Articles by Ayana Birbayeva

ALMATY – Kazakhstan has developed the largest artificial intelligence model for automatic speech recognition (ASR) of Turkic languages, marking a major milestone for the region’s digital transformation and technological sovereignty. The model was unveiled by Cybernet AI, a Kazakh startup specializing in secure corporate AI solutions. It is the first large-scale ASR system in Central…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan has taken a significant step toward integrating its higher education system into the global academic space, as the Senate (upper chamber of Parliament) ratified the Asia-Pacific Regional Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education at a Jan. 15 plenary session. The convention aims to strengthen international trust in Kazakh university…

ALMATY – KMG International (KMG) reported strong financial and operational performance in 2025, posting record profitability and solid growth across its refining and retail operations, according to preliminary results for the year. Operationally, the group continued to strengthen its core assets. The Petromidia refinery processed a total of 5.88 million tons of crude oil in…

ALMATY – A cultural and educational center, American Space & Makerspace, officially opened in Almaty on Jan. 16, marking an expansion of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United States in education, innovation and cultural exchange. The center was launched at the Zhambyl Youth Library with the support of the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan and the…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s ongoing parliamentary reform could lead to consideration of a new Constitution, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during a Jan. 19 meeting with the working group on the upcoming reform. “The implementation of parliamentary reform will require revising several sections of the Constitution. Therefore, taking into account the amendments introduced earlier, the draft proposed…

ALMATY — Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has received an official invitation from the United States President Donald Trump to join the newly established Gaza Peace Council, with Kazakhstan proposed as one of the body’s founding member states, Presidential Press Secretary Ruslan Zheldibay told Tengrinews agency on Jan. 19. According to Zheldibay, Tokayev was among the first world…

ALMATY — The Rhenus Group has strengthened its presence in Central Asia with the acquisition of its first rail-connected intermodal terminal in Kazakhstan, marking a strategic step in the company’s long-term development of integrated logistics infrastructure along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). Located at the Bayserke railway station in the Almaty region, the new…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan and Germany will establish a Regional Center for Sustainable Agriculture for Central Asia and Germany at the Kazakh Research Institute of Agriculture and Plant Growing, following discussions held during the 18th Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) in Berlin. The idea of creating a Regional Center for Sustainable Agriculture was discussed…

ALMATY — Kazakhstan significantly strengthened its position in the oil sector in 2025, recording robust growth in hydrocarbon production, according to data released by the Bureau of National Statistics under the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms on Jan. 16.  Oil and gas condensate production reached 99.4 million tons, representing 113.3% of the 2024 level,…

ALMATY — Kazakhstan’s chess star Bibisara Assaubayeva will make her long-awaited debut at Norway Chess Women 2026 from May 25 to June 5 at Deichman Bjørvika in Oslo, marking a new milestone in the career of one of the world’s most accomplished young players.  The reigning Women’s World Blitz Champion, Assaubayeva arrives at the elite…

ALMATY – Astana has officially joined the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), becoming the first city from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to be admitted to the European platform, the city administration’s press service reported on Jan. 14.  The inclusion marks international recognition of Astana’s efforts to build an inclusive urban environment for…

ALMATY – Europe’s oil market is tightening sharply, defying expectations of a global surplus, as reduced shipments from Kazakhstan via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) emerge as the single most significant short-term disruption to regional supply, according to Bloomberg.  “Smaller flows of Kazakhstan’s CPC Blend, as well as disruptions in Libya and some North Sea…

ALMATY – The International Olympic Committee has released the full competition schedule for athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will take place on Feb. 6-22 in Milan and several other cities in northern Italy.  According to preliminary data, 35 Kazakh athletes will compete across 10 sports, with the national team entering medal competition from…

ALMATY – The United States will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Kazakhstan, starting Jan. 21, the U.S. State Department announced on Jan. 14.  The measure is said to apply to countries whose citizens are considered by the administration to have high rates of reliance on public assistance after…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan plans to fully cover its domestic electricity demand by early 2027 and move toward a stable power surplus by 2029 as the government accelerates large-scale energy projects worth more than 13 trillion tenge (US$27.7 billion), officials said during a Jan. 14 meeting chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. According to the Ministry…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan saw an increase in entrepreneurial activity in 2025, with the net growth in registered businesses rising more than sevenfold compared to the previous year, according to data released by the Committee of State Revenues under the Ministry of Finance on Jan. 13.  In 2024, 414,000 legal entities and individual entrepreneurs were registered…

ALMATY – Air Astana announced changes to several regular and charter flights’ routes following the closure of Iran’s airspace, the airline’s press service reported on Jan. 15. According to the carrier, flights to Sharm El Sheikh, Dubai, Doha and Medina will now be operated through alternative routes bypassing Iranian airspace. The airline emphasized that it…

ALMATY — Winters in Almaty are often milder than in much of Kazakhstan, and long stretches without heavy snowfall are nothing unusual for the city. Yet even by local standards, the start of 2026 has stood out. Instead of the usual winter chill and occasional snowfalls that mark the beginning of January, the city has…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan ranks fourth among Uzbekistan’s foreign investors, following China, Russia and Türkiye, with 1,199 enterprises with Kazakh capital operating in the country as of Dec. 1, 2025, according to data released by the Uzbek National Statistics Committee on Jan. 9. Trade remains the leading sector for Kazakh businesses, accounting for 492 companies. A…

ALMATY — KazMunayGas (KMG) reports that its chartered oil tanker Matilda did not sustain serious damage following a drone attack near the Black Sea loading terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC). According to KMG, the tanker Matilda, chartered by its subsidiary Kazmortransflot, was scheduled to load Kazakh crude at the CPC terminal on Jan.…

ALMATY – Mukhtar Auezov Kazakh National Drama Theater celebrates its 100th anniversary on Jan. 13, marking a century-long contribution to the country’s cultural and spiritual life. The Auezov theater was founded in Kyzylorda in 1925, then the capital of the Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. The theater officially opened on Jan. 13, 1926, with a…

ALMATY — Kazakhstan has provided all populated areas with access to drinking water by the end of 2025, Vice Minister of Industry and Construction Kuandyk Kazhkenov reported at a Jan. 13 government meeting on water supply and sanitation. According to Kazhkenov, 835 billion tenge (approximately US$1.78 billion) was allocated from the budget to finance more…

ALMATY — Kazakhstan is intensifying efforts to digitalize water management and expand water-saving technologies to ensure sustainable water use amid rising demand and climate pressures, as Vice Minister of Industry and Construction Kuandyk Kazhkenov addressed the current plans at a Jan. 13 government meeting.  Kazhkenov also emphasized that between 2026 and 2028, the country plans…

ASTANA — Law enforcement dismantled 15 criminal groups and shut down 29 illegal cash-out platforms with a combined turnover exceeding 128 billion tenge (approximately US$270 million) in 2025, as President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was informed during a Jan. 12 meeting with Chairman of the Agency for Financial Monitoring Zhanat Elimanov.  During the meeting, Elimanov reported that…

ALMATY — Kazakhstan’s Mangystau Region is again in the international spotlight after The Washington Post published a feature on Jan. 8, describing the area’s dramatic natural scenery as “lunar landscapes of the Silk Road,” drawing the attention of global travelers to one of the country’s most striking destinations. In the article, the author recounts a…