+200C
+180C
FIC Discusses Investment Policy, Innovative Development
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
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www.astanatimes.kz
CSTO Presidents in Bishkek Discuss Regional Security, Afghanistan
Efforts to Create UN Regional Diplomacy Hub in Almaty Continue
By Yernat Mukhamadiyev ASTANA – The 26th plenary meeting  of  the  Foreign  Investors  Council took place on May 22 in the Astana Rixos Hotel under the chairmanship of President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. The theme of the meeting was Kazakhstan’s innovative-technological development up to 2020. According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry  of  Industry  and  New  Technologies, during the meeting the council’s participants discussed the implementation of investment policy to improve the investment climate in the country and covered issues of promoting foreign investment in the development of local content, technology transfer and mastering new products with high added value. The meeting also considered a number of government initiatives in  implementing  the  Innovative  Development Concept up to 2020. The concept, taking into account the current challenges, includes the main areas such as developing scientiď€ ďŹ c  competence,  smart  technology transfer and forming an innovative environment. During the meeting, President Nazarbayev suggested a “Triple Seven  Initiativeâ€?  to  promote  the  implementation of innovative projects.
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By Nadezhda Khamitova
-†3 $450 4FDSFUBSZ (FOFSBM /JLPMBJ #PSEZV[IB 1SFTJEFOUT /VSTVMUBO /B[BSCBZFW "MNB[CFL "UBNCBZFW 7MBEJNJS 1VUJO BOE &NPNBMJ 3BLINPO EJTDVTT SFHJPOBM TFDVSJUZ JTTVFT BU UIFJS NFFUJOH JO #JTILFL PO .BZ Tajikistan focused on ways to im- strengthening its security poten- as  well  as  the  common  identiď€ ďŹ caBy George D. Gleboff prove  mutual  cooperation  in Â ď€ ďŹ ght- tial, advancing joint operational tion signs, and is meant to act unOn May 28, heads of four Col- ing threats that may appear after and military training of CSTO der  the  ag  of  the  CSTO. “The presidents took the decilective Security Treaty Organiza- the  withdrawal  of  the  International  forces, especially those connected tion  (CSTO)  member  states  met  Security  Assistance  Forces  (ISAF)  with the Collective Rapid Reac- sions to strengthen the borders of in Bishkek to discuss regional se- from Afghanistan by the end of tion  Force  (CRRF).  The  Collective  the CSTO countries in case of riscurity and Afghanistan today and 2014.  The  presidents  covered  meas- Rapid Reaction Force is meant as ing threats from Afghanistan and to post-Â2014,  when  the  majority  of  ures to strengthen the Tajik-Afghan a conglomerate of member states’ strengthen military components of foreign military forces are expect- border,  the Â ď€ ďŹ ght  against  drug  traf- forces to deal with emergencies, the CSTO member states,â€? CSTO ed to leave that country. ď€ ďŹ cking  out  of  Afghanistan,  illegal  as well as military aggression, ter- Secretary General Nikolai BordyPresidents Nursultan Nazarbayev migration and extremism. rorism, organized crime and drug uzha told the press following the of Kazakhstan, Almazbek AtamHeads of CSTO member states trafď€ ďŹ cking.  It  is  envisioned  as  a  meeting in Bishkek. bayev  of  Kyrgyzstan,  Vladimir  Putin  also discussed further develop- military formation equipped with a Continued on Page A3 of Russia and Emomali Rakhmon of ment of the CSTO system and single form of military equipment,
Sixth Astana Economic Forum and World Anti-Crisis Conference Tackle Global Economic Woes By Rufiya Ospanova ASTANA – Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev greeted several thousands of world leaders, scholars, economists and leading  experts  in  various Â ď€ ďŹ elds  as  he  opened the Sixth Astana Economic Forum  (AEF)  and  the  World  Anti- Crisis  Conference  (WAC)  on  May  23 in Astana. The President set the tone for the forum as he highlighted some
of the economic challenges facing the world. “The  collapse  of  the  Cypriot Â ď€ ďŹ nancial system made us doubt the approaching of an era of overall economic  stability  (following  the  global  economic  crisis).  I  know  there are theories rejecting the relationship of the Cyprus incident with the global crisis. But this is a fact,â€? Nazarbayev said. He noted that many problems of the global crisis have not yet been
tackled and so the global economic crisis cannot yet be considered over.  In  fact,  he  told  the  assembled dignitaries, the crisis has entered a new stage, which will be accompanied by painful outbreaks of  a  number  of  local Â ď€ ďŹ nancial  systems.  “I  believe  this  is  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  lesson that should be learnt and taken into account in the formation of a global anti-crisis plan,â€? he said. Kazakhstan has successfully implemented its anti-crisis
ASTANA, May 27 – Kazakhstan is working with the United Nations on turning Almaty into a UN regional diplomacy hub, the country’s foreign minister announced last week in Astana drawing enthusiastic support from  a  visiting  top  level  UN  ofď€ ďŹ cial. Speaking at a May 23 press conference during the Sixth Astana Economic Forum, Kazakhstan’s Foreign  Minister  Erlan  Idrissov  noted that the establishment of a UN regional hub in Almaty is not an easy process and requires a lot of time and efforts. He has also noted that Almaty has already become an international center which serves regional needs. “The facts that more than 16 ofď€ ďŹ ces  of  the  UN  system  organizations are already present in Almaty and most of them have regional character are the best proof for that,â€?  Idrissov  stressed  adding  that  the work on the establishment of such a hub is a “working process.â€? He went on to highlight Kazakhstan’s readiness to create all conditions needed for the work of international organizations in Almaty, as stated in an earlier meeting between President Nursultan Nazarbayev and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
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Astana Team Captain Nibali Wins Giro d’Italia
programme, which has helped preserve jobs and spur positive economic growth. But that has not been the case worldwide. The President noted that one year ago he proposed a G-Global idea to positive response. The essence of G-Global is to propose positive alternatives to the chaotic dynamics of changing global paradigms as the world continues to develop.
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By Miras Abykov
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ASTANA - The captain of the Astana  Cycling  Team,  Italian  Vincenzo Nibali won the cycle race Giro  d’Italia  on  May  26.  Nibali took the pink jersey after the eighth stage and never left it  until  the Â ď€ ďŹ nish  of  the  race.  In  the  general  classiď€ ďŹ cation,  Italian  beat Colombian Rigoberto Uran (Sky  Team)  by  four  minutes  43  seconds, while he beat Australian Cadel  Evans  (BMC  Racing  Team)  by 5.52 min. On Saturday, May 25, Nibali won the penultimate stage of the race, virtually guaranteeing him  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  place. Super multi-day race “Giro d’Italia  2013â€?  started  in  Naples  in  early May and ended on May 26 in Brescia. Nearly the entire route of one of the longest races took place
on  the  roads  of  Italy,  but  two  stages  crossed into France. As race leader, 28-year-old Nibali, who was born in Sicily, was more concerned with staying out of trouble and making sure he reached  the Â ď€ ďŹ nish  line  unscathed  to  collect his second Grand Tour victory, to add to his win at the 2010 Vuelta  a  Espana. “I’m  very  happy,â€?  he  said.  “It  was a really unique emotion hearing all the fans cheering for me. I  really  enjoyed  this  stage.  It  was  unbelievable seeing all those people along the road. This victory crowns a life’s dream.â€? “I’m  very  emotional.  It  is  beautiful, the whole team was very strong and they’ve done a great job all  along.  It  is  a  beautiful  day  for  me,â€? he concluded.
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INSIDE NATION Civil Aviation Seen Taking Off in Kazakhstan Conference Brings Global Perspectives on Modernising Civil Service
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EURASIA & WORLD
EDITORIAL
OPINIONS
NATION & CAPITAL
International Rescue Training Seminar Held in Almaty Region Harnessing Wanderlust to Promote Kazakhstan, EXPO 2017
Punching within Its Weight, Responsibly
MAMYTBEKOV: Improving Infrastructure, Regulation in the Grain Market NUGERBEKOV: AEF Seeks to Answer Global Economic Challenges Through Constructive Dialogue
Alatau Innovation Park Becomes High Tech Hub Nine-Year Old Chess Prodigy Wins Fourth World Championship
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Pages B1-B8
US$1 = 150.94 KZT 1 Euro = 195.35 KZT 1 Rouble = 4.82 KZT
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
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Nation
Conference Brings Law Forces Neutralize Alleged Global Perspectives Terrorist Group, Prevent Attack in Astana on Modernising Civil Service By Rufiya Ospanova
ASTANA – On May 22, Astana witnessed the start of the sixth Astana  Economic  Forum  (AEF),  held  in  the  Palace  of  Independence.  One  of  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  conferences  held  within  the AEF was the Conference on Modernisation of Civil Service, which gathered representatives from various organisations and state  agencies  as  well  as  ofď€ ďŹ cials  to share their experiences and opinions on the issue. Peer countries’ experiences as well as the possibilities of applying international approaches in training civil servants were also reviewed within the session. Alikhan Baimenov, chairman of the Agency for Civil Service Affairs of Kazakhstan, shared information about the history of the development of Kazakhstan’s laws on civil service in his welcoming speech. He noted that examinations for entering the civil service have become tougher and civil servants of the country have recently demonstrated positive results in their examinations for approval of their positions within the state agencies’ system of the country. “A state needs a strong and solid civil service system to be competitive,â€? he noted in his speech. “Kazakhstan has to move away from the Soviet civil service system and implement the best international experiences with regard to local environment,â€? he added. He also noted that Kazakhstan is moving in the right direction in achieving the goal of a more transparent and competitive civil service system. Concluding his speech, he wished the delegates and speakers of the sixth AEF fruitful work. When EU Head Representative to Kazakhstan Aurelia Bouchez took  the  oor,  she  noted  that,  “The  European Union is a strategic partner of Kazakhstan in many sectors, including civil service. The joint efforts of the EU and Kazakhstan are important for achieving the common goal of sustainable development.â€? Sukhvinder Singh Chopra, independent advisor and director of TSTemasek Management Services, shared the experience of Singapore in modernising their civil service
system. “We were the country with almost nothing, we started from zero. But now we are considered one of the best developing countries in the world. When we started changing our system we realised that, Â ď€ ďŹ rst  of  all,  we  need  to  have  a transparent civil service system, without corruption and with responsible employees working for the government. For that purpose it was required to change the mentality of people through training. We started to considerably change our system. As Mr. Baimenov noted earlier, ‘The properly developed system leads to sustainable development.’ Stephen Emerson Condrey, President of the American Society for Public Administration, underlined that Kazakhstan is moving in the right direction in the sphere of civil service. “For example, in America not every person strives to be employed in a state agency. The salaries are not high and according to the statistics, we have about 30 percent lack of employed civil servants. So the government wants  to  elaborate  some  beneď€ ďŹ ts  for civil servants in order to attract people  to  the  system.  In  2017,  in  the U.S., most of the currently working civil servants will reach retirement  age.  In  comparison  with the U.S., the civil servants of Kazakhstan are mostly young people.â€? Kazakhstan’s civil servants receive  many  beneď€ ďŹ ts:  they  are  provided with housing, they get quarterly bonuses depending on their achievements, they attend advanced training courses and more. In  addition,  they  have  transportation from their places of residence to  the  ofď€ ďŹ ces  and  back,  which  is  a  case in Astana, for example, which is  a  signiď€ ďŹ cant  perk.  The  government of Kazakhstan tries to improve both living and working conditions for employees working in the state system. Kazakhstan’s Agency for Civil Service Affairs, the United Nations Development Programme and the Academy of State Governance under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan organised the conference.
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By Altynai Sultan ASTANA, May 21 – Recent court proceedings revealed that Kazakhstan’s law enforcement was able to thwart a planned major terrorist attack on Astana. The plan came to light during recent court proceedings against those accused of planning the attack. The accused include six suspects ranging in age from 22 to 52 years old. They include Ali Sharipov, Serik Koshalakov, Erzhan Kadirsizov, Agzam Kaskabayev, Syrymbet Zhunusov and Batyrlan Abdikerov. They are charged under seven articles of the Criminal Code, including terrorism, propaganda of terrorism or public calls for carrying out of an act of terrorism, founding, directing a terrorist group and participating in its activities, preparation of a crime and attempted crime, theft, theft or extortion of weapons, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices, illegal acquisition or carrying weapons, explosives and explosive devices. “The accused Mr. Koshalakov arrived in Astana in 2009. Mr. Koshalakov with his friend Ali Sharipov began to stick to radical religious views, calling for a jihad,â€? Prosecutor Malika Shashdauletova said  at  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  court  sitting  in  her  accusatory speech on May 16. According to Shashdauletova, these men opened a cafe near one of Astana’s mosques in Septem-
ber 2012, where they conducted agitating discussions with clients. After these meetings, they selected a few individuals they felt  would  be  willing  to Â ď€ ďŹ ght  for  fanatical ideas. The plans of the accused terrorists Koshalakov and Sharipov, who wanted to see the creation  of  an  Islamic  Caliphate  in Kazakhstan, included attacks against law enforcement personnel to seize weapons and robberies to help fund their organization. They planned to transfer the funds to  the  Caucasus.  In  addition,  they  are accused of planning attacks in public places. Koshalakov is accused of planning an explosion in the Palace of Peace and Accord, which was to be followed by an attack on the capital department of the National Security Committee and a terrorist attack in the Theatre of Opera and Ballet. The plot allegedly included a plan for a wife of Sharipov to put on a suicide bomber belt and explode herself at the theatre’s opening. The members of the group are accused of leasing the premises in which materials to make improvised explosive devices were believed to have been kept. Weapons and ammunition, brochures containing extremist information and plans for the Peace Palace and theatre attacks were also found. Before launching the attacks, the accused terrorists are believed to have planned to rob jewellery bou-
tiques in the Capital Bazar on New Year’s Eve. The men are accused of studying the operation of the trading house and the location of surveillance cameras. They are believed to have purchased the necessary equipment for the robbery and had devised a means of escape. Authorities believe that on Dec. 31, Abdikerov and Sharipov went to the trading house to commit the robbery. On Jan. 1, however, Abdikerov  was  seized  by  ofď€ ďŹ cers  of  the  Department of the National Security Committee. The other members of the alleged criminal group were arrested later. During searches in the storage area believed to be rented by Sharipov and Koshalakov, investigators found ammonium nitrate, hydrogen peroxide, aluminium powder and sugar, which were sent for expert examination. The examination showed that these substances are used to make improvised explosive devices. Five members of the group have admitted to partial participation in certain criminal acts, however, all of the accused have denied involvement in any terrorist activities. The group’s alleged leader Serik Koshalakov denies all charges. By the decision of Meiram Zhanguttinov, a judge in Astana’s specialized inter-district court for criminal cases, the main trial regarding the alleged attack will from now on be held in Astana behind closed doors.
Civil Aviation Seen Taking Off in Kazakhstan
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By Assem Kazybay ASTANA  –  In  a  recent  interview,  the  chairperson  of  the  Interstate  Aviation  Committee  (IAC),  which  oversees civil aviation in the Commonwealth  of  Independent  States,  said Kazakhstan’s civil aviation has seen strong development since the country gained independence. “Kazakhstan has been in the structure  of  the  Interstate  Aviation Committee since its establishment in 1991. President Nursultan Nazarbayev was one of the initiators of establishing the organisation. Ob-
viously, many changes have taken place in the sphere of civil aviation over  the  years;͞  I  would  even  say  that  aviation itself has changed. Now, we have modern planes and airports, a high  level  of  service  and  ight  safety  –  that  is  the  most  important.  In  my  opinion, the infrastructure of civil aviation in Kazakhstan has been dynamically developing over recent years,� Tatyana Anodina, doctor of engineering, professor, winner of the  E.  Warner  Award  of  International Civil Aviation and chairperson of the  Interstate  Aviation  Committee,  said during a recent interview in
which she discussed the prospects and level of development of aviation in Kazakhstan. Dr. Anodina also noted several issues  which  it  would  beneď€ ďŹ t  civil  aviation  to  solve:  “It  is  not  a  secret  that the acceptance rate of airports has been a problem for aviation in Kazakhstan, and so it remains. It  slows  down  the  process  of  development of regional-level and international-Âlevel  ights.  As  far  as  I  know,  the  government  of  the  country has already set a task to double the acceptance rates of the airports of Astana and Almaty over
the course of two years. Besides, all regional airports are expected to meet the international standards (IATA  Safety  Audit  for  Ground  Operations)  ISAGO.â€? Anodina’s  organisation  certiď€ ďŹ es  aircraft, airports and air companies; maintains an aviation register and investigates air transport accidents.  It  has  already  investigated  550 air accidents in 76 countries. “The winds of change have brought only good and progress to Kazakhstan when it comes to aviation,â€? she continued. “Radical changes have affected all areas of
the country’s civil aviation. For example, Astana and Almaty airports were  certiď€ ďŹ ed  by  the  IAC  for  all- weather  ights  in  accordance  with  the  third  category  of  the  ICAO  [International Civil Aviation Organisation]. Air terminals were built, service culture improved as well as  navigation  and  air  trafď€ ďŹ c  control facilities were constructed.â€? She also underlined that at present, the government of Kazakhstan is setting even more ambitious goals to equip and certify all the nation’s airports in accordance with  ICAO  standards. She has also noted the new human  capital  in  the Â ď€ ďŹ eld.  “A  new  generation of aviation professionals has been trained at the National Academy of Civil Aviation in Almaty.  I  know  that  the  government plans to allocate more than three billion tenge for the training of specialists in this sphere. The IAC  also  contributed  to  preparing Kazakhstan’s specialists in the sphere  of  ight  safety  within  the  ICAO-ÂMAC  international  project,  in which the United States, EU countries, Russia, Kazakhstan and others are taking part.â€? Overall, civil aviation in Kazakhstan has undergone many changes over the past two years, particularly in removing planes that didn’t meet safety requirements from operation. Kazakhstan also completed the process of improving and  re-Âequipping  air  trafď€ ďŹ c  control  centres with modern systems meeting international standards. “The civil aviation of Kazakhstan is expected to keep this pace of development, taking into account the measures put in place by the President and the government of the country for its continuous support,â€? Dr. Anodina concluded.
DOMESTIC NEWS IN BRIEF â—?  The  Karaganda  and  Schuchinsk resort area in the future will be part of the Astana agglomeration. This was announced at the IV  International  Investment  Forum  Astana  Invest  2013  by  Kazakhstan  Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov. In  this  regard,  President  Nursultan  Nazarbayev has urged the government’s foreign partners to invest more actively in the development of Kazakhstan’s capital. “The support  of  speciď€ ďŹ c  business  initiatives,  improvement of the business climate and the expansion of publicprivate partnerships is a priority for the government. We are open and willing to consider any business initiatives and proposals from the business community. We invite all interested entrepreneurs and investors to interact and cooperate,â€? Nazarbayev said. â—?  On  May  22,  a  decree  on  creation of National Holding Baiterek was signed by the President of Kazakhstan and published on the ofď€ ďŹ cial  Akorda  website.  Kuandyk  Bishimbayev will head the new holding. The main mission of the holding  as  deď€ ďŹ ned  by  the  President  will be providing funding to the state programme of industrialization. The JSC Baiterek will manage shares and stakes of national development institutions, national companies and other legal entities belonging to the holding by right of ownership and given to the new body in trust management. The President has directed that the legislative basis of the holding be developed  by  Jan.  1,  2014. â—?  Prime  Minister  Serik  Akhmetov has instructed the Ministry of Industry  and  New  Technologies  to  present to the government by August 1 Kazakhstan’s energy-saving programme, Energy Saving 2020. This means having all aspects of the  plan,  including Â ď€ ďŹ nancing,  ready  by then. President Nazarbayev has called for an annual 10 percent reduction in energy use by 2015 in both industry and domestic use. The Prime Minister stressed that it is vital for both national and regional governments to meet this target. â—?  Expedition  35  to  the  International  Space  Station  (ISS)  came  to  a  safe  conclusion  on  May  14  when the three-man crew touched down in Kazakhstan. The crew – Commander  Chris  Hadď€ ďŹ eld  from  Canada, and Flight Engineers Tom Marshburn from the United States and Roman Romanenko from Russia – had started their voyage from Kazakhstan  146  days  prior,  in  December, when they took off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. â—?  More  than  10,000  children’s  holiday camps, which will take care of about 1.3 million children, will operate in Kazakhstan this summer, Minister of Education and Science Bakhytzhan Zhumagulov said at a meeting of the government on May 21.  “This  year  10,487  recreation  camps will function in Kazakhstan. More than 2.1 million children will attend the holiday camps. Of those, about 1.3 million children or 58.9 percent will improve their health,â€? Zhumagulov stated. According to the minister, at the beginning of the summer  season, Â ď€ ďŹ ve  new  health  and recreation facilities are expected to open. This year, it is planned to  assist  about  450,000  to  680,000  or  65.4  percent  of  orphans,  disabled children and children from low-Âincome  families.  In  general,  according to the minister, 5.5 billion  tenge  ($36,452,790),  which  is  2.7  billion  ($17,895,006)  more  than last year will be allocated from local budgets for the summer holidays for socially disadvantaged children and improving conditions at the camps. â—?  Kazakhstan  has  developed  a unique method to detect toxic chemicals in the environment after rocket launches. The scientists of the Gharysh – Ecology research centre have created and patented a unique method of detecting toxic rocket fuel chemicals in the environment after the launch of rockets, Chairman of the National Space Agency of Kazakhstan Talgat Mussabayev said in an exclusive interview for the website of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan. Highly toxic fuels have a negative effect on the environment in Kazakhstan. According to bilateral agreements, the Russian side has pledged to facilitate the phased reduction of launches of carrier rockets Proton from the Baikonur cosmodrome which have adversely affected the environment.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
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Eurasia and world
EXTERNAL NEWS IN BRIEF â—?  On  May  27,  Kazakhstan’s  foreign  minister  Erlan  Idrissov,  defense minister Adilbek Zhaksybekov and Security Council Secretary Kairat Kozhamzharov took part in the meetings of the Collective Security Treaty Organization’s (CSTO)  statutory  bodies  –  Council  of Foreign Ministers, Council of Defense Ministers and Security Council Secretaries Committee – in Bishkek. Participants discussed topical issues of the current and future activities of the Organization, including improving coordination of foreign policy, condition and structure of the system of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, issues of cooperation in the ď€ ďŹ ght  against  terrorism,  extremism  and cross-border organized crime, information security and border security, and others. As a result of the joint meetings, the participants have approved and adopted a package of the documents including a plan for consultations on foreign policy, security, defenses for the second  half  of  2013  and Â ď€ ďŹ rst  half  of  2014,  documents  on  preparation  and conduction of peace-keeping operations of the CSTO collective peacekeeping forces. The foreign ministers of the CSTO member states signed a joint statement on major international issues. â—?  Director  of  the  Institute  Gustave Roussy Alexander Eggermont spoke about his of his participation in the Astana Economic Forum. “This is my sixth visit to Kazakhstan  and  I  like  this  country  very much. The people and atmosphere  are  very  good  here.  I  am  impressed  with  the  Kazakh  people.  I  believe there are great potential for cooperation in the healthcare for Kazakhstan and France and for the Institute  Gustave  Roussy  and  the  Kazakh  Research  Institute  of  Oncology and Radiology in Almaty in particular,â€? he said. Alexander Eggermont complimented professionalism of Kazakhstan cancer specialists, “We presented a special training programme for the doctors from  Kazakhstan  and  I  am  pleased  that the Ministry of Healthcare of Kazakhstan  was  interested  in  it.  It  will allow training doctors and preparing your trainers,â€? he said. Besides, it is planned to hold international conferences in Kazakhstan with the participation of foreign experts, Kazakhstan doctors and specialists  from  the  Institute  Gustave Roussy. â—?  An  EU  Project  “Civil  Service  Reform and Modernization of the Government of Kazakhstanâ€?, 21 May – 1 October 2013, includes holding of a creativity competition for the best coverage in mass media of the civil service of Kazakhstan. The competition goal is to ď€ ďŹ nd  and  reward  the  best  authors  of  materials substantially contributing to civil service reforming in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The grand prize for two winners is getting insight into advanced European experience  in  the  civil  service Â ď€ ďŹ eld  within a study visit jointly with the experts of the Academy of Public Administration and the Agency for Civil Service Affairs. â—?  The  customs  authorities  of  Kazakhstan and China intend to develop a strategic plan of cooperation  for  the  period  of  2014-Â2018,  Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry reported following the visit of the delegation of the Customs Control Committee of Kazakhstan headed by Chairman Mazhit Yessenbaev to China. “The purpose of the new document lies in the creation of conditions for the development of legitimate trade. This issue was discussed at the meeting of the heads of both customs administrations, Mazhit Yessenbaev and Yu Guangzhou,â€? the report said. According to the report, the sides discussed issues related to improving the exchange of information on the total volume of export-import operations between Kazakhstan and China.  In  addition,  an  agreement  was reached during the visit on the implementation of the project for the creation of a “green corridorâ€? for agricultural products between the checkpoints of Bakhty (Kazakhstan)  and  Pokitu  (PRC)  starting in October 2013. This project will increase the scale of trade.  It  means  the  Chinese  side  takes responsibility for the quality of their products, according to the report. The parties also noted the successful start of operations of a new railway border crossing at Altynkol-Khorgos and expressed willingness to further improve its infrastructure.
