Why the Iran nuclear talks were held in Almaty

The New York Times writes a silky story on why negotiators involved in trying to unlock the Iran nuclear talks chose Almaty as their host.

Read the story here


 
Nazarbayev shifts key adviser to embassy in Georgia

Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev has appointed Yermukhamet Yertysbayev, one of his main political advisers, as ambassador to Georgia.

When advising the president, Mr Yertysbayev had often floated potential policy ideas to test public reaction to them.

Read the story here


 
Kazakhstan to open embassy in Sweden

Kazakhstan will open an embassy in Stockholm later this year, Kazakh foreign minister Yerlan Idrissov said on a trip to the Swedish capital.

Over the past few years, Kazakhstan has invested in its diplomatic service by opening up a series of embassies across the world.

For the Tengrinews story, click here


 
Kazakh president visits Israel

Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev has made a low-key visit to Israel, the presidential press service has reported.

During a meeting with Israeli president Shimon Peres, Mr Nazarbayev discussed improving economic links between the two countries.

Read the full Trend news agency story here


 
Kazakhstan plans its first ever military parade

Kazakhstan plans its first ever military parade for May 7, reports the Tengrinews website.

Click here to read the full Russian-language story


 
Kazakhstan to host new round of Iran nuclear talks

In a clear nod that it sees itself as being a global diplomatic player, Kazakhstan will host a new round of talks between Iran and its US-lead rivals later this month.

Feb. 25 is the date scheduled for the new round of on-off talks between Iran and the US, Russia, China, the EU, France and Britain over the Iranian nuclear programme.

Click here for the FT story

Click here for the Reuters story

Click here for the Aljazeera story

Click here for the Voice of America story


 
Kazakhstan may join WTO in 2013, says WTO chief

WTO chief Pascal Lamy says that Kazakhstan may join the WTO later this year.

Read the Reuters story here


 
New chief for Kazakh border guards

Less than a month after the head of Kazakhstan’s border guards service died in a plane crash, President Nursultan Nazarbayev has appointed a successor.

2012 was a tough year for the border guard agency. It had to deal with the murders of 14 of its soldiers and then the plane crash which killed many of its senior staff.

Read the Trend story here


 
Kazakh border guards chief killed in air crash, news agencies

A military plane has crashed near Shymkent in southern Kazakhstan reportedly killing 27 people, including the acting head of the border guard service.

News agencies reported that the plane had been flying from Astana when it crashed about 20km from the city of Shymkent near the border with Uzbekistan.

Witnesses said that the weather had been bad.

Twenty military officals, including the head of the national border guard agency Turganbek Stambekov, and seven crew were killed.

Read the story on the BBC

Read the Reuters story

Read the VOA story

Read the story on Russia Today


 
Kazakhstan considers taking back space rocket launch site

Kazakhstan has floated the idea that it may consider taking back the Baikonur space rocket launch site from Russia.

Read the NBC story here

and read the Eurasianet story here

or the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty version of the story here