In 2024, new conflicts may occur in the Middle East and Central Asia, says Vladimir Prokhvatilov, a military analyst at the Russian Academy of Military Sciences. He believes that the West may be planning a coup in Kazakhstan. “I am concerned about the situation in Central Asia, where the United States and Great Britain have
In the 2024 Military Strength Ranking released by the Global Firepower, Kazakhstan ranked 58th among the 145 countries listed — the best position compared to other Central Asian countries. In the ranking, Uzbekistan is 65th, Turkmenistan 83rd, Kyrgyzstan 100th, and Tajikistan 107th. In the 2023 Ranking, Kazakhstan was in 63rd place. The Global Firepower ranks
Hundreds of workers at the Velikaya Stena (Great Wall) oil company, owned by a Chinese investor in Kazakhstan’s western Manghystau region, are striking for a pay increase, improved working conditions, and the cancellation of planned layoffs, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported. The workers, who are located in the Caspian port city of Aqtau, told RFE/RL that
The 12th global Summit, “Dynamic Vibrant Gujarat,” was held in Gandhinagar, India. The summit included the “Kazakhstan–India: Emerging Ties” seminar, during which the participants heard from the speakers representing public and private sectors of Kazakhstan and India, in particular, Mulubhai Hardasbhai Bera, Minister of Tourism, Cultural Activities, Forest and Environment of India, Kairat Torebayev, Vice Minister of
The Consul General of Kazakhstan in Jeddah – Deputy Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Ruslan Kospanov on January 9 visited the headquarters of the International Union of Muslim Scouts (IUMS). During the visit, the Consul General met with the IUMS Secretary General Dr. Zuhair Ghoneim, who informed about the activities carried
A new city, Alatau, has been created in Kazakhstan in line with a presidential decree dated January 9. According to the decree, the village of Zhetygen, Ili district, Almaty region, has been classified as a city of regional significance and renamed to the city of Alatau. The new city is located 15 km from Almaty and
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, from January to September 2023, 834.9 thousand foreign tourists visited Kazakhstan, 225 thousand more than in 2022 (an increase of 37%). In the first nine months of 2023, the majority of travelers visited Kazakhstan from Russia — 356,850. Chinese tourists took second place — 75,131, followed by tourists
A leader of the Karakalpak diaspora in Kazakhstan, Nietbai Urazbaev, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison in absentia in Uzbekistan over unprecedented Karakalpak protests in July 2022, has died in a hospital in Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported. Karakalpak activist Aqylbek Muratbai said on January 9 that Urazbaev died of a heart
Hundreds of oil workers in the western region of Manghystau, who have been on strike for 29 days, issued a video statement on January 8, urging Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to intervene in their situation, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported. The workers of the West Oil Software company went on strike on December 11, demanding the
Kazakhstan is at a crossroads in its energy sector. With a growing emphasis on sustainability and a need to align with global decarbonization efforts, the country is embarking on a transformative initiative that aims to ensure the security and reliability of its energy supply. At the heart of this endeavor is a comprehensive energy subsidy
The suspension of broadcasting of some Russian TV channels in Kazakhstan, including Channel One, is due to economic reasons, as the contract for 2024 was not concluded due to the local TV operator’s debt, the official representative of Channel One. Worldwide Network in Kazakhstan, Irina Kalashnikova said, as reported by TASS information agency on January
Kazakh television operator TVCOM says it has stopped broadcasting several stations launched by Russian state-run Channel One in a move to reduce the share of foreign news channels on the local market, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported on January 4. TVCOM said the move was also due to the fact that its subscribers are “more media
At the beginning of 2023, a preferential leasing mechanism for the renewal of city buses was launched in the regions of Kazakhstan through the Industrial Development Fund. As a result, 2.5 thousand vehicles were supplied to bus fleets, including 774 environmentally friendly buses, the Kazakh Transport Ministry said. Also, during the past year, all regions
The year 2023 was full of significant events for Kazakhstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in an interview with the Egemen Qazaqstan newspaper. The country completed major political reforms, including the establishment of the Constitutional Court, holding elections of the Mazhilis (parliament) and maslikhats (local councils) of all levels according to the new rules, and the
In 2023, with the support of KAZAKH INVEST national company, 47 new production facilities with foreign participation were put into operation in Kazakhstan for about $1.1 billion. These projects created more than 4.5 thousand jobs for Kazakhstani citizens, the acting Chairman of the Board of JSC National Company KAZAKH INVEST, Zhandos Temirgali said in an interview
2023 was a year of great achievements and difficult challenges for Kazakhstan. In the departing year, the population of Kazakhstan reached 20 million, and the population growth is the key to the power and prosperity of the state, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in his New Year address. He said that in 2023, Kazakhstan’s economy grew
Kazakhstan Foreign Ministry spokesman Aibek Smadiyarov said in a televised interview on December 29 that the Security Council of Kazakhstan had decided to remove the Taliban group now ruling Afghanistan from its registry of terrorist organizations. Smadiyarov said Astana will continue to adhere to United Nations decisions and resolutions regarding Afghanistan. Kazakhstan officially designated the
In order to promote the cultural heritage of Kazakhstan, the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Serbia published a collection of Kazakh fairy tales in Serbian language. Legends, mythical stories about oldman Kanbak and the pranks of Aldar Kose, as well as other adventures of famous characters of Kazakh fairy tales are now available for young Serbian
The Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Qatar, Arman Issagaliyev on December 26 met with the Group Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways, Badr Mohammed Al Meer. The Kazakh diplomat noted the strengthening political, trade and economic ties between the two countries, as well as the expanding flow of tourists in both directions. The CEO of Qatar
On December 25, on the margins of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting in St. Petersburg, a free trade agreement was signed between the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and its member states, on one hand, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, on the other. The EEU unites Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. The agreement
