and could improve… The post S&P U...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – The Kurultai has long served as one of the defining institutions of governance across the Eurasian steppe. Long before the emergence of the Kazakh Khanate, assemblies of tribal leaders gathered to settle disputes, legitimize rulers, declare war and shape the political course of nomadic states.  Over time, the Kurultai evolved from a gathering… The post Exploring History of Kurultai in Steppe Civiliza...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s proposed international volunteer portal could be more than an image project, giving the country an opportunity to turn its global volunteer agenda into a practical mechanism for international cooperation, said an expert with the National Volunteer Network. “If the initiative is implemented, for our country this will be much more than an… The post Kazakhstan’s Volunteer Portal Proposal Co...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Kanye West’s first solo concert in Central Asia generated an estimated 5 billion tenge (US$11 million) in tourism-related economic impact for Almaty, highlighting the growing role of major international concerts in attracting tourists and generating economic activity in Kazakhstan. The concert, held on Aug. 15 at Almaty’s Central Stadium, attracted 31,000 spectators, including… The post Kanye West Co...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ALMATY – The final Aug. 19 televised debate before Kazakhstan’s Aug. 23 Kurultai elections showed that the country’s seven political parties are entering the vote with competing policy priorities. Still, voters largely share an understanding of the main concerns, shifting the campaign debate from identifying problems to competing over who offers the most convincing solutions.… The post What Kazakhstan’s Final...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ALMATY – Kazakhstan has begun construction of its first Robotics & AI complex on Aug. 18. According to the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, the complex will support research, software and artificial intelligence development, testing and localized production of robotic systems as the country seeks to build domestic capabilities in humanoid robotics. The… The post Kazakhstan Begins C...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Kazakh confectionery producer LOTTE Rakhat plans to enter the markets of South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand, expanding the international reach of one of the country’s established confectionery brands. The company operates production facilities in Almaty and Shymkent, with combined annual capacity exceeding 100,000 tons. Its range includes more than 500 products, from chocolate… The post Kazakhstan’s...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Kazakhstan is expanding domestic fertilizer production to reduce import dependence, support agriculture and develop higher-value exports. Major nitrogen and potassium projects planned by 2030 could help create a more complete domestic fertilizer industry. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has repeatedly stressed the importance of expanding domestic fertilizer production to reduce import dependence and ...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s economy continued to expand in the first seven months of 2026, with investment and manufacturing providing an important source of growth even as mining output declined and exports remained heavily dependent on raw materials. New data from the Bureau of National Statistics points to a mixed but potentially significant economic pattern. Industrial… The post Kazakhstan’s Industrial Growth R...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ALMATY – Kazakhstan is reporting continued growth in several rare ungulate populations while expanding programs to return animals that disappeared from parts of the country to their natural habitats. From Przewalski’s horses and kulans to the recent release of a tiger into the wild, conservation policy is moving beyond protecting surviving wildlife toward rebuilding populations… The post Kazakhstan’s Wildlife...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ALMATY – Umit, the female Amur tiger released into the wild in Kazakhstan’s Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve on July 31, is continuing to explore the region’s forests and habitats near water as specialists monitor her adaptation to life in the wild. According to the Forestry and Wildlife Committee of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural… The post How Kazakhstan’s First Released Tiger Adapts to Life in Wild ap...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Kazakhstan has returned 1.154 trillion tenge (US$2.5 billion) in assets to state ownership since launching its asset-recovery program in September 2023. The central question now is how effectively these funds can be converted into long-term public benefits, particularly in regions facing infrastructure shortages. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has repeatedly stressed that the asset-recovery process…...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – The Caspian Sea is home to the Caspian seal, the world’s only seal species found exclusively in the Caspian Sea. The species spends most of its life in the water and travels considerable distances in search of food, while the northern Caspian’s winter ice fields provide critical breeding grounds. The main conservation challenge… The post Caspian Seal Conservation Faces New Challenges as Sea Changes a...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Three historians from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia explored how the Golden Horde continues to shape the historical narratives and identities of their countries during a podcast organized by Kazakh historian and Golden Horde researcher Zhaksylyk Sabitov. The discussion highlighted both the shared historical legacy of the medieval empire… The post Scholars Call for Br...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ALMATY – Kazakhstan is advancing construction of the Data Center Valley in the Pavlodar Region, a large-scale computing infrastructure project intended to support artificial intelligence development, attract international technology companies and create a new export-oriented segment of the digital economy, as Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov reviewed progress on Aug. 13. The first facility, with a… The post Dat...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ALMATY – Kazakhstan is preparing to establish a national credit rating agency as part of a broader effort to develop its domestic capital market, but the institution’s success will ultimately depend on more than the creation of a new regulator-approved rating system. Its ratings will have to earn the confidence of investors and become a… The post Why Kazakhstan Is Creating Domestic Credit Rating Agency and Wh...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s national judo team secured its first-ever gold medal in the mixed team event at the World Judo Championships among cadets in Guayaquil, Ecuador, marking a historic achievement for the country’s judo programme. The team title capped a record-breaking individual campaign, with Kazakh judokas winning 11 medals – four gold, three silver and… The post Kazakhstan Judo Team Wins Historic Mixed ...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and Bank CenterCredit today announced a partnership to help Kazakh importers and exporters, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), gain greater access to the cross-border financing they need to trade internationally. Under the agreement, Bank CenterCredit joins IFC’s Global Trade Finance Program (GTFP) as both an issuing… The post IFC and Bank CenterCredit Par...