From industry to healthcare - Kazakhstan and Czech Republic expand cooperation
Images | Akorda
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš have discussed strategic cooperation across eight important sectors during the talks in Astana, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the Akorda press service.
At the meeting, the two leaders reviewed prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation in industry, oil and gas, nuclear energy, transport and logistics, defense, digitalization, agriculture, and healthcare.
The sides emphasized that bilateral relations go beyond economics, drawing on shared historical memory and cultural ties.
President Tokayev expressed gratitude to the Czech side for supporting Kazakhstan in re-introduction of Przewalski’s horse in the Kazakh steppes - a project highlighted at the Regional Environmental Summit as one of the country’s achievements in biodiversity conservation.
Prime Minister Babiš announced the Czech Republic’s intention to assist in easing the visa regime for Kazakh citizens, both bilaterally and within the EU.
Following the talks, the two countries will prepare a list of projects for the practical implementation of the agreements reached at the highest level.
Andrej Babiš invited Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to visit the Czech Republic at a time convenient for him. The invitation was gratefully accepted.
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When Will Trains Get Reliable Internet? Kazakhstan Railways Responds
Images | railways.kz
Kazakhstan's national rail operator plans to equip all major passenger train routes with satellite internet by the end of the summer, Deputy Chairman of JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) Anuar Akhmetzhanov said at a government briefing.
According to our plans, by the end of the summer we intend to provide all major routes with satellite internet," Akhmetzhanov said.
He recalled that KTZ tested two low-Earth orbit satellite systems - OneWeb and Starlink - last year. Pilot projects were carried out on the Astana-Almaty and Astana-Ust-Kamenogorsk routes.
According to Akhmetzhanov, the trials confirmed the technical feasibility of providing internet access to passengers.
We needed to verify their technical capability to deliver the required level of service. These projects demonstrated that internet services can indeed be provided on trains," he said.
KTZ has now begun the large-scale deployment of internet connectivity across its passenger fleet. The Nurly Zhol-Siberia train has already been fully equipped with satellite internet. Installation of terminals is also underway on the Almaty-Pavlodar, Pavlodar-Turkistan and Nurly Zhol-Atyrau routes.
Akhmetzhanov said the company is prioritising the busiest routes to ensure that the largest possible number of passengers can benefit from the new service.
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Director of Science and Innovation Department Appointed at Kazakhstan's Water Resources Ministry
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Marat Imanaliyev has been appointed Director of the Department of Science and Innovation at Kazakhstan's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the ministry's press service said.
Imanaliyev was born on May 16, 1974. He graduated from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and M.Kh. Dulaty Taraz Regional University.
He began his career in 1991 as a laboratory assistant at the Faculty of Chemistry of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
From 2005 to 2006, he worked at the KazAgroMeliovodkhoz Republican Methodological Centre under the Water Resources Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture, first as a Category I specialist and later as a senior specialist.
Between 2006 and 2018, he held various positions within the Water Resources Committee under the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.
From 2018 to 2023, he served as Head of the Department for State Control over the Use and Protection of Water Resources within the Water Resources Committee.
From 2023 to 2024, he headed the Department for the Development of Group Water Supply Systems under the Water Management Committee of the Ministry of Water Resources.
Since 2024, he has served as Deputy Director of the Water Policy Department at the Ministry of Water Resources.
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Kazakhstan to Tighten Oversight of Food Markets and Intermediaries
Kazakhstan is strengthening oversight of food markets and supply chains. Since the beginning of the year, authorities have removed 150 unproductive intermediaries from the sector as part of efforts to increase transparency in trade, combat shadow-market practices and stabilize prices for socially significant food products, the Ministry of Trade said in a statement.
To date, 63 key food markets with the greatest influence on regional pricing have been identified. Inspections, monitoring and awareness campaigns are being carried out at these sites. An examination of 18 markets, including Altyn Orda and Barys-4, revealed 486 violations.
Inspections uncovered a number of systemic issues, including the sale of counterfeit and unlabelled products, shadow trading activities, violations of cash register regulations, informal employment and the repeated subleasing of trading spaces.
Particular attention has been paid to combating the illegal circulation of goods. In several regions, authorities identified cases of imported chicken eggs being sold without the required documentation and labelling. Approximately 32,500 eggs were removed from illegal circulation.
The Ministry of Finance inspected 38 major food markets and analysed the activities of businesses operating there. A further 67 markets, involving more than 16,600 trading entities, were selected for continued monitoring. The review found that 4,843 businesses had been conducting retail trade without registering cash registers, 5,846 lacked registered POS terminals, and 247 entities showed signs of underreporting income.
Authorities also identified cases of unregulated street trading and illegal business activity.
