Controversy surrounds Kazakh Information and Culture Minister Yermukhammet Ertisbaev over his ejection of a television station from a press conference and his subsequent rude and defiant behavior in defending the action and attacking other media outlets.

President Nursultan Nazarbaev says Kazakhstan is considering building an oil refinery at a Black Sea port in Georgia.

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Miklos Haraszti has called on Kazakhstan's authorities to abandon plans to require licenses for all printing presses.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is expected in Kazakhstan today for talks on cooperation in transport, trade, and energy, RFE/RL's Georgian Service reported.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has underscored the need for a strategy that will help make the energy-rich country's economy globally competitive.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said after meeting with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev in Astana that the two countries are "strategic partners."

An OSCE trial-monitoring report released in Kazakhstan has identified the need for further steps to be taken to uphold fair trial standards in the country.

Kazakh Defense Minister Daniyal Akhmetov says he will work with Russian officials to draft a plan within a month to reorganize the Kazakh armed forces.

A Kazakh military jet crashed during a training flight today, killing both pilots.