Sixth AEF and WAC Tackle Global Economic Woes
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From Page A1 “It  is  based  on  the  unifying  potential  of Â ď€ ďŹ ve  simple  and  clear  principles: Â ď€ ďŹ rst,  evolution  and  rejection of revolutionary changes in politics; second, justice, equality and consensus; third, global tolerance and trust; fourth, global transparency;Íž Â ď€ ďŹ fth,  constructive  multi- polarity.â€? The President recognized that a new type of global economy is emerging and that new principles of international relations and new values of public life are being approved. “Therefore, it is important to Â ď€ ďŹ nd  the  right  solutions  to  global  problems,â€? the President said as he concluded his opening remarks and wished success to the forum participants and delegates of the World Anti-Crisis Conference in their discussions and formations of solutions to the world’s economic issues. Vuk  Jeremic,  President  of  the Â
67th session of the United Nations General  Assembly  (UNGA),  also  gave remarks during the forum’s opening.  “I  am  happy  to  be  back  to  what UNESCO has called ‘the city of  peace’  (Astana),â€?  he  said.  Jeremic underlined that it is important that events such as the forum and the anti-crisis conference are taking place in Kazakhstan and noted the role of Almaty in furthering the activities of the United Nations  (UN)  in  Kazakhstan  and  the  region. “Almaty is uniquely positioned to play a role as a hub for UN activities in the region,â€? Jeremic said. He also stressed the importance of forming recommendations to address global economic issues that take  into  account  the  speciď€ ďŹ cs  of  individual nations. “The purpose of the Sixth Astana Economic Forum is to provide additional tools for all countries,â€? he said. Nikola Gruevski, Prime Minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia and Wu Hongbo, United National Under-SecretaryGeneral for Economic and Social Affairs also spoke to the gathering. Wu Hongbo read a statement from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council Nestor Osorio also told the participants that “there is a clear need for greater transparency.â€? “Following the Forum about 80 agreements and memoranda for the  amount  of  $2.7  billion  were  signed.  Innovative  technologies  were attracted. Nobel laureates and other experts gave lectures at the universities,â€? co-chairperson of the coordination council of the Eurasian Economic Club of Scientists Association, member of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan Serik  Nogerbekov  said  at  the Â ď€ ďŹ nal  press conference. Draft resolution with recommendations for G-20 was also following the Sixth Astana Economic Forum. “This draft was actively discussed at G-Global communicative platform. Today, this draft has been adopted,â€? Nogerbekov concluded. The World Anti-Crisis Conference, held at the initiative of President Nazarbayev and with full support of the UN General Assembly, is meant to elaborate the Global Anti-Crisis plan for the UN based on democratic principles and encompassing the interests of all countries. The WAC will be dedicated to the problems of the world ď€ ďŹ nancial  system,  which,  since  the  beginning of the Great Recession, has been experiencing major changes, the scale of which has not yet been fully understood. The international community is still trying  to  rehabilitate Â ď€ ďŹ nancial  channels for domestic and international growth. Discussions about development  of  economic  and Â ď€ ďŹ nancial  infrastructure are also part of the WAC agenda.
CSTO Presidents in Bishkek... From Page A1
“Assistance will also be offered to the Afghan authorities in ensuring the stability in the region.â€? It  was  also  announced  that  military forces of CSTO member states would conduct several peacekeeping exercises in Russia and Belarus in  2014. At the initiative of the Kyrgyz President, the four leaders also discussed an idea to build a RussiaKazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan railway line, Bordyuzha added. “This issue does not directly touch upon the tasks of CSTO but still the presidents paid attention to this project. They agreed that they will instruct their respective agencies  to  work  on  economic  and Â ď€ ďŹ -
nancial feasibility of this project,� Bordyuzha explained. In  addition  to  the  four  countries  whose presidents participated in the Bishkek meeting, Armenia and Belarus are also CSTO members but their presidents did not come to the Kyrgyz capital. Uzbekistan has earlier suspended its membership in the CSTO so its president also did not attend. A formal summit of heads of CSTO member states is traditionally held in Moscow at the end of the year. From May 28 to 29, Russia’s President  Vladimir  Putin  is  to  visit  Astana to take part in the sitting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council along with President Nazarbayev and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. The
Council is the supreme body of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. The agenda of the meeting includes further development of integration and the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union by January 1, 2015. The event will also focus on the Customs Union functioning, further work to launch the Common Economic  Space  and  the  codiď€ ďŹ cation  of  international instruments, including working out a draft agreement on the Eurasian Economic Union. After the three-way meeting, the heads of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia are to meet with the presidents of Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan, Viktor  Yanukovich  and  Almazbek  Atambayev.
International Rescue Training Seminar Held in Almaty Region
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By Manshuk Bekentayeva ASTANA – Some of Kazakhstan’s top emergency responders gathered in the Almaty region for the May 20-29 18th international emergency response competition and training seminar, Kazspas-2013. The seminar, sponsored by the Kazakhstan Ministry of Emergency Situations, gathered international and Kazakhstan competitors for events and training, including a military triathlon and rescue-dog handling competitions. A conference to facilitate an exchange of expertise on the latest life-saving equipment and rescue operations techniques, as well as an exhibition on the latest life-saving equipment was also planned for the event. According to Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of the Ministry of  Emergency  Situations  Valery  Petrov, the event cost 11 million tenge  ($72,949),  but  is  necessary  to develop the skills of Kazakhstan rescuers. The deputy minister added that since the beginning of 2013, the ministry’s rescuers had rescued more  than  4,000  people  and  evacuated more than 10,000 as a result of various emergencies. For  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  time,  a  special  group  of psychologists of the Ministry of Emergency Situations took part in the seminar. The event annually brings together rescue teams from Kazakhstan,  the  Commonwealth  of  Independent States and beyond. This year, rescuers from the Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Belarus, Russia and Kyrgyzstan participated. International  observers  from  the  National Guard of the state of Arizona, United States, as well as representatives of the European Un-
ion, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, NATO, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and  the  International  Red  Cross  took  part in Kazspas 2013. The training area of the Kazakhstan Ministry of Emergency Situations where the seminar took place, The Rocky City – Astana, is the  only  range  in  the  CIS  which  has  been universally adapted for carrying out all types of rescue efforts. The range was given the status of a basic international educational and training area of the participating countries of Collective Security Treaty Organization in 2011. In  the  17-Âyear  history  of  the  seminar, more than 20,000 training rescues have been conducted, including those involving rescue dogs, divers and rock climbers. The training rescues have also been used as an opportunity for Ministry of Emergency Situations aircraft pilots to hone their skills. Some of the rescues and competitions have included natural and man-Âmade  obstacles  and  speciď€ ďŹ c  emergency sceneries of various kinds. Participants carry out special tasks, such as searching for victims, rendering Â ď€ ďŹ rst  aid  and  eliminating  technogenic threats connected with the emission of highly toxic substances. Athletic competitions at the seminar have also included the presentation of gymnastic expertise and cross-country running. Rescuers practice working under extreme conditions  and  in  difď€ ďŹ cult  climates  and have the opportunity to use the latest engineering and equipment. The aim of Kazspas is to not only identify the best teams, but also to increase the general level of preparedness of emergency personnel for rapid response to emergency situations.
Efforts to Create UN Regional Hub in Almaty From Page A1 “We hope our cooperation will result in the creation of a UN regional  representation  ofď€ ďŹ ce  in  our  country,â€? the foreign minister told the press conference adding that the participation of Kazakhstan’s delegation in the UN General Assembly in September 2013 will help promote the case. Speaking  alongside  Erlan  Idrissov, President of the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly  Vuk  Jeremic  offered  his  views on the matter. “There  is  a  UN  centre  in  Vienna  and there is a UN centre in Bangkok, there is a vast geography between those two places... One actually asks oneself a question as to where to place another hub? Given Kazakhstan’s prominence, given Kazakhstan’s engagement and also the role it has played in the past and in the face of the challenges that the world faces, security ones like Afghanistan, but also developmental  ones,  I  think  it’s  not  too  difď€ ďŹ cult  to  make  a  strong  case  for  a UN activities center being placed here,â€? Jeremic said. Jeremic  is  an  elected  ofď€ ďŹ cial  whose job is to chair the proceedings of the UN General Assembly session during one year. The decision on the establishment of a UN regional diplomacy hub lies within the  purview  of  UN  ofď€ ďŹ ces. To recall, Kazakhstan has of-
fered to host a UN hub in Almaty where Central Asian countries can co-operate on aiding Afghanistan and promoting regional development and humanitarian assistance efforts. At a June 2012 meeting with head of UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan JĂĄn KubiĹĄ, President Nursultan Nazarbayev proposed to set up such a hub. “Kazakhstan is ready to participate in stabilizing Afghanistan and facilitating peace there,â€? the President  said  without  deď€ ďŹ ning  the  schedule for the completion of the project. In  October  2012,  Kazakhstan’s  Foreign  Minister  Erlan  Idrissov met Babatunde Osotimehin, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, to discuss development of the social and economic sphere in Kazakhstan and outlook for further cooperation in Central Asia, including in the context of the Millennium Development Goals for 2015. On that occasion,  Idrissov  also  underlined  Kazakhstan’s initiative to transform Almaty into the sub-regional hub of multilateral diplomacy with the opening of a UN Secretariat regional  ofď€ ďŹ ce  being  conductive  for  cooperation enhancement. Kazakh experts believe the setting up of a UN hub in Almaty will not  only  help  increase  the  efď€ ďŹ cien-
cy of activities of all UN system organisations’  ofď€ ďŹ ces  located  in  Almaty, specialized institutions of the UN, but will also attract international structures to the country, planning to expand the activity in the region. “It  [regional  hub]  will  include  all  those international structures which are  already  now  (in  the  region).  It  is  a question of the creation of a hub to position Almaty as the regional center of international diplomacy,â€? head of the Foreign Policy Center at the Administration of the President Yerzhan Ashikbayev said at launch of a book “Kazakhstan in the  International  Communityâ€?  in  March 2013. Earlier, at a June 2011 meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan’s then Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov told heads of the United Nations agencies’  ofď€ ďŹ ces  in  Kazakhstan  that  after gaining its independence, Kazakhstan has been vigorously developing fruitful cooperation with the United Nations. Since February 1992, some 19 specialized agencies, funds and programmes of the UN system have established their active presence in Kazakhstan. Since the early days, there has been a full-scale cooperation with all UN institutions. “Kazakhstan, which has been playing over the years an ever more important role as a regional donor  and  providing  signiď€ ďŹ cant  assistance to neighbouring countries,
is working on the establishment of  KazAID,  Kazakhstan’s  international aid agency. The United Nations  Country  Ofď€ ďŹ ce  could  provide invaluable expertise and technical assistance in the practical implementation of that idea,â€? Kazykhanov underlined then. “We believe a decision to give Almaty the status of a UN regional centre would not only contribute to the fuller implementation of regional projects that serve to strengthen cooperation in Central Asia, but could also provide an impetus to the process of drawing next-door countries and regions into the orbit of development assistance,â€? Kazykhanov noted. According to Kazykhanov, who now serves as Assistant to the President for foreign policy, Kazakhstan, in turn, is ready to provide active support to the strengthening of the regional  role  of  UN  ofď€ ďŹ ces  in  Almaty  and the expansion of their project activities. For instance, Kazakhstan has lifted visa requirements for holders of the UN Laissez-Passers, as well as extended diplomatic accreditation to UN staff members. Moreover, work on renovation of the premises of the UN  Ofď€ ďŹ ce  in  Almaty  is  being  carried  out, as well as the provision of a new building  to  the  UN  Ofď€ ďŹ ce  in  Astana  and the provision of a building to the sub-Âregional  ofď€ ďŹ ce  of  UNESCAP  in  Almaty. “As  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  example  of  cooperation under the new scheme, we can
refer to a joint programme for the development  of  the  Semey  (Semipalatinsk)  region,  for  which  Kazakhstan  has  allocated  some  US$10  million in accordance with an agreement signed last May during the visit of the UNDP Administrator  Helen  Clark.  Last  year  [2010],  we signed agreements on country cooperation programmes for 201015  with  UNDP,  UNICEF  and  UNFPA,â€? Kazykhanov explained on that occasion. Almaty has already established itself as one of Central Asia’s largest business, tourism and transportation hubs. “Kazakhstan today has a thriving economy, governed by consumers, not plans. With material improvements, the city has also developed a well-deserved pride and selfconď€ ďŹ dence,â€?  said  Thomas  Mirow,  the then-president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development at the EBRD annual meeting in Kazakhstan in May 2011. “We have been developing Almaty  as  a  major  business  and Â ď€ ďŹ nancial centre, promoting tourism and services,â€? President Nazarbayev told a meeting of investors earlier this year. As Kazakhstan’s largest city and its capital at independence in 1991, it was inevitable that those policies would transform Almaty into a major transportation hub and regional centre for visiting foreign businessmen and investors.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Đ?4
Economy
FIC Discusses Investment Policy, Innovative Development
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From Page A1 He suggested setting a common goal of practical implementation of innovative approaches. “Kazakhstan will give particular priority to those who establish  innovations.  I  urge  you  to  help our business, education and science to regroup, and set them toward innovation. This will allow you to increase the effectiveness of your own production, and then local content will be completely different, innovative. For the practical implementation of these  approaches  I  suggest  ...  the  Triple  Seven  Initiative,  which  can  be implemented through joint efforts within one year. Number one is to attract at least seven worldfamous scientists to Kazakhstan. Number two is to supply seven Kazakh companies with high-tech orders. Number three is to sup-
port seven innovative start-ups,â€? Nazarbayev said. The president also suggested a subject  for  the  next  Foreign  Investors Council meeting. He believes it is practical to discuss the participation of foreign investors in the implementation of Kazakhstan’s  second  industrial Â ď€ ďŹ ve- year  plan  in  2014.  The  president  has instructed the government to work out the concept by this November and complete development of the programme by next May. He would like to approve it after coordinating it with investors  at  the  next  Foreign  Investors  Council  meeting  in  May  2014.  “The decision to establish the council  was  made  15  years  ago.  It  happened during general consultations with the Cabinet and the state commission on investments and management of the European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development. The decision was made to invite executives of different international companies to take part in the council. Twenty-five meetings have been held since then. Our council has expanded significantly over the years  and  I  consider  it  a  natural  process.  It  reflects  a  growing  interest in Kazakhstan on the part of the international business community and the constant flow of foreign investment,� he stressed. This  year,  the  Foreign  Investors  Council has experienced some changes in its structure. Sir Suma Chakrabarti joined the council replacing Mr. Thomas Mirow. Sir Chakrabarti has headed the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development since July 2012. He has extensive experience at the highest political positions of the United Kingdom and he has also
worked  closely  with  CIS  countries. “I  am  sure  Sir  Suma  Chakrabarti will make a great contribution to our Council. At the same time  I  would  like  to  recall  that,  at the time, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development contributed to the birth and creation  of  the  Foreign  Investors  Council in Kazakhstan,� President Nazarbayev said, introducing new participants. President Nazarbayev also introduced Chairman of the Board of Directors of JP Morgan Chase International  Dr.  Jacob  Frenkel  and the new CEO of BG Group, Chris Finlayson. The Kazakhstan side of the Foreign  Investors  Council  has  also  changed. “I  would  like  to  introduce  to  you  the new Council members, Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov, First
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development Bakytzhan Sagintayev, Minister of Economy and Budget Planning Yerbolat Dossayev and Chairman of  the  Investment  Committee  of  the  Ministry  of  Industry  and  New  Technologies Yerlan Khairov,� Nazarbayev said, introducing the new Kazakh members. The president noted a growing interest of major foreign companies in Kazakhstan, as evidenced by  a  high  inow  of  foreign  investments to the country’s economy. The participants of the 26th plenary  meeting  of  Foreign  Investors  Council include heads of the biggest foreign companies working in the country, such as Chairman and CEO of ConocoPhillips Ryan Lance, President and CEO of General Electric Transportation Lorenzo Simonelli, President of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company Thomas Enders, Chairman of Russia’s Sberbank German Gref, CEO of Airbus John Leahy and others.
“Kazakhstan will give particular priority to those who establish innovations. I urge you to help our business, education and science to regroup, and set them toward innovation.� – Nursultan Nazarbayev The  Foreign  Investors  Council  is a consulting and advisory body chaired by President Nursultan Nazarbayev.  It  was  established  by  the president in 1998 in order to improve the investment climate in the country, as well as to step up interaction between the government and the leading foreign investors in Kazakhstan.
AEF Seeks Int’l Economic Solutions By Rufiya Ospanova
ASTANA – The Sixth Astana Economic  Forum  (AEF),  which  began May 22 in Astana, has become a unique platform for international dialogue on pressing modern issues facing the world. Experts in various sectors come to the forum to share their knowledge and hear the opinions of others on recent world developments. This year’s forum started with panel discussions concerning the transition to a green civilization, the role of institutional investors in promoting green growth and sustainable development, sustainable development of tourism and the development of infrastructure. The press conference “Will Future Energy Fundamentally Change Our Lives,� organized by the National Company Astana EXPO2017 was also a part of the discussion on green energy. The main questions of the conference included the challenges and opportunities arising from a transition towards a sustainable energy future, the availability of infrastructure for  a  Third  Industrial  Revolution,  environmental aspects of renewable energy sources, particularly green energy’s potential effects on
society and the transition towards a green economy. Other discussions at this year’s forum included a session on creating integrated solutions to global unemployment. The purpose of the session was to exchange international experiences on the issue and to formulate solutions. At the session, it was noted that the global economic crisis has shown that the underestimation of the problem of unemployment can lead to an increase in social unrest, both in individual countries and in countries linked by trade and investment agreements. “The main threat to global stability is an increase of unemployment,� Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev said during an address to the nation earlier this year. Among its numerous programmes to increase employment, Kazakhstan has also approved a comprehensive plan to promote employment of persons older  than  50  (50  +  Initiative),  which will be implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection. The programme aims to provide more employment opportunities for older people and includes continuing education, vocational training and retraining
and job quotas for persons over 55 years of age. This year, the AEF is also expanding its scope by hosting a two-day World Anti-Crisis Conference  (WAC)  dedicated  to  the  creation of a global plan for avoiding and reducing the strain of present and  future Â ď€ ďŹ nancial  crises  worldwide. The event, fully supported by the UN, is jointly organized by the Government of Kazakhstan and the Eurasian Economic Club of Scientists, and divided into six panel sessions and roundtable discussions. The topics of the WAC include the political and economic dimensions of Eurozone unemployment, monetary policy and global ď€ ďŹ nancial  stability,  global-Âto-Âlocal  transitioning of capital markets, G20 adjustments to the new global economy and growth restoration in a fragmented and divergent global economy. The plenary session of the AEF and the WAC on May 23 were attended by President Nazarbayev. The conference, which gathered about eight thousand participants from all over the world, was organized on the initiative of the president and is designed to elaborate the World Anti-Crisis plan for the UN based on democratic principles
and encompassing the interests of all countries and to seek solutions to avoid and mitigate the effects of future Â ď€ ďŹ nancial  crises. The focus of another press conference “Entrepreneurship in Kazakhstan:  Challenges  and  Opportunitiesâ€? organized by the Damu Fund on May 23examined the role of small and medium-size enterprises  (SMEs)  in  Kazakhstan  and  barriers faced by SMEs within an international  context.  It  allowed  for  the exchange of international experiences and discussions of optimal solutions to stimulate the growth of innovative SMEs in Kazakhstan and elsewhere. The signing ceremonies for more than  40  memoranda  and  agreements are also to take place during the AEF. State agencies of the Republic of Kazakhstan, national holdings and funds are expected to sign memoranda of understanding, agreements on cooperation with international associations and foreign companies from Poland, China, Austria, France and the U.S., including agreements related to the ď€ ďŹ eld  of  innovation  and  technology.  According to the preliminary information, the agreements are estimated to involve projects totaling $400  million. Â
The so-called dialogue of leaders  taking  place  on  May  24  will  close the AEF and the WAC, during which leaders of countries, ď€ ďŹ nancial  structures,  international  organizations and Nobel laureates will summarize the AEF and WAC activities. Organizers of the Astana Economic Forum and the World Anti-Crisis Conference include the Eurasian Economic Club of Scientists,  14  ministries  of  the  Republic  of Kazakhstan, the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Samruk Kazyna National Welfare Fund, the UN, the World Economic  Forum,  the  World  Intellectual  Property Organization, the Reinventing Bretton Woods Committee, the Madrid Club, the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences and others.
