Serik Shapkenov Dismissed as Governor of Kazakhstan's Atyrau Region
Images | Gov.kz
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree dismissing Serik Shapkenov from his post as Akim (Governor) of the Atyrau Region.
"By decree of the Head of State, Serik Zhambulovich Shapkenov has been relieved of his duties as Akim of the Atyrau Region," the presidential press service, Akorda, said.
Shapkenov was born on 29 July 1979 in the West Kazakhstan Region. He graduated from the West Kazakhstan State University in 2000 with a degree in economics and mathematics.
He began his career as a university lecturer before moving into public service, where he held various positions within the administration of the West Kazakhstan Region.
Between 2015 and 2016, he served as a state inspector in the Presidential Administration. From 2016 to 2018, he was Akim of the city of Atyrau, becoming the city's youngest mayor. He later served as First Deputy Akim of the Atyrau Region.
From 2020 to 2021, Shapkenov was Vice Minister of Labour and Social Protection, before serving as Minister of Labour and Social Protection from 2021 to 2022.
He had served as Akim of the Atyrau Region since April 2022.
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Kazakhstan Sets August 16 Accreditation Deadline for Foreign Media Covering Kurultai Elections
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reminded representatives of foreign media outlets that the deadline is approaching for applications for accreditation to cover the elections to the Kurultai.
The deadline for applications is August 16, 2026. The elections will be held on August 23.
To obtain accreditation, foreign journalists must submit a letter from their editor-in-chief, a copy of a valid passport, a completed accreditation form, a digital 3×4 cm photograph, and background information about their media outlet.
Applications should be sent by email to accreditation@mfa.kz with the subject line "Kurultai Elections 2026".
The Foreign Ministry also reiterated that foreign journalists may carry out professional activities in Kazakhstan only if they hold permanent or temporary accreditation issued by the ministry.
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Kazakhstan to Launch First 50 MW Data Center Valley Facility in June 2027
The first 50 MW facility at Kazakhstan’s Data Center Valley in the Pavlodar Region is scheduled to begin operations in June 2027. The progress of the project was reviewed at a government meeting chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov.
Construction is currently in an active phase. Excavation work for the energy centre and AI factory buildings is 90% complete, while foundation work has begun.
By the end of December 2026, the project is expected to see the completion of the main data centre and power unit buildings, an administrative and support complex, security checkpoints and part of the external utility infrastructure. Commissioning work is due to be completed in May 2027.
A 215 MW substation has been acquired to supply power to the project. Plans for water supply networks have also been developed, while the telecommunications infrastructure is currently being designed. In the longer term, the total capacity of Data Center Valley is expected to be expanded in stages to 1 GW.
An ecosystem for the development of artificial intelligence, cloud technologies and digital services is being created at Data Center Valley in partnership with Firebird AI and NVIDIA. Talks are also under way with foreign companies on developing additional IT capacity, attracting investors and anchor customers, deploying high-performance computing clusters and expanding cloud services.
"Our immediate priority is to complete construction of the first facility in June 2027. At the same time, we are creating the engineering infrastructure that will allow us to gradually expand the campus’s capacity in line with confirmed customer demand," said Bagdat Musin, Chairman of the Management Board of Kazakhtelecom.
The meeting also reviewed preparations for the Cloud First Policy (Data Embassy) project. The initiative would allow foreign governments to host their data in Kazakhstan while retaining full legal sovereignty over it.
Bektenov said Data Center Valley should provide the infrastructure foundation for the development of artificial intelligence and cloud services, while strengthening Kazakhstan’s position as a regional AI hub in Central Asia.
Following the meeting, the prime minister instructed officials to ensure that construction work is completed on schedule and to expand cooperation with foreign technology companies in order to attract new partners.
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Kazakhstan Accredits 405 More International Observers for Kurultai Elections
Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) today accredited a further 405 international observers for the Kurultai elections.
The observers represent seven foreign countries and nine international organisations.
"Through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Central Election Commission received applications for the accreditation of 405 observers from seven foreign countries and nine international organisations. These include 75 observers from the CIS Observer Mission, 23 from the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, 208 from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Election Observation Mission, 23 from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, 10 from the Observer Mission of the Organization of Turkic States, 22 from the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States Observer Mission, 11 from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Observer Mission, nine from the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), seven from the Islamic Organization for Food Security, as well as 17 observers from Lithuania, Türkiye, Georgia, North Macedonia, Estonia, the Netherlands and Tajikistan," CEC Deputy Chairman Mukhtar Yerman said.
He stressed that the accreditation of international observers was still ongoing and that the figures would be updated as further nominations were received.
As of today, the Central Election Commission has accredited a total of 656 observers for the elections to the Kurultai of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
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Kazakhstan, Palestine Discuss Bilateral Cooperation
Images | Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry
Kazakhstan's Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Isagaliyev met with Palestinian Ambassador and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Montaser Abu Zeid, Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry said.
