Balkhash Airport Reopens After Reconstruction

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA – Balkhash Airport in Kazakhstan’s Karagandy Region has resumed operations following the completion of reconstruction works, according to the regional akimat (local administration) press service. The airport received its first flights from Astana and Almaty on June 1 after the reopening. The…

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Why World is Falling in Love with Kazakh Honey

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA – From the flowering meadows of the Altai Mountains to the vast southern steppes, beekeeping has long been woven into Kazakhstan’s agricultural heritage. Today, as global demand for natural and organic products grows, Kazakh honey is attracting increasing attention from international consumers and helping…

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Kazakhstan Expands Excavations at UNESCO-Nominated Silk Road Site

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ALMATY — Archaeologists have begun a new excavation season at the medieval settlement of Zhankent in Kazakhstan’s Kyzylorda Region, continuing efforts to uncover the history of one of the most significant cities of the Oghuz state and a key site along the Silk Road, reported Kazinform. The archaeological works,…

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Kazakhstan Enacts Key Constitutional Laws to Advance Political Reforms

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed on June 5 a package of constitutional laws to implement the provisions of the Constitution adopted on March 15. The constitutional law on the President of Kazakhstan defines the status and powers of the President and introduces the office of Vice…

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Tokayev Links Patriotism and Reform Agenda at State Symbols Day Ceremony

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev used Kazakhstan’s State Symbols Day ceremony on June 4 to highlight the country’s development path ahead of the 35th anniversary of independence, emphasizing patriotism, constitutional governance and the need to prepare for a rapidly changing world, according to Akorda.…

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Why June 4 Matters: The Story Behind Kazakhstan’s State Symbols

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA — Every year on June 4, Kazakhstan celebrates the Day of State Symbols, honoring the flag, emblem and anthem that have come to embody the country’s independence, identity and aspirations. While they are familiar elements of daily life, appearing in schools, government institutions and at international…

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OpenAI Highlights Strong AI Growth and Adoption in Kazakhstan

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has joined the group of countries with a high level of artificial intelligence adoption, according to analytical insights presented by OpenAI during a visit to the country. The findings highlight strong public readiness for the practical use of AI technologies. Kazakhstan significantly…

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Four Przewalski’s Horses Arrive in Kazakhstan for Reintroduction in Altyn Dala Reserve

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA – Four Przewalski’s horses arrived in Kostanai on June 1 as part of the third group of endangered Przewalski’s horses brought from European breeding centers to the Altyn Dala Reserve, with four more expected on June 5. Following earlier transports in 2024 and 2025 that brought 14 horses back after 200…

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Kazakhstan Establishes Central Asia’s First Brain Institute

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA – Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) launched the Brain Institute, the first specialized scientific and educational center of its kind in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, on June 1, reported the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The institute was established on the basis of KazNU’s Center…

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Children Make Up More Than Third of Kazakhstan’s Population

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA – Children account for more than one-third of Kazakhstan’s population, with 6.9 million people aged 0-17 living in the country as of the beginning of this year, according to the Bureau of National Statistics. Children represent 33.6% of Kazakhstan’s total population. Of them, 62.3% live in cities, while…

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Kazakhstan Advances Przewalski’s Horse Restoration with Wild Release and New Arrivals

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA – A group of Przewalski’s horses was released into the wild at the Altyn Dala State Nature Reserve on May 25, marking an important milestone in efforts to return the rare species to its historical range and restore a sustainable population in Kazakhstan. The stallion Galvan arrived in Kazakhstan from…

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Kazakhstan Forecast to Face Another Hot Summer After Record-Breaking 2025

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ALMATY – Kazakhstan is expected to experience another warm summer in 2026, with temperatures reaching up to 45 degrees Celsius in some regions, according to a seasonal forecast released by the national weather service, Kazhydromet, on May 15. The outlook comes just months after 2025 was officially recognized as…

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From Karlag to ALZHIR: Remembering Victims of Political Repression and Famine

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ALMATY – On May 31, Kazakhstan commemorates the victims of political repression and famine, honoring millions whose lives were shattered by political persecution, forced deportations, imprisonment and starvation. More than five million people were deported to labor camps across Kazakhstan during the Soviet era,…

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How Kazakh Nomads Helped Shape Georgian Statehood

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA – Centuries before modern borders took shape across Eurasia, Kipchak nomads from the Kazakh steppe played a role in the rise of medieval Georgia, a little-known chapter of shared history explored by Kazakh writer Madi Raimov and historian Zhaksylyk Sabitov during a recent event organized by…

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Kazakhstan and Russia Adopt Joint Statement Outlining Seven Pillars of Friendship and Cooperation

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President of Russia Vladimir Putin adopted a joint statement on May 28 outlining seven key pillars of bilateral friendship and cooperation amid growing global instability and geopolitical challenges, Akorda reported. The leaders described the shared…

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Kazakhstan’s First Nuclear Power Plant Project Estimated at $16.5 Billion