Employment Programme Creates Businesses, Jobs in Southern Kazakhstan By Lyubov Dobrota
SHYMKENT – The administration of the South Kazakhstan region recently evaluated the effectiveness of the pilot Employment 2020 programme launched in 2011. Deputy Governor of the South Kazakhstan region Ali Bektayev has recently visited a number of enterprises and farms where regional authorities also familiarized themselves with the businesses that have been developed with government support. In  2013,  more  than  12.1  billion  tenge  ($80,196,138)  were  allocated for Employment 2020 in the South  Kazakhstan  region.  It  is  estimated that 25,000 people will be affected by the programme. The goals of the programme include reducing the unemployment rate in the region to 5.6 percent, limiting
self-Âemployment  to  47  percent  and  lowering the percentage of people living below subsistence levels to 9.7 percent. The programme also hopes to reduce youth unemployment to 3.8 percent. Employment 2020 also includes provisions to promote entrepreneurship in rural areas. According to the programme, 1,000 residents of the Southern Kazakhstan region this year will receive training on the basics of business and receive micro loans to launch their own businesses. Moreover, about 2,066 jobs are expected to be created with the funds allotted for the infrastructure projects. Usen Ormanov, a young entrepreneur from the Karasu village in the Sairam district, began his career in business two years ago when he applied for funds under the Employment 2020 pro-
gramme. With initial capital of three million  tenge  ($19,883)  loaned at 6.5 percent per annum, he built barns and purchased horses and sheep.
In 2013, more than 12.1 billion tenge ($80,196,138) were allocated for Employment 2020 in the South Kazakhstan region. It is estimated that 25,000 people will be affected by the programme. Ormanov’s operation has expanded considerably in the last two years and now provides sta-
ble paying jobs for two of his fellow villagers. Ormanov’s monthly loan payment is 16,000-17,000 tenge  ($106-Â$112)  with  proď€ ďŹ ts  reinvested in the business. Ormanov showed his operation to Bektayev during Bektayev’s recent trip. Entrepreneur  Vladimir  Bobrov,  who has experience in the cultivation of mushrooms, has also received an Employment 2020 loan to help create jobs. He opened the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  free  school  to  train  future  mushroom growers and plans to establish an operation for the production of oyster mushrooms. Bobrov cultivates his mushrooms using cotton husk as substrate, in contrast to straw and sawdust. Cotton husk contains a large number of micro-nutrients, which can later be used as animal feed and thus eliminate waist. Bobrov  collects  four  to Â ď€ ďŹ ve Â
harvests of mushrooms per year and the crop is sold widely in the markets and shops of his city. People are increasingly choosing environmentally friendly products and oyster mushrooms are popular because they have been grown without  chemical  treatment,  artiď€ ďŹ cial colours and preservatives. His enterprise has shown that oyster mushrooms are a viable business. The experiences of these rural entrepreneurs can serve as a model for those who want to open their own business, but do not know how to start, Bektayev said at a recent job fair organized by the  Sairam  district  akimat  (city  hall).  The  state  creates  favourable  conditions, helps entrepreneurs become experienced in sectors where there is demand and then provides the capital to start their businesses.
BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF â—?  In  Kazakhstan,  the  prices  for  industrial products fell 2.3 percent in April, according to Kazakhstan’s Statistics Agency. The prices in the mining industry decreased by 3.2 percent and manufacturing prices fell 0.6 percent. The prices for gas condensate decreased by 4.1  percent,  oil  by  4  percent,  liqueď€ ďŹ ed  propane  and  butane  by  3.9  percent, natural gas by 2.3 percent, diesel fuel by 2,2 percent, gasoline  by  1.4  percent.  The  prices  for  metal ore grew by 7.1 percent, fuel oil  increased  by  1.4  percent.  The  prices for lead and zinc decreased by 8.2 percent, raw aluminum decreased by 7.1 percent, copper by 3.5 percent, precious metals by 2.5 percent, ferrous metals 1.2 percent. Ferro-alloys prices were up by 0.9 percent. â—?  Plans  for  a  solar  power  station  were presented on May 1 in the Zhanakorgan region of Kyzylorda oblast, the press-service of the oblast administration said. The power station with an average annual generation capacity of 65 million kWh will become the biggest solar plant in Kazakhstan. The project is estimated  at  $93.1  million.  When  the  power station reaches its nominal capacity, its personnel will include around 50 people, as all the processes will be automated. The investors (Samruk  Kazyna  Invest,  Odyssey  Investment  Group  and  China’s  ET  Solar  Group)  will  start  constructing  the station in August this year. According to Kyzylorda oblast Akim (Governor)  Krymbek  Kusherbayev,  the power station will start producing electricity on Dec. 25 and reach its  nominal  capacity  in  2014. â—? KAZKA, the Kazakhstan Association of Entrepreneurs, and the Trade Development Council of Hong Kong have organised a business forum with businessmen from Hong Kong to Almaty, the association’s press service reported on May 21. Orientation seminars and bilateral meetings with the business communities of both sides were conducted.  In  particular,  the  Chinese  representatives shared their experience about business opportunities and tools of government support, as well as the tax and legal regimes in Hong Kong. These activities are aimed at establishing and developing trade and economic collaboration between Kazakhstan and Hong Kong. A similar event was held May 23 in Astana. Within the forum numerous bilateral meetings took place, during which the businessmen  debated  cooperation  in  the Â ď€ ďŹ eld  of construction, the supply of spare parts, electrical appliances, security systems, shoes, food and other issues. Chairman of the National Bank of Kazakhstan Grigoriy Marchenko in his speech spoke about the history and current state of the national currency, the post-crisis development of Kazakhstan and shared shortterm economic forecasts. â—? Construction of a joint facility to process uranium by Canada’s Cameco and Kazakhstan’s KazAtomProm National Nuclear Company will start in 2018, KazTAG reported, citing Robert Steane, Cameco senior vice president and  chief  operating  ofď€ ďŹ cer  as  quoted in the company’s statement issued for the 26th sitting of the Foreign  Investors  Council  on  May  22.  “There is a memorandum signed with KazAtomProm to transfer the company’s own technology to construct  and  operate  a  highly  efď€ ďŹ cient  and environmentally friendly facility that will be processing 6,000 tons  of  uranium  (UO3)  a  year,  relying on the Ulba Metallurgical Plant  [engaged  in  production  of  uranium, beryllium and tantalum products for the needs of the nuclear power industry] based in UstKamenogorsk.“ The actual transfer of technology will take place upon the start of construction in 2018. The facility is to begin uranium production in 2020.â€? The feasibility study for the project is to be launched  in  2014.  “The  Ulba  Plant  is an ideal place, given its long history of metallurgical production, infrastructure, technical expertise [it  was  established  in  1949]â€?,  the  statement reads, adding that as soon as Kazakhstan and Canada sign a bilateral agreement on the peaceful use of atomic power, the transfer of the technology will expand cooperation between the two companies.â€? KazAtomProm, including its stakes in other companies, produced a total of 11,900 tons of natural uranium in 2012 (over  20  percent  of  global  production).  In  2011,  the  company  produced 11,079 tons.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Đ?5
Business
ECONOMY NEWS IN BRIEF
ASTEX Brings Smart Technologies to Astana
â—? On May 23, President Nursultan Nazarbayev met with Nobel Prize winners in economics, physics, and physiology and medicine at the sixth Astana Economic Forum. The state of the international ď€ ďŹ nancial  and  economic  system  and  Kazakhstan’s initiatives for developing design solutions for the world economy to transition to a path of sustainable development were discussed at the meeting. â—? Kazakhstan plans to reach the ď€ ďŹ nal  agreements  on  its  accession  to the World Trade Organisation (WTO)  within  six  months,  Vice  Minister of Economy and Budget Planning, Timur Zhaksylykov, stated during the sixth Astana Economic Forum on May 22. Kazakhstan has already completed bilateral market access negotiations on goods and services. Bilateral talks on access to the commodities market have been completed with 30 countries and on access to the services market with 15 countries, including the countries of the EU  (the  EU  acts  as  one  country  in  the  negotiations)  and  the  United  States. Kazakhstan is also entering into commitments on ten major sectors of services, including commercial services, communications, construction and other engineering services, distribution services, education services and services related to leisure activities. Following the negotiations, there is agreement on the preservation of local content in the procurement of works and services, as well as the involvement of Kazakh personnel in subsoil use contracts. The second agreement is on the entry and temporary stay of foreign workers. Third is on the access to the information and communication services market. â—?  The  eighth  Innovative  Congress,  “Innovative  Development  of Kazakhstan – on the way to a knowledge economy,â€? took place within the Sixth Astana Economic Forum. Congress organisers were the  Ministry  of  Industry  and  New  Technologies of Kazakhstan and the National Agency for Technological Development JSC. The congress  brought  together  about  400  international and Kazakh experts, government representatives and local authorities, heads of national holdings and national companies, development institutions and research institutes, businesses and other innovative entrepreneurs. At the congress, 13 memoranda with an economic effect of about 20 million euros were signed, including an agreement on establishing the Kazakh-American Centre for Technology Transfer, an agreement on the implementation of technology for producing rubber from dandelions and a memorandum of understanding  on  cooperation  in  the Â ď€ ďŹ eld  of higher education of engineering and technical personnel of enterprises of Kazakhstan on the basis of a special economic zone called Park  of  Innovative  Technologies. â—? According to the Kazakhstan’s Central  Bank  Chairman  (Governor)  Grigoriy  Marchenko,  a  single  currency within the Customs Union of Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus may emerge within 10 years’ time, the country’s Prime Minister’s press service reported on May 24.  “It  took  Europe  about Â ď€ ďŹ ve  decades‌  It  could  take  us  a  decade  if  we build on the Eurozone experience. So far no concrete moves have been made towards introducing a single currency,â€? Marchenko said. According to him, “to run a single currency, the Customs Union member states should work out single macroeconomic parameters similar to those in place within the EU.â€? â—? On May 23 at the opening ceremony of the Sixth Astana Economic Forum President Nursultan Nazarbayev proposed the creation of a board of trustees for G-Global following the example of the Club of Rome and the Club of Madrid. “A year ago, at the previous Economic  Forum,  I  proposed  the  idea  of  G-ÂGlobal,  and  I  am  grateful  to  all  those who positively appreciated it. The main purpose of G-Global is to offer a positive alternative to the chaotic dynamics of the changing global paradigms of global development,â€? he said. Nazarbayev expressed his sincere hope that the number of followers of G-Global will grow, and suggested for further development the idea of creating the G-Global Board of Trustees. “Within this framework, it is necessary to carry out funding of fundamental aspects of research,â€? the president said.
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By Galiya Nurzhan ASTANA – On May 21-22, the ď€ ďŹ rst  International  Astana  Smart  Technologies Exhibition and Conference  (ASTEX  2013)  took  place  within the framework of the Sixth Astana  Economic  Forum  (AEF)  at  the Palace of Peace and Harmony in Astana. The event was organised by the Ministry of Transport and Communications,  Zerde  National  Info- Communications Holding and the Info-ÂCommunication  Technologies  Development Fund. The event was aimed at promoting information and communications  technologies  (ICT)  in  the  operational processes of enterprises of priority sectors of economy; increasing  ICT  usage  by  the  local  population; transferring technologies, knowledge and experience of major  international  ICT  companies  and creating a dialogue platform to forge partnerships between Kazakh and  foreign  ICT  companies. The event brought together around 50 information technology experts from all over the world, including  government  ofď€ ďŹ cials,  foreign company executives, major investors, internet business players, professors and business trainers. A total of 28 local and foreign companies participated in the exhibition, including the world’s leading website for selling cars, Cars. com; a leading U.S. online store, Newegg.com; a major Swedish company for mobile apps, software and online platforms development, OpenRatio; companies with innovative designs such as Microsoft, Asus, Logycom, SAP and others and domestic companies including mobile operators Kcell, Beeline, Kazakhtelecom and others. Speakers included Kazakhstan’s Transport and Communication Minister Askar Zhumagaliyev, JSC National  Information  Technologies  CEO Ruslan Yensebayev, Mail. Ru  Group  CIO  Aleksandr  Gorniy,  Transition Economies Unit of the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs Chief Alexei Tikhomirov, Executive Director of the Centre for Enterprise Architecture  in  the  College  of  Information Sciences and Technology at the Pennsylvania State University Brian Cameron, Europe Microsoft Corporation Chairman Jan Muehlfeit,  IDC  Executive  Vice  President  Philippe  de  Marcillac,  the  International  Institute  of  Administrative  Sciences  (IIAS)  Director  General  Rolet  Loretan,  Global  Industry  Council Founder and Chair Stephen Ibaraki,  HP  Enterprise  Services  Central and Eastern Europe Chief Technologist Werner Dorfmeister, Professor Emeritus of the Korea University Ahn Moon Suk, Director of U-City Research and Development Centre of the University of Suwon  Young  Im  Cho  and  many  others. As the organisers had hoped, the ASTEX Exhibition and Conference provided an international communication platform to share expertise and discuss the most relevant issues in the industry, and served not only as a large exhibition pavilion for smart technologies but also as a venue to conclude memoranda and agreements, make business connections and establish long-term partnerships. Among the issues discussed were innovative developments and high-Âtech  solutions  in  various Â ď€ ďŹ elds  such as e-government, education, health, e-business, mass media, entertainment, agriculture and transport. The exhibition showcased more than 100 developments in the IT  industry,  global  brands’  fresh  innovations in smart technologies, humanoid robots and more. Manu-
facturers from Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus exhibited their works. Asus presented its new PadFone Inď€ ďŹ nity  at  the  exhibition.  It  is  a  modern LTE-smartphone with a ď€ ďŹ ve-Âinch  display  and  a  metal  case,  which can be converted into a 10.1inch tablet through its PadFone Inď€ ďŹ nity  Station.  It  runs  Android  4.1  and  features  high  performance thanks to quad-core processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 600. The battery life of the smartphone talk time on 3G is up to 19 hours. The product will be available in June. The recommended price for the complete set is 175,000 tenge. The conference included four sessions aimed at improving people’s lives using smart technology which  were  named  accordingly:  Smart  Government,  Smart  Industry, Smart Business and Smart Life. Each session was divided into several sub-sessions, where the possibilities  of  ICT  were  discussed  in  detail. Presentations, seminars and workshops by famous Kazakh and foreign speakers were also submitted at the conference. At the opening ceremony, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development Bakytzhan Sagintayev pointed out that today, Kazakhstan is an established and modern state, a responsible partner in the international arena and a stable area for investment, especially for the development of information and communication technologies. “Striving to apply the latest technology, we have already achieved good results. Thus, according to the U.N. rating “E-government for the peopleâ€? in 2012, Kazakhstan ranked 38th among 190 countries. According to the Network Readiness  Index  of  the  International  Telecommunication Union, we took 43rd  place.  According  to  the  index  of e-participation, Kazakhstan and Singapore shared second place.â€? “The  number  of  Internet  users  in  Kazakhstan exceeds 65 percent of the population,â€? Sagintayev continued. “The country has implemented standards for third generation mobile communication—3G— and launched a project to create a  fourth-Âgeneration  network,  4G,  which is already being implemented in Astana and Almaty. Complete coverage is planned for the end of 2017.  In  addition,  we  expect  to  achieve 95 percent coverage of digital television and radio broadcasting in 2015. Hundred percent of the population will have access to satellite and digital broadcasts.â€? “A total of 157 services are provided at our e-government portal. Eighty permits have been automated. Since 2012, all licenses have been issued in electronic format only. More than 21 million inquiries have been issued through egovernment in 2012,â€? First Deputy Prime Minister Sagintayev said. He also noted that work with cloud computing technology is underway. Experts believe its implementation in the short term will help  increase  the  efď€ ďŹ ciency  of  enterprises and the state as a whole. In  his  welcoming  speech,  Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Saken Sarsenov stressed that e-licensing in Kazakhstan was named the best project in the E-Business category among 280  projects  from  64  countries  at  the  WSIS  Project  Prizes  2013  international competition in Geneva. (www.elicense.kz  is  an  electronic  system that allows users to obtain various  permits  via  the  Internet).  He also discussed the achievements of and prospects for the development  of  ICT  in  Kazakhstan  and noted that the implementation of a number of public and industry programmes has given a powerful
impetus to the development of the ICT  industry.  As  of  last  year,  revenues have grown to one trillion tenge in this sector. Deputy Minister Sarsenov paid particular attention to the 2020 State  Programme  for  Information  Kazakhstan. In particular, Sarsenov said that
The exhibition showcased more than 100 developments in the IT industry, global brands’ fresh innovations in smart technologies, humanoid robots and more. this year all regional centres are planned to be connected to digital terrestrial broadcasting, and it is expected to cover 95 percent of the population by 2015. Sarsenov also said that Kazakhstan plans to introduce Big Data technology, allowing the processing and storage of larger amounts of information. Big Data is currently one of the most dynamically developing technologies in the world. Sarsenov noted that an analysis conducted  by  the  International  Data  Corporation shows that the amount of stored information increases by 40  percent  annually.  For  instance, Â
2.43  zettabytes  (one  zettabyte  equals  one  billion  gigabytes)  of  information were generated in 2012. This is double that of 2010. Experts believe application of Big Data technology will help make the state administration more efď€ ďŹ cient.  For  example,  in  Vitoria  da Conquista, Brazil, school students have microchips using Big Data technology embedded in their school uniforms. The microchips recognise children when they enter schools. Parents will get a text message if their child is late for classes. Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Sarsenov said the Ministry has a goal to introduce Big Data technology in the country and make Kazakhstan a country with  a  well-Âdeveloped  ICT  sector.  The Open Data draft portal was also presented at the exhibition. The opportunities that the portal provides were demonstrated using the prototype portal data.gov.kz developed  by  the  National  Information Technologies JSC. Kazakhstan  is  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  Central  Asian country to put forward an Open Government initiative. The project will be implemented within the  2020  State  Programme  for  Information Kazakhstan. The open data portal will provide information about all state bodies in the country available for all users of the portal regardless of their citizenship and location. The users will be able to generate, edit and return information to the database as well as unite it with other data for receiving new information.  Based  on  this  information,  IT  companies will be able to create interactive applications useful for people in everyday life. Speaking at the presentation of the portal, Chairman of the Board of  National  Information  Technologies JSC, Ruslan Yensebayev, described one such application called Government Agencies Navigator. “The  application  can  help  us Â ď€ ďŹ nd  the  nearest  ofď€ ďŹ ce  of  an  organisation  we are looking for if we know its address, name and our location. For example,  we  can Â ď€ ďŹ nd  the  nearest  notary  ofď€ ďŹ ce  to  attest  a  document  or a school for our children. The information is already on the portal so everyone can use it,â€? he said. In  his  presentation  at  the  conference, Dr. Ahn Moon Suk, the founder of the Korean e-government and Professor Emeritus of the
Korea University, discussed the egovernment of the future. According to him, e-government of the future will offer a set of services for each citizen. “E-government is a key tool in the government of any country. Successful implementation of egovernment is largely dependent on information technology in each country.  I  can  say  with  conď€ ďŹ dence  that information technology in Kazakhstan is very advanced,â€? Ahn Moon Suk said. He also noted that e-government in Kazakhstan is focused on its citizens. “Kazakhstan is in step with the times and it will become a leader in the Â ď€ ďŹ eld  of  information  technology  and, particularly, in e-government, in the future,â€? he said. In  his  turn,  Minister  of  Transport and Communications Askar Zhumagaliyev spoke about the development of information and communication technologies and stressed the importance of introducing smart technologies in every area of the modern state’s life. The most striking trends, development forecasts and future perspectives in technologies, and other subjects were also discussed at the session. The  heads  of  sector-Âspeciď€ ďŹ c  agencies of the Commonwealth of Independent  States  countries  and  CEOs of international trade organisations attended the plenary session as speakers and the founder of Cars. com and current CEO of Newegg. com, Bob Bellack, and the founder of OpenRatio, Rabih Kanaan, shared their secrets of doing business with Kazakhstan’s people. Brian Cameron, U.S. Government Advisor for Enterprise Architecture, spoke about the evolution of public services and e-government. Recognised expert, business consultant, founder of the international partner and agent chain FantoftProcess Technologies Knut Erik Spilling spoke about implementing ICT  and  business  development  in  the Â ď€ ďŹ eld  of  oil  and  energy.  The Â ď€ ďŹ rst  ASTEX  2013  Award  was awarded on the second day, when memorable prizes went to Best ASTEX 2013 Blogger and Startup Project, as well as to the best  Kazakh  IT  managers  in  the  government and the corporate sector and in small and medium-sized businesses.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
А6
EDITORIAL
Punching within Its Weight, Responsibly Kazakhstan is not a very large country. Today’s world places more value on economic scale, rather than territorial boundaries or the sheer number of people. Against the backdrop of neighbouring Russia and China, this 16 million people landlocked country could have been lost in the shadows and left on the sidelines. It could have, but it isn’t, because Kazakhstan does have a particular political “weight” that it uses to tip the scales in the right direction, with precision accuracy. The government, under the leadership of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, makes it a point to put Kazakhstan on the global political map. Carefully, pursuing a policy of multi-vectoralism, the country is treading the world arena without stepping on others’ shoes and moving along its own path of development. Since establishing an independent sovereign state in 1991, President Nazarbayev has put forward initiative after initiative to promote security and foster regional and global cooperation. The Commonwealth of Independent States was formed in Almaty in December 1991 during the crumbling of the Soviet Union, and created a blanket organization for countries that were suddenly cut off from one another after nearly 70 years of political unity. In no way do the people of Kazakhstan want to go back to the system of socialist rule of the past, but certain elements of the framework certainly helped in providing Kazakhstan its role on the international stage. The most recent developments of the Eurasian Economic Community are specifically aimed at creating a common market of around 200 million people, and it cannot be ignored or unnoticed. Issues of sovereignty and political decision-making are left to the independent governments but a free flow of goods and services is regulated by a common secretariat. Apart from the EurAsEC, Kazakhstan is also an initiator or and active participant in other international organizations. The list includes the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, proposed by President Nazarbayev in 1992, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Asian Cooperation Dialogue, to name a few. Each with its own mandate and objectives, these international institutions warrant Kazakhstan with a platform to deliver its message of peace and tranquility, mutually beneficial cooperation through dialogue and understanding. To ensure a peaceful neighborhood, Kazakhstan also opened its doors to the most recent rounds of negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 countries in Almaty. The events, dubbed Almaty I and Almaty II, have provided the world with substance that could have very well prevented further escalation of tensions. Former US ambassador to Israel, Martin Indyk, was on American national television saying “I’m afraid that 2013 is going to be a year in which we’re going to have a military confrontation with Iran.” Thankfully, the sides met at Rixos, Almaty, and hopefully they will continue talking in order to resolve the situation peacefully. In the military security area, Kazakhstan has designated an infantry battalion called KAZBAT for potential deployment in the peacemaking operations under UN Security Council mandates. KAZBAT became operable as planned and elements of this battalion have effectively served in Iraq for five years
and have joined NATO countries in a number of live exercises. The expansion of this force into a full brigade – KAZBRIG – is a major project aimed to give Kazakhstan the capability to continuously sustain a battalion-sized contribution. In 2010, Kazakhstan, along with Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Belarus completed an agreement with NATO allowing the transportation of non-lethal ISAF cargo to Afghanistan by rail. As of 2012, NATO also has an agreement with Kazakhstan (as well as with several other Central Asian countries and with Russia) for the redeployment of non-lethal ISAF cargo from Afghanistan. Kazakhstan plays an active role in both hosting and participating in Partnership for Peace training and exercises. In consultation with NATO countries, Kazakhstan has established a PfP regional training centre, and continues to work with Allies and regional partners within military and language training programmes. The UN system has 15 bodies working in Kazakhstan including International Labour Organization (ILO), Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations Volunteers (UNV), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), and the World Health Organization (WHO) Foreign diplomatic missions in Kazakhstan will know that the country is seeking international support for the establishment of a UN regional diplomacy hub in Almaty and aims to become a non-permanent UN Security Council member. On January 18, the President addressed international ambassadors posted in Kazakhstan with a plea. “We will help eliminate even the slightest manifestations of a conflict in the region, develop integration and build up pragmatic economic cooperation with all our partners. I kindly ask you to bring to your governments’ notice that Kazakhstan aspires to become the pillar of stability and cooperation between the nations. This is the idea behind Kazakhstan’s wish to join the UN Security Council as its non-permanent member,” Nursultan Nazarbayev stated then. In all, Kazakhstan is becoming a noticeable player on the world arena. With its economy growing 5-6 percent annually even during the times of global financial turmoil and uncertainty and against the backdrop of the world’s rather sluggish economic growth overall, Kazakhstan has been gradually turning into an economic bedrock in the critical region of Central Asia. In the future, Kazakhstan plans to once again take center stage by showing its vision of the future, of an economy not based on crude oil and mineral exports, but on alternative and more environmentally friendly sources of energy, at the specialized EXPO 2017 in Astana. Not bad for a new kid on the block.