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s transition to a unicameral parliament and the implementation of its new constitutional framework were among the key issues raised by foreign observers during the parliamentary vote taking place on Aug. 23. The country’s prospects for attracting international investment were also a major focus of their discussions. For international observers, the election to… The post Observers See Unica...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ALMATY – Voter turnout in Kazakhstan’s first elections to the Kurultai reached 37.05% as of noon on Aug. 23, with 4,670,816 voters having received ballots, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC). Kyzylorda Region recorded the highest turnout at 47.59%, followed by Zhetisu Region at 47.29% and Turkistan Region at 43.14%. Turnout in the Aktobe… The post Kazakhstan Records 37.05% Voter Turnout by Noo...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA — Archaeologists from across the Turkic world are moving towards a new model of cooperation that could make the region’s archaeological heritage easier to study as a single interconnected historical space. At the third meeting of the Association of Research Institutes and Centers of Archaeology of the Turkic World (ARICA) in Bugac, Hungary on… The post Kazakhstan’s Archaeological Heritage: From Ancient...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called Kazakhstan’s first elections to the new unicameral Kurultai a historic event and urged citizens, notably young people, to take part in the Aug. 23 vote. In an address to the nation on Aug. 21, Tokayev described the campaign as substantive, open and competitive, highlighting televised debates, meetings with… The post Tokayev: Kurultai Elections Could Be ‘Most...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles on Kazakhstan featured in international media worldwide this week. Today’s foreign media digest covers Kazakhstan’s AI education initiatives, political reforms and upcoming Kurultai election, investment prospects, and growing role in Central Asian and Eurasian cooperation. Kazakhstan rolls out AI education from school to university In the 2026-27… The post News ...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Kazakhstan is moving rapidly to position artificial intelligence at the center of its economic modernization strategy, investing in computing infrastructure, skills, startups and Kazakh-language technologies as governments worldwide compete for a place in the emerging AI economy. Kazakhstan has an increasingly ambitious AI agenda. The government has made AI part of its broader… The post Why Kazakhsta...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ALMATY – Umit, the female Amur tiger released into the wild in Kazakhstan’s Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve on July 31, has successfully begun hunting independently, killing a wolf and a wild boar during her first 10 days in her new natural habitat, according to specialists monitoring her adaptation. The tiger is being tracked daily using… The post Reintroduced Tiger Shows Early Signs of Successful Adaptati...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s updated Foreign Policy Concept for 2020–2030 preserves the country’s balanced and pragmatic foreign policy while adapting it to a new constitutional framework, shifting geopolitical realities and a stronger emphasis on protecting the interests of Kazakh citizens and businesses abroad, analysts say. The amendments, signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and effective from Aug.… The pos...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Voter turnout in Kazakhstan has fluctuated considerably in recent national elections, with presidential contests drawing higher participation than the two most recent parliamentary votes, as experts point to party mobilization, geography and public trust as key factors. Turnout is not just how many people cast ballots. It can also offer insight into political… The post What Kazakhstan’s Recent Electi...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s foreign trade entered a stronger phase in January-June, with exports growing faster than imports and non-resource and processed goods gaining ground in major international markets. The key question is whether this represents a temporary improvement in trade performance or a stronger shift in the structure and geography of Kazakhstan’s exports. Exports outpace… The post Kazakhstan’s Expor...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. By almost any measure, multilateralism is under pressure. Major powers are increasingly divided, conflicts are multiplying, and international institutions struggle to produce agreement on basic security challenges. Against this backdrop, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which marks its 25th anniversary this year, offers a different story: while many multilateral frameworks are losing influence, the SCO ...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ALMATY – Air Astana has extended the cancellation of flights to Dubai from Almaty and Astana through Sept. 30 due to the continuing unstable situation in the Persian Gulf region. The airline said its flight schedule for October has also been adjusted, with the frequency of flights on these routes reduced. Passengers affected by the… The post Air Astana Extends Dubai Flight Cancellations Through Sept. 30 appea...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Kazakhstan has identified 5.2 million hectares of non-forested land within its 31-million-hectare state forest fund as having potential for carbon projects, opening new opportunities for investors in emissions reduction and carbon absorption projects, Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Yerlan Nyssanbayev said. “This opens new opportunities for investors to participate in projects to reduce… The p...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Kazakhstan is expanding academic and scientific cooperation with leading universities and research institutions in Japan and South Korea. The country seeks to strengthen higher education, research and artificial intelligence (AI) development. During visits to Seoul and Tokyo in August, Science and Higher Education Minister Sayasat Nurbek met with university leaders and government officials to… The po...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Kazakhstan is expanding geological and geophysical exploration to strengthen its mineral-resource base and support a strategic shift toward deeper processing and higher-value production. By the end of this year, exploration is expected to cover 2.2 million square kilometers, with work completed at 25 sites. A key priority is the transition from regional 1:200,000-scale… The post Kazakhstan’s Explorat...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – A series of recent archaeological discoveries across Kazakhstan is offering new insights into the history, culture and everyday life of communities that lived on the Great Steppe centuries ago. Findings from archaeological sites in the Zhambyl, Turkistan and Pavlodar regions include medieval buildings, a mosque and paved streets, valuable artefacts and a remarkably… The post Archaeological Discoverie...

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA — Healthcare, education and social protection are emerging as key areas of competition in Kazakhstan’s election campaign, with experts saying voters are increasingly looking beyond broad promises to how seven political parties intend to deliver measurable improvements in quality of life.  Those issues were at the center of an Aug. 14 meeting of the… The post Kazakh Voters Increasingly Seek Concrete Pol...