Kazakh Foreign Ministry: Around 45-46% of Kazakhstanis' U.S. Visa Applications Are Rejected
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Approximately 45–46% of visa applications submitted by Kazakh citizens for entry to the United States are denied, Kazakhstan's First Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan Ashikbayev said during a briefing in the Senate, an agency correspondent reports.
Regarding visa refusals, this is a sovereign right of our partners. In many cases, such decisions are governed by issues related to access to private information and are not disclosed, including to us. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the exact number of such refusals. Some countries publish this type of data in the form of refusal rates," he said.
According to Ashikbayev, the global situation remains dynamic, and many countries regularly update their entry requirements for foreign nationals.
The deputy foreign minister also reminded Kazakh citizens of the importance of complying with the laws of the countries they visit or reside in.
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Interbank QR Code Payments to Launch Across Kazakhstan on 19 July
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Interbank QR code payments will become available to all Kazakhstanis from 19 July, the National Bank of Kazakhstan announced during the presentation of its nationwide interbank QR payment system.
According to the National Bank, all banks offering retail services through mobile applications have already been connected to the system.
In accordance with the law, the official nationwide launch date for the Interbank Instant Money Transfer and Payment System (IMTPS) is 19 July 2026. From that date, customers of participating banks will be able to instantly transfer money to customers of other banks using a phone number, as well as pay for goods and services via a QR code regardless of which banks the buyer and seller use. Transfers and payments will be available around the clock and processed in real time," the National Bank said.
The system will also enable businesses to accept cashless payments from customers of all participating banks using a single QR code. Merchants will not need to install new equipment, as the service will operate on existing payment terminals. Users are advised to contact their banks regarding updates to mobile banking applications.
In addition to the National Payment System, Kazakhstan's national digital financial infrastructure includes platforms for biometric identification, the digital tenge, open banking, and the National Anti-Fraud Centre.
The National Payment System currently processes transactions worth around 6.3 trillion tenge each day. More than 340 billion digital tenge have already been issued, while the biometric identification platform processes approximately 3.5 million requests every month.
Since its launch, the National Anti-Fraud Centre has detected more than 165,000 cases of fraud and other illegal financial activities, including schemes linked to financial pyramids and illegal gambling operations.
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Kok-Zhailau Development Could Lead to the Disappearance of Glaciers, Experts Warn
Development of the Kok-Zhailau mountain plateau could raise temperatures in the surrounding mountains, accelerate glacier melt and alter the region's climate, according to experts from the Ecological Society of Almaty, who shared their views in an exclusive interview with Kazakhstan Today.
The construction of hotels, apartment hotels, restaurants, chalets, air-conditioning systems, roads, transport infrastructure, cable cars and other man-made facilities will absorb heat and release warm air, creating a vast 'heat island' directly in the mountains. This would inevitably accelerate the melting of glaciers," the experts said.
They also warned that deforestation associated with construction and the reshaping of mountain slopes would increase the spread of dust and soot.
As dust and soot settle on glacier surfaces, they will intensify glacier degradation. In addition, the removal of thousands of trees along the Kazachka River to build roads and utility networks would eliminate the glaciers' last natural barrier against hot air, dust, smog and soot coming from the city. The eventual disappearance of Almaty's glaciers and rivers would alter the regional climate, making it significantly drier and less favourable for both people and vegetation," the experts said.
According to the specialists, the region is already facing a critical situation.
Over recent years, nearly all glaciers in the Ile Alatau have suffered substantial losses. Glacier area has declined by 75%, while ice volume has decreased by 50%," they said.
The experts argue that the primary driver of accelerated glacier retreat is the unrestricted flow of exceptionally warm air from the city into the mountains.
Over the past 23 years, virtually all apple orchards beyond Al-Farabi Avenue have been cleared and built over. For decades, these orchards, together with shelterbelts of tall poplars and elms, acted as a protective buffer zone, preventing warm air from the city from reaching the foothills. The orchards also released moisture into the atmosphere on a daily basis. As the moisture rose, it cooled and formed clouds that produced summer precipitation in the mountains. The clouds, rainfall and orchard vegetation significantly slowed the melting of glaciers and seasonal snow cover," they explained.
A detailed account of the experts' position is available via the link provided in the original publication.
The proposed development of Kok-Zhailau has been the subject of public debate for more than a decade.
In 2011, then Almaty Mayor Akhmetzhan Yessimov announced plans to develop a ski resort at Kok-Zhailau during a government meeting on the city's development.
