Kazakhstan appoints ambassadors to three countries
Images | Akorda
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed decree to appoint new ambassadors to the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, Qazinform News Agency learned from the Akorda press service.
Kairat Abdrakhmanov has been appointed the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Czech Republic. He was relieved of his duties as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Akan Rakhmetullin has been appointed the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Roman Vassilenko, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Kingdom of Belgium, Head of the Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, has been appointed as Non-Resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
Bakyt Dyussenbayev has been relieved of his duties as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Czech Republic.
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Volume of transit cargo reached 29.4 million tons - Ministry of Transport
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Minister of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nurlan Sauranbayev reported at the Government session on the ongoing work to develop the country’s transport and logistics potential, primeminister.kz reports.
He noted that as of today, the transport sector has become one of the drivers of economic growth. Over the first 10 months of the current year, there has been positive dynamics in key indicators. The volume of transport services increased by 20.7%. Investments in fixed capital rose by 18.4%. The volume of transit cargo reached 29.4 million tons, with a growth rate of 5%.
It was noted that construction and repair works this year covered 13,000 km of highways. 93% of national roads are in standard technical condition.
Work is underway to modernize checkpoints on the internal border. By the end of 2027, it is planned to complete 37 checkpoints.
The main factor ensuring the efficiency of highways is digital solutions. Following the instruction of the Head of State, digital road passports are being developed within the e-Joldar framework. This will allow the future implementation of unmanned vehicles," Nurlan Sauranbayev emphasized.
The Minister added that annual road diagnostics are carried out using artificial intelligence technologies.
The installation of automated measurement stations (up to 220 units) continues to preserve road quality. To reduce the burden on the budget, toll sections are being gradually introduced on national roads. On toll roads, the KazToll system has enabled collections amounting to 79 billion tenge.
According to the ministry, the volume of freight transport by road reached 288 million tons, an increase of 1.7% compared to the previous reporting period.
Automated measurement stations increased the detection of violations and budget revenues tenfold.
As a result of integration with the General Prosecutor’s Office, more than 10,000 orders for mandatory fine payments were issued in the first five months of this year.
Cargo transportation by road is carried out with 42 countries. Last year, with China and Uzbekistan, foreign paper permit forms were converted into electronic format.
Also, based on the results of the first 10 months of this year, 13.1 million passengers were transported by air, which is 6.5% more than in the same period last year. The main digital tool for transporting air freight is the e-Freight system. Today, all airports and airlines in the country use the system. This complies with the international IATA standard.
Currently, government agencies are working on integration for import and export customs declarations, phytosanitary and veterinary control. This work enables full automation of business processes.
The Minister of Transport also reported that freight transportation by rail continues to grow. The volume of rail freight over the first 10 months of this year amounted to 380.3 million tons, with a growth rate of 7.9% compared to the same period last year.
Digitalization initiatives in the sector, such as the Digital Trade Corridor, are aimed at increasing transit cargo flows. Electronic declaration and the provision of services through the "Single Window" help eliminate barriers and enhance the confidence of international carriers.
At the moment, there are more than 250 information systems in the railway sector. An important aspect for the sector is the implementation of digital transformation and the formation of a target IT architecture considering international experience," Nurlan Sauranbayev emphasized.
In accordance with the instruction of the Head of State, the Smart Cargo platform was launched in October of this year. The platform integrates services of government agencies. Integration with 30 government services has been completed. As part of the platform’s development, integration with 47 additional services from the public and private sectors is planned.
Today, it is possible to track the location of cargo, and AI-based assistants have been created. Additional state services can be obtained. Work continues on implementing the "Green Corridor," which will provide automatic issuance of a transit declaration for crossing the border.
The results of digital transformation in the sector are expected to increase highway capacity by 20%. Processing times at road checkpoints will be around 10 minutes. The introduction of artificial intelligence technology will reduce the time required to create and plan trains sixfold, and reduce cargo processing times at airports to one hour.
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Tokayev signs bill on three-year republican budget into law
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Monday inked the law on the republican budget for 2026/28, Qazinform News Agency cites Akorda.
On November 26, Majilis deputies passed the amendments put forward by the Senate to the law on the republican budget for 2026/28, as well as the law on volumes of general-purpose transfers between republican and regional budgets, budgets of cities of republican status, and the capital for 2026/28.
To note, 76 amendments were introduced by the Senators to the draft republican budget.
According to the law on general purpose transfers for 2026/28, the forecasted revenues of local budgets are as follows: 10.7 trillion tenge in 2026; 12.1 trillion tenge in 2027; and 13.3 trillion tenge in 2028.
Expenditures are projected at 14.9 trillion, 17.3 trillion, and 18.7 trillion tenge, respectively.
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Volunteerism has become vibrant part of public life in Kazakhstan - President
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The press service of the Akorda presidential residence on Friday released the address by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the special session of the UN General Assembly on the launch of the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, Qazinform News Agency reports.
It is a great honor for me to address this distinguished gathering on the occasion of the launch of the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development.
