Kazakh Senate adopts law on territorial defense
The Senate of the Kazakh Parliament adopted on Thursday the law on territorial defense and amendments to it, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
According to Senator Galiaskar Sarybayev, the law aims to enhance territorial defense, mobilization readiness as well as ensure the safety of the population in emergencies.
Under the law, territorial defense is viewed as a separate branch in the state defense system with its own objectives and tasks, rules and activities. The document also provides for essential funding as well as provisions to regulate issues of territorial military bodies and units.
The law introduces and defines terms a "recruiter" and a "self-defense command". It also states powers of the President, government agencies directly subordinate and accountable to the President, Government, Defense Ministry, General Staff of the Armed Forces, central and lobal executive bodies as well as the rights and duties of legal entities and individuals.
In addition, the law envisages a separate section "territorial defense forces," regulating their composition and operating procedure. Territorial defense forces include forces and resources of law-enforcement bodies, those allocated by the Armed Forces, other military units and structures, territorial forces, special units and self-defense forces.
The law defines the composition of territorial defense forces, whose missions and operating procedure are regulated by the guidelines for territorial defense preparedness and operations. It also provides for provisions of state control in event of violations.
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Kazakhstan continues evacuations from Israel, Iran
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The Kazakh Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that 66 Kazakhstani nationals have been evacuated from Israel via the Egyptian border and 78 nationals from Iran via Armenian, Azerbaijani and Turkmen borders, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Kazakhstani diplomats in Iran and Israel continue to provide all necessary consular and legal assistance to their nationals.
The Kazakh Foreign Ministry expressed gratitude to all sides for helping evacuate Kazakhstanis, saying: "Thanks to joint efforts, more nationals have the opportunity to return home safely".
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Kazakhstan, Russia determine NPP construction project phases
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Kazakhstan and Russia have signed documents determining the main phases of preparation and implementation of the nuclear plant construction project, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The documents were signed on the sidelines of the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, at a meeting between Almasadam Satkaliyev, Chairman of Kazakhstan's Nuclear Energy Agency, and Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Russia's Rosatom Corporation.
The meeting focused on the issues of implementation of the nuclear power plant construction project in Kazakhstan.
During the meeting, the parties approved an indicative road map determining the phases of the project preparation and implementation, including organization of engineering and surveying works, conclusion of an EPC contract and elaboration of design documents.
In addition, JSC Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants and JSC Atomstroyexport (Rosatom’s engineering company) entered into a framework agreement on the key principles of cooperation in implementation of the project in Zhambyl district of Almaty region.
The strategic project is aimed at ensuring energy security and decarbonization of Kazakhstan’s economy.
The sides highlighted the importance of the soonest start of the project’s implementation.
We reckon on close and transparent cooperation to ensure high level of security and production localization," Satkaliyev said.
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Olzhas Bektenov Chairs National Meeting on Single-Industry Town Development
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During his working trip to the Karaganda region, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov chaired a national seminar-meeting titled "The Future of Single-Industry Towns: Positive Experience and Sustainable Development." The meeting brought together regional and single-industry town akims, leaders of industrial enterprises, and representatives of the expert community, primeminister.kz reports.
New approaches to developing single-industry towns were discussed, taking into account the President’s directives.
Reports were presented by Vice Ministers of National Economy Bauyrzhan Omarbekov and of Industry and Construction Olzhas Saparbekov, as well as by the Akim of Karaganda Region Yermaganbet Bulekpaev and the Akim of Ekibastuz Ayan Beysekin.
Kazakhstan currently has 20 single-industry towns with a population of around 1.5 million people. According to the Ministry of National Economy, these towns account for more than one-third of total industrial output - reaching 36.4% by the end of 2024.
As part of the implementation of the President’s 2024 Address to the Nation on economic diversification in single-industry towns, a socio-economic analysis was conducted based on 78 indicators. Positive practices from the city of Saran - which exited single-industry town status thanks to the creation of an industrial zone and access to preferential loans - were considered. As a result, towns were classified into three groups, each with tailored priority measures. These include modernization of engineering and social infrastructure, identification of new growth drivers, investment projects in IT, agriculture, tourism, and science, development of service industries along transport corridors, and the creation of industrial and small industrial zones. Special attention was given to the continued development of long-term contracts and offtake agreements with domestic producers to ensure sustainable production loads.
The Prime Minister highlighted the steady growth and diversification of Ekibastuz’s economy, pointing to the launch of a ferroalloy plant worth 138.4 billion tenge creating over 800 jobs, and the establishment of an industrial zone.
We must view single-industry towns as growth points and hubs for new opportunities - whether in green technologies, digital infrastructure, or the creative economy. These towns can and should become examples of how the industry of the future is built in small cities. We must prioritize diversification. This will help raise their economies to the point that they no longer qualify as single-industry towns.