In 2013, the Almaty administration announced plans to hold a tender for the design and estimate documentation for the project, valued at approximately 3.145 billion tenge.
At the time, the project proceeded despite strong public opposition. Environmental experts, ecologists, athletes and residents argued that the ski resort would damage wildlife, increase the risk of water shortages in Almaty and fail to deliver the projected economic benefits, including higher tourist numbers and new jobs. Public activists subsequently filed a complaint with the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee.
In 2019, during a meeting of the Public Council, then Almaty Mayor Bauyrzhan Baibek proposed postponing the Kok-Zhailau project for three to five years to allow for a more comprehensive assessment of its potential impact.
Former Minister of Culture and Sports Aktoty Raimkulova later wrote on Facebook that construction of the resort had been postponed on the instructions of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
As the president stressed at the time, such an important project should not be rushed and should be considered only after a thorough review of expert assessments and public opinion.
In December last year, the Tourism Industry Committee of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Culture and Sports published a draft resolution on the Open NPAs portal outlining a Comprehensive Development Plan for the Almaty Mountain Cluster for 2025-2029.
The explanatory note stated that the plan would support tourism development, increase visitor numbers, strengthen Kazakhstan's international tourism profile and improve the investment climate. It envisages the implementation of 127 measures with a total budget of 655.911 billion tenge.
At the time, public activist Azhar Dzhandosova warned that regardless of how environmentally friendly construction methods might be, the development would inevitably affect soils, biodiversity and glaciers, which are already shrinking at an alarming rate, with consequences for Almaty's climate.
A poll conducted by the Kazakhstan Today news agency found that 80% of respondents opposed the development of Kok-Zhailau.
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Kazakhstan to Introduce New Rules for Public Services
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Most amendments to Kazakhstan's public service delivery system will come into force in July 2026, according to the government portal Gov.kz.
The changes are предусмотрed by the Law "On the Civil Service of the Republic of Kazakhstan" and the Law "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Civil Service Issues", both signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on 19 May 2026.
One of the key reforms is the transition to a service-oriented model of public administration. For the first time, the legislation formally enshrines the principle: "The state exists for the people, not the people for the state."
Under the new rules, government agencies will no longer be allowed to reject applications solely on formal grounds. If an application contains errors or lacks required documents, applicants will be given a reasonable period to correct the deficiencies instead of receiving an immediate refusal.
The definition of a public service recipient has also been expanded. Legal safeguards will now apply not only to those who have already submitted an application but also to individuals intending to obtain a public service. To support this, a new Digital Waiting List mechanism will be introduced, allowing applicants to retain their place in the process in the event of technical failures without having to submit a new application.
The legislation also introduces the concept of a joint service provider, enabling responsibility for delivering a public service to be shared among all participating authorities while ensuring compliance with deadlines at every stage of the process.
Another amendment concerns refusals to provide public services. Government agencies will now be required to specify all grounds for refusal at the outset. In addition, regulations governing newly introduced public services must be approved no later than three months after those services are launched.
The government expects the reforms to make public services more accessible, reduce administrative barriers and strengthen the protection of citizens' rights when accessing government services. Most of the new provisions will take effect in July 2026.
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Record Crowd Attends Altai - Golden Cradle of the Turkic World Festival
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The gala concert of the international Altai - Golden Cradle of the Turkic World festival took place in the Katon-Karagay District of East Kazakhstan Region, attracting around 50,000 spectators. The closing evening marked the culmination of the two-day celebration, bringing together representatives of Turkic peoples, renowned performers, and guests from various countries.
Akim of East Kazakhstan Region Nurymbet Saktaganov highlighted the historic significance of the Greater Altai as the spiritual cradle of the Turkic world. He said the festival helps strengthen cultural ties and preserve the shared historical heritage of Turkic nations.
The concert opened with a performance by the Kazakh ensemble Sarmat, followed by artists from Bashkortostan, Mongolia, Tuva, Azerbaijan, Karakalpakstan, Hungary, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Türkiye. Each performer showcased the musical traditions of their people, underscoring the richness and diversity of Turkic culture.
One of the evening's standout performances came from the Kazakh group Alatau Serileri, which performed Türkiler Ūrany ("The Anthem of the Turkic Peoples"), a song that has become a symbol of unity among the brotherly nations.
