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Tokayev’s decree on renaming capital of Kazakhstan to Astana enters into effect

It enters into effect since the day of publishing

ASTANA, September 19. /TASS/. The decree of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on renaming of the capital to Astana enters into effect on Monday after it was published in the official newspaper.

The decree was published on September 19 at midnight. It enters into effect since the day of publishing. The newspaper also published a decree on amendment of the Constitution.

On September 17, Tokayev signed a bill on amendment of the Constitution, which returns the capital its old name of Astana. He signed the decree on renaming of the capital on the same day. In addition, the Constitutional amendments limit the presidential term to seven years without re-election option.

In 1997, the first president of Kazakhstan moved the capital from Almaty to Akmola, which was renamed to Astana in 1998. On March 23, 2019, the current president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree on renaming of Astana to Nur-Sultan in Nazarbayev’s honor. The Day of the Capital - July 6 - is the national holiday in Kazakhstan.

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