Continued Growth and Cooperation in the Oil and Gas Sector By Bolat Akchulakov
The domestic oil sector has played a key role in the establishment of independent Kazakhstan. After independence, the oil and gas industry received a powerful impetus for development in the form of large-scale exploration and production work launched in the country’s Caspian Sea sector. Previously explored fields of oil and gas are also being developed. Kazakhstan is among the top 15 countries in the world in proven oil reserves and possesses 3.3 percent of the world’s hydrocarbon reserves. The lion’s share of this black gold is concentrated in the Tengiz, Kashagan and Korolevskoye fields, which have been developed or are being prepared for development, and the oil and gas deposits of Karachaganak, Zhanazhol and Urikhtau. The oil industry provides more than a quarter of Kazakhstan’s industrial output, more than a third of its taxes and half of its export earnings. For two decades, the country has seen growth in the production of liquid hydrocarbons: in 2012, about 80 million tons were produced, exceeding by more than three times the level of production in 1991. Today, the oil and gas industry aims for further growth. If in 2013 we expect to produce 82 million tons of crude oil and condensate, by 2020 this figure could reach 130 million tons. It should be noted that achieving this output largely depends on the implementation of projects in the Kazakhstan sector of the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan has three oil refineries (in Atyrau, Pavlodar and Shymkent cities), the total annual processing capacity of which is about 15 million tons. In 2012, these enterprises processed 14.2 million tons of crude oil, 103.6 percent of the previous year’s production. This year’s planned volume is 14.4 million tons. However, even when fully loaded, the existing refineries are only capable of satisfying the domestic market’s needs for AI-80 gasoline and diesel fuel. Their capacities are insufficient for the production of high-octane gasoline, and we have to import 30-40 percent of the domestic demand for AI-92, AI-95 and AI-98 gasoline. In order to ensure a fuel supply that meets international standards of environmental protection, the government has adopted a programme of modernisation for all three domestic refineries. The upgrades and renovations will increase the
volume of petrochemicals by increasing the depth of oil refining and will also raise the production of light petroleum products and improve their quality up to Euro-4 and Euro-5 standards. Working at full capacity, the plants will process 18 million tons of petrochemicals per year, fully covering the needs of the domestic market for these products. The projects will be implemented from 2011-2016. The branch programme for the oil and gas sector’s development provides for the construction of another refinery after 2020. In view of the predicted increase in oil production in the country, the expansion and diversification of oil and gas transport infrastructure will be of great importance in the near future. Kazakhstan will need a stable supply of oil for export as well as for use in domestic refineries via the domestic oil pipeline system. During the years of independence, we have built about 6,000 kilometres of oil pipelines. Today, the main active export destinations are the oil pipelines Atyrau-Samara, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) pipeline, the Atasu- Alashankou pipeline and the port of Aktau. The volume of exports of crude oil and gas condensate in 2012 amounted to 68.6 million tons. The largest importers of Kazakh oil are China, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Austria, Romania and Canada. One of the major ongoing projects is the expansion of the CPC pipeline, which will increase the pipeline’s capacity from the current 28.2 million to 67 million tons per year, of which Kazakhstan’s oil will account for 52.5 million tons. The project, being implemented in three phases, is expected to be completed by 2015. Another ongoing project is the expansion of the Kazakhstan-China pipeline, the first phase of which (Atasu-Alashankou) was put into operation in 2008 with a capacity of 10 million tons per year. The second phase involves the expansion of its capacity to 20 million tons. According to preliminary estimates, the project is expected to be realised over the period from 2012 to 2017. A medium-term project, the Kazakhstan Caspian Transportation System (KCRS), consists of two segments, the Yeskene-Kuryk pipeline and the Trans-Caspian System/ Project (TCS). The latter includes an oil terminal on the Kazakh coast, tankers and ships, an oil discharge terminal on the Azerbaijani coast and connecting facilities to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.
The capacity and stages of development of the system will be determined based on the volume of oil production at the Kashagan field (phases two and three). It is assumed that at the initial stage, it will be 23 million tons per year and at a later stage it may increase to 35-56 million tons per year. Improving the legislation in the oil and gas industry is an ongoing process. The law “On state regulation of production and turnover of petroleum products” allows the use of retail and wholesale price regulation for petroleum products, the establishment of qualification requirements for access to the market of wholesale distribution of petroleum products and the introduction of a new mechanism for regulating production and trafficking of petroleum products, thereby boosting the economy. The head of state has also signed the law “On the main pipeline,” which is intended to provide for the efficient, reliable and safe operation of the pipeline; strengthen the economic, energy and environmental security of the country and establish the state’s pre-emptive right to participate in projects of newly created pipelines, as well as improve legislation in this area. The document was designed to strengthen the economic and energy security of the country by regulating relations regarding the main pipeline, which is of strategic importance to the economy. The governments of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation signed an agreement on trade and economic cooperation in the field of oil and petroleum products in Kazakhstan on December 9, 2010, in Moscow, within the framework of the Common Economic Space. This document, ratified by Kazakhstan on April 3, defines the framework of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries regarding the formation of common markets for crude oil and petroleum products and the conditions for the supply of petroleum products to Kazakhstan to meet domestic requirements, all in volumes approved by the parties in accordance with indicative balances. Also, the Kazakh side carries out the oncoming supply of Kazakh oil to the Russian Federation. In turn, the supply of oil products in Kazakhstan from Russia will be in the amounts approved in accordance with the indicative oil balance. The author is Vice Minister of Oil and Gas of Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan – EU Strategic Partnership: Evolution and State of Play By Yerkin Akhinzhanov The European Union is one of our key political and economic partners. It is therefore a strategic priority of our foreign policy to deepen and expand our cooperation. This message has been articulated in the recent presidential address to the people of Kazakhstan which sets a new course for political development and socio – economic modernization of the country for the period until 2050. This year Astana and Brussels celebrate the twentieth anniversary since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and the European Union. (February 2). Just a few days before the important date, Minister of Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov visited Brussels to discuss the results of political interaction and identify promising areas of cooperation with the leadership of the European Union. Our countries have gone a long way towards dynamic and mature partnership characterized by high level of political activity, close interaction on the international arena and effective economic cooperation. Today Kazakhstan and the EU regard each other as stable and predictable partners. We have a common approach to majority of key issues of regional and international politics. In fact, Astana and Brussels have established a close dialogue both under the auspices
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of international organizations and European institutions. A solid foundation for further development of bilateral cooperation has been laid down thanks to the joint efforts in realization of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Kazakhstan and the European Union, Kazakhstan’s State Programme ‘Path to Europe’ and the EU Strategy for Central Asia. Against this background, it is important to underline the overall intensity of political contacts and trustworthy dialogue at the highest level. For instance, the official visit of President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Brussels in 2010 gave a strong impetus to the development of Kazakh – European dialogue. The current state of play and prospects for bilateral cooperation have been positively evaluated during the meeting of President Nursultan Nazarbayev with the President of the European Council
Herman Van Rompuy and the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso. Regular contacts are also maintained at the level of the foreign ministries. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton visited Astana in November 2012. President of the European Commission Barroso is planning to visit Kazakhstan in early June. A network of bilateral structures is functioning effectively. Each year we organize Kazakhstan – EU sectoral dialogues on justice, freedom and security, human rights, trade, investment, transport, energy and environment. We cooperate actively with the European Parliament. Beyond doubt, economic cooperation underpins the strategic nature of Kazakhstan – EU partnership. The European Union has firmly occupied the position of Kazakhstan’s leading trade and investment partner, surpassing Russia and China. Last year, bilateral trade turnover amounted to $54 billion. The EU accounts for 49 per cent of our total trade and 45 percent of accumulated FDI in our economy. The gross inflow of direct investment from the European Union to the Kazakhstan economy for the period between 1993 to 2012 has accounted for US $70 billion (out of US $160 billion of all attracted investment). The decision of the European Commission to terminate its anti – dumping inves-
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tigation against yellow phosphorus originating in Kazakhstan will contribute to further development of trade relations between Kazakh enterprises and EU member states. In general, this decision has solidified our view and demonstrated the necessity to receive the market economy status as soon as possible. One of our major strategic objectives is to advance the current format of the energy dialogue that has been boosted during the visit of the EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger to Kazakhstan in 2011. We plan to supplement our dialogue by cooperation in the following industry areas - oil and gas projects, energy efficiency and energy saving, widespread use of renewable energy sources and nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, development of electricity and clean energy technologies. Despite the crucial role of energy and transportation issues in the context of our economic cooperation, Kazakhstan will not limit itself by these industries. Today our country sets before itself strategic goals for development. In this vein, Kazakhstan welcomes the EU member states taking part in the State Programme of Accelerated Industrial and Innovative Development. We are looking forward to developing a full-scale cooperation with the European Investment Bank. The agreement with this institution was signed in 2010. We pay special attention to visa
facilitation issue. We have been receiving positive signals from Brussels with regard to a mutual facilitation of visa regime and hope to launch negotiations on a relevant bilateral agreement. We believe that freedom of movement is one of the key elements of enhanced partnership and cooperation. In recent years, strengthening the regional component has become a distinct feature of Kazakh – European cooperation. Kazakhstan has been actively involved in drafting a new EU Strategy for Central Asia. We have suggested taking into account both regional and country-specific approaches as well as harmonizing national priorities for Central Asian countries. The EU – Central Asia Ministerial Meetings have become a good tradition. In November 2012, the sixth Ministerial Meeting took place in Bishkek. Kazakhstan supports further implementation of ‘the EU and Central Asia: Strategy for a new Partnership’. We believe that the Strategy is an essential and timely document that seeks to provide stability not only in Central Asia but on the whole Eurasian continent. A new Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement is a key agenda item of our bilateral cooperation. Kazakhstan considers the signing of a new comprehensive agreement with the EU as a great chance to legalize a new level of engage-
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ment between the parties and provide a sound legal basis for further development of the cooperation potential. Currently, there are many areas where there is a clear common interest of our countries in continuing cooperation, not only in the economic and trade partnership but also in the struggle against contemporary threats and challenges, as well as in promoting international security and stability. The main purpose of the new agreement is to define the concept of ‘advanced partnership’ and to create effective tools for its implementation. Three rounds of official negotiations on the Agreement have already taken place. We are preparing for the fourth round of negotiations to be held in Brussels this year. The content of the future Kazakhstan-EU agreement is considered with regard to the prospects of Kazakhstan’s accession to the WTO and the developments taking place in the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space. To unlock the full potential for cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union, we need to make new steps based on a constructive dialogue, mutual respect and recognition of existence of diverse ways of development. The author is Director of Europe Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.
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Wednesday, 29 May 2013
А7
Improving Infrastructure, Regulation in the Grain Market By Asylzhan Mamytbekov The regulation of the grain market will mean the transition of the industry to a new stage of development and the need to confront new internal and external challenges. The production of grain is today the most important segment of the agricultural sector, and competent state regulation of grain production at low crop diversification is essential. The measures taken by the Ministry of Agriculture are based on market principles. The grain industry has accumulated contradictions and complexities on issues of lending, subsidies, storage, transportation, sales and the formation of reserves. These are infrastructure problems that are costly in terms of time and finance and may even impact the food security of the country. In addition, the volatility of the grain market strongly influences the social status of villagers. The institutional foundations of the grain industry were laid in 2001. The law “On grain” provided clear legal regulation of the grain market’s participants. At that time the law represented a significant change, one which stopped the chaos and anarchy at grain reception centres and elevators and formed a civilised market for grain. For the first time in the post- Soviet space, Kazakhstan created the institute of grain receipts. This order of non-equity security confirmed the ownership of grain and could act as a collateral obligation. In addition, grain receipts obliged grain to be shipped at the first request of its owner. Grain was sold through endorsement. In general, between 2002-2012, second-tier banks granted loans on the basis of grain receipts totalling 838 billion tenge (5.6 billion dollars) on pledges totalling 45 million tons of grain. Later, various forms of state production and sale of grain were introduced. Subsidies, grants and the Three Years of Village Programme stimulated the growth of grain production. However, not every year was profitable. There were years of crop failure and losses for farmers, and with the levelling of large declines in income in 2004 it was decided to introduce crop insurance. New financial institutions such as rural credit unions, mutual insur-
ance companies and leasing lending began to appear in tandem with the new insurance. Drastic changes in the protection of the domestic market were made after the ban on grain exports in 2008. The consequences of the ban were so negative that it was necessary to form a system to stabilise the market with the creation of stabilisation funds and the transfer of functions to level market spikes to the National Food Corporation. Problems of scarcity, problems of excess All together, an acceptable legal environment, measures of state support to the industry, and, of course, favourable climatic conditions helped increase the amount of grain harvested. From 2008 to 2012, grain production averaged 17.7 million tons, 2.2 million tons – 14 percent – higher than in the previous five-year period (2003- 2007). Since 2007, Kazakhstan has been a world leader in flour exports and is among the world’s top ten exporters of wheat. Meanwhile, the absence of direct access to the sea and the deeply landlocked locations of much of the country’s farmland are proving to be barriers to increasing production volumes much more. The grain terminal at the port of Aktau on the Caspian Sea can handle 700 tons of grain a year. About five million tons were sent to the markets of Central Asia. This is a quickly growing market, but it is still limited. There is a Chinese market of enormous potential, but as of now the volumes delivered to it are not very significant. The increase in wheat production, therefore, has become excess. The record-breaking harvest of 2011 highlighted another problem which had been discussed frequently but never resolved: the lack of grain reception centres and facilities for drying and storing grain. The shortage of grain carriers and the complex relationship with the operators of the cargo fleet continue to be major limiting factors. A series of measures neutralised the effect of these factors and helped sell the harvest. First was the allocation of funds from the national budget to subsidise transportation costs to the ports of the Azov-Black Sea basin, the Baltic
concluded with the associations of poultry and pig husbandry for the supply of 312 tons of coarse grain at a fixed price. The financial institutions of KazAgro prolonged commitments for loans at the total sum of 24.7 billion tenge for agricultural producers whose crops were affected by drought. Taking into account the abolition of subsidised transport costs for grain exports (from August 1, 2012), it is clear that regulation of the grain market in Kazakhstan was achieved without imposing restrictions on the export of grain, as happened in neighbouring countries (Russia imposed a ban on export of grain, Ukraine set quotas). Sea and China. This allowed more than five million tons of grain worth 25.1 billion tenge (167.0 million dollars) to be shipped for export in the 2011-2012 market year. In addition, the JSC National Food Corporation helped unload elevators in the north, transferring about one million tons of grain from northern grain-enterprises to less-loaded grain centres in other regions. In order to prevent a collapse in prices, the Food Corporation purchased about 5.1 million tons of wheat at the price of production, withdrawing it from the market. Re-equipped open wagons and cars were used to transport the grain. In the end, a record level of grain exports was reached: 12.8 million tons, including flour in the accepted equivalent. Meanwhile, even in lean years there are problems. Last year the crop was two times lower than the year before because of drought. The gross grain harvest was 12.9 million tons compared to 27 million tons in the previous year. However, the carry-over remained high, which allowed the internal market to determine the export potential of 7.8 million tons. To provide the regions with food grains and to stabilise the price of flour and bread, the Ministry of Agriculture, regional administrations and municipalities of Astana and Almaty and JSC NMH KazAgro’s ALE Union of Grain Processors of Kazakhstan concluded memoranda for the supply of 1.3 million tons of wheat at the price of 28.000 tenge per ton. In addition, memoranda were
Infrastructure increases With the growth of wheat production, its carry-over balance increases annually, putting pressure on the domestic market and blocking the acceptance of new grain. But there are positive signs of a resolution of this problem. In the past year, several Arab countries have proposed the creation of a fund of mutual food assistance under the auspices of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. This would form a strategic grain reserve in the amount of up to two million tons of grain in Kazakhstan. But the implementation of this initiative requires increasing capacities for storage and transfer, which is reflected in the new programme for the development of the agro-industrial complex, Agribusiness in 2020. Currently, there are grain terminals in the ports of Aktau, Baku and Amir Abad (Iran). In order to increase grain exports to the countries of Central Asia, Afghanistan and Iran, we put into operation an elevator complex with a mill at Beineu station in Mangistau region. Recently the construction of a new railway line, Uzen-Kyzyl Kiya-Gorgan, which connects Kazakhstan and Iran, as well as the Zhetygen–Khorgos line connecting Kazakhstan with China was completed. China is of special interest not only as a promising direction for grain export, but also as a transit country for the transportation of our products to Southeast Asia. To promote grain exports, terminals on the border of China and Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan and Iran are planned, which would remove the problem of different
railway gauges and the problem of packing grain in bags, which in turn will reduce the selling price of grain and increase its competitiveness in foreign markets. The Agribusiness 2020 Programme provides for the construction of 3.5 million tons of grain storage tanks, as well as increasing handling capacity at the port of Aktau. In order to increase grain exports to Baku and Poti, Kazakhstan will need to use a ferry service and purchase five ferries for further transport to foreign markets of one million tons of grain. The construction of elevators on export routes will be carried out with the participation of subsidiaries of KazAgro. Over the past three years, grain storage capacities for 1.4 million tons have been commissioned, including for 0.5 million tons at the expense of KazAgro.
Kazakhstan also developed and then ensured the adoption of technical regulations on grain security, which will ensure the free movement of grain in the Customs Union and simplify procedures for confirming compliance. Amend and update laws Grain producers have repeatedly requested revisions to the law “On mandatory insurance in crop farming,” which has been in effect since 2004. Farmers are not satisfied with the target system—the cost recovery instead of lost profits – nor with its execution. Insurance companies are not interested in this kind of activity, despite the fact that the state reimburses them for half of their payments to policyholders. In 2012, insurance covered 13.9 million hectares or 74.2 percent of the 18.8 million hectares of crops to be insured. Now a new bill is being drafted to improve the mechanisms of crop insurance (reinsurance mechanisms, establishing fixed-tariffs mutual insurance companies and other changes).
Another bill already under consideration in the Mazhilis aims to fill gaps in the regulation of the grain market. The draft law “On amendments to some legislative acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on regulation of the grain market” provides a number of conceptual amendments, including the introduction of compulsory insurance of civil liability of grain reception centres to the holders of warehouse receipts, improving mechanisms for the interim management of elevators and strengthening state control over the storage of raw grain. In addition, it is planned to introduce electronic grain receipts, mandatory registration in a single database and parallel circulation (in the first stage) of paper and electronic grain receipts. As a result, elevators will give grain receipts only within the limits of their technical capacity. Kazakhstan also developed and then ensured the adoption of technical regulations on grain security, which will ensure the free movement of grain in the Customs Union and simplify procedures for confirming compliance. Prevent dumping prices At the enlarged session of the government held on January 23, President Nazarbayev instructed the government to study the issue of creating a single grain holding. This initiative will be implemented through the voluntary union of the grain market’s participants in a consortium grounded by JSC National Food Corporation, which already has terminals and elevators. Creating a holding company will consolidate all grain producers in a consortium whose task is to sell their common product at a profit. The participants of the consortium at the same time will retain their legal independence. Small- and mediumsized grain producers of this association will benefit significantly, in particular through guaranteed sales of autumn grain at market prices and a share of export earnings. The new formation will contribute to the public policy of diversifying crop production, including through the funding of sowing and harvesting, as well as the guaranteed purchase of manufactured products. The author is the Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan.
