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Kazakhstan news
Bayte-3, an ancient sanctuary dating to the 4th-3rd centuries BC, lies in the Ustyurt steppe of West Kazakhstan, Qazinform News Agency reports. Located about 20 kilometers northeast of the village of Sai-Otes in Mangistau region, the site was investigated in 1998 by the West Kazakhstan archaeological expedition.
Kazakhstan's sunflower oil exports rose 48.5% in January–August to $672.8 million, according to the Agriculture Ministry, as cited by Qazinform News Agency. In volume terms, exports grew 35.9% to 611,400 tons.
Society
The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population of Kazakhstan has explained why families with the same number of children may need different state support. According to the ministry, from 1 January 2027, the assignment of certain state benefits in Kazakhstan will take into account the level of a family's social well-being, not only its membership in a particular social category.
Science
The National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan marked its 80th anniversary on October 17 with a solemn gathering. Attending were heads of state bodies, leaders of foreign academies of sciences, and leading Kazakhstani and foreign scientists. The report, citing the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, was published by Kazinform.
Kazakhstani citizens will be able to transfer up to 100% of their accumulated pension savings to private management. The Committee for Regulation and Control in the Sphere of Social Protection of the Population of the Ministry of Labour of Kazakhstan announced this.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov has proposed a special trust fund to protect Lake Issyk-Kul, pledging an initial 10 million US dollars from the state budget. As reported by the Kabar news agency, he called on international donors and financial institutions to support the initiative.
Technology
Turkey aims to create 100,000 technology startups with a combined value of $100 billion by 2030. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the statement while speaking at the 13th Innovation Week of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) in Istanbul.
Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozymbayev, on a working trip to Almaty, inspected civil protection facilities and reviewed seismological monitoring and public warning systems. He then held a council on seismic safety at the Almaty city akimat, attended by city akim Darkhan Satybaldy and representatives of sectoral ministries.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said that Cambodians who studied in Kazakhstan now hold senior posts in their country's government. He made the remarks at expanded talks with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, according to Akorda. Hun Manet said more than 120 Cambodian students were trained in Kazakhstan, and many later took high state positions, including governors of several provinces, state secretaries and ministry staff.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and his delegation will get acquainted with Kazakhstan's artificial intelligence developments at the Alem.ai international centre. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced this during expanded-format talks.
Kazakhstan is developing new projects to advance the nationwide Taza Qazaqstan initiative, Qazinform News Agency reports. Vice President Erlan Karin announced the plans on his social media accounts.
Ministers and senior officials responsible for information in member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) gathered in Astana for the 8th meeting, Egemen Qazaqstan reported. Attendees included First Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Kanat Yskakov, Deputy Secretary General Ömer Koçaman, and representatives from Uzbekistan, Türkiye, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan.
Diplomacy
Kazakhstan's ambassador to Russia, Dauren Abayev, took part in a conference of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on security in Central Asia and Afghanistan. Kazinform reported this, citing the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan's foreign trade turnover reached $103 billion in January–August 2026, up 12.8% year on year, the Ministry of Trade and Integration reported. Exports grew more than four times faster than imports. Exports totalled $60.4 billion, up 19.5%, while imports rose 4.5% to $42.6 billion, lifting the trade surplus to $17.8 billion from $9.8 billion a year earlier.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet visited Astana to study Kazakhstan's digitalisation experience. He held talks with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and the two sides agreed to cooperate in e-government, digital technologies and artificial intelligence. A Joint Statement is to be adopted today and several documents will be signed.
Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held talks in Astana with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who arrived on his first official visit to Kazakhstan. The Government's press service told Qazinform News Agency that the two delegations discussed ways to expand trade and economic cooperation. Kazakhstan views Cambodia as an important and reliable partner in Southeast Asia.
The Kazakh government plans to end social benefits for wealthy citizens, a move expected to save 700 billion tenge in 2027 and almost 2.5 trillion tenge over three years. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said that shifting to needs-based payments would end the unfairness of wealthy and low-income families receiving the same support. The Ministry of Labour said about 1.38 million households, or 21% of recipients, will lose benefits, including those with incomes above 305,000 tenge per person per month who own large or medium businesses, several properties or premium cars.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet adopted a joint statement following negotiations, according to Egemen.kz, which cited the Presidential press service Akorda.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who arrived in Kazakhstan on an official visit, held one-on-one talks with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Hun Manet thanked the president for the invitation and noted that the two countries have maintained diplomatic relations for more than 30 years. The information comes from Qazinform News Agency, citing the Akorda press service.
Kazakhstan will mark Republic Day on October 25. For the national holiday, more than 120 solemn, cultural and educational, sports, environmental and social events are planned in Astana. The programme includes concerts, exhibitions, plays, sports tournaments, festive campaigns and the opening of new facilities. The information was reported by 24KZ, citing the official website of the Astana akimat.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet arrived in Kazakhstan on an official visit and was met at the Akorda presidential residence by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Economy
Kazakhstan's foreign trade turnover reached $103 billion in January–August 2026, according to the Ministry of Trade and Integration. The figure represents an increase of 12.8% compared with the same period of the previous year. Kazinform reports the information, citing the ministry.
The International Monetary Fund projects that Kazakhstan's inflation will fall to 8.2% in 2027, while economic growth is expected to accelerate to 4.9%, according to the IMF's latest World Economic Outlook. The report was released on October 13 at the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok.
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told the COP17 Leaders' Summit on biodiversity about his country's efforts to restore rare species.
Today's top Turkic news: Uzbekistan-China ties, Samarkand visit, Kulubaev-Rubio talks, Northern Cyprus festival and Turkmen desertification centre.
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