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Air Transport

Air Astana Preparing for IPO

Air Astana has officially confirmed its participation in the listing of securities on the London Stock Exchange, the IFCA Stock Exchange (AIX), and the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE). This was first announced at a briefing on January 19th, which was attended by Dastan Adikhodzhaev, the director of privatization and restructuring of assets of Samruk Kazyna JSC, and Peter Foster, the president of Air Astana JSC. Adikhodzhaev noted that this decision was taken to support the instructions of the President of Kazakhstan, and to maintain a comprehensive plan for privatization for 2021-2025. "Privatization of part of state blocks, especially by bringing our largest companies to IPO, SPO is an important part. Tasks are being solved progressively, and in recent years we have made significant progress in this direction," said Adikhodzhaev. At the upcoming IPO it is planned to sell common shares in the national currency, as well as global depositary receipts in U.S. dollars. For the realization of the local offering, the company has attracted Halyk Finance JSC as joint bookrunner, Freedom Finance Global PLC as lead manager, as well as BCC Invest JSC, SkyBridge Invest JSC and Jusan Invest JSC as co-managers. The IPO is scheduled to begin on January 29th. "On behalf of the Company, I am pleased to officially confirm our intention to take Air Astana Group public,"President and CEO of Air Astana, Peter Foster commented. "As the largest airline group in Central Asia and the Caucasus, we believe that our industry status, market position and growth profile represent an attractive investment opportunity. This is an important milestone in our long-term strategy and we look forward to welcoming new Kazakhstani and international investors as shareholders of the group. The Company intends to raise an additional $120 million." According to the Skytrax World Airline Awards, Air Astana was the Best Airline in Central Asia and the CIS in 2023, the eleventh time the company has won this title. Air Astana also has a five-star rating in the category of the largest airlines by APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association).

10 months ago

France Climate Change

The Senate of Kazakhstan approves an agreement with France on fighting climate change

Kazakhstan has signed an agreement with France concerning issues related to climate change. This agreement helps Kazakhstan to contribute to the fight against climate change, and provides for joint efforts to implement major projects in the field of renewable energy and sustainable development in the country. One of the biggest initiatives envisaged under this agreement is the Mirny project. Its main goal is to create a hybrid power plant with a total capacity of 1 GW, which will operate using wind energy. This power plant is planned to be located in the Zhambyl region, close to the town of Mirny. This project will be vital in developing energy sources that do not harm the environment.

10 months ago

Diar Diyori Qatar

Infrastructure development: Qatari investors see prospects in Tajikistan

During a state visit to Qatar, Tajik president Emomali Rahmon met with Ahmad Muhammad Tayyib, the head of investment at the Qatari company Diyori, to discuss the implementation of the ‘Diar Dushanbe’ construction project. Qatari companies see prospects for investing in Tajikistan’s tourism infrastructure and social facilities. During the meeting with Mr Rahmon the parties expressed the need for timely realization of the next stages of construction of the project. The Diar Dushanbe project was identified as a “5-star multifunctional complex", which emphasizes its importance for the development of the region. Diar Dushanbe will have an autonomous system for water and energy supply. It will also include business and shopping centers, restaurants, cafes and apartments.

10 months ago

China Tourism

Year of Kazakhstan Tourism in China to Begin in March

On January 22nd, Kazakhstan’s minister for tourism and sports, Ermek Marzhikpayev, discussed with his Chinese counterpart, Sun Yeli, plans for holding the ‘Year of Kazakhstan Tourism in China’ in 2024, the Kazakh Ministry of Tourism and Sports has reported. During the meeting, the Kazakh Ministry of Tourism and Sports presented the concept for the Year of Kazakhstan Tourism, which includes a number of large events in major Chinese cities. This year was declared the ‘Year of Kazakhstan Tourism in China’ during an official visit to China in 2023 by Kazakhstan’s president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The official opening of the Year of Tourism is scheduled for the end of March, and in total more than 25 different events are planned. “China is one of the priority tourism markets and partners for Kazakhstan. This is due to the geographical location of the two countries and deep historical ties along the Silk Road. Today, the tourist flow between our countries is returning to pre-pandemic levels,” Mr Marzhikpayev said. China was second on the list of countries whose citizens visited Kazakhstan in 2023, behind only Russia. According to official statistics, over the first nine months of last year more than 75,000 Chinese tourists stayed in Kazakh hotels, while over 200,000 visitors from China came to Kazakhstan overall. With the introduction of a visa-free regime for Chinese citizens from November 10th last year, and the planned increase in the number of direct flights between Kazakhstan and China to 30 per week this year, a further increase in the tourist flow from China is expected, the ministry said.

10 months ago

Agriculture

Kazakhstan Seeks FAO Support in Promoting Exports of Aport Apples

During his official visit to Italy on January 18th, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Qu Dongyu. Tokayev and the FAO head attended a presentation of the famous Kazakh aport apples as part of the FAO’s One Country One Priority Product program, the Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture reported. “Kazakhstan is widely known as the birthplace of apples,” the President said. “Aport apples grow in the vicinity of Almaty, the largest metropolis in our country and my hometown. Translated from Kazakh, ‘Almaty’ means ‘place of abundance of apples.’” Aport apples are distinguished by their large size, distinct smell, and their succulent nature. One of the main landmarks in Almaty, the first sight to greet visitors to the Kok-Tobe Mountain which looms over the city is a granite statue of an apple with water gushing from its core.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image="13860" img_size="full" el_class="scond-image" parallax_scroll="no" woodmart_inline="no"][vc_column_text woodmart_inline="no" text_larger="no"]Tokayev expressed his hope that Kazakhstan’s initiative to promote aport exports on world markets will be supported by the FAO. In 1970, there were 3.8 million aport trees in Kazakhstan, but by 1984, only 1.4 million remained. In 2012, scientific research began on the revival and rejuvenation of the variety, including the establishment of an experimental garden of aport grafted onto Sievers apple trees, where in 2023, Kazakh scholars harvested the first large fruits weighing 400-500 g. FAO's One Country One Priority Product program was launched in September 2021. It focuses on initiatives for the green development of high-value agricultural products with unique qualities and special characteristics associated with a geographic region, agricultural practices, and cultural heritage. Other countries with their own distinct products also participate in the program. For example, Turkey is represented by figs, Moldova by table grapes, and Uzbekistan by cherries.

10 months ago