AEF Seeks to Answer Global Understanding Kazakhstan’s Economic Challenges Through Resources Is Key to Constructive Dialogue Development By Serik Nugerbekov The main objective of the World Anti-Crisis Conference was to develop proposals for all areas of UN’s anti-crisis plan. This document is intended to offer the world a way of maintaining a sustainable and balanced growth. The basic idea of the conference was to elaborate further incentives for the development of international cooperation, trade and investment, which will provide global and national financial stability through open, integrated, transparent, predictable and responsible management of systemic risks. Indeed, the current state of the world economy is vulnerable. According to a well-known economist Nouriel Roubini, the cumulative problems of the developed countries, in particular, the financial problems of the U.S. and Europe, stagnation in Japan, with 30% probability may turn into a “perfect storm,” the full force of which will fall on the global economy. Thus, according to official data of EU Statistical Office, the unemployment rate in the euro zone has already reached the absolute maximum of 12% in the period from 1995. Moreover, the youth unemployment rate reached 23.5% in the EU and 23.9% in the euro area. In parallel, the U.S. economy is adapting to the effects of budget sequestration. Definitely, this measure may hinder the process of economic recovery. In Japan, the budget deficit and country debt remain at a high level against the background of slower growth. The Bank of Japan is taking firm measures to control the rate of inflation in order to overcome deflation.
Head of the IMF Christine Lagarde at the Davos Forum 2013 expressed opinion that the tools of central banks to overcome the crisis are limited, and they need a comprehensive approach to solving the debt problem. Most speakers at Davos agreed that the specific of the financial crisis is still too complex in structure and its regulation requires more advanced tools. Moreover, among experts there was no unity on the definition of the scope of this regulation and the possibility of its effective implementation in the modern world. Undoubtedly, the situation in the world economy will have an impact on the dynamics of Kazakhstan’s development. According to expert opinions, in 2013, Kazakhstan’s economy will keep moderate growth at the level of 5.25.4%. In these circumstances, the World Anti-Crisis Conference held within the frames of the Sixth Astana Economic Forum was of great importance. The agenda of the event attended by many experts, Nobel Prize winners, included not only the problems of reforming the global economy and financial sys-
tem, but also topical issues of innovative development, nuclear and environmental safety, ethnic and religious tolerance, and other geopolitical issues of our time. The global conference has strengthened the position of developing countries in the process of the global discussion and decisionmaking. As noted by scholars and practitioners, the change of key concepts is the change of traditional views on the problem and the choice of a new system of “focal axes.” Changes in the global economy are significant. We are witnessing an active movement to a new phase of development, where the accent is shifting from the West crisis to the growing economies that have sustained potential of positive development. According to IMF forecasts, the rates of economic growth in developing countries by 2016 will be twice higher than in developed countries. In this situation, the current positioning of the growing economies requires rethinking. And the participants of the conference reviewed the concept, definition and directions of the assessment of international economic trends related to the growing importance of emerging nations in the global development. Thus, Astana has once again brought together the efforts of all nations of the world for a systemic search of answers to the challenges of the global economy which will have profound structural and longterm consequences. The author is the member of the Senate of Kazakhstan and co-chair of the Eurasian Economic Club of Scientists Association.
By Galina Baymakhanova The economic development of many nations has hinged on their geology. Mineral resources often determine the course of history and shape the political map of the world, and many hot spots are in areas of competition for energy reserves.
The resurgence of the study of geology, along with all other branches of knowledge and production related to the natural resource industry, will provide stability and help Kazakhstan tackle global and regional challenges and risks. However, ours is the information age, and the importance of intangible assets and processes has increased significantly. Today priorities have changed and knowledge, technology and technical expertise are in demand as much as natural resources. Strong, competitive states in the information age must have knowledge-intensive production accompanied by excellent management as a key component of their economies. Kazakhstan has an enviable resource base, but is also facing global environmental and economic challenges. Scientific knowledge and the predictions we can make allows us to be proactive in averting or preparing for catastrophes. The directions of our strategic research will determine Kazakhstan’s posi-
tion in the modern world, and this process begins with convincing the state of its necessity. Urbanisation; developing industrial zones and agricultural production; building engineering structures, water mains, oil and gas pipelines, roads, railways and mines;; establishing landfills and industrial waste sites and determining the depths of mineral deposits: all of these require high-quality information, analysis and scientific advice on the regional development of the country. A thorough ecological-geological study combined with an expert economic assessment should become the basis for the assessment and zoning of the territory of Kazakhstan on resource, geodynamic, geochemical and geophysical factors. The new environmental perspective demands the revaluation of our resource base in terms of the security and safe living conditions for individuals and the population as a whole. The conservation of nature and biodiversity is the main principle of this process. Today, unfortunately, geology as a science is remembered only for its role in attracting foreign investors and its sometimes dramatic failures. This attitude will only lead to more failures. The concept the geology department adopted in 2012 will remain a concept as long as the geological committee remains a Cinderella within the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, a stereotypical poor stepchild without rights or status but with many responsibilities that it is unable to perform. The transformation of the committee into an independent ministry with the corresponding authority would solve all the issues related to the study and monitoring of the state
of mineral resources, exploration and prospects for expanding the mineral base of the country. Problems in the industry, including a lack of professional staff and equipment for geological mapping, prospecting, and laboratory work as well as a learning gap when it comes to modern techniques and technologies, are growing like a snowball. Meanwhile, new approaches and initiatives in the field of geology, rational and comprehensive utilisation of mineral resources and the introduction of good practices of subsoil use are in great demand in the country. It seems that in the near future there will be no one to deal with these problems, since it takes 10 years at a minimum to prepare reasonably qualified professionals. The resurgence of the study of geology, along with all other branches of knowledge and production related to the natural resource industry, will provide stability and help Kazakhstan tackle global and regional challenges and risks. The author is the Deputy of the Mazhilis of Parliament of Kazakhstan.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Đ?8
EXPO 2017
Harnessing Wanderlust to Promote Kazakhstan, EXPO 2017 By Anel Adilbayeva
by me. At present, at this higher level,  I  receive  assistance  from  the  Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That has  helped  me  to  work  more  efď€ ďŹ ciently.
ASTANA – Dmitry Petrukhin, Kazakhstan’s modern nomad and head of the Geographical Society of Kazakhstan, has ridden his bike across the world. Now he is going to host other international wanderers as Ambassador of EXPO 2017. Recently, Petrukhin visited the United States to promote the international exhibition. The Astana Times interviewed the famous traveller about issues he faced during the trip and asked what foreigners know about Kazakhstan and what they think of EXPO 2017 in Astana. How did you start to travel and why? Because  of  my  dreams‌  I  dreamed and brought it into life. It  is  deď€ ďŹ nitely  hard  to  take  a  break  from work, family and trouble. But once you open your eyes you will see that the day has come and it is time to go. Do you meet travellers like you from other countries? There are freestyle bikers who travel but not on a global scale. They go for long distances, but nobody has circled the earth except me.  It  may  seem  romantic,  but  in  reality you always need money. You must be able to pay for your hobby.  I  sold  my  house  and  my  car  and  went  on  my Â ď€ ďŹ rst  tour  around  the world. My wife and children, carrying on the business, helped me. The larger and longer tours require more money. Gasoline, food, tolls and customs fees; you should also  add  trafď€ ďŹ c  congestion,  breaks  and meetings. My goal is not to just whirl across continents and set speed records. Have you thought about travelling within Kazakhstan? Oh,  I  have  travelled  the  length  and  breadth  of  Kazakhstan  [smiles].  And then rushed on and on.
How do you communicate with local people in other countries? By gestures, by facial expressions and kindness in the eyes. This  is  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  step;Íž  then  you  start  to get used to and remember basic and the most necessary words.
5IF GBNPVT CJLFS TQSFBET UIF &910 NFTTBHF BMM PWFS UIF XPSME Do you think you are helping promote Kazakhstan on the world stage? This is my mission, the meaning of  my  life  and  I  actively  work  for  the  beneď€ ďŹ t  of  my  country  ...Our president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, announced preparations for the national project EXPO 2017, highlighting the signiď€ ďŹ cance  of  the  participation  of  each  citizen  of  Kazakhstan.  In  response to this, as president of the Geographical Society of Kazakhstan,  I  started  my  next  world  tour  last  autumn.  It’s  no  coincidence that we began the journey in South America. These countries had not strongly supported us and we came to them on the eve of voting, we held a press conference saturated with demonstration materials under the slogan “There is a country – Kazakhstan!,â€? to maximise their acquaintance with our culture  and  people  and, Â ď€ ďŹ nally,  to  link our states with strong bonds of friendship. When our team arrived  in  the  Caribbean  Islands,  we  met with diplomats and heads of chambers of commerce and increased our chances for victory. The whole world voted. And As-
tana  became  the  capital  of  the  International Exhibition EXPO 2017. And what happens now? Five million visitors and boundless opportunities for economic and business development are coming. Fighting for it and travelling thousands of miles to personally gather the support of distant countries was totally worth it. The fact is that the scales of my projects have changed now, and importance of this is hard to overestimate. There was a time, when  I  started  as  individual,  that  I  could  simply  conquer the country on a motorcycle. But my next trip to Asia became a serious diplomatic  mission;Íž  I  went  across  all  Asian states, met with diplomats and chairmen of sport committees and invited them to visit the Winter Asian Games, which were held in  our  country  in  2011  for  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  time. Today, EXPO and Universiade are on an even higher level. You can already see the results and you will continue to see them in the future.
What do you think Kazakhstan should do to help ordinary people, not politicians, businesspeople and diplomats, get to know our country? We need to develop tourism, to create and produce new cultural values, organise festivals and inter-
national cultural mass events. And it must be instilled from childhood. That is exactly why we have created a new project, the children’s Internet  portal  “The  Young  Travellers’ Club,â€? with international children and the Geographical Society. Its  main  purpose  is  to  encourage  friendships across cultures. What do people around the world know about Kazakhstan’s hosting  of  EXPO  2017  and  the  expo in general? They  deď€ ďŹ nitely  do  [know  about  it]; EXPO is an event of global impact.  Astana  awaits Â ď€ ďŹ ve  million  visitors in 2017. And now we do not have the right to rest, we must prepare for EXPO 2017 and Universiade  2017.  That’s  why  I  came  back to Kazakhstan, being aware of
the incompleteness of my mission. We managed to identify major opportunities to improve the process of preparation for the most important events for our republic, EXPO 2017 and Universiade 2017. And my “mototripâ€? around the world continues as a public relations campaign and a global colourful demonstration of Kazakhstan’s achievements in the international arena and the culture and history of the Kazakh people. Campaigns like this can have very positive results and create new admirers of our country. Our diplomatic alliances  conď€ ďŹ rm  that  Kazakhstan  is  a  worthy member of the world community, and now we plan to meet with  other  governments  and  reect  on the expo’s theme, the global issue of “Future Energy.â€?
Who sponsors you? As  I  say,  my Â ď€ ďŹ rst  trip  was  funded Â
Spain and Portugal to International Exhibitions Assist Kazakhstan in 2017 Bureau Discusses 2017 Arrangements Preparations
By Manshuk Bekentayeva ASTANA  –  During  the  ofď€ ďŹ cial  visits of Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister  Erlan  Idrissov  to  Spain  on  May 13 and Portugal on May 1516, discussions about preparations for the upcoming EXPO 2017, in addition to other topics, were on the agenda. During his visit to Spain, Foreign  Minister  Idrissov  met  with  King  Juan  Carlos  I,  Senate  President Pio Garcia-Escudero Marquez, Chairman of the Congress of Deputies JesĂşs Posada, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation JosĂŠ Manuel GarcĂa-Margallo and the heads of leading Spanish companies. Senate President Garcia-Escudero Marquez noted that Spain pays special attention to trade and business cooperation with Kazakhstan, stressing that the upcoming EXPO 2017 in Astana should give a new impetus to Kazakh-Spanish economic cooperation. Spain hosted the expos in Seville in 1992 and in Zaragoza in 2008. Local companies from the two cities are willing to share their experiences with Astana as it prepares for its duties as host. In  Spain,  the  foreign  minister  also discussed EXPO 2017 with Executive Director of the U.N. World  Tourism  Organisation  (UNWTO)  Zoltan  Somogyi. During his visit to Portugal, Foreign  Minister  Idrissov  held  a  meeting with President of Portugal AnĂbal Cavaco Silva, Chairwoman of  the  Assembly  (Parliament)  Maria Â
Estevesh, Minister of Foreign Affairs Paulo Portash and representatives of the leading business structures of Portugal. Portugal sees Kazakhstan as the largest player in its region and intends to develop economic cooperation, particularly in the spheres of oil and gas, the electronic industry and agriculture. Cultural partnerships were also discussed, namely the possibility of Kazakhstan’s artists holding exhibits  and  concerts.  The  simpliď€ ďŹ cation of the visa regime for citizens of Kazakhstan was also a subject. The foreign minister called on the Portuguese side for assistance in this matter on a bilateral basis and within the framework of multilateral negotiations with the countries of the Schengen zone. Foreign  Minister  Idrissov  visited  the former expo village, Nations Park, in Lisbon, where the 1998 World Exhibition  was  held.  Its  motto was “The Ocean Heritage for the Future,â€? which resonates with the motto of EXPO 2017, “Future Energy.â€?
Local companies from the two cities [ Seville and Zaragoza] are willing to share their experiences with Astana as it prepares for its duties as host. The World Exhibition in Lisbon was timed to the 500th anniversary of  Vasco  da  Gama’s  discovery  of  a  sea  route  to  India.  Over  132  days,  11 million people attended the event. The Portuguese managed to retain the relevance of the expo village  after  the  exhibition:  the  main pavilion devoted to the ocean became an oceanarium; a central entrance to the town turned into a supermarket. To  handle  the  inow  of  tourists, one of the longest bridges in Europe, a new subway line and extra buses and taxies were added.
At present, the former expo zone is a modern district of the city with a population exceeding 20,000 people.  The  zone  has  a Â ď€ ďŹ ve  kilometre territory and covers 50 hectares in the eastern part of Lisbon on the bank of the river Tagus. Lisbon’s experience will be useful in constructing EXPO 2017 in Kazakhstan, as the future use of the EXPO 2017 pavilions of the exhibition should be considered today. The Portuguese side enthusiastically accepted Kazakhstan’s proposal to cooperate and exchange experiences in the preparation and holding of EXPO 2017 in Astana. Astana and the theme of Future Energy were chosen for EXPO 2017 over its main competitor, the Belgian city of Liege last year. Kazakh authorities expect that the exhibition in Astana will be visited by Â ď€ ďŹ ve  million  people.  President  Nursultan Nazarbayev has declared 2017 the year of EXPO and a year of Chinese tourism in Kazakhstan.
By Anel Adilbayeva On May 7, an Executive Committee meeting was held at the headquarters  of  the  International  Exhibitions  Bureau  (BIE)  in  Paris, which included discussions on Kazakhstan’s preparations for EXPO 2017. Kazakhstan was represented by Commissioner  of  the  International Specialized Exhibition EXPO 2017 and Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rapil Zhoshybayev, Minister of Environmental Protection Nurlan Kapparov, Chairman of the Board of the National Company Astana EXPO 2017 Talgat Yermegiyaev and Ambassador to France Nurlan Danenov. At the meeting, Zhoshybayev discussed the EXPO 2017 preparation process and shared information on the work that has been  conducted  over  the  last Â ď€ ďŹ ve  months. He also discussed the for-
mation of the National Company Astana EXPO 2017. “We hope that holding EXPO 2017 in Astana will accelerate the deepening of the international dialogue and development of joint solutions to the international community’s most pressing challenges,â€? Zhoshybayev said. Future Energy has been chosen as a theme for the EXPO 2017 exhibition. The  Kazakh  ofď€ ďŹ cials  also  presented to the members of the Executive Committee a draft of the land plot allocated for EXPO 2017 and a preliminary master plan of EXPO 2017, including the pavilions plan and plans for the use of buildings and materials created for the EXPO following the event. Other issues were also included in the agenda of the meeting of the Executive Committee of the BIE.  Reports  on  the  preparatory  process of EXPO 2015 in Milan, a
horticultural exhibition in 2016 in Antalya, Turkey and the results of the report of the Expert Committee on visits to countries seeking to host EXPO 2020 were presented at the meeting. Five countries are seeking to host EXPO 2020, including  Turkey  (Izmir),  Thailand  (Ayutthaya),  Russia  (Yekaterinburg),  UAE  (Dubai),  and  Brazil  (Sao  Paolo).  Astana was elected as the EXPO 2017  International  Specialized  Exhibition host on Nov.22, 2012 at the 152nd General Assembly of the  International  Exposition  Bureau. According to previous EXPO statistics, Astana’s EXPO is likely to attract 100 states and participants, including 10 leading international organizations and two to three million visitors during its three-month run from June to September 2017.
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Nation & Capital
Wednesday, 29 May 2013 143,000 Students Graduate from Secondary Schools Page B4
Photo Exhibit Showcases Creativity of Children with Disabilities Page B5
Vienna Festival Celebrates Kazakhstan’s Culture
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By Manshuk Bekentayeva The opening of the Days of Culture  of  Kazakhstan  in  Vienna,  Austria,  one  of  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  European countries to recognise Kazakhstan’s independence, took place on May 20th. The two countries mark the 21st anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations this year. Presidents Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan and Heinz Fischer of Austria agreed that their countries would take turns hosting cultural days  during  the  ofď€ ďŹ cial  visit  of  the Â
Kazakh president to Austria last autumn. On the eve of the concert, members  of  the  ofď€ ďŹ cial  delegation  and  representatives of the Kazakh media attended a festival of hunting with birds of prey at the historic Rosenburg Renaissance Castle. Event organisers highlighted falconry’s origins in Eurasia and Kazakhstan. “The homeland of falconry is Central Asia, which includes Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is the only country in the world whose national ag  depicts  a  golden  eagle  –  a  symbol of our country, of our nation
and a symbol of our freedom. For Kazakhs, hunting with birds is not just hunting, but a kind of national art. Therefore, it has been preserved up to now,â€? said Minister of Culture and  Information  Mukhtar  Kul-ÂMuhammed The event was opened by Minister Kul-Muhammed, who in his welcoming address noted that today Kazakhstan is known in many countries, including Austria, as a vibrant country with great economic, intellectual and creative potential.
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Nine-Year Old Chess Prodigy Wins Fourth World Championship Page B7
Newborn International Couple Thrives in Astana By Gulyaim Tulesheva
ASTANA – Recently, another international couple decided to ofď€ ďŹ cially  register  their  personal  relations in the city hall of Astana. Gaukhar Orakbayeva, originally from Taraz and Joe Scott from a small town near Manchester in England met at work, realized they had been made for one another and decided to never break up. “We are both working at the capital’s  Haileybury  school,  I  am  a  doctor, and Joe is a teacher of elementary grade,â€? Gaukhar Orakbayeva recounts the origins of their love story. Today she is Mrs. Scott but in 2001 she arrived in Astana from Taraz seeking to enter a medical college. At that time, she could not even fathom her future husband will be from an English town near Manchester, who did not even know about Kazakhstan before coming here. “I  saw  Joe  for  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  time  back  in September 2011, when he just came to our school, and we conducted a medical inspection,â€? she said.  “Then  I  made  an  eye  contact  with  him,  and  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  “sparkâ€?  between  us  ran  at  that  time.  It  is  hard  to say what in Joe has attracted my attention, probably, it was his calm character and a particular English charm‌â€? Their love story was like a good movie about a mutual love. Once at a gala evening organized by the school,  they Â ď€ ďŹ nally  have  a  chance  to talk. Later, their preferences in music led them to the school choir for adults. Singing for Joe and Gaukhar has become a real hobby to which they
Capital Hosts Week of African Culture By Julia Rutz
ASTANA – On May 25, the Week of African culture was launched in
Astana. The celebrations were dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the African Union. The Â ď€ ďŹ rst day of the celebrations
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took place at Radisson Hotel. Egyptian  Ambassador  Mrs.  Nabila  Ibrahim Salama Farhana, the Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of Libya Abdalkrim A. K. Alsuwadi, South African Ambassador Shirish M. Soni and the Radisson General Manager Jasper Francl opened the celebrations. Guests were entertained by an Egyptian dancer, who performed national men’s dance with skirts called Tannouri and by an African master jumbo player. Apart from that, the best garments from African designers were presented in the frames of the African Fashion Show. At the end, a children’s ensemble in colourful national  outď€ ďŹ ts  performed  the  energetic  Waka-Waka dance with the spouse of South African Ambassador Mrs. Ruwaida Soni who inspired many guests to get up from their chairs and start learning the moves. The Day of Africa was continued at the Khan Shatyr shopping mall the  next  day  as  a  ash  mob  event  for all the shoppers  at  the  mall.  It  extended the culture to local population and spread the positive vibe with the same programme.
ASTANA – Dagmar Schreiber, a native of Germany, arrived in Kazakhstan  for  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  time  in  the  early 1990s, fell in love with the country  at Â ď€ ďŹ rst  sight  and  decided  to  dedicate the rest of her professional life to it. During numerous far-reaching trips, she became aware of its potential for tourism and has devoted the past 20 years of her life to revealing the country at its best as a fascinating and rewarding destination. She has written the unique 568page volume “Kazakhstan – Nomadic Routes from Caspian to Altai,â€? which has already become one  of  the  most  signiď€ ďŹ cant  English- language works about Kazakhstan.
Dagmar Schreiber explained the reasons for her move to Kazakhstan and shared her vision for ecotourism development in the country in an exclusive interview with The Astana Times.
"NCBTTBEPS 4IJSJTI 4POJ Both events were celebrated on a high level and let the guests experience and discover the exotic African culture. Each year African countries celebrate this day with great hope, believing that African continent will rise and finally overcome the poverty, the spread of diseases, and the peace would be established on the continent. This year the Embassies of Egypt, Libya and South Africa hosted the two day celebration in order to promote the African culture in Kazakhstan and make this event memorable.
act to your decision?� this reporter asked.
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National Track and Field Athletes Get Ready for New Season ASTANA – The national track and Â ď€ ďŹ eld  team  of  Kazakhstan  took  part  in  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  international  competitions  in  a  new  season.  In  his  interview to The Astana Times, head coach of the national team Vyacheslav  Sokirko  shared  how  the  country’s athletes feel before entering the next Olympic cycle. According to tradition, our team started the season with three Grand
Prix Asia. Two of them were in Thailand (Bangkok and Chonburi), while the third took place in the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. In short, we reported the results: three gold  medals  for  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  two  stages,  and  two  more  in  the Â ď€ ďŹ nal.  We  were  impressed by the triple jump of the athlete from Pavlodar Roman Valiyev, who won with a result of 17  meters  10  centimeters.  This  is  a  very good start of the season.
