About: Kazakhstan
Step-by-step democratisation serves Kazakhstan well
Step-by-step democratisation has suited Kazakhstan’s national circumstances and interests well, writes Alberto Turkstra who visited Kazakhstan on the occasion of the 10 January parliamentary elections.
Kazakhstan holds parliamentary elections
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree scheduling the parliamentary elections for the Majilis for 10 January 2021. The elections are seen as another step in the process of “controlled democratisation” of the former Soviet republic.
International observers to monitor Kazakhstan election despite COVID challenge
The Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan has completed the accreditation of observers of international organisations and foreign states for the 10 January elections, media in the Central Asian nation reported.
Kazakhstan abolishes capital punishment
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree abolishing the death penalty in Kazakhstan, according to a statement released by his office on Saturday (2 January).
Russian court sentences Kazakh kleptocrat to 15 years in prison
A Russian court sentenced on Tuesday (29 December) the former chairman of Kazakh BTA Bank's board of directors, Mukhtar Ablyazov, to 15 years in prison, Russian media reported. The story of Ablyazov, a fugitive for years, has been turned into a book as a striking example of the ability of post-Soviet kleptocrats to benefit from Western “hospitality”.
Central Asia is an obvious winner of better EU-China ties
Investment and better regional connectivity as well as an improved links with Europe may be a lifeline for the struggling Central Asian economies, writes Joel Ruet.
Climate, Eurasian Union presidency among Kazakhstan’s 2021 priorities
Virtual conferences held in the run-up to Kazakhstan’s Independence Day on Wednesday (16 December) revealed the country’s priorities for 2021, including tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering on the Paris climate agreement and presiding over the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
Kazakhstan seeks to improve its human rights record
Kazakhstan, a post-Soviet country which has been repeatedly criticized by Western rights group, is passing legislation to improve its standing on human rights.
‘We have to be observers’ in Kazakh elections, MEP says
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Parliament has yet to decide whether it will send observers to Kazakhstan's parliamentary elections in January.
Kazakhstan election holds genuine strategic importance
Kazakhstan will hold its parliamentary election on 10 January with a clear intention to reach the democratic levels enjoyed in the European bloc. Despite the obvious challenges of voting during a pandemic, our government is committed to giving our citizens a voice, writes Aigul Kuspan
Political scientist: COVID-19 will not become a brake for Kazakhstan election
Kazakhstan is holding parliamentary elections on 10 January, expected to further bolster the soft democratic reform process in the Central Asian country. In a wide-ranging interview, political scientist Mukhit-Ardager Sydyknazarov explained the political landscape and the stakes ahead of the ballot.
Expert: Multi-party democracy has potential in Kazakhstan
The upcoming elections for the Majilis, the lower chamber of Kazakhstan's Parliament, are a clear improvement in terms of representation and legislative changes, Samuel Doveri Vesterbye told EURACTIV in an interview.
Fearing Turkish role, France wants international supervision in Nagorno-Karabakh
France wants international supervision to implement a ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict amid concerns in Paris that Russia and Turkey could strike a deal to cut out Western powers from future peace talks, the presidency said on Thursday (19 November).
EU, Central Asia touch base virtually in turbulent times
EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell and Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen held a teleconference on Tuesday (17 November) with ministers from the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia, with which the EU is trying to forge closer relations.
Kazakh leader calls for bioweapons agency to address ‘global dysfunction’
"Reaching a COVID-19 vaccine trade and investment agreement" should be a top priority for global leaders, and could help take "politics out of the vaccine," Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday (23 September).
Kazakhstan suspends three airlines for breaking UN Libya embargo
Kazakhstan has barred three air carriers from operating for violating a UN Security Council embargo covering the supply of arms to Libya, the Central Asian country's government said Wednesday (23 September).OpinionPromoted content
Kazakhstan and Pope John Paul II
100 years ago, on May 18, 1920, Karol Józef Wojtyła was born in the Polish town of Wadowice. Leading the Catholic Church since October 1978, Pope John Paul II left a bright and indelible mark in the history of mankind and...OpinionStakeholder Opinion
Kazakhstan takes stock of its experience in constitutionalism
Today, almost thirty years after gaining its independence, the citizens of Kazakhstan can state with confidence and a sense of pride that their country is an equal and respected member of the international community and has all the signs of a well-established statehood, writes Kairat Mami.OpinionStakeholder Opinion
Leading the way to a world free of nuclear weapons
Today more than ever, the world needs leadership in the field of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. Kazakhstan keeps providing this leadership, writes Jonathan Granoff. Jonathan Granoff is the president of the Global Security Institute. In 1949, the first of over...
Kazakhstan says it has secured supplies of Russian COVID-19 vaccine
Kazakhstan has signed a deal to get supplies of Russia’s first potential COVID-19 vaccine once clinical trials are complete, the Central Asian nation’s government said on Wednesday (26 August). The government did not say how many doses of the vaccine...
Kazakhstan takes measures to offset relaxation of COVID-19 measures
The international community recognised the successes of the measures taken by Kazakhstan during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring. Things have changed since then, however, and this time, Kazakhstan needs to respond to an increase of cases resulting from relaxation of measures.InterviewPromoted content
Tokayev: the development and prosperity of Kazakhstan is in our hands
Having become president of Kazakhstan after a landslide election victory a year ago, and recently returned from Moscow, where at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin he participated in a parade to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev gave an interview to the popular newspaper Ana Tili.
Kazakhstan’s ‘unique’ leadership transition marks its first anniversary
On 12 June, Kazakhstan will mark the first anniversary of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's election as president. EURACTIV looks into the unique transition of power between Nursultan Nazarbayev, who re-established statehood after the Soviet domination, and Tokayev, who spearheads 'controlled democratisation'.