Kazinform

Kazinform, also known by the Kazakh name QazAqparat, is a Kazakh international news agency headquartered in Astana. It is one of the country's largest and most established media organizations, with editorial coverage centered on Kazakhstan, Central Asia and wider Eurasian affairs. Its output includes political, economic, social, cultural and international reporting, together with official information and current-affairs material intended for domestic and overseas audiences. The agency traces its institutional origins to 13 August 1920, when an Orenburg-Turgai department of the Russian Telegraph Agency, or ROSTA, was established under the All-Union Central Executive Committee. During the Soviet period the organization changed names as its administrative role evolved. It became KazROST in 1925 and KazTAG in 1937. These predecessor institutions served as central information providers for the Kazakh Soviet republic and created the organizational continuity later associated with Kazinform. Following Kazakhstan's independence, the agency was restructured in 1992 as the Kazakh State Information Agency while retaining the KazTAG name. A 1997 presidential order renamed it KazAAG, and the Kazakh government adopted the name Kazinform in 2002. These changes reflected the agency's transition from a Soviet republic information office into a national news institution operating within Kazakhstan's independent state system. Kazinform's ownership and administrative placement have changed several times. In 2008 it was associated with the Arna-Media holding company. After the government dissolved Arna Media on 5 May 2010, Kazinform and related organizations were transferred to the Ministry of Communications and Information. That ministry was later disbanded, and in 2013 the agency was reorganized as the limited liability partnership International Information Agency Kazinform. In 2019, Government Decree No. 631 merged Kazcontent JSC into Kazinform and reorganized the institution as Kazinform International Agency JSC. In 2022 the agency was incorporated into the Television and Radio Complex of the President of Kazakhstan; since 2023 it has operated within the structure associated with Kazakhstan's Presidential Property Management Department. The brand's principal offering is a continuously updated news service distributed through its website and language editions. Kazinform has maintained a strong focus on Kazakh-language and Russian-language reporting while also serving international readers through English-language content. Its reporting role is particularly visible for government, diplomacy, public administration, economic development and major national events. As a state-associated news organization, it occupies both a media and public-information function in Kazakhstan's communications environment. Kazinform has also been involved in debates surrounding Kazakh-language romanization. Its website previously used a Latin-based rendering system influenced by Turkish Latin orthography for Kazakh-language material. In 2019, the Latin Kazakh version of the site began adopting a revised 2018 romanization system, and the earlier approach was subsequently discontinued. This episode reflected broader national discussions about a possible transition from the Cyrillic alphabet to Latin script and about the design of a practical Kazakh Latin alphabet. The agency remains active as a national and international news provider. Its historical continuity, government links, multilingual publishing and concentration on Kazakhstan and Eurasian affairs distinguish it from commercial broadcasters, newspapers and purely private digital publishers.

Kazinform's institutional history begins on 13 August 1920, when an Orenburg-Turgai department of the Russian Telegraph Agency was established under the All-Union Central Executive Committee. The organization was part of the Soviet information infrastructure serving the territory that later became Kazakhstan. It was renamed KazROST in 1925 and KazTAG in 1937. KazTAG continued as the principal state information agency of the Kazakh Soviet republic for much of the Soviet period. Its role was to gather, process and distribute official and general news for newspapers, broadcasters and public institutions. The leadership changed repeatedly during this period, including terms associated with Arkady Ivyatich-Kirillov, Konstantin Nefedov, Zhusip Altaybaev, Kenesbay Usebaev, Kasym Sharipov, Kakimzhan Kazybaev, Zhumagali Ismagulov and Amangeldy Akhmetalimov. After Kazakhstan became independent, KazTAG was transformed in 1992 from an information agency under the Council of Ministers into the Kazakh State Information Agency while retaining the KazTAG designation. In 1997, President Nursultan Nazarbayev ordered another renaming, and the institution became KazAAG. The government adopted the name Kazinform in 2002, establishing the brand under which the agency is now generally recognized. The agency's institutional status continued to change in the following decades. In 2008 it belonged to the Arna-Media holding company. On 5 May 2010, the government dissolved Arna Media and transferred Kazinform and other organizations to the Ministry of Communications and Information. When that ministry was disbanded in 2012, the agency's organizational framework was revised again. In 2013, it became the limited liability partnership International Information Agency Kazinform. A further restructuring took place in 2019. Under Government Decree No. 631, Kazcontent JSC was merged into the agency, which was reorganized as Kazinform International Agency JSC. In 2022 the agency was incorporated into the Television and Radio Complex of the President of Kazakhstan. Since 2023 it has operated as part of the institutional structure connected with the Presidential Property Management Department. Kazinform developed as a multilingual digital news provider with a primary editorial emphasis on Kazakhstan and Eurasia. Its services include Kazakh-, Russian- and English-language reporting. The agency covers government, politics, economics, society, culture, sports and international affairs. Its state-associated position gives it an important role in distributing official information and presenting Kazakhstan-related news to audiences outside the country. The brand also participated in Kazakhstan's wider debate over the romanization of the Kazakh language. Before 2019, its Latin Kazakh output used a system based partly on Turkish Latin orthography. The agency later adopted the revised 2018 romanization system on its Latin-language website. This change took place amid national discussion about a potential move from Cyrillic to Latin script and about the details of the proposed alphabet. Kazinform remains an active international news agency based in Astana.