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Things to Watch in June
Kazakh Musical Drama Theatre named after K. Kuanyshbaev June  6  at  18.30  June 7 at 18.30 June  9  at  18.30  Â
Comedy  “Kyzdar-Âaiâ€?  (Girls)  by K.Shangytbaev, K. Bayseytov Drama “Kyz Zhibekâ€? by E. Brusilovski Comedy Â â€œŇšymbatty  Pamellaâ€?  (Dear  Pamella)  by  John  Patrick
Russian Drama Theatre named after Maxim Gorky May 31 at 19.00 June 1 at 18.00 June  2  at  18.00     Â
Comedy “Tot, major and others� by Erken Musical comedy “Hanuma� by A.Tsagareli Ironical  drama  “Valentine’s  Day� by  I.  Vyrypayev
CafĂŠ Chekhov (Shopping Centre Sary-Arka) June  4  at  20.00  Â
Poetry  Reading
Concert Hall of Eurasian National University
When did you come to Kazakhstan  for  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  time?  What  was the reason for your move to the country? My Â ď€ ďŹ rst  visit  to  Kazakhstan  was  in  December  1994  under  the  World Bank project Living Standard  Measurement  Survey  (LSMS  -  Kazakhstan).  Prior  to  2008,  I  regularly came to Kazakhstan, three to eight times each year, under various projects,  at Â ď€ ďŹ rst  in  sociology,  then  in market research and consulting, and from 2003 in tourism.
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dedicated themselves completely. “And when did you realize that you cannot live without each other? And how did your parents re-
By Yuriy Lifintsev
German Writer Has Tough, Yet Wise Words of Love for Kazakhstan’s Tourist Future By Galiya Nurzhan
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May 31 at 19.00
Mamma Mia! Musical Tilep Kobyz Palace
June  8  at  18.00   Â
Gala  –  concert  “Kok  Turikter�  (Blue  Turks) The Astana Metropolitan Circus
From June 1 to 16
African elephants and other exotic animals The Palace of Peace and Accord
May 30 at 19.00
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Uzbek singer Sevara Nazarkhan
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Wednesday, 29 May 2013
People
Young Farmer Learns His Trade by Hard Work, Builds His Future on Land By Lyudmila Korina WESTERN KAZAKHSTAN – The completion of the sowing season for young farmer Alexander Krasnikov does not mean the time has come for a holiday or a break. He is convinced that any day of the ď€ ďŹ eld  season  feeds  a  year. “When  I  was  given  this  land  to  rent, Â ď€ ďŹ rst  I  had  to  uproot  vegetation.  Not  all  of  it.  But  I  divided  it  wisely,  so that the tree belt remained,â€? Krasnikov said. Despite his youth, he has already proven that it is ‘wise’ work that makes  agricultural  business  proď€ ďŹ table. He decided to do crop farming because since childhood he has believed that outside leisure is the best. And he decided that land is the most suitable place for a job. He inherited farm-like attitude to it from his grandfather, Alexander Fokin who always took Alexander junior for Â ď€ ďŹ shing,  and  into  the Â ď€ ďŹ elds. “He was a brigadier of the advanced tractor brigade. But he worked on an old tractor,â€? the grandson recalled. “He taught me that the longer the equipment is in operation, the better it gets. The only thing is that it should be treated as a living being and you need to understand and feel it.â€? The Michurino village near the Ural River where Krasnikov lives and  works  is  indeed  special.  Its  outskirts practically reach the city of  Uralsk.  In  fact  this  is  the  Uralsk  area, but with a rural way of life. In  Soviet  times,  there  was  a  central  farm with a telling name, “Fruit and Vegetable.â€?  Local  plantations  and  gardens were famous for their harvest. The village even had its own wine shop. Huge areas were occupied by greenhouses. Perhaps that is why the consequences of the crisis times in the 1990s were particularly noticeable here.  “It’s  a  shame  that  having  fertile  land, we still buy imported fruits
and vegetables,â€? Alexander says. “Now the task is very right – not just produce enough products, but also increase the export potential of the agricultural sector. We should clearly see the perspective and work for growth at the national scale, and of each separate sector.â€? His path to the profession was difď€ ďŹ cult.  Almost  every  boy  has  a  childhood dream. A lot of boys in Uralsk dream of the sea. The city has a factory that in the Soviet times produced torpedoes and other naval weapons, and now it is constructing ships and boats for duty in the Caspian Sea. After the ninth grade, Krasnikov entered the College of Shipbuilding. But his mother missed her son and persuaded him to come back. So,  he  became  a  student  of  the Â ď€ ďŹ nancial and economic college. But still he had a feeling that he is able to do more. So he managed at the time to attend courses for an operator and programmer. By that time, he made a choice of his future vocation,   to  do  farming.  In  his  last  year  of college, he entered the mechanical faculty of the West Kazakhstan Agricultural  University.  It  was  difď€ ďŹ cult  to  study  simultaneously  in  two  educational institutions, but it was not new. He had developed ability to manage time. He  bought  his Â ď€ ďŹ rst  tractor  for  the  money he got as the wedding gifts. But it was only enough for an old T-Â40.  “I  had  to  remember  the  grandfather’s recipe, lying in the simple rule – one needs to use his hands to handle the equipment. His knowledge of mechanics was useful,â€? Krasnikov said. “I  chose  potatoes  because  it  is  called ‘second bread’ – the winwin crop. Any sort called by sellers ‘local’ on the market is of great demand. That is quite understandable. Potatoes imported from the far lying southern areas do not match the taste of the Ural potatoes,â€? Krasnikov said.
After a few years of trials and errors, he managed to increase his yields.  Last  year,  some Â ď€ ďŹ elds  gave  almost  140  quintals  per  hectare,  which is a good result for the Ural region. There were also areas where yields reached 160 quintals. But this is not the limit. “The folk wisdom ‘you reap as you  sow’  is  true.  I  went  to  the  farm  “Solana agroâ€? in Samara region to get seeds for the current sowing season.  I  have  sown  early  potato  of  ‘Leonie’ sort, which matures in less than two months, and ‘Arosa’ sort, which ripens longer, but is wonderfully  kept  until  the  next  spring.  I  germinated and warmed seeds. As they say,  I  literally  ‘nursed’  each  tuber,â€?  Krasnikov explained. He believes that it is possible to bring the harvest to up to 350 quintals. But the main goal for him is the prestige  of  the Â ď€ ďŹ rm,  providing  impeccable quality. He invests all income he receives in purchasing new equipment. He cannot afford new, modern and expensive equipment. But there are no hopeless situations. For several years, the weather has not been quite good for the local farmers. Many of them had to write  off  their  grain Â ď€ ďŹ elds.  In  order  to pay off loans they had to sell agricultural equipment at bargain prices. This way, he bought a truck, another tractor, irrigation sprinkler, seeders, cultivators, harrows, mowers. He bought a pumping station; put a pipeline to the river. A loan he obtained under the Employment 2020 programme was quite useful. This year, it was the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  time  he  sowed  the  seeds.  But so far, it is only barley, which is the most unpretentious in local conditions. Adhering to the rule, he bought  seeds  only  of  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  reproduction. He hoped that keeping to agricultural techniques he will not lose the harvest. “In  our  risky  area  of  agriculture  ‘all Â
National Forum Showcases Contributing Members of Society
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By Rinat Dussumov ALMATY – On May 20, Almaty welcomed the participants of a city forum held within the National Forum “My Country’s Destiny is My Destiny.â€? Participants and guests of the city forum were invited to attend a photo exhibition dedicated to the social and economic development of the city and the achievements of its residents. Famous Almaty residents, who have contributed to the development of the state and the city were invited to take part in the opening ceremony. Among the speakers of the forum were honourable residents of the region, such as Kazakhstannnyn Enbek Eri  (Kazakhstan’s  Labour  Hero  in  Kazakh),  head  of  gymnasium  No 159 Ayagul Mirazova, boxer and Sydney Olympics champion Yermakhan  Ibraimov,  President  of “Erke – Nurâ€? company, Farida Markhamitkyzy, member of Central Committee of Kazakhstan’s Patriot Party member and member of Coordinating Council of “Nevada  –  Semeyâ€?  Iinternational  Fund Â
Guldana Nurpeisova, founder of “Men  omirdi  suyeminâ€?  (“I  love  lifeâ€?  in  Kazakh)  Meruert  Suleimenova, the second year student of Almaty Technology University and Chairman of the “Zhastarâ€? debate  club  Vladimir  Seselkin.  “We are proud of our city, which is called the cradle of Kazakhstan’s independence. Today, we have every opportunity and positive conditions, such as social consent, accessibility of work and labour and a clear vision of success perspective to bring our plans into reality.  The  most  signiď€ ďŹ cant  fact  for  us is that the young generation will continue all this large-scale work and will greatly contribute to the strengthening of the state and the prosperity of our motherland,â€? said Almaty Deputy Mayor, Zauresh Amanzholova as she welcomed the participants of the forum. Forum speakers also emphasized the importance of loving one’s country and the role of the love to the motherland in their addresses, bringing to the agenda the necessity to maintain and develop peace and consent in the country. Speakers called on the forum’s
participants to be patriotic not only in words but by actions. The forum ended with a concert by singers, such as “Tengriâ€?, “Izumrudâ€?,  and  “ST  Bbrother.â€?  shared  their  art.  In  line  with  tradition, the concert’s last song was Kazakhstan’s popular folk anthem was “Atamekenâ€? performed by its author, Yeskendir Khassangaliyev and his son Birzhan. The Â ď€ ďŹ rst  “My  Country’s  Destiny is My Destiny!â€? national forum was held in Astana on the eve of the Day of the Capital in July 2012. The initiator and organiser of the event was the Nazarbayev Center, a multifunctional scientiď€ ďŹ c,  analytical,  humanitarian  and  educational state institution. The Astana national forum attracted wide publicity and it was decided that it would be held in all regions of the country annually. The goal of the forum is to identify and showcase the success stories of people across the country who have made a worthy contribution to the establishment and ongoing development of their region and independent Kazakhstan in general.
"MFYBOEFS ,SBTOJLPW IBT MFBSOFE TPNF JNQPSUBOU MJGF MFTTJPOT XPSLJOH XJUI IJT IBOET PO UIF HSPVOE eggs should not be put in one bas- equipment malfunction or break- drive  motorcycles.  In  the Â ď€ ďŹ fth  grade,  ket,’â€?  he  said.  “In  grain  production,  down, it is impossible to entrap him Alexander Â ď€ ďŹ rst  studied  special  broafter two or three lean years, you give on  a  ow  rate  of  fuel.  He  believes  it  chures and books and then asked his it up for lost, the economy is bank- is time to establish a youth brigade. mother to buy... a goat. At the time, rupt.  Once  sowing  is  over,  I  trans- And it’s not easy. he did not have good health. Either fer all equipment to the grasslands. As a rule, youth wants everything the age of transition, or the healing Fodder is the top selling-item in the and at once. The city is nearby, and goat’s milk helped, but ailments and suburbs with the cost of one car- it is not easy to get quick money in illnesses retreated. riage reaching 30,000 tenge. Another the village. But, the future in the ag“Not only means should be indream is to revive horticulture.â€? ricultural sector is still for the youth. vested in the land, but the soul Krasnikov became friends with In  Kazakhstan,  unprecedented  state  as well,â€? Krasnikov says. “You an experienced gardener, candidate support has been offered to agri- should think not only of yourself. of agricultural sciences Yuri Gre- culture in recent years. This is what I  intend  to  run  in  the  next  elecbenyuk. He is already retired, but Krasnikov told the district youth fo- tions for our regional maslikhat the soul of a veteran hurts seeing rum. He has many friends in Russia, to represent the interests of youth that the famous Ural apples have which is not far from Uralsk. They there. Youth has enough problems. disappeared from the shelves. They invite him to move over and prom- For example, affordable housing were so famous that in tsarist times ise  to  help  at Â ď€ ďŹ rst.  But  he  knows  for  is built mostly in the city. But the the carts with these apples were sent sure that there is no greater joy than village needs no less than the city to St. Petersburg. Krasnikov is going to  have  the  right  to  say  “where  I  was  does,  and  perhaps  even  more.  If  a  to  start  plowing Â ď€ ďŹ ve  hectares  in  the  born,  there  I  was  useful.â€? young person has the opportunity autumn, then to prepare the ground He  also  considers  his  mother  Vera  to settle down to have a family and for a year and only after that to lay a Krasnikova his top assistant and ad- ‘grow roots’ in his native village, young orchard. viser. According to her, Alexander he will not leave it.â€? He has several seasonal workers. was right to choose his profession. “And  I  will  certainly  get  another  After  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst Â ď€ ďŹ ve  years  of  work,  Since childhood he had a special ‘in- higher education degree in agronohe has founded a school of disci- stinct’. Teenagers have various hob- my. After all, there is no such thing pleship. Now he can cope with any bies and tastes. Some get dogs, some as too much knowledge,â€? he says.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Culture
B3
Vienna Festival Celebrates Kazakhstan’s Culture
From Page B1 Kul-Muhammed noted that during its years of independence,
Kazakhstan has progressed along a path of prosperity under the guidance of President Nursultan Nazarbayev. According to many
European politicians, Kazakhstan is a regional anchor of stability, a leader in political and economic development and an example of peaceful and harmonious co-existence of members of numerous nationalities and religions. Kazakhstan  was  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  former  Soviet  state  to  chair  the  Vienna-Âbased  OSCE  [the  Organisation  for  Security and Cooperation in Europe] and is the EU’s leading partner in Central Asia. Kazakhstan is Austria’s third-largest trading partner among  the  CIS  States,  after  Russia  and Ukraine. The progressive and steady development of its society is Kazakhstan’s main policy priority, as detailed in the Kazakhstan 2050 strategy. The minister also noted the importance of holding such events in the context of the multicultural and international dialogue between the West and the East. As part of the culture days, a concert by musical masters of Kazakhstan was held in one of the best concert halls in the world, Konzerthaus,  the  Great  Hall  of  Vienna. The concert was attended by Austrian politicians, the diplomatic corps, representatives of cultural, academic and business circles as well as the media and the international community. The Kazakh State Kurmangazy Academic  Orchestra  of  Folk  Instruments; an ensemble of dombra players; honoured art workers of
120th Anniversary of First Kazakh Painter Marked in Almaty By Yelena Brusilovskaya ALMATY  –  In  many  ways,  Latifa  Khodzhikova  is  a  symbolic Â ď€ ďŹ gure  in  the Kazakh art. And not just because she  was  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  female  Kazakh  professional scene painter, a great expert of national costumes and ornamental art of the Kazakhs, a skilled worker who created fancy yurts and handmade carpets, which were applauded by connoisseurs of art at exhibitions in London, Paris, Moscow and Los Angeles. She was also the founder of the whole dynasty of artists. She passed on her talent and love for creativity to her four sons, whose works are included in the exhibition of the anniversary exhibition which opened in Almaty in May. Few people knew this remarkable detail that her elder brother Serali Lapin graduated from the law faculty of St. Petersburg University, where he studied along with Alexander Kerensky, the future head of the Provisional Revolutionary Government. Before the 1917 revolution, Serali  Lapin  opened  a  law  ofď€ ďŹ ce  in  St.  Petersburg, where Lenin’s older brother Alexander Ulyanov worked for some time. Serali Lapin later became interested in science, studying ancient inscriptions of Registan in Samarkand,  and  published  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  Turkish  dictionary.  In  1919,  he  died  under unknown circumstances. Serali Lapin played a fateful role in his sister’s life, introducing her to his friend, a young teacher KongyrKhoja Khodzhikov, with whom he translated many rare books and oriental manuscripts into Kazakh. Latifa and Kongyr-Khoja fell in love with each other, but they had been betrothed since childhood for others, and  they  were  forced  to  ee  the  Perovskiy County. At Â ď€ ďŹ rst,  the  young  couple  lived  in  poverty, but for Latifa Khodzhikova’s skilled hands, they would have had it very badly. She wove carpets skilfully, sewed, and made patterns from embroidery. She also enjoyed motherhood; sons were born one after another... In  1921,  the  Khodzhikovs  moved  to Tashkent, where Latifa Khodzhikova’s path to professional theatrical art had started. Latifa Khodzhikova not only designed the scene and sewed costumes for “Birzhan and Saraâ€? play, but she also performed the role of Sara’s mother. She had a beautiful voice, knew many Kazakh songs and later she sang to composers. For instance, Eugeniy Brusilovsky used her tunes while writing “Kyz Zhibekâ€?, “Er Targynâ€? operas
Kazakhstan Alan Buribaev, Azamat Zheltyrguzov, Aigul Niyazova, Bibigul Zhanuzak, Nurlan Bekmukhambetov, Talgat Mussabayev, Gulziya Stambekova, Amir Tebenikhin and Sundet Baigozhin; winners of national and international competitions Bibigul Sauytova, Zhaksygeldy Mayasarov, Meir Bayneshov, Erbolat Akhmediarov, Armand Zhudebaev, Nurzhan Bazhekenov, Edil Khussainov, Ardak  Itekeeva,  Naryn  Kazhgaliyev,  Saltanat Akhmetova, Erzhan Kulibayev, Baurzhan Anderzhan, Aizada Kaponova and others performed at the Konzerthaus. The hall, with a capacity of up to 2,000 people, was completely ď€ ďŹ lled,  and  the  audience  expressed  its gratitude through massive applause for the performances of traditional Kazakh as well as European pieces performed on traditional instruments. The Austrian public also had an opportunity to visit exhibits dedicated to the countries of Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, and to learn about the political, economic and cultural life of the country in a relaxed and festive atmosphere. Cultural events in Austria were organised with the support of the Ministry  of  Culture  and  Information of Kazakhstan, the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Austria, the Federal  Ministry  for  European  and  International Affairs of Austria and the Austrian-Kazakh Society.
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National Commission for UNESCO and ISESCO Reviews 2012, Prepares for 2013 By Natalia Kurpyakova
4BVMF ,IPE[IJLPWB UIF HSBOE EBVHIUFS PG -BUJGB ,IPE[IJLPWB TQFBLT BU UIF MBVODI PG UIF FYIJCJUJPO and Latifa Khodzhikova participated wrote in her memoirs, she visited as costume designer in their direc- Kazakhstan because of the poems by tion. Zhambyl and the ornamental works Since the mid-1920s the by Latifa Khodjikova. Khodzhikovs moved to Kzylorda, “Latifa-apa treated Maria Lizogoub where  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  Kazakh  professional  as her daughter,â€? Saule Khodjikova theatre opened at that time. Latifa recounted, “because she only had designed costumes for theatrical sons and she used to say, ‘Maria, be productions of those years for such my daughter’. Maria Lizogoub often plays as “Baybishe-tokalâ€?, “Altyn visited her at home and inconspicuSahinaâ€?, “Enlik-Kebekâ€?, “Karakozâ€? ously drew when Latifa was carried and others. away by her work singing to herself From morning to night, Latifa’s at  the  same  time.  I  remembered  how  Singer sewing machine was knock- once  as  a  child  I  started  dancing  as  ing at the house, which also found she sang. And that inspired her to a place in the exhibition. Saule paint a new work, ‘Grandmother and Khodzhikova said this sewing ma- Granddaughter’.â€? chine was 150 years old. More Latifa Khodzhikova became the than once, it had saved the family protagonist  of  a  documentary Â ď€ ďŹ lm,  from poverty and hunger, as Latifa “Folk Crafts of Kazakhsâ€?, shot back worked not only for the theatre, but in 1957 by director Abdullah Karalso sewed for all her numerous sakbayev on the script written of her relatives.  In  her  skilled  hands,  face- son  Kulakhmet.  This Â ď€ ďŹ lm  was  recogless fabric came alive, turning into nized as one of the best at the interbeautiful costumes. national exhibition “EXPO 1967â€? in Latifa Khodzhikova did not per- Montreal. ceive her hard work as a tedious Latifa Khodzhikova passed away craft. She made everything with love, in 1960. Thanks to the efforts of her remaining a welcoming hostess. The son Kulakhmet and others the art Khodzhikovs’ house was always full section at the Union of Artists of Kawith  guests:  it  was  here  that  ideas  zakhstan began its work. Later, Kulafor new plays were born, people that khmet facilitated the creation of the were close in spirit met, folk songs museum of arts and crafts, the main were heard, turning a modest meal exhibits of which are the pride of the into amateurish theatricals. country’s main museum. The current exhibition features a “If  you  want  to  know  what  was  painting by the famous painter Maria special in the character of this amazLizogoub, where Latifa-apa is shown ing  woman,  I  would  say  it  was  her  in the process of constructing a yurt. boundless sense of freedom and It  was  designated  for  demonstration  love for art, her country and people, for the Decade of Kazakh Art in which, in spite of everything, she reMoscow in 1958. tained until the end of her days,â€? Saul As Maria Lizogoub, a Ukranian, Khodzhikov emphasized.
