Calgary, Toronto, May 15, 2026 – Akim of the Akmola Region, Marat Akhmetzhanov, paid a working visit to Canada aimed at advancing bilateral cooperation in the fields of agribusiness, investment, and tourism.As part of the program in the Province of Ontario, the Head of the Region held meetings with the leadership of Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, as well as with representatives of Canada’s export credit agency. During the discussions, the parties explored prospects for implementing joint projects in agricultural product processing, agricultural machinery manufacturing, and the introduction of advanced solutions in the agro-industrial sector aimed at increasing productivity and strengthening the region’s export potential.In the Province of Alberta, the Akim of the Akmola Region held a series of meetings with representatives of leading agri-tech companies to discuss the implementation of precision farming systems, digital monitoring technologies, automation of production processes, and modern irrigation solutions.The delegation also visited Olds College – one of Canada’s leading centers for agricultural technology development. Mr. Akhmetzhanov familiarized himself with the practical application of autonomous agricultural machinery, precision fertilizer technologies, digital field mapping, and real-time data analysis systems.In addition, during the visit, the Head of the Region toured the national parks of Niagara (Ontario) and Banff (Alberta), where he met with the administrations of these sites. Particular attention was given to discussing the application of advanced technologies used in Canadian national parks to improve service quality and support tourism development in the Akmola Region, including the Shchuchinsk-Borovoe resort area.Overall, the visit of the Kazakh delegation demonstrated the mutual interest of both sides in strengthening practical cooperation between the regions of Kazakhstan and Canada in the areas of agriculture, industry, and tourism.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-ottawa/press/news/details/1221822?lang=kk

Cairo, April 8, 2026 — With the support of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Egypt, Ambassador Kairat Sarybay, Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), made a working visit to Cairo.During the visit, he met with Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Amr Sherbini, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates of Egypt, Mohamed El-Orabi, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt and candidate for the CICA Council of Eminent Persons and Seif Kandeel, Director of the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding.During the talks with the League of Arab States Secretary General Kairat Sarybay, praising the League's long-standing role as a CICA observer since 2002, noted that the eight Arab member states of CICA make a significant contribution to strengthening ties and promoting regional cooperation. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to multilateral cooperation and peaceful conflict resolution as pillars of regional integration.At a meeting with Amr Sherbini, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates, Kairat Sarybay praised Egypt's active participation in implementing confidence-building measures in various areas throughout 2025.The sides discussed the institutional development of CICA and the priorities of the Azerbaijani chairmanship, focusing on the outcomes of the recent Senior Officials Committee meeting in Astana this week and the clarification of the CICA Charter ahead of the 7th Summit in Baku. The officials also discussed the changing security situation in West Asia and Egypt's role in fostering CICA ties with Africa.Kairat Sarybay discussed geopolitical developments and security prospects in West Asia with Mohamed El-Orabi, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt and candidate for the CICA Council of Eminent Persons. Their dialogue focused on CICA's role in strengthening regional trust through its key institutions, including the Council of Eminent Persons, the Women's Council, the Youth Council, and the Think Tank Forum. They also discussed the priorities of Azerbaijan's chairmanship and the transformation of CICA into a full-fledged international organization at the upcoming Baku Summit.During talks with Seif Kandeel, Director of the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding, the discussion focused on women's issues, the international peace and security agenda, and youth deradicalization. Both sides agreed to explore opportunities for capacity building between the CICA Youth Council and the Aswan Forum.During his working visit, Secretary-General Kairat Sarybay attended the presentation of the Arabic translation of the monograph "The Near and Middle East in the System of International Relations" at Cairo University.The book was authored by the distinguished Kazakh diplomat, the late Ambassador Askar Mussinov, who dedicated his career to strengthening ties between Kazakhstan and the Middle East and developing Islamic cooperation.Reflecting on his long-standing professional and personal relationship with the author, Kairat Sarybay described the book as the intellectual legacy of a statesman, serving as a diplomatic bridge that continues to strengthen mutual trust and cooperation in the Arab world and beyond.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-cairo/press/news/details/1221831?lang=kk