The highlight of the gala was the appearance of Kazakhstan's People's Artist Dimash Qudaibergen. He was welcomed with a standing ovation, while thousands of spectators sang along to his best-known songs. His performance became the defining moment of the festival and brought the large-scale international programme to a memorable close.
The gala concert reaffirmed the high standing of the Altai - Golden Cradle of the Turkic World festival, which once again served as a platform for strengthening cultural ties, friendship, and unity among the Turkic peoples.
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Air Astana to Resume Dubai Flights
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Air Astana plans to resume its scheduled Almaty-Dubai-Almaty and Astana-Dubai-Astana services from 15 July, the airline's press service said.
The airline continues to monitor developments in the region and may adjust its flight schedule depending on the situation in the Middle East. Passengers will be informed promptly of any further changes," the airline said in a statement.
On 12 July, Air Astana suspended flights to Dubai due to the escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
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Doctor Accused of Charging for Free Surgeries in Atyrau Region
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Kazakhstan's Agency for Financial Monitoring (AFM) has uncovered an alleged scheme involving a doctor in the Atyrau Region who is suspected of fraud and illegally receiving financial rewards, the agency's press service said.
According to the AFM, between 2023 and 2025, the suspect, while working at a limited liability partnership and a private clinic, concealed from patients that varicose vein surgeries were provided free of charge under Kazakhstan's Mandatory Social Health Insurance (MSHI) system and instead collected payments for the procedures through his personal bank accounts.
At the same time, the agency said, records were entered into the DamuMed electronic healthcare system indicating that the patients had received free medical care. Based on these records, the medical institutions received reimbursement from the Social Health Insurance Fund.
As a result, the same medical services were effectively paid for twice - through the Mandatory Social Health Insurance system and by the patients themselves. The suspect illegally obtained more than 8 million tenge from 42 patients, while the medical institutions received more than 14.8 million tenge from the Social Health Insurance Fund for the same services," the AFM said.
Investigators also established that the suspect had unlawfully accepted payments from patients for carrying out his official duties.
The suspect has been placed under a travel restriction and ordered to maintain proper conduct pending trial. The criminal case has been referred to court, the agency added.
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More Than 70,000 People Attend BaiQymyz-2026 Festival in Astana
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The international gastronomic festival BaiQymyz-2026 concluded in Astana after attracting more than 70,000 visitors over two days. Guests were offered 56 tonnes of kumys (fermented mare's milk) - a record volume that organisers plan to submit to the Kazakhstan Book of Records, a correspondent reports.
The festival featured an international kumys competition involving around 60 producers from Kazakhstan and Russia's Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The Grand Prix was awarded to Qymyznai Qymyzy from the Burabay district of the Akmola Region. First place went to Ağabek Ata Erekshe Qymyzy from the Akkol district of the same region.
Winners were also named in several special categories. Bayannyn Bal Qymyzy from the Ulytau Region took first place in the "Em Qymyz" ("Medicinal Kumys") category, while Terektinin Tekti Qymyzy from the Karaganda Region won the "People's Choice" award.
In addition to tasting traditional drinks and cuisine, visitors explored ethnographic villages, craft fairs, workshops, concerts, and competitions in traditional Kazakh sports. The festival's highlights included baige horse races, kokpar, kyz kuu, audaryspak, a horse parade, and equestrian demonstrations. Well-known Kazakh performers and artistic groups also appeared on the main stage.
According to the Astana city administration, the festival attracted visitors not only from across Kazakhstan but also from abroad. For many international tourists, BaiQymyz-2026 provided an opportunity to experience Kazakh culture, traditions, and national cuisine firsthand. Traditional dishes, folk games, and equestrian competitions proved especially popular with foreign guests.
We are visitors from the United States. We came to the kumys festival to learn more about Kazakh culture. We enjoy living here and helping people - it has been a wonderful experience. We continue to learn more about Kazakhstan, have met many wonderful people, and, most importantly, we absolutely love kumys and want to try as many varieties as possible," American visitors White and Thomas said.
According to foreign tourists, the festival allowed them to discover Kazakhstan from a new perspective through its traditions, music, sports, and the hospitality of its people.
BaiQymyz-2026 also featured an environmental campaign and a public awareness initiative focused on public safety.
Organisers say the festival has evolved beyond a gastronomic celebration into a major international platform for promoting Kazakh culture, supporting domestic producers, and developing event tourism. The success of this year's edition reflects growing interest in Kazakhstan's national traditions both at home and abroad.
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