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Russia have signed an agreement outlining the main terms of cooperation and financing for the construction of Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant, a major energy project estimated at around $16.5 billion. According to Almasadam Satkaliyev, head of Kazakhstan’s Atomic Energy Agency,…

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Remembering Yestai Berkimbayev: Voice Behind One of Kazakhstan’s Greatest Love Songs

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ALMATY – On May 28, Kazakhstan commemorates the birthday of Yestai Berkimbayev — the legendary akyn (improvisational poet), singer and composer whose music became an enduring part of Kazakh cultural heritage and whose song “Korlan” transformed his name into a symbol of lyrical folk music. Born in 1868 in the…

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How Great Steppe Stayed Connected Before Modern Technology

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA – Long before the internet and instant messaging, information played a crucial role in the lives of nomadic communities across the steppe. News, military intelligence, trade information and cultural ideas traveled through caravans, messengers, symbols and oral traditions, forming a sophisticated…

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Kazakhstan Restores Endangered Bukhara Deer Population

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA – The Syrdarya-Turkistan State Regional Natural Park in southern Kazakhstan has become the country’s only site for restoring the endangered Bukhara deer population. Reintroduction efforts began in 1999 with just six animals. Since then, the population has grown to 319 deer, according to the park…

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Kazakhstan Strengthens Caspian Emergency Response Infrastructure Amid Falling Sea Levels

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is strengthening its maritime emergency response and environmental safety infrastructure in the Caspian Sea as falling water levels increase pressure on regional navigation and rescue operations. During a working visit to the Atyrau Region, Emergency Situations Minister Chingis Arinov…

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Kazakhstan Targets $4.5 Billion in Local Content Ahead of Nuclear Plant Construction

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ALMATY – Kazakhstan aims to increase domestic participation in its future nuclear power industry to 30% before construction begins on the country’s planned nuclear power plants, a move expected to generate up to $4.5 billion in local production and contracts. The target is outlined in a new government-approved…

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Kazakhstan Parliament Adopts Constitutional Law Package to Advance Reform Agenda

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA — Kazakhstan has adopted a package of constitutional laws aimed at strengthening its updated legal framework and advancing ongoing constitutional reform following a joint session of the Mazhilis and Senate of Parliament on May 20. The package includes the Law on the President of the Republic of…

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Tokayev Urges New Look at Golden Horde’s Role in Shaping Eurasia

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described the Golden Horde as one of the largest political powers in Eurasian history and urged scholars to study its legacy objectively and without political bias. Addressing an international symposium on the Golden Horde in Astana on May 19, Tokayev said the empire…

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More Than 84% of Kazakh Citizens Say Country Is Moving in Positive Direction, Survey Finds

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ALMATY – A large majority of Kazakh citizens positively assess the country’s current direction of development, according to a new nationwide survey commissioned by the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS). The survey, conducted between April 10 and May 10, found that 84.4% of respondents believe…

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Young Kazakhs to Study Tien Shan Glaciers in Research Expedition

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA — A new British-Kazakh initiative will send 15 university students to the Tien Shan mountains in July and August to conduct glaciological research, as glaciers – critical to Kazakhstan’s water security – continue to retreat at an accelerating rate. The program combines fieldwork with leadership training…

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Kazakhstan to Issue Limited-Edition Coin Celebrating Golden Horde Legacy

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ALMATY – The National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) announced the release of a new 2,000-tenge (US$4.25) collectible coin titled ALTYN ORDA, dedicated to the historical legacy of the Golden Horde, one of the largest states in Eurasia during the 13th–15th centuries. The coin is part of the NBK’s Outstanding Events and…

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Kazakhstan to Ban Storage of Foreign Radioactive Waste

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s lower chamber of parliament, the Mazhilis, approved in the first reading a draft law on radioactive waste management that would establish a national operator responsible for handling radioactive waste and introduce a ban on importing and burying foreign radioactive waste in the country.…

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Kazakhstan Adopts Decree to Introduce AI into Secondary Education System

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA — Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree on May 12 aimed at integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into Kazakhstan’s secondary education system, as part of broader efforts to modernize education and strengthen the country’s human capital amid the rapid global development of AI. Under the…

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Steppe Diplomacy: How Nomads Preserved Peace After War

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

ASTANA — Nomadic societies across the Eurasian steppe developed distinct approaches to war and diplomacy that did not rely on formal treaties or territorial control. Instead, they used flexible strategies, including personal guarantees and family-based agreements, to prevent renewed conflict. According to Edil…

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Kazakhstan, France Launch Lumières Foundation to Expand Academic Cooperation and Student Mobility

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.

The Lumières Foundation, a new Franco-Kazakh platform dedicated to enhancing cooperation in higher education, science, and workforce development, was unveiled on May 5 at Maqsut Narikbayev University (MNU) in Astana. The opening, which was supported by the French Embassy in Kazakhstan and attended by Vice…

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