Cairo, April 9, 2026 — A presentation of the Arabic edition of the book “The Near and Middle East in the System of International Relations” by the distinguished diplomat A. Mussinov took place at the historic and world-renowned Cairo University, organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Arab Republic of Egypt.The Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Egypt, Askar Zhengis, in his opening speech at the presentation of the book, spoke about the role of A.Mussinov in Kazakh diplomacy and the indelible work that he left to the younger generation.He also touched upon current issues in relations between Kazakhstan and Egypt and spoke about the work being carried out to further deepen them.He expressed gratitude to the guests who specially came to this event.The ceremony was attended by senior figures from Kazakhstan’s diplomatic service, K.Sarybay, Secretary-General of the CICA, and Ambassador B.Batyrshaev, Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, who attended on the special instructions of the head of the Foreign Ministry.In his speech, K.Sarybay spoke about A. Mussinov’s life and highlighted his significant contribution to the development of Kazakhstan’s relations with Arab states.Ministerial Adviser B.Batyrshayev delivered a special message from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan and spoke in detail about A. Mussinov’s professional career.Also during this event, the audience was presented with a greeting video sent by the General Director of IOFS B.Aryn. In his address, he spoke about A. Mussinov’s contribution to the development of the Islamic world and briefly highlighted the key moments of his life.Among the distinguished guests from the Egyptian side was Amr Moussa, a prominent figure in the Arab world, former Egyptian Foreign Minister and former Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, who had the honour of cutting the ribbon at the official book launch ceremony.   In addition, former Foreign Minister of Egypt Mohammed Al-Orabi, who took part in the event, noted the extensive work done to translate the book into Arabic, covering current issues, and noted that it is an irreplaceable legacy for every researcher and scholar interested in Middle Eastern topics.In his speech, Ambassador Ezzat Saad Al-Sayed, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of ARE and current Director of the Egyptian Foreign Affairs Council, elaborated on the activities of A.Mussinov during his tenure as Ambassador to Egypt in 1999-2002, and highly appreciated his role in politically significant events in relations between the two countries.The former governor of the Red Sea province and current chairman of the Kazakh-Egyptian Friendship Association Ahmed Abdullah also noted the author's contribution to the development of relations between the two countries.At the book presentation ceremony, the family of Ambassador A. Mussinov, who specially arrived from Kazakhstan, expressed gratitude to the Embassy for the work of translating the book and presented gifts to the guests of honor present. As part of the presentation, the audience was shown a video about the biography of A.Mussinov.In addition, foreign ambassadors accredited to Egypt, local writers, politicians and media representatives were among the guests present at the event. Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-cairo/press/news/details/1221832?lang=kk

Kazakhstan will host its first international film festival dedicated to artificial intelligence – the Astana AI Film Festival (AAIFF 2026). The project concept and the launch of the application process were introduced at a press conference in the capital.According to the organizers, the central event of the festival will be an international competition of short films created using artificial intelligence. Creators from all over the world will be eligible to participate, regardless of country of origin, experience, or access to a professional studio.“We expect the Astana AI Film Festival to become an annual event in the creative industries and a sustainable international platform for new formats and emerging names. Participation is open to everyone: both teams and individual creators can submit their work,”said Aizatulla Hussain, founder of Ozen and one of the festival’s organizers.Applications will open in May 2026 and can be submitted via the festival’s official website.“According to the competition rules, participants must create an AI-generated short film of up to 10 minutes and upload it to the festival’s platform along with a project description. Applications will be accepted from May through the end of August,” noted Almas Zhali, festival organizer and head of Brave Talents.Astana AI Film Festival is scheduled to take place in autumn 2026. The festival will serve as a platform for projects at the intersection of the film industry and AI technologies, bringing together authors, digital creators, technology companies, experts, and investors.The total prize fund will amount to $1 million, making it one of the largest in its category. The project is financed through sponsorship and partnership contributions.The festival program will include film screenings, an AI content conference, as well as pitch sessions for creators and producers.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-cairo/press/news/details/1221834?lang=kk

Sharm El Sheikh, May 10, 2026 — The Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Askar Zhengis, held a meeting with the newly appointed Governor of South Sinai,  Ismail Kamal.The parties discussed the current state and prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation, including at the regional level.Particular attention was paid to cooperation in the tourism sector, given the significant flow of Kazakh tourists to Sharm El-Sheikh and the Egyptian side’s interest in creating favorable conditions for their stay.The meeting also addressed issues related to the protection of the rights of Kazakh citizens visiting South Sinai and providing them with necessary consular and legal support.Following the meeting, the parties reaffirmed their mutual commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation and expressed readiness to intensify engagement across all areas discussed.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-cairo/press/news/details/1221835?lang=kk