1. 2023Operated under the Presidential Property Management structure

   The agency began operating as part of the structure associated with Kazakhstan's Presidential Property Management Department.

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2. 2022Joined the Presidential Television and Radio Complex

   Kazinform International Information Agency JSC was incorporated into the Television and Radio Complex of the President of Kazakhstan.

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3. 2019Kazcontent merger and joint-stock reorganization

   Government Decree No. 631 merged Kazcontent JSC into Kazinform and reorganized the agency as Kazinform International Agency JSC.

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4. 2013Reorganized as an LLP

   The agency was reorganized as International Information Agency Kazinform, a limited liability partnership.

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5. 2010Transferred after Arna Media dissolution

   After Arna Media was dissolved, Kazinform was transferred to the Ministry of Communications and Information.

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6. 2002Kazinform brand adopted

   The Kazakh government renamed the agency Kazinform.

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7. 1997Renamed KazAAG

   A presidential order changed the agency's name to KazAAG.

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8. 1992Converted into Kazakhstan's state information agency

   Following independence, KazTAG was transformed into the Kazakh State Information Agency while retaining its previous name.

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9. 1937Renamed KazTAG

   The organization became KazTAG, the name it retained through the Soviet era and into the early independence period.

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10. 1925Renamed KazROST

    The agency adopted the KazROST name during the Soviet period.

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11. 1920Institutional predecessor established

    An Orenburg-Turgai department of the Russian Telegraph Agency was established on 13 August, creating the institutional lineage later associated with Kazinform.

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A national, state-associated international news agency focused on authoritative coverage of Kazakhstan and Eurasia, with multilingual digital distribution.

• Kazinform online news serviceDigital news agency

  The agency's core digital service publishes continuously updated reporting on Kazakhstan, Eurasia and international affairs. Coverage spans politics, government, economics, society, culture, sports and diplomacy, and is distributed for domestic readers as well as international audiences.

• Kazakh-language news serviceLanguage edition

  The Kazakh-language service provides national and international reporting for Kazakh-speaking audiences. It has also served as a channel through which the agency implemented changes to Kazakh Latin-script romanization.

• Russian-language news serviceLanguage edition

  The Russian-language service distributes Kazakh, Eurasian and international current-affairs reporting and reflects the agency's longstanding role in the multilingual information environment of Kazakhstan.

• English-language news serviceLanguage edition

  The English-language service presents Kazakhstan and Eurasian news to international readers, including coverage of state affairs, economics, diplomacy and regional developments.

• 2022Incorporate Kazinform into the Presidential Television and Radio ComplexStrategy

  Kazinform underwent another change in institutional affiliation after earlier ministry and holding-company reorganizations.

  What changed. Kazinform International Information Agency JSC was incorporated into the Television and Radio Complex of the President of Kazakhstan.

  Aftermath. The agency became part of a presidentially associated broadcasting and media structure and subsequently operated within the Presidential Property Management framework.

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• 2019Merge Kazcontent into KazinformM&A

  The government revised the structure of state-associated digital and information assets.

  What changed. Government Decree No. 631 merged Kazcontent JSC into Kazinform and reorganized the agency as Kazinform International Agency JSC.

  Aftermath. The merger consolidated the agency's legal and organizational position within Kazakhstan's state media infrastructure.

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• 2022Kazinform incorporated into the Presidential Television and Radio Complex

  Kazinform International Information Agency JSC was incorporated into Kazakhstan's Television and Radio Complex of the President.

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• 2019Kazcontent merged into Kazinform

  Government Decree No. 631 merged Kazcontent JSC into Kazinform and created the Kazinform International Agency JSC structure.

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• 2019Kazinform adopted a revised Kazakh Latin-script romanization system

  The agency's Latin Kazakh-language website began using the revised 2018 romanization system, replacing its earlier Turkish Latin-influenced rendering.

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• 2010Kazinform reorganized following the dissolution of Arna Media

  The government dissolved the Arna-Media holding structure and transferred Kazinform and other related organizations to the Ministry of Communications and Information.

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1. Kazinform
2. Qazinform official website