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Presidential chief of staff appointed Kazakhstan’s new prime minister

Olzhas Bektenov has been serving as Kazakhstan’s presidential chief of staff since April 2023

ASTANA, February 6. /TASS/. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has appointed Olzhas Bektenov, presidential chief of staff, as the country’s new prime minister, the presidential press service said.

"Olzhas Bektenov is hereby relieved from his previous post and appointed as Kazakhstan’s prime minister," the president’s decree reads.

Earlier, lower house members overwhelmingly approved Bektenov for prime minister.

Bektenov, 43, has been serving as Kazakhstan’s presidential chief of staff since April 2023. Previously, he served as chairman of the Anti-Corruption Agency.

Tokayev has also reappointed Murat Nurtleu as deputy prime minister and foreign minister, while Ruslan Zhaksylykov was reappointed as defense minister. Interior Minister Yerzhan Sadenov also retained his post.

On February 5, the Kazakh president accepted the resignation of Alikhan Smailov’s government. The reasons behind the move weren’t clarified. First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar was appointed as acting prime minister. Cabinet members were instructed to continue to perform their duties until a new government was formed.

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