Qyrymbek Kösherbaev

Qyrymbek Elewuly Kösherbaev (; born 20 May 1955) is a Kazakh politician who's serving as the State Secretary of Kazakhstan since 2019. Prior to that, Kösherbaev served as the head of the Presidential Administration, äkim of Qyzylorda Region from 2013 to 2019, First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from 2012 to 2013, äkim of Manghystaw Region from 2006 to 2011, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Russia, Finland and Armenia from 2003 to 2006, äkim of West Kazakhstan Region from 2000 to 2003, and the Minister of Education and Science from 1997 to 2000.

Biography

Early life and career Kösherbaev was born in the city of Kazalinsk (present-day Qazaly) in the Qyzylorda Region. His father Elew Kösherbaev was also an eminent politician of the Qyzylorda Region and was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of several districts, such as Qarmaqshy and Qazaly. His grandfather Kösherbai Daribaev was the Hero of Socialist Labour. In 1978, Kösherbaev graduated from Sätbaev University as a specialist in civil engineering.

After graduating, Kösherbaev was an engineer and the chief of group of preparation of production PMK-112 "Glavrissovkhozstroi" in Qyzylorda. From 1979 to 1988, he held several positions at Komsomol of the Qyzylorda Region and Central Committee of the Komsomol in the Kazakh SSR.

On 24 January 2006, Kösherbaev was appointed as the äkim of Manghystaw Region. Following the Zhangaözen massacre where 14 oil workers in the city square were killed by police on 16 December 2011, during the Independence Day celebration, Kösherbaev stated "Let the journalists see with their own eyes what the criminals have done. They have already crossed the line, blood has been shed, human casualties have appeared. Now they have to answer to the fullest before the law." Shortly after the tragic event, on 22 December 2011, Kösherbaev was dismissed from his post by President Nursultan Nazarbaev and was succeeded by a Senator and Former Minister of Internal Affairs Bauyrzhan Mukhamedzhanov.

On 13 July 2012, he became an adviser to the President of Kazakhstan and served the office until 26 September 2012, when Kösherbaev was appointed as the First Deputy Prime Minister under Akhmetov's government. He was shortly replaced by Baqytzhan Saghyntaev on 16 January 2013. The following day, on 17 January 2013, Kösherbaev was appointed as the äkim of Qyzylorda Region.

On 28 June 2019, Kösherbaev was appointed as the head of the Presidential Administration of Kazakhstan by Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev. He served that position until he became the State Secretary of Kazakhstan on 18 September 2019. On January 5, 2022, he was relieved of his post as Secretary of State.

In November 2022, Kösherbaev, by decision of the board of "KazMunayGas", was elected a member of the Board of Directors of "Embamunaigas" JSC.

Awards The Order of "Parasat" (2003) The Order of "Friendship" (the Russian Federation, 2006) The Order of "Barys" of ІІ degrees (2009) The Order of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2015)