Regional authorities have been instructed to strengthen market oversight, install video surveillance systems, intensify efforts to identify unproductive intermediaries and ensure compliance with maximum permitted trade mark-ups.
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Tokayev Congratulates Gennadiy Golovkin on Induction into Boxing Hall of Fame
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Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has congratulated Gennadiy Golovkin on his official induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, presidential spokesman Aibek Smadiyarov said.
This historic event demonstrates the special significance of our legendary compatriot’s legacy for global sport, as well as his substantial contribution to promoting an objective image and reputation of Kazakhstan on the international stage," the president said.
According to Tokayev, Golovkin is a symbol of Kazakhstan’s sporting glory and serves as the country’s ambassador within the international sporting community.
The president expressed confidence that the success story of one of the world’s greatest boxers will continue to inspire young athletes to pursue ambitious goals and achieve sporting excellence.
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Kazakhstan to Launch Registry of Unscrupulous Developers
Kazakhstan will introduce a registry of unscrupulous developers from July 1, 2026. The corresponding order approving the standard rules for its creation and maintenance was signed by Acting Minister of Industry and Construction Kuandyk Kazhkenov.
According to the document, the registry will be established to systematize information on developers deemed unreliable in the residential construction sector. Publicly accessible information from the registry will be published on the website of the Unified Operator.
Developers included in the Registry will be prohibited from attracting funds from individuals and legal entities for a period of three years from the date of their inclusion in the registry," the order states.
In addition, amendments concerning the operation of the unified digital system for shared-equity housing construction will come into force on July 12, 2026.
The system will be used to record and systematize shared-equity construction agreements, contracts concluded within urban renewal projects, as well as information on the assignment of claims and rights under such agreements.
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Prosecutor of Karaganda Region Appointed
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By order of the Prosecutor General, Senior Counsellor of Justice Murat Tleuberdiev has been appointed Prosecutor of the Karaganda Region, the regional prosecutor's office said in a statement.
Tleuberdiev began his career as an assistant prosecutor in Almaty's Bostandyk District. Over the years, he served as prosecutor of the city's Auezov and Almaly districts, deputy prosecutor of Almaty, and head of the Human Resources Department at the Prosecutor General's Office.
Since May 2023, he has served as Prosecutor of the Turkistan Region.
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Tokayev Signs Laws on Teachers’ Status, Child Protection and Anti-Corruption Measures
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Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a package of laws introducing amendments in the areas of education, healthcare, child protection, teachers’ status, and anti-corruption policy.
According to the Akorda presidential press service, the head of state signed the law "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Issues of Teachers’ Status, Education, Healthcare and Child Protection," as well as the law "On Amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Issues of Teachers’ Status."
The new provisions stipulate that teachers will be responsible for students only during the educational process. At the same time, parents’ responsibility for the life, health and safety of their children is being expanded.
The legislation also prohibits teachers from maintaining duplicate reporting systems in both paper and electronic formats. In addition, unified rules for the use of mobile devices in secondary education institutions are being introduced. The measures also provide for greater involvement of schoolchildren in scientific activities at the local government level.
The law further establishes a legal framework aimed at creating favourable conditions for the effective operation of leading foreign universities in Kazakhstan. Branch campuses will be allowed to operate provided they comply with Kazakhstan’s state educational standards.
A separate set of amendments is focused on improving the higher education system. The reforms introduce an integrated medical education model consisting of six years of university study followed by one year of full internship training. Upon completion, graduates will be eligible to begin medical practice, with the internship serving as a stage of clinical training.
Tokayev also signed the law "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Anti-Corruption Issues."
The adopted measures introduce criminal liability not only for giving and receiving bribes, but also for promising, offering or soliciting a bribe. Penalties are being strengthened for unlawful remuneration in state organisations and quasi-public sector entities, while administrative liability for legal entities involved in corruption offences is also being increased.
In addition, the statute of limitations for administrative corruption offences committed by individuals has been extended from one year to three years. Restrictions on individuals convicted of corruption crimes have also been clarified, including a lifetime ban on employment in positions involving the performance of state functions.
The legislation further prohibits civil servants and individuals with equivalent status from using their official powers for personal gain. It also introduces mandatory declarations of personal interests and establishes clear procedures for addressing conflicts of interest.
Restrictions on the employment of relatives and affiliated persons within the same public service structures have been tightened. These restrictions will apply not only to cases of direct subordination, but also to situations involving indirect influence, personnel oversight and internal control functions. In particular, relatives of senior officials - including nephews, sons-in-law and other close family members by marriage - will be prohibited from working within the same government agency.
The scope of anti-corruption restrictions has also been expanded. The new provisions will now apply to employees of the quasi-public sector and participants in projects financed through the state budget and Kazakhstan’s National Fund.
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