ASTANA – On May 17, the Kazakhstan National Commission  for  UNESCO  and  ISESCO  tallied up its work in 2012 and identiď€ ďŹ ed  priorities  for  the  current year at a meeting chaired by Head of the National Commission  Imangali  Tasmagambetov.  Tasmagambetov named the international forum dedicated to the Decade of the Rapprochement of Cultures that will assemble U.N. and UNESCO leadership, prominent politicians, scientists and artists and the international forum in conjunction with the ofď€ ďŹ cial  launch  of  the  world’s Â ď€ ďŹ rst  comprehensive web portal of the Silk Road as centrepiece events which are to be this year’s priorities. At the meeting, presentations were made by Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to UNESCO Olzhas Suleimenov, Culture  and  Information  Minister  Mukhtar Kul-Muhammed, Environment Minister Nurlan Kapparov, Director of the UNESCO Cluster  Ofď€ ďŹ ce  in  Almaty  Sergey  Lazarev and others. Permanent Representative Suleimenov congratulated everyone on the start of the decade of  cultural  rapprochement  (2013- 22)  initiated  by  Kazakhstan  and  approved by the 67th session of the U.N. General Assembly. One  of  the  most  signiď€ ďŹ cant events of Kazakhstan and UNESCO’s cooperation was the ofď€ ďŹ cial  visit  of  UNESCO  Director  General  Irina  Bokova  to  Kazakhstan. She took part in an expanded meeting of the National Commission, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s membership in UNESCO, during which an agreement was signed between Kazakhstan’s government and UNESCO for the establishment of the Almaty regional glaciological centre under the auspices of the international organisation. Last year, Kazakhstan’s National Committee for Safeguarding  Intangible  Cultural  Heritage  (ICH)  was  established.  Among the priority tasks of the committee are identifying and documenting the intangible cultural heritage of Kazakhstan. Minister Kul-Muhammed said that systematic work should be carried out on the preparation and submission to UNESCO of national and multinational nominations for inscription on the list
/BUJPOBM 6/&4$0 BOE *4&4$0 DPNNJTTJPOT GPDVT PO OFX DIBMMFOHFT BOE HPBMT UP CF BDIJFWFE EVSJOH of the intangible cultural heritage sphere National Committee Roof humanity and the list of intan- man Yaschenko characterised the gible cultural heritage in urgent inclusion of the Korgalzhyn State need of protection. Nature Reserve in the UNESCO Kazakhstan intends to join the Biosphere Reserve nomination as multinational applications of a landmark. Cross-border nomiNauryz and falconry and Kyr- nation of Western Tien Shan is gyzstan’s application for entering under preparation and includes aitys and yurt on the UNESCO eight protected areas in Kazalist. Kazakhstan’s own applica- khstan  (Aksu-ÂZhabagly  and  Kations for the karazhorga national ratau reserves and three sections dance and orteke traditional pup- of  Sairam-ÂUgam  National  Park)  petry have been sent to the or- as well as areas in Kyrgyzstan ganisation. and Uzbekistan. The Altai crossHonorary Director of the Mar- border reserve is in the process of gulan  Institute  of  Archaeology  being created jointly with RusKarl Baipakov said that in Febru- sia. ary 2013, papers for the cross-borThe work of Kazakhstan’s Nader nomination of “Monuments tional Federation of UNESCO of  the  Silk  Road:  The  initial  seg- Clubs was presented by its chairment and routes of the Tien Shan man, vice-minister of oil and gas corridorâ€? were presented to the Bulat Akchulakov. World Heritage Centre. The nomAn international UNESCO ination includes 22 monuments conference took place in 2012 to in China, three in Kyrgyzstan and mark the 20th anniversary of the eight in Kazakhstan, including Almaty Declaration promoting Kiyalyk, Talgar and Karamengen independent and pluralistic mein the Almaty region and Aktobe, dia in Asia. The Fifth Conference Akyrtas, Kulan, Ornek and Kos- of  ISESCO  Environment  Ministobe in the Zhambyl region. ters also took place last year and Chairman of the Committee resulted in a decision to open an for Science of the Ministry of ISESCO  Regional  Ofď€ ďŹ ce  in  AlEducation and Science of Kaza- maty. khstan Nurlan Ybyrayym emphaUNESCO recommendations sised Kazakhstan’s participation regarding the Haji Ahmed Yasin educational programmes and savi mausoleum were also among cooperation with UNESCO. He topics covered at the meeting, also mentioned the sensational and the hundredth anniversaries discovery of two medieval treas- of  the  births  of Â ď€ ďŹ lm  producer  ures in Sairam in the South Kaza- and actor Shacken Aymanov and khstan region made by the Mar- writer  Ilyas  Yesenberlin  are  on  gulan  Institute  of  Archaeology  the list of the memorable dates to expedition. be  marked  on  UNESCO’s  2014- Chairman of the Man and Bio- 2015 calendar.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
B4
Country
Alatau Innovation Park Becomes High Tech Hub
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By Aigul Turysbekova ALMATY  –  The  Park  of  Innovative  Technologies  (PIT)  located  in  a special economic zone in the village of Alatau near Almaty is experiencing rapid growth. The park’s general director Nurlan Kopbosynov said its success was related to its convenient location only 30 minutes’ drive from Almaty, the country’s largest business and commercial centre. “In  2006,  there  were  28  companies in our innovation park. Today, the number has grown to 167,� he said. “This breakthrough has been achieved thanks to the personal attention of President Nursultan Nazarbayev who is also the chairman of the board of trustees. He made sure the park received the necessary state support of innovation grants and funding to start new businesses.� The park has two manufacturing complexes to make new high tech products. A subsidiary of Kazakht-
elecom  is  building  a  new  IT  centre  there.  The  Oil  and  Gas  Institute,  Kazakh-British Technical University,  International  University  of  Information  Technologies  have  also started to build new research facilities there. “One  domestic Â ď€ ďŹ rm  is  ready  to  transfer its factory manufacturing ď€ ďŹ bre  lines  from  Singapore  to  our  park and global companies like LG are planning to move their production here,â€? Kopbosynov said. The  PIT  operates  as  a  special  economic zone, where companies are exempt from corporate and property taxes. However, they continue to pay the individual corporate tax, social security tax and value added tax  (VAT).  In  2012,  the  companies  in the park generated 800 million tenge  ($5.30  million)  in  taxes  for  the national budget. The state budget has already received more than two  billion  tenge  ($13.24  million)  in taxes from companies operating in the park since it was opened.
The  PIT  is  planning  to  create  new design bureaus to promote new engineering ideas. The government has approved innovation grants for the bureaus to be provided on a competitive basis. Engineers working at the park on a trial grant programme in 2012 equipped the entire complex with a new independent  energy-Âefď€ ďŹ cient  lighting system which they now plan to market commercially. The Special Economic Zone has negotiated memoranda of cooperation with all national technical universities  in  Almaty  to Â ď€ ďŹ nd  new  ideas from students and young scientists.  In  2012,  this  led  to  three  new patent applications from the International  Institute  of  Information Technologies. The Damu National Agency for Technological Development Fund and the national science fund both provide Â ď€ ďŹ nancial  support  for  new  projects at the park. The park is focusing on devel-
oping new green, or sustainable, technologies for the EXPO 2017 global exposition in Astana. The construction of the second phase of the Park is planned for the near future, and, according to designers, these buildings will have the elements of “smart homeâ€? and “greenâ€? technologies. The village of Alatau will also soon be supplied with gas, which  in  turn  will  signiď€ ďŹ cantly  reduce energy costs for producers. The  Ministry  of  Industry  and  New  Technologies is drafting new legislation to allow the park to rapidly expand.  In  2012,  the  park  employed  100 people at an average salary of 100,000  tenge  ($660)  per  month.  After its expansion, it is projected to generate 12,000 new jobs. Nurlan Zhanibekov is the director of ELTEXALAU, which makes telecommunication devices. He told The Astana Times that domestically-produced products in this area are comparable to European and Chinese ones.
“Unfortunately, support for domestic producers is often limited to presentations, exhibitions, and summary  reports.  But  this Â ď€ ďŹ eld  requires the study of procurement plans of national companies, analysis of entrepreneurs’ proposals on cooperation and approving contracts to support them,â€?  Zhanibekov  said,  “If  we  want to expand our domestic production of high tech products, it will  be  necessary  to  take Â ď€ ďŹ rmer  actions.â€? Zhanibekov said he had studied the example of South Korea, which he visited this year, in encouraging its high tech and innovative industries. The Seoul government ensures the success of high tech companies by placing regular major orders with them and establishing attractive terms of investment for them, he said. “I  wonder  what  prevents  the  representatives of our national companies from demonstrating their pa-
triotism and buying from domestic suppliers?â€? he asked. The innovation park at Alatau was  founded  by  the  Institute  of  Nuclear  Physics.  INP  Deputy  Director  for Research and Methodology, Professor Nasurlla Burtebayev said the institute, which was founded in the Soviet era half a century ago had  played  a  signiď€ ďŹ cant  role  in  creating the tradition of high research and development there. “There  is  still  that  scientiď€ ďŹ c  atmosphere and aura, for which the town has always been famous,â€? he said. The creation of the innovation park breathed new life into it. Therefore, it is advisable to keep the  status  of  a  scientiď€ ďŹ c  centre  for  the village.â€? Today  the  Institute  of  Nuclear  Physics is still operating at Alatau and employs about 300 scientists. Some of the country’s leading technical universities are planning to launch expansion programmes there
143,000 Students Graduate from Secondary Schools By Marina Parkhomenko, Chingiz Tashenov, Sergey Gorbunov The last bell has sounded for
143,000  graduates  of  secondary  schools in the country at the end of May. The last bell is a traditional ceremony in the schools of postSoviet countries. The celebration
is carried out just after all the studies  are Â ď€ ďŹ nished,  but  before  the Â ď€ ďŹ nal  exams. The date usually falls on May 25. This is an exciting day in all
"MNPTU TUVEFOUT HSBEVBUFE GSPN ,B[BLITUBOoT TFDPOEBSZ TDIPPMT UIJT ZFBST XJUI BMNPTU DIPPTJOH UP QBTT UIF 6OJGJFE /BUJPOBM 5FTU meanings – 11 years of hard but interesting study are behind, and student years are coming soon. But now, the students have to grow up,  passing  a  serious Â ď€ ďŹ nal  examination and choosing a profession. In  addition  to  traditional  school  assemblies, excursions around the school, concerts and various campaigns the graduates saw plenty of entertainment. ASTANA – Three areas around the city were provided to 3,686 graduates:  the  area  in  the  square  in front of the Ministry of Finance, the Orbit micro district and the area at the fountain in the Park of Lovers. Girls and boys remembered the songs of their childhood, danced waltz, wrote wishes to each other, took photos. Graduates who could be easily recognized by the ceremonial dresses and blue ribbons,  and  happy  smiles, Â ď€ ďŹ lled  the  city park with its entertainments and river boats that rolled them with  the  breeze  on  the  Ishim  river.  The Triumph ball took place in the Palace of Schoolchildren for winners of international and national competitions, their talented mentors, who won 122 medals for their city in different countries and on different continents. Girls in the
snow-white dresses danced with gallant  cavaliers  at  their Â ď€ ďŹ rst  ball. AKMOLA  REGION  –  Concert  programmes were prepared, performances were made by the best students,  certiď€ ďŹ cates  and  letters  of  appreciation were given to outstanding children and, of course, memorable gifts for graduates were given throughout the region on this memorable day. The last bell is not just a holiday, it also the beginning of  a  difď€ ďŹ cult  and  responsible  examination time. This year, the region gave knowledge to children in more than 650 schools of various forms  of  study,  4,634  graduates  will  receive  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  ‘start’  in  independent living, including 3,969 boys and girls who were registered for passing  the  Uniď€ ďŹ ed  National  Testing  (UNT),  representing  78.5%  of  the total number of graduates. 208 pupils are claiming ‘Altyn Belgi’ (golden  medal  upon  graduation  of  school),  and  90  are  seeking  certiď€ ďŹ cates with distinction, which they need to support by excellent grades at the exams. PAVLODAR  REGION  –  Yerlan  Aryn, Akim of the Pavlodar region, came to congratulate the graduates of lyceum No. 10 for gifted children named after Abay with the last bell.
He was not alone, he came with Nobel Prize laureate in Economics Finn Kydland from the U.S., who arrived in the region in order to read lectures for students and teachers of S. Toraigyrov Pavlodar State University. 88,786 students completed their education in the institutions of the region. Among them, 9,768 students  (11%)  graduated  with  honors,  and  31,972  (36%)  with  good  and excellent marks. The number of  applicants  for  the  Certiď€ ďŹ cate  of  Secondary Education ‘Altyn Belgi’ this year makes 186 pupils, and 82 pupils  got  certiď€ ďŹ cates  with  distinction. Congratulating the graduates, the Akim noted that each of the graduates will have to make a responsible step – to choose future profession and to determine future way of living. The state, teachers and parents have done everything to ensure that the younger generation has grown up competent and competitive. The  holiday  has Â ď€ ďŹ nished,  and  ahead a serious examination will be held. A total of 99,815 graduates across the country have applied to participate in the UNT, which will be held from June 1 to 15. A total of  4,678  students  claim  to  receive  ‘Altyn Belgi.’
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
society
B5
Photo Exhibit Showcases Creativity of Children with Disabilities
Eleven-Millionth Ethnic Kazakh Born, Population Pushes 17 Million
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5IF "CESBLIJN GBNJMZ HBWF CJSUI UP UIF FMFWFO†NJMMJPOUI FUIOJD ,B[BLI height was 52 centimetres. He garten are planned for construction By Lyubov Dobrota is now a healthy baby, the fourth in the village to provide preschool SOUTH KAZAKHSTAN – child  of  34-Âyear-Âold  Malik  Bad- education to 66 percent of the vilEleven-millionth Kazakh, Mukhtar ambayev and 29-year-old Shol- lage’s children. In  2012,  3,044  babies  were  born  Abdrakhim, was born in December pan Kudirbekova. Malik is inin Ushbulak village in southern volved in agriculture and his in the rural district where the vilKazakhstan. Abdrakhim was cho- wife is an English teacher at a lage is located, which was 1.3 persen among all the children born on local school. They also have a cent more than in 2011. nine-year-old daughter and two The head of the Kazygurt rural Dec. 28, 2012. In  April  2013,  Kazakhstan’s  sons  of Â ď€ ďŹ ve  and  three  years  old.  district Bolat Kystauov visited statistics agency announced there The youngest ones will soon go Ushbulak village to congratulate the family and brought a gift for were now more than 11 million to kindergarten. A new kindergarten for 60 chil- Mukhtar’s parents. And Askar ethnic Kazakhs among the almost 17 million people living in the dren, Â ď€ ďŹ nanced  by  the  local  admin- Myrzakhmetov,  the  Akim  (Goveristration, is being constructed in nor)  of  South  Kazakhstan  region,  country now. Mukhtar Abdrakhim’s birth their  village.  In  total,  two  public  presented the young boy with a weight was 3.25 kilograms and preschools and one private kinder- race horse.
By Manshuk Bekentayeva ASTANA – On May 22, the photo exhibition Moment of Happiness opened at the Khan Shatyr mall as part  of  the  Zhuldyzay  (“star�  in  Kazakh)  Festival  for  Children  with  Disabilities. “Each of us has a place in our heart for children who need our attention and support. Their happy faces, emotions and feelings are in truth priceless. Moments of real happiness in the photos were available to all residents and guests of Astana. All had a unique opportunity to see the young talent from all over the country in this exhibition.
Talented children sing, dance, play musical instruments‌ they are talented  owers  of  life,â€?  said  the  organisers of the festival. The annual Zhuldyzay festival is held under the patronage of a corporate charity fund the main purpose of which is to provide Â ď€ ďŹ nancial  assistance  to  children with disabilities as well as promote their social adaptation. Established in 2005, the festival aims to alert the public to the problems with the social, professional and vocational rehabilitation of children with disabilities. The festival also provides participants with an opportunity to
express themselves creatively and demonstrate their talents to an audience as well as a chance at companionship with their contemporaries. Prior to the event in Astana, elimination rounds were held in 16 cities  across  Kazakhstan.  Individuals and creative teams from boarding schools competed in choreography, instrumental performances, singing, painting and chess. Drawings, stuffed toys and stained-glass artwork were exhibited  in  applications.  Of  the  4,558  children  who  took  part  in  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  round, the works of 300 reached the Â ď€ ďŹ nal  festival.  The  performances of children from all rounds of the competition were captured by photographers. “The event we organised on May 22 was dedicated to the opening of the eighth national Zhuldyzay festival.  In  the  exhibit,  we  tried  to  introduce photos of participants from all over the country. A major concert will draw a line under this year’s festival on June 1 at the Palace of Peace and Accord, and will be held with the support of Kazakhstan’s biggest celebrities,â€? Senior Specialist at the Zhuldyzay Corporate Fund Saule Syzdykova said.  “I  have  been  working  with  the  Zhuldyzay fund for many years. Together we organised this exhibition and carried out master classes with children in Astana and  elsewhere.  I  am  very  glad  that  this initiative found support and developed into such a beautiful project.  And  if  I personally can help,  I  just  do  it.  As  for  the  competition  –  to  be  honest,  I  prefer  to work with children instead of judging,  because  I  want  to  award  all of them for their desire to create, for their will to live, for the tears of happiness they give us. These children are much stronger than  we  healthy  adults  are.  I  want  them to be happy,â€? said Kazakh artist, honorary member of the Academy of Fine Arts of Prague and Laureate of the European Art Union Leyla Makhat. The purpose of the Zhuldyzay festival is to change attitudes toward people with limited opportunities and to show how creativity can help them rise above their physical problems.
Newborn International Couple Thrives in Astana From Page B1
Joe’s parents respected the choice of their son and, when acquainted with his choice, treated her like their daughter. Mrs Scott – Orakbayeva cannot forget those dizzying romantic moments in the recreation park in Astana, when Joe offered his hand and heart and as a sign of love presented the engagement ring. Then they decided their wedding should take place  on  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  day  of  spring. Their wedding was a great example of an international fest, with songs, toasts and congratulations in Kazakh, Russian and, of course, English.
Joe’s parents arrived from Britain with his grandmother and grandfather,  who  are  84  and  86  years old, to share the happiness of their grandson. “Joe  and  I  would  like  to  continue  education to become more qualiď€ ďŹ ed,â€?  Mrs  Scott  –  Orakbayeva  says.  “It  is  not  so  common  nowadays to meet a young man, a primary school teacher working with children of 5-6 years. Joe is one of those few.â€? Both husband and wife clearly state that their family is the one based on mutual respect. They emphasize that whenever you understand, respect views of your partner, his or her preferences and
tastes, there is peace and harmony in the family. Joe Scott likes Kazakh traditional cuisine, especially beshbarmak, horse meat, plov, and manty. His wife does not let him forget about traditional Yorkshire pudding and English roast beef, though. Everything his wife cooks is delicious, he says. “Gaukhar Orakbayeva and Joe Scott complement one another, they are a very nice, cute couple, and  I  want  to  wish  them  love  and  happiness,â€? the head of the registrar  ofď€ ďŹ ce  at  Astana’s  Yessil  department of justice Bakhytzhamal Bazarbayeva said.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
B6
Tourism
German Writer Has Tough, Yet Wise Words of Love for Kazakhstan’s Tourist Future From Page B1
East Kazakhstan region with the Altai  Expeditions Â ď€ ďŹ rm  with  interesting tours and elsewhere. Recently we discussed a proposal  to  carry  out  an  experiment:  to encourage hunting farms that are working in strict accordance with the legislation and quotas, to help them to expand the season; that is, to send ecotourists to the hunting houses in spring and summer so that they could increase the number of tourists and offer rangers work as tour guides. That is, we are slowly expanding the range of ecotourism activities.
The main reason to move to Kazakhstan was my work at the Kazakhstan  Tourist  Association  (KTA)  since 2008 under the agreement on technical cooperation between Kazakhstan and Germany. The Centre  of  International  Migration  and  Development  (CIM) Â ď€ ďŹ nances  my  work under this programme. How did you perceive the country and people of Kazakhstan? What changes have occurred in Kazakhstan  since  your Â ď€ ďŹ rst  visit? My perception is changing. Not only is the country constantly changing,  I  am  also  changing  like  any other human being, and so is my own point of view. The more actively a person is involved in the life of a society, the more intense his perception becomes. At Â ď€ ďŹ rst,  I  perceived  the  country  as  incredibly large, boundless and mysterious. However, a strong sense of collapse was literally in everything. I  was  shocked  by  the  abrupt  changes  that had taken place in society since I  returned  to  the  motherland  in  1987,  after studying in the Soviet Union. The economy and social life were paralysed. People were losing their skills. Moral norms of Soviet times fell  before  my  eyes.  I  just  felt  sorry  for the people. At that time, in the general poverty, the polarisation of the society was not so much evident as nowadays, although the foundations were created at that time. However, it was not noticeable for an  outsider.  I  was  impressed  by  the  people’s resistance and calmness. Although the life of many people was obviously hard, they were kind and hospitable to foreigners. This impression is still very strong, as if there  is  a  pattern:  the  more  humble  a person lives, the more responsive he is in how he treats people‌ This about Kazakhstan. Changes  in  the  country?  In  some  places  they  are  very  signiď€ ďŹ cant,  in other places it seems there are almost none. Of course, today life has changed in the major cities. There is a full abundance of the attributes of a modern country – for those who have money. Business travellers who come for a few days and stay at one of the expensive hotels of Almaty or Astana, dine at Farhi or Del Papa restaurants, see chicly dressed young people and these  expensive  SUVs,  say  that  they are surprised by the wealth of  the  country.  However,  if  I  go  by  public transport in the neighbourhoods or accompany tourists in the hinterland to the natural gems, it seems to me that there is no positive change or just a little. Most of the people in remote areas are still living in poverty, so they are striving to move to the city. However, here, they have no prospects as  well,  alas.  I  am  outraged  that  on  the outskirts of large cities there is the growing phenomenon that in the third world is called favelas, with the manifestations of social tension. The fact that the Ministry of Regional Development was formed and that President Nursultan Nazarbayev talks about the need to adjust the excessive social inequality is only logical against this background. The country’s average indicators say little about the true welfare of all its citizens. What is the main idea and objective of your guide to Kazakhstan? I  just  want  to  share  my  stunning  impressions  of  Kazakhstan.  I  want  more people to became aware of this amazingly diverse country with beautiful nature and friendly people.  It  would  be  nice  to  develop  tourism in the country, and through it to create jobs, exactly in the areas  of  relatively  unspoilt  nature.  I  mean the remote areas from which people are leaving now because of futility. When and why did you decide to start working as a tourism freelancer? I  decided  to  start  working  as  a  tourism  freelancer  after  I Â ď€ ďŹ nished  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  edition  of  my  book  in  2003. At that time, after numerous trips and hikes around the country, I  realised  that  there  was  something  to  show,  and  I  was  right.  In  2003,  I  had only a dozen tourists, and 200 tourists three years later and more each  year.  Then  I  realised  it  was  the  perfect  combination:  to  make  my hobby – to travel, to communicate, to write – the content of my work.