The two sides discussed relations between Kazakhstan and Palestine and prospects for their further development, including expanded cooperation in the political, humanitarian and other fields.
The diplomats also exchanged views on regional and international issues, including the situation in the Middle East.
Following the meeting, the two sides agreed to maintain regular dialogue and further develop joint initiatives.
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Kazakhstan Develops Technology for Producing Marbled Lamb
Images | Kazakhstan's Ministry of Agriculture
Scientists at the Kazakh Research Institute of Processing and Food Industry under the National Agrarian Science and Education Center (NASEC) have developed a technology for producing marbled lamb from Kazakh fine-wool sheep, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Agriculture said.
The technology is based on an intensive lamb-rearing and fattening system using a specially formulated balanced feed. It contains grain and protein components, probiotics, plant-based additives, premixes and minerals.
According to the researchers, the diet promotes rapid growth and the even development of intramuscular fat. During the study, scientists increased the intramuscular fat content in lamb to 4-6%, compared with around 2-3% under traditional pasture-based farming.
The higher intramuscular fat content gives the lamb a distinctive marbled texture and makes the meat juicier, more tender and richer in flavor.
Researchers also recorded improvements in slaughter performance, including a higher yield of the most valuable cuts and a more favorable ratio of muscle to fat tissue.
The developers said the resulting product meets modern quality and safety requirements for meat intended for export. The technology is expected to be introduced at sheep farms across Kazakhstan that focus on producing high-value-added products.
The scientific significance of the technology has been confirmed by two utility model patents.
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Kazakhstan Developing Digital Business Map
Kazakhstan is developing a Digital Business Map based on the existing Register of Business Entities. The platform is expected to integrate company data, business services and state support measures, Vice Minister of National Economy Bekbolat Moldabekov said at a government meeting.
"We propose not to create a new system from scratch, but to develop the existing Register of Business Entities and turn it into the core of a unified digital platform. The platform will integrate government data, digital business profiles, analytical services, artificial intelligence tools and processes for providing state support measures," he said.
Kazakhstan currently has 150 approved state support measures, of which 63 are available online, while 87 are still provided in paper form. Twenty measures are expected to be digitized by the end of 2026, with all 150 to be available electronically by the end of 2027.
Support measures provided by Baiterek Holding will be among the first to be digitized through eGov Business. For example, after the 5% Preferential Leasing program was streamlined, the number of steps required to submit an application was reduced from more than 80 to around 30, while processing time was cut from two working days to 5-10 minutes.
Applications under the Bus Leasing program are already available through eGov Business. Two more support measures are currently being developed, while another eight have been included in the next phase.
Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev said the updated eGov Business application has been downloaded 135,000 times in 2026, with around 35,000 entrepreneurs using it each month.
"We are bringing all state support measures together into a single digital ecosystem. It includes risk-based services, the Digital Business Map, land and property services, and other tools for entrepreneurs. Very soon, entrepreneurs will be able to obtain a corporate Visa bank card directly through the eGov Business app without visiting a bank and immediately add it to Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay," he said.
The application already allows users to register a business, open a bank account, obtain licenses and access other services. A Smart Contract service is scheduled to launch in September, allowing contracts and transactions to be concluded online using an electronic digital signature.
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov instructed the government to transfer paper-based business support services to eGov Business by the end of the year.
"Until now, 60% of services supporting entrepreneurs have been provided in paper form. This situation needs to change. The Ministry of National Economy, together with the Atameken chamber, must reengineer and accelerate the digitization of these services and make them available through eGov Business by the end of the year. There are also issues with the Electronic Licensing portal. The permit and licensing system needs to be fully modernized. The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, together with government agencies, must complete this work within six months," Bektenov said.
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Kazakhstan to Tighten Oversight of Truck Crossings at Border Checkpoints
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Kazakhstan will strengthen oversight of freight traffic passing through road border checkpoints, the government said following an operational meeting chaired by First Deputy Prime Minister Nurlibek Nalibayev.
The meeting reviewed the situation at the Alimbet, Zhaisan, and Syrym border checkpoints. According to the Border Service of the National Security Committee (KNB), Kazakhstan's border crossing points are operating around the clock under normal conditions.
Amid a seasonal increase in transit freight traffic, the authorities have stepped up supervision of the modernization of road border checkpoints. The upgrades are expected to reduce the time required for border control procedures.
In addition, waiting and service areas for truck drivers will be established near priority border crossings. The work is scheduled to be completed by 2027.
Following the meeting, the Ministry of Transport and other government agencies were instructed to ensure the uninterrupted and faster processing of vehicles at border checkpoints. Operational headquarters have already been set up jointly with local executive authorities to coordinate the effort.
The government said the situation remains under close monitoring.
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