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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Staff and agencies

Kazakhstan to change name of capital from Nur-sultan back to Astana

Nursultan Nazarbayev Astana KassymJomart Tokayev Kazakhstan Asia
The new city mosque in Astana, Kazakhstan, which has reverted to its original name after being renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019.
The new city mosque in Astana, Kazakhstan, which has reverted to its original name after being renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019. Photograph: Igor Kovalenko/EPA

Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has agreed to restore the former name of the country’s capital just three years after he renamed it in honour of his predecessor, his spokesperson said.

Tokayev’s spokesman, Ruslan Zheliban, said the president agreed to the name change after an initiative by a group of MPs.

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