This milestone embodies our shared vision to empower volunteers and strengthen their contribution to both national and global progress.
Kazakhstan put forward this initiative, working closely together with our international partners.
We firmly believe that volunteerism has become a powerful force for good - fostering civic engagement and progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
In today’s complex world, volunteers fulfill an important mission of protecting lives, reaching the most vulnerable, building trust and solidarity across societies.
The United Nations Volunteers Programme continues to expand its global reach, bringing together people across the world.
Beyond the UN framework, volunteer efforts engage hundreds of millions worldwide.
In Kazakhstan, volunteerism has become a vibrant part of public life.
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Tokayev Holds Talks with President of the European Council António Costa
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President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with President of the European Council António Costa at the Akorda residence, marking his first official visit to Kazakhstan, akorda.kz reports.
The Head of State emphasized the symbolic significance of the visit, which is taking place in the run-up to the 10th anniversary of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA). Kazakhstan became the first country in the region to conclude this historic agreement with the European Union.
We place particular emphasis to your visit. It stands as yet another indication of our mutual readiness to expand the all-round Kazakhstan - EU cooperation even further. Kazakhstan and the EU enjoy robust and meaningful partnership based on mutual respect and understanding. Our political dialogue is dynamic and developing across many areas of mutual interest. In this context, I commend the outcomes of the EU - Kazakhstan Cooperation Council held few days ago in Brussels," - noted Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The EU remains Kazakhstan’s largest trade and investment partner. Last year, bilateral trade reached almost 50 billion US dollars, while total investment since 2005 has amounted to nearly 200 billion dollars. Kazakhstan accounts for 80 percent of the EU’s trade with Central Asia.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev commended the strong presence of more than 4,000 European companies operating in Kazakhstan across the energy, transport, digitalization, and industrial sectors. He also reaffirmed the country’s commitment to maintaining a stable and transparent investment climate for European businesses.
The Head of State paid special attention to humanitarian cooperation. He expressed gratitude for the EU’s educational programmes, through which more than 5,000 Kazakh students and academics have had the opportunity to study and undertake training in EU member states.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev welcomed the agreements reached to launch preparations for a Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements.
President Tokayev highlighted the importance Kazakhstan places on the EU’s active engagement with Central Asia through the C5+EU format, which contributes to advancing shared interests in sustainable growth and connectivity. He noted that the C5+ dialogue has become an effective platform for addressing regional development priorities.
For his part, António Costa thanked Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for the warm welcome. He commended the strong momentum in Kazakhstan - EU cooperation and affirmed the European Union’s readiness to further deepen comprehensive collaboration.
Over the past ten years, the European Union has become Kazakhstan’s largest trading partner and foreign investor. At the same time, Kazakhstan has emerged as a key element of our economic security as the third-largest supplier of oil and uranium. It is clear that we are entering a new stage in strengthening our relationship and expanding our economic ties," - said the President of the European Council.
António Costa underlined that the European Union and Kazakhstan share a common vision of the world grounded in a commitment to multilateralism and an international rules-based order founded on the values enshrined in the UN Charter. According to him, these principles form the basis of efforts to promote security, stability, and prosperity across the globe.
He went on to emphasize that cooperation with the Central Asian countries is an important element in advancing and practically strengthening relations in today’s multilateral world. In this context, he commended President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s personal efforts to help consolidate peace in the Caucasus. In his view, ensuring security in the region opens new opportunities for the development of the Trans-Caspian Corridor, which will connect Europe via the Caucasus and the Black Sea.
During the talks, the two sides reviewed a wide range of cooperation issues, placing particular emphasis on partnership in transport and logistics, digitalization, energy, critical minerals, agriculture, and other promising areas.
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President inks law amendments on culture, education, and family
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The Head of State signed the Law "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan Concerning Сulture, Education, Family and State Control," Qazinform News Agency cites Akorda.
Codes "On Marriage and Family" and "On Public Health and the Healthcare System." Amendments were also made to the laws "On Languages in the Republic of Kazakhstan," "On the Rights of the Child," "On Culture," "On Education," and "On the Status of the Educator."
The first block of amendments enhances legal mechanisms to protect orphans and children left without parental care.
Priority for adoption, guardianship, or custodianship is now given to the child’s relatives. If no relatives are available, preference is given to couples in a registered marriage.
The second block of amendments shifts the state control procedures in sanitary and epidemiological well-being and in the protection of children's rights with respect to government-funded entities (including for food, accommodation, medical care, education, upbringing, and the rehabilitation of children) to the regulatory scope of the Code "On Public Health and the Healthcare System" and the Law "On the Rights of the Child in the Republic of Kazakhstan." The corresponding provisions are removed from the Entrepreneurial Code.
The third block of amendments addresses specific issues related to education.
The amendments introduce a ranking system for technical, vocational, and post-secondary education institutions based on a methodology for assessing performance indicators and ranking rules approved by the Ministry of Enlightenment. A similar ranking system is introduced for higher and/or postgraduate education institutions, based on methodologies and regulations approved by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
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