Kazakh parliament approves constitutional amendments renaming capital

NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan

The Kazakh parliament on Friday approved constitutional amendments renaming the capital from Nur-Sultan to Astana.

The draft law, envisaging arrangements in some articles of the constitution, was adopted during a joint meeting of the parliament's lower and upper houses.

The draft law now awaits Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's signature.

Once signed by Tokayev, it is expected to revert to its previous name of Astana, which it held until 2019.

In 2019, the country's capital was renamed Nur-Sultan in honor of outgoing President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

* Writing by Zehra Nur Duz