“Kazakhstan through the Eyes of Foreign Media” contest highlights growing interest in Kazakhstan

Over 80 media representatives and bloggers from approximately 30 countries have applied to participate in the 9th annual contest “Kazakhstan through the Eyes of Foreign Media.”, El.kz cites MFA.

This contest is traditionally organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan in collaboration with Kazakhstan’s Chief Editors’ Club. It serves as a platform to acknowledge the contributions of foreign journalists who provide creative, reliable, and objective information about Kazakhstan to a global audience.

Launched in 2014, the contest has annually recognised outstanding text and video materials across various categories. Participants include representatives from foreign publications and media outlets worldwide, submitting works in formats ranging from print and online articles, popular internet platforms, blogs, and podcasts to traditional TV programmes. The topics covered in these submissions span history, culture, education, tourism, national cuisine, international relations, and Kazakhstan’s investment potential.

This year’s contest partners include the Kazakh Tourism National Company JSC, the Secretariat of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Kazakhstan’s National Sports Association, and the “Jibek Joly” national TV channel. The diverse sponsorship underscores the event’s significance. Notably, in 2023, winners were recognised in seven categories, while this year introduces a new category from the Association of National Sports.

The jury for this year’s contest included Roman Vassilenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Bibigul Zheksenbai, Deputy of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, President of Kazakhstan’s Chief Editors’ Club, Kairat Sadvakassov, Chairman of the Board of Kazakh Tourism, Ambassador Doulat Kuanyshev, Expert in the CICA Military-Political Dimension, and Islambek Salzhanov, President of the Association of National Sports.    

To deepen cultural interaction and enhance their understanding of the country, the winners will be invited to visit Kazakhstan, including trips to Astana, Almaty, and the Mangistau region. During their visit, they will be introduced to the rich cultural and historical heritage of Kazakhstan. Additionally, winners will experience the spirit of the steppe nomadic civilization and witness the World Nomad Games.

As previously, the winners of the contest will participate in exclusive interviews with representatives from the public sector, Kazakhstani experts and journalists, and figures from this year, eight foreign authors from different regions of the world were recognised in various nominations:

• From the Americas: A series of articles by Brazilian journalist Milton Atanazio, published in Foco na Politica, was recognised as the best.
• From Europe: The video report about Kazakhstan on the Italian TV channel Rai by Daniela Bricca was deemed the most outstanding.
• From the CIS and Eurasia: Elena Kosolapova’s report “Middle Corridor: Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan revive the Great Silk Road” on CBC TV Azerbaijan received special attention.
• From the Asia-Pacific region: The work of Japanese journalist Katsuhiro Asagiri in the “International Press Syndicate Japan” was recognised.
• From the Middle East and Africa: The jury especially noted the article by Egyptian journalist Fatma Megahed on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
• Kazakh Tourism Nomination: Spanish journalist Yolanda Garcia won with a series of works in “La Voz de Galicia”.
• CICA Nomination: Alexander Gasyuk’s work published in “Rossiyskaya Gazeta” attracted attention.
• New National Sports Nomination: Ermek Aktanov won with a series of issues on the national radio “Birinchi Radio”.

The annual contest “Kazakhstan through the Eyes of Foreign Media” actively promotes foreign public interest in Kazakhstan’s development trends. It helps popularise the country’s rich natural and cultural heritage while highlighting the region’s potential and attractiveness for foreign investors and tourists worldwide.