%BHNBS 4DISFJCFS PO UIF CFBVUJGVM TQSJOH UVMJQ NFBEPX the wrong way. They organise day Now you are working at the trips  and  picnics  with Â ď€ ďŹ res.  Often,  Ecotourism Information and Re- their Â ď€ ďŹ shing  or  hunting  is  illegal.  It  source Centre in Almaty. Could brings a lot of harm to nature and you  tell  us  briey  about  the  activi- is most likely the anti-ecotourism. ties of this organisation and its ob- The ecotourism that we want to develop assumes that campers should jectives and goals for the future? The  Ecotourism  Information  and  realise that their children deserve Resource Centre was established in to enjoy the same beautiful, clean 2005 on the initiative of the Kaza- and pristine areas, too. At the same time, we realise that khstan  Tourist  Association  (KTA).  This was a courageous and vision- people, especially when they are on ary step. My colleagues had realised vacation, do not like to be taught. before the others that ecotourism is Therefore, we have to create the the kind of tourism in Kazakhstan preconditions of unconstrained, inthat is the most promising due to teresting, diverse, but at the same natural circumstances and in view time  responsible  recreation.  It  is  a  of global trends. They have made question of political will. Ecotourism is well developed in considerable efforts and gathered Kazakhstan where small and mediresources for the idea to be implemented.  International  sponsors  um-sized businesses with initiative such  as  the  UNDP  [United  Nations  and professionalism have set up Development Programme], the projects, often without any governVSO  and  Exxon  Mobile  rendered  ment support. Such examples are in Aksu-Zhabagly, Lenger and Kasassistance at the early stages. The most important goal is to kasu in the South Kazakhstan recreate a nationwide network of pri- gion,, where there are private guest vate rural guesthouses in the areas houses with interesting tourist ofwhere the natural conditions are ferings; the Trekking Club camp ideal for ecotourism – near nation- in Turgen gorge in the Almaty al parks and other protected areas. region; Pelican base on Alakol; This combination of community- the yurt camp of the Central Asia based tourism and ecotourism is Birding Company; the offerings of being implemented successfully Zhibek Zholy and Asia Discovery tourist companies in the Almaty around the world. Placement is a key factor in the region; Nomadic and Zere Tour development of tourism products. travel agencies in the Karaganda and Aktobe regions; in the Akmola To build hotels in areas of pristine region, guest houses in Korgalzhyn nature  is  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  step  towards  its  and the Druzhba cultural and tourdestruction. We do not want it. ist complex in Balkashino; in the However, using people’s houses, which exist already, as placements – we can kill two birds with one stone:  the  tourists  have  a  place  to  live and the people have an opportunity to earn money. Of course, it will not happen spontaneously, it is necessary to prepare and organise everything; that is, to persuade, to educate owners of houses, to equip these houses for the needs of tourists, to assist in the development of tourism products, to advertise houses and tours and to send tourists there. That is what we are doing now. In  the  future,  I  would  like  to  see  a successful system of ecotourism like in Germany and the United States, where the carrier of ecotourism is the National Parks Service with its highly developed system of environmental protection, tourism and educational work. Could you share your opinion about the development of ecotourism in Kazakhstan? Kazakhstan has huge natural potential for the development of ecotourism. However, there is still much  work  to  be  done  in  this Â ď€ ďŹ eld. Ecotourism, if we understand it correctly as responsible tourism in nature, which unites both the interests of campers and the local population and does not destroy either the nature or culture of the region, is still underdeveloped in the country. Tourists, campers or travellers think only of their own recreation. Many people perceive ecotourism
What is necessary for Kazakhstan to increase the number of ecotourists coming here? First of all is to change the attitude of many of its citizens to nature.  I  have  recently  returned  from  a botanical tour around the Almaty and East Kazakhstan region. We were  in  very  remote  areas  to Â ď€ ďŹ nd  rare plants that are not available in Europe, especially wild tulips and other bulbous plants. We found them all. At the same time, we found tons of garbage in the most remote  areas.  It  is  sad.  Walking  in  nature, the soul sings of these spacious landscapes, the spring bloom and the singing of birds – and suddenly you are facing a mountain of cans and bottles, partially broken, plastic bags, paper. People ride their  SUVs  unceremoniously  on  untouched meadows, even in the national parks. They throw large bouquets of Red Book plants, wash cars in pristine mountain rivers, probably; they just do not know that the engine oil is killing all  the Â ď€ ďŹ sh  downstream.  They  burn  the steppe when thousands of birds are nesting in the grass and bushes, cut down trees, although less than one percent of the country’s area is covered by forest. If  we  want  people  to  love  and  respect nature and ecotourism to become a normal phenomenon, we must eradicate the apathy and consumerist attitude that most people have about nature. Environmental education begins in childhood. For example,  I  became  an  ecotourist  unwittingly thanks to my parents, who showed me large and small beauties during our walks and hikes, as well as during our numerous school trips and multi-day trips to children’s holiday homes and youth hotels, where very skilful eco-educational work is carried out. I  am  convinced  that  the  number  of foreign ecotourists will increase if it is seen around the whole country that the nature is respected and considered as a major, renewable resource for tourism. Are you developing any ecotourism projects in Kazakhstan now? Yes, we would like to expand the chain of guesthouses in promising areas such as Mangystau and the Almaty region. We would like to contribute to the improvement
of the national parks and to make them real centres of ecotourism. We would like to develop various tour programmes with our partners in the regions, and then create an interactive site for booking trips to rural guesthouse as a package with these tours. This project has been very successful for many years in Belarus. At present, we cannot implement it because of the lack of human and ď€ ďŹ nancial  resources.  Nevertheless,  we hope all of our plans will be implemented. Our centre has been functioning since 2005, and since then has been working exclusively thanks to sponsorship money, small funds from KTA and the enthusiasm of staff and partners in the regions. Some support was given by the Akmola and Almaty oblast administrations. The projects we want to implement require public support, and not  just  in Â ď€ ďŹ nancial  terms.  The  projects need legal, administrative and structural frameworks, environmental education and upbringing. What problems exist today for Kazakhstan’s image as a tourist destination? If  your  newspaper  came  out  as  a  multi-volume edition, it would be possible to recount all of them... Fewer words, more deeds. The image cannot be better than the real situation.  If  domestic  tourism  and  nature conservation in Kazakhstan receive another rating, if the infrastructure and services for its own population are at the proper level, if the prices are close to the level of service or the service rises to the level  of  prices,  if  the Â ď€ ďŹ ght  against  corruption is successful, then the country’s image as a tourist destination  will  improve.  In  this  case,  solving visa and other administrative issues will remain a mere formality. Could you share your opinion on what Kazakhstan can offer European tourists? What places are of great interest to Europeans in Kazakhstan? Let’s try to start from the demand that already exists in the country today. Europeans are coming here because of the places which are not available in their countries. They include the spacious Sary Arka steppes, where you can drive tens and even hundreds of kilometres without seeing either the city or its wires, but instead numerous herds of horses, silver waves of grasses, quaint mountain oases such as Karkaraly, Ulytau, Bayanaul or Kyzylarai,  lakes  with  amingos  and pelicans and hundreds of other bird species and, if you are very lucky, a saiga antelope herd. Dozens of species of wild tulips in the steppes and in the mountains of Karatau, Tien Shan, Dzhungar Alatau and Altai as well as the other wild plants that are cultured in Europe, but here they just grow in nature! Peonies, irises, watersheds, violets,
Eremurus, mallow, saxifrage and many things. This year, after heavy winter rainfall, they are growing particularly quickly. My tourists were thrilled! The lunar landscapes of  Mangishlak  (Mangystau)  with  their chinks of white and pink limestone, necropoli, which from a distance look like a mirage, with the mysterious underground mosques, where, once, the masters of Sufism lived and taught. The majestic alpine ridges of the Tien Shan, Dzhungar Alatau and Altai where many peaks are still nameless. They are great places for grand hiking or horse trekking-tours, and rafting on the picturesque and abounding mountain rivers. However,  now  it  is  very  difď€ ďŹ cult,  as  the  most beautiful routes are not available for foreign tourists since they are located in the hunting grounds or, worse yet, in the border zone, so  they Â ď€ ďŹ rst  have  to  solve  many  administrative  issues.  If  we  created  a  chain of equipped ecological trails and  alpine  huts  here,  I  am  sure  the  people of Kazakhstan and foreigners would be happy to use them. National parks and reserves such as the Aksu-Zhabagly reserve and Tengiz reserve, Korgalzhyn lakes and national parks such as Karkaraly, Charyn, Altyn Emel and Kolsai. The entire site of the Silk Road in Kazakhstan, numerous ancient towns still awaiting their second opening through excavations, like Koyalyk, Talhiz, Taraz and towns in the Kyzylorda region, as well as the other historical sites of Scythian and Turkic period. Baikonur, if the administrative barriers to visit it are removed. The boomtown, the city of EXPO 2017 – Astana. And the metropolis at the foot of the mountains of Almaty, if the problems of trafď€ ďŹ c  jam  and  smog  in  this  unique  city are solved. Places of power, as in the Altai or Mangishlak, where even without a shaman a person can feel that he or she is receiving nature’s energy. Places of Soviet heritage such as Karaganda, Zhezkazgan, Balkhash, Semei, the polygon... Health tourism in Alakol and the hot springs is also not hopeless. Besides these places to see, there are a lot of events and customs that can be developed as tourist highlights:  Horse  games,  music  and  other cultural festivals, the caravan along the Silk Road, the newly established sports competitions such as steppe cycling rallies and more. I  also  want  to  add  that  this  cannot  be implemented without any human factor. All these masterpieces should be presented by professionals who can not only explain these places and events in clear language, but literally shine with the love of their motherland and are able to share their enthusiasm with visitors. We need tourism education and schools for guides and experts now so that we have time before EXPO 2017  to  train  a  sufď€ ďŹ cient  number  of  qualiď€ ďŹ ed  professionals.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
B7
Sports
Astana Team Captain Nibali Wins Giro d’Italia From Page A1 General Manager of the Presidential Professional Sport Club Astana Aidar Makhmetov congratulated the people of Kazakhstan people in his  Twitter  post:  “I  congratulate  all  the people in Kazakhstan with the great victory of the Astana cycling team  captain  Vincenzo  Nibali,â€?  he  wrote. Rob Hayles, Former GB cyclist, BBC Sport commentator said, “As for Nibali, what more is there to say? He was just better than everyone here.â€? The Â ď€ ďŹ nal  stage  of  Giro  d’Italia  was won by British Mark Cavendish of “Omega Pharma-Quick Stepâ€?.  Behind  came  two  Italians  Sacha  Modolo  from  “Bardiani  Valvole-ÂCSF  Inoxâ€?  and  Elia  Viviani  from “Cannondale Pro Cyclingâ€?. To  recall,  on  May  18,  Vincenzo  Nibali Â ď€ ďŹ nished  in  seventh  place  and  54  seconds  behind  the  leader  before the last day of rest in the Giro  d’Italia.  The winner of that stage of the super-cycle, multi-day race Giro d’Italia  was  Italian  Giovanni  Viskonti  from  the  Movistar  Team,  who pulled away from the group long  before  the Â ď€ ďŹ nal  denouement.  Still Astana team was in complete control of what is happening with the general group and did not allow any of Nibali contenders for the general classiď€ ďŹ cation  lower  the  gap  with  their  captain.  The  Italian  himself attacked only 2.5 miles before  the Â ď€ ďŹ nish  line,  coming  to  the  line in the seventh place. The  most  difď€ ďŹ cult  challenge  during the race was the cold, but fortunately, the roads were dry, no rain or snow. Nibali  covered  the  149-Âkilometre distance from Cesana-Torinese to Col du Galibier in four hours, 40  minutes  and  52  seconds.  Colombian Carlos Betancourt of
"TUBOB $ZDMJOH 5FBN DFMFCSBUFT UIF WJDUPSZ PG JUT DBQUBJO 7JODFO[P /JCBMJ IFME VQ BNPOH PUIFST CZ "MFEBOYFS 7JOPLPVSPW -POEPO 0MZNQJD $IBNQJPO Ag2r  followed  Visconti  across  the Â ď€ ďŹ nish  followed  by  German  Pole  Przemyslaw from team LampreMerida. Six days remain in this year’s  Giro  d’Italia,  which Â ď€ ďŹ nishes  in Brescia on May 26. The route of the 2013 Giro d’Italia  has  been  ofď€ ďŹ cially  presented in Milan, with race organisers
balancing the traditionally mountainous route with 88.9 km of time trials, in a clear attempt to attract big-name stage racers such as Bradley Wiggins, Ryder Hesjedal and Vincenzo  Nibali.  This  year’s  Giro  d’Italia  was  set  to  be one of the best ever editions of the Corsa Rosa, promising three weeks
of  great  racing  with  the  Italian  countryside as a stunning backdrop. Race organisers have managed to attract the best ever teams for the  96th  edition  of  the  Giro  d’Italia,  with a star-studded start list including overall contenders, many of the world’s best sprinters and a host of riders chasing stage victories and
glory during the three weeks of racing. The 96th edition of the Corsa Rosa  covered  3,405  km,  starting  in Naples with a 156 km road race stage  on  Saturday  May  4  and  ending on Sunday May 26 in Brescia, with  a Â ď€ ďŹ nal  road  stage  and Â ď€ ďŹ ve  laps  of a city centre circuit. The average
stage distance was down to 162.2 km a day. The route was balanced with seven  mountain Â ď€ ďŹ nishes  but  also  a  17.4  km team time trial on the island of Ischia  on  stage  2,  a  55.5  km  individual time trial from Gabicce Mare to  Saltara  on  stage  8  and  a  19.4  km  mountain time trial on stage 18.
National Track and Nine-Year Old Chess Prodigy Wins Fourth Field Athletes World Championship Get Ready for New Season By Miras Abykov
From Page B1
You are not the only one who was impressed by such a result. First of all,  Valiyev  became  one  of  the  ten  best athletes in the world of a new season, secondly, he reached the World Cup standards, which will take place in Moscow in August this year. For the national team of Kazakhstan it was the tenth license to  the  FIFA  World  Cup.  As  of  now,  we traveled to South East Asia. Olga Bludova executed the eleventh standard in a 200 meter run in Almaty. And this is only the beginning of the season as all important competitions are still ahead. Do you have now the whole new national team? Do you want to single out someone from the athletes? Yes,  I  took  many  young  athletes.  And they, of course, all are so enthusiastic:   “Let’s  win!  Let’s  beat  them  all!�  I  am  very  happy  to  have  Ivan  Ivanov  from  the  Almaty  region  on  our  team.  It  was  necessary  for  me  that he has a chance to learn how to put the shot in the worthy company, because he already has no competitors at home. Anton Bodnar is in a good shape as well, he jumped in height at 2 meters 21 centimeters, although the young Shymkent athlete has problems because of the illness of his coach and because of lack of good place for trainings. Anton  impressed  all  experts:  he  is  tall,  light, bouncy, agile. Such sportsmen become good athletes. Dmitriy Korobeynikov showed his actual result. For many athletes mentioned above, especially, for Julia Rakhmanova who improved the results from one start to another, these competitions were debuts on the international scene. Starting from fourth place, Julia won silver twice. Liliya Bazyaruk  (Nizamova)  used  to  run  the  400  meters,  and  now  she  decided  to  try 800 meters. The girl has a good motivation and is hard-working. We’ll see what results she will achieve. Artem Kosinov is an experienced Olympian who participated in Olympic Games in London, hopefully he will perform a standard for the World Cup. He has everything
to  achieve  that.  Vitaliy  Tsykunov  jumped to a height of 2 meters 18 centimeters. Considering that he had an injury during last year and did not train, his result can be considered as a good one. Very  interesting  was  the  competition between women in the 100 meters with barriers. Apart from our three athletes – Anastasia Pilipenko, Natalia  Ivoninskaya  and  Anastasia  Soprunova – one of the strongest Asian  runners  from  Indonesia  participated in the competition. Four of them competed for the medals.
Our  readers  are  eager  to Â ď€ ďŹ nd  out more about other leaders of the Kazakhstan team who did not compete in the Grand Prix. For example, Olympic champion Olga Rypakova, Dmitry Karpov in decathlon, high jumper Marina Aitova... Rypakova misses this season. She is having a rest now, and since autumn she will begin the preparation for the competition. According to plans of her trainer, she will appear at her best at Asian games 2014  in  South  Korea. Dmitry Karpov is feeling all right, and preparing for a large tournament  in  Kladno  (Czech  Republic).  Then  he  will  take  part  in  the Asian championship, then in the World Cup. Marina Aitova won the bronze registering 1 meter 92 centimeters in her jump. She is preparing for the upcoming competitions. High jumper Sergey Zasimovich is now suffering from an old injury, so he is recovering.  I  think  he  will  be  ready  before  the beginning of the tournament, dedicated to Guzman Kosanov. You have already mentioned that as of today the Kazakhstan athletes have 11 licenses for the competitions  of  2013  –  the  World  Cup in Moscow. Can you name these athletes? These are walkers Ayman and Sholpan Kozhakhmetovs, Galina Kichigina,  George  Sheyko  and  Vitaly Anichkin, all-rounders Dmitry and  Irina  Karpova,  marathoner  Mikhail Krasilov, Marina Aitova, Roman  Valiyev  and  Olga  Bludova.
ASTANA – Nine-year-old Astana chess player Bibisara Assaubayeva recently won her fourth World Chess Championship in her category at the game’s world championships held in Greece May 6 to 15. Assaubayeva was one of 52 participants from Kazakhstan, but the only one to win her category, gaining 8.5 points out of nine. Since 2011, she has won three world championships in Poland, Brazil and Romania. Assaubayeva  played  her Â ď€ ďŹ rst  game at the age of four. At the age of  six,  she  won  her Â ď€ ďŹ rst  city  championship. Now she is nine and plays chess six hours per day. She has been known to beat her opponents in 15 moves. “In  2008,  I  saw  how  Kirsan  Ilyumzhinov awarded Alexandra Kosteniuk when she became the world champion. She was presented with a  crown.  I  wanted  that  crown.  I  want to win the world championship in the UAE among 10-yearold  girls.  And  in  the  future,  I  want  to win the women’s championship,â€? Assaubayeva said.
Assaubayeva has been training in Astana since 2010 with her personal coach Azamat Aubakirov. “We have been working together since October 2010,â€? said Aubakirov. “Since the very beginning, the process was very active and the results appeared automatically. Bibisara plays for six hours per day, which is amazing for a child. For me it’s a pleasure to work with her.â€? Chess is not the only passion of the young talent. She is also engaged in artistic gymnastics and was twice named her city’s champion. She also studies foreign languages, likes to read and gets good grades in school.  “I  have  three  children  and  consider it necessary to invest in the children.  It  seems  to  me,  that  by  learning and self-development children become more responsible and multi- talented and the family becomes stronger,â€? said Assaubayeva’s mother Liana Tazharikova. Assaubayeva has already started preparing for the next World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and hopes  to  bring  home  a Â ď€ ďŹ fth  championship.
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Wednesday, 29 May 2013
B8
Capital
Youth Theatre Presents Broadway’s “Sylviaâ€? By Rinat Dussumov ASTANA  –  In  late  May,  the  Attraction youth theatre successfully  presented  a  new  production:  the unforgettable romantic comedy “Sylviaâ€? based on a Broadway playwright of Albert Gurney. Well-known American playwright Albert Ramsdell Gurney, author of 25 plays and three novels, was born on November 1, 1930. He studied at the Yale School of Drama and graduated in Cambridge. He wrote scripts of different shows, musicals libretto. His ď€ ďŹ rst  plays,  staged  35  years  ago  on  Broadway, brought him fame and worldwide recognition. In  the  1970s,  he  was  named  the most promising playwright of America,  and  conď€ ďŹ rmed  it  in  subsequent decades. Gurney is inclined to the literary game, to paradoxes. He pleases the audience by eccentricity of the characters of his heroes, witty plot twists, eccentric, exaggerated theatricality. In  the  centre  of  the  romantic  comedy “Sylviaâ€?, which was once included in the prestigious anthology “The Best American Play of the Yearâ€?, there is a tough love triangle, its two sides is a prosperous married couple. Greg and Kate are in their forties, their children have
grown up and live separately. They lead a measured and monotonous life that is about work, weekend with friends, traveling. An anxiety has settled in the heart of Greg, there is no more harmony and conď€ ďŹ dence.  He  gravitates  to  nature,  he wants freedom, vibrant sincere feelings. And today he has listened to  the  inner  voice  for  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  time  in many years, he has left a hateful job in broad daylight, quarrelled with the chief, wandered through the park and brought home Sylvia - a charming, naughty, sexy and leggy young creature. Kate has immediately felt it as a threat to family happiness. Trying to protect her home, she declares war on the unexpected rival. The unusual situation is the fact that  the  ighty  creature  is  a  four- legged,  ordinary  dog.  In  the  park  a cute watchdog snuggled up to Greg, on its collar there was a tag with her name Sylvia meaning a forest nymph. He liked a charming, shameless, bold, arrogant dog at once. Her devotion to a new owner, whom it had chosen itself, was boundless. Sylvia infects Greg with its spontaneous freedom. Care of her, her dog interests, night walks help him re-experience the joy, the fullness of feeling, the taste of life. Kate strongly opposes Sylvia, believing the time of the dogs in their
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Police Fight Domestic Violence
band’s new affection, the changes taking place in his soul. Greg’s obsession for the dog caused Kate to seek help of a psychoanalyst. Thus, Sylvia brought discord
Astana Runners Festival Celebrates Olympic Spirit By Anel Adilbayeva ASTANA – On May 18, Astana residents with citizens in cities around the world joined celebrations of Olympic Run Day. The event, held near the Baiterek Tower,  was  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  of  its  kind  to  be  held in the streets of Astana’s Left Bank. Olympic Run Day, organized by local  government  ofď€ ďŹ cials  and  Kazakhstan’s National Olympic Committee, attracted more than 2,000 runners, who were offered the opportunity to participate in two races of different distances. Participants who ran the 800-metre race began in front of the Keruen shopping mall, while runners in  the  2,400-Âmetre  race  stared  from  the Khan Shatyr shopping center. Both  races Â ď€ ďŹ nished  in  the  square  in  front of the Baiterek Tower. Students of secondary and sports schools  were  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  to  start.  In  the  800 metres, Azhar Kyrykbay from
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By Anel Adilbayeva ASTANA – A campaign against domestic violence, “Women Are the Foundation of the Family and the Nation,â€? took place in Astana from May 13-23. The campaign is an attempt to guide public opinion regarding domestic violence, raise awareness about efforts to prevent domestic violence and raise women’s general legal literacy. As part of the campaign, police ofď€ ďŹ cers  from  the  Astana  city  department  of  internal  affairs  (police),  nongovernmental  organisations and governmental agencies conducted educational lectures, conferences and seminars with students from local universities, companies and enterprises of different types.  Volunteers  and  inspectors  distributed brochures, booklets and leaets  with  detailed  explanations  of the law on the prevention of domestic violence. “The right of any human being to live free and be protected from any acts of violence is developed and implemented in every civilized country and is the basis of the law on human rights. This right is equal both for men and women. So, violence against women in the modern world is an unacceptable social phenomenon, it brings suffering to women, causes physical and psychological damage,â€? Senior police ofď€ ďŹ cer,  major  Svetlana  Imambayeva said to The Astana