Author: Askar Ardagerov

ASTANA — Over the past few years, the water supply issue for agricultural needs in Central Asia has become acute. In July, water scarcity hit Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl Region, which borders the Kyrgyz Republic, prompting farmers to seek help resolving the issue. Representatives of the countries met in Bishkek, the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic, the same month to discuss the allocation of water along the Chu and Talas rivers. However, water scarcity persisted in August. In its latest analytical piece, Kazinform outlines the problem and provides expert opinions on resolving the issue between the two countries. Joint use of transboundary…

Kazakhstan and Vietnam on Monday signed 12 agreements to bolster bilateral relations. This came during a three-day official visit by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the Vietnamese capital Hanoi. According to a Kazakh presidency statement, Tokayev held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Vo Van Thuong and said that his country pays “great attention to economic and political interaction between our countries.” The meeting discussed the prospects for developing cooperation in “trade, economic, investment, energy, transport and logistics, agro-industrial, cultural and humanitarian spheres,” the statement said. Tokayev noted that the bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and Vietnam has already reached $600 million…

ASTANA. KAZINFORM – Within the framework of unification of investment projects of the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan, it is planned to implement 12 projects in the Ulytau region of the country, Trend.az reports. The projects are planned to be implemented in the amount of about 137 billion Kazakh tenge ($307.28 million), which will allow for creation of 1,181 permanent jobs. Furthermore, for the uninterrupted supply of drinking water to the population at the expense of the republican budget, two projects are being implemented, with a total cost of about 12 billion Kazakh tenge ($26.9 million). At the same…

When the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021, neighbors to the north looked on with a blend of anxiety and dismay. Fast-forward two years and Kazakhstan has just finished giving the red carpet treatment to a Taliban delegation for a business forum that took place in Astana on August 2-3. The event, which was attended by 300 officials and private sector representatives from both countries, produced $200 million in commercial deals that mainly comprised commitments by Kazakhstan to supply Afghanistan with grain and flour. Artur Akhmetov, head of Altyn Grain Group, an exporter of agricultural products, told reporters that his company…

ASTANA. KAZINFORM – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received Majilis Speaker Yerlan Koshanov in its first session, Kazinform has learned from the Akorda press service. According to him, during the session Majilis deputies worked on 82 bills, including 20 bills initiated by MPs themselves regarding the illegally appropriated assets, online platforms and advertisements, the Semipalatinsk nuclear safety zone, liquefied gas, e-scooters and many more. In his report, the Majilis Speaker paid utmost attention to the changes in the work of the lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament resulting from the recent constitutional reform. The fact that the chamber now includes representatives of…

ASTANA – Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov signed a decree dated July 13 on establishing the organizing committee to prepare for hosting the fifth World Nomad Games on Sep. 8-15 next year in Astana, according to online.zakon.kz. The organizing committee will consist of ministers and deputy ministers of all government agencies, representatives of cities’ and regions’ administrations, the National Sports Association, the Samruk Kazyna National Welfare Fund, Eurasian Resources Group, and others. The Minister of Culture and Sports was assigned to control the execution of the order. In September 2022, World Ethnosport Confederation unanimously supported Kazakhstan’s bid to host the…

ASTANA – Iranian investors and manufacturers are ready to invest in the production of medicines, the construction of a dairy plant, and the processing of agricultural products, said Alireza Peyman-Pak, Iran’s Deputy Agriculture Minister in charge of trade and market regulation, at a June 28 meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Integration Serik Zhumangarin, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. Zhumangarin welcomed the decision, saying he would submit all proposals to Kazakh businesses for consideration. The parties also discussed a draft joint roadmap of projects to increase mutual trade up to $3 billion, encompassing almost all…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector is expected to get a further boost, with Kazakhstan’s Air Astana opening ticket sales for a new direct flight from Almaty to Jeddah. This direct flight service between the Saudi port city and Kazakhstan’s largest metropolis will commence from Oct. 1, with initial services operating on Wednesdays and Sundays, the airline said in a press release. “Saudi Arabia has a rich and diverse cultural heritage, which will be interesting not only for the pilgrimage of Muslims to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah but also for tourists looking to visit cultural, historical and natural…

Russia and Kazakhstan have agreed to extend their agreement on transporting oil through Kazakhstan until 2033, the Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulguinov announced Saturday. Shulguinov noted this decision was made during the last day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPEIF) and meant that the volume of crude oil to be transported will be surged by 10 million tons per year. He added that, during the meeting held with his Kazakh counterpart Almasadam Satkaliyev, both also talked about energy cooperation, including the involvement of Russian companies in energy projects in Kazakhstan. “We´re set to implement joint projects on construction…

Exporters from the UAE and Kazakhstan will have better access to Shariah-compliant insurance and trade credit after both countries signed an agreement to protect companies from potential commercial risks in international dealings. The UAE export credit company Etihad Credit Insurance signed a memorandum of understanding with Kazakhstan’s export insurance firm KazakhExport to enhance trade and support sustainable economic growth between the two countries. Under the terms of the agreement, both parties will organize workshops aimed at educating small and medium-sized enterprises on the gains of using trade protection solutions to mitigate the risks of nonpayment resulting from several commercial and…