For instance, Ekibastuz is currently transforming into a multi-sector city with a more diverse economic structure, making its single-industry status increasingly irrelevant. We need to intensify efforts to establish new infrastructure policies in line with modern standards," Olzhas Bektenov said.
He also emphasized that the creation of jobs and favorable conditions for entrepreneurs and investors is key to sustainable development.
The greatest challenge is to attract investors to single-industry towns.
We can build hospitals, schools, stadiums, and other social facilities in every city, but without jobs, people won’t stay. Therefore, we must offer investors the necessary conditions - vacant buildings, land plots, and support for new production facilities. Without such tools, development will stall. We see results in Saran, Ekibastuz, and other cities - but we need to work more actively in this direction," Bektenov said.
He noted the importance of using additional local tools to support businesses, highlighting the role of social-entrepreneurial corporations (SECs) and their involvement in export-oriented initiatives.
To ensure systemic transformation, the Prime Minister issued a series of concrete directives. By December 1 of this year, the akimats of Karaganda and Atyrau regions must accelerate the creation of industrial zones in Balkhash and Kulsary, while the Ulytau and Aktobe regions must advance similar efforts in Satpayev and Khromtau.
Together with the Ministry of Industry and Construction, regional akimats are tasked with identifying ready-made production sites for the small industrial zones program in single-industry towns by October 1.
The Samruk-Kazyna Fund and Baiterek Holding, in cooperation with regional akimats, are instructed to scale up long-term contracts and offtake agreements in single-industry towns by December 1, particularly within the National Project for Modernizing the Energy and Utilities Sectors.
The Ministries of National Economy, Digital Development, Agriculture, Tourism and Sports, Science and Higher Education, along with regional akimats, are to develop proposals for identifying new economic growth drivers based on specific investment projects by December 1.
Additionally, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, together with akimats, must address the shortage of technical specialists in single-industry towns by October 1.
The Ministry of Transport, along with regional akimats and KazAvtoZhol, must propose by October 1 initiatives for developing service industries near single-industry towns located along major transport corridors.
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Kazakhstan to build new bypass road near Chinese border
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Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov of Kazakhstan on Tuesday held a meeting with Ludo Sarens, the Chairman of the Board of Directors and President of Sarens Group, to discuss plans to construct a road to bypass the Nur Zholy checkpoint, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The bypass, set to boost the throughput capacity of cross-border road infrastructure as well as ease the traffic flow, is to span 3.2km in length and 12m in width and to provide a route for heavy vehicles that weigh more than 100 tons as well as parking lots with a total area of 81.6 ha.
The project also envisages construction of a road bridge with creation of all necessary infrastructure. All facilities are set to be built at the expense of the company’s private investments worth around 50 million US dollars.
Speaking at the meeting, Bektenov highlighted the importance of the project in promoting transport logistics, trade and transit potential of Kazakhstan in line with the Head of State’s directives. He also pointed out prospects for further interaction in machine building with a high level of localization taking into account the experience and expertise of Sarens Group.
Following the meeting, the sides confirmed their mutual interest in implementing the bypass road construction project as well as expressed the readiness to expand cooperation.
Bektenov set tasks to the government agencies in charge to provide necessary support for the timely implementation of the project.
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Kazakhstan to transfer 1,500 saigas to China to restore its population
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Kazakhstan will transfer 1,500 saigas to China to restore its population, Kazinform News Agency learnt from the Akorda press service.
The Head of State, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, made public the decision to transfer 1,500 saigas to the Government of China to reproduce its population in the country’s western part. In turn, President of China Xi Jinping expressed gratitude to his Kazakh counterpart for this decision since China plans to bring the saiga antelopes back, the statement reads.
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Kazakhstan to build over 200 schools in 2025
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Over 200 schools for 300,000 pupils in the 2025-2026 academic year throughout Kazakhstan, Kazinform News Agency learnt from the Enlightenment Ministry.
Of which 112 for 206,000 seats will be built within the Comfortable School national project. Almost half of them will be situated in villages.
The development of the national project will help reduce the gap between schools in the cities and rural areas, solve three-shift learning problems, and lack of 150,000 pupils’ seats.
In addition, some 1,000 rural schools will be repaired at large.1,231 schools will be renovated by 2029 in line with the President’s task to transfer to an integrated modern school infrastructure. Renovation works will start this year in 248 schools.
1,200 schools providing space for 1 million children opened their doors since 2019 in Kazakhstan.
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Kazakh Foreign Ministry makes a statement
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan made a statement, Kazinform News Agency learnt from the Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan expresses serious concern over the dangerous military escalation in the Middle East and advocates for the prompt resolution of the conflict exclusively through political and diplomatic means in accordance with the UN Charter and the principles of international law.
We call on all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint, the statement reads.
As earlier reported, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Friday that Israel has launched a "preemptive strike" on Iran.
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