The opening ceremony of the international forum "Kazakhstan National Urban Forum 2025 – Kyzylorda" was held at the Center of Arts. The international forum was attended by Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerlan Nysanbayev, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Akan Rakhmetullin, representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan, deputies of the Senate and Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, UN Permanent Coordinator in Kazakhstan Sarango Radnaragcha, representatives of UN-Habitat, UN representatives in Kazakhstan, deputy akims of regions and heads of departments from all regions of the country. The head of the region, Nurlybek Nalibayev, wished the forum participants success and noted the extensive work done in the region. "President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich noted that Kazakhstan is in the process of sustainable urbanization. Million-plus cities are the backbone of the country's global competitiveness, and regional centers should become the core of their regions' growth. In the modern era of urbanization, one of the main tasks is to maintain an ecological balance and improve the quality of life of the population in the process of sustainable urban development. Kyzylorda is a traditional agricultural region. Although Kyzylorda is not a megalopolis, it has embarked on the path of intensive urbanization and has taken concrete steps to improve the level of urban infrastructure and quality of life, as well as to diversify the economy. The share of the urban population is growing, and about 50% of the region's residents live in the regional center. The Kyzylorda region, with the special support of the President and the Government, conducts systematic work in line with the goals of sustainable development, aimed at shaping the modern image of the region through specific strategies. Currently, the regional budget has exceeded 750 billion tenge. These funds are used to solve the most pressing problems of the region, improve the quality of life of the population and implement large-scale infrastructure projects. A new thermal power plant with a capacity of 240 MW worth 215 billion tenge is being built in Kyzylorda with the support of the head of state. The Turkish company Aksa Energy invested more than 135 billion tenge, and the construction was completed by 80%. The center is expected to be put into operation in September. In addition, on the basis of an intergovernmental agreement with Qatar, a combined-cycle gas plant with a capacity of 1,100 MW worth 892 billion tenge will be built in the southern regions to avoid electricity shortages. This megaproject will be fully launched in 2028. Today's forum is a platform to strengthen our joint initiatives to transform cities into liveable, climate–resilient, and inclusive centers. For us, the forum is not just a discussion, but a path to real partnership. We believe that this will give an impetus to further improvement of this work and will contribute to important steps towards achieving common goals in shaping the future of cities," N. Nalibayev said. Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerlan Nysanbayev, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Akan Rakhmetullin, Chairman of the Committee on Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the Ministry of Regional Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan Bauyrzhan Zhunisbekov, UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan Sarango Radnaragcha, Deputy Executive Director of UN-Habitat Rafael Toots, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Nations in Kazakhstan, Sukhrob Khodzhimitov. In addition, a video recording of the speech by Anaklaudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, was shown.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/kyzylorda-syrdarya/press/news/details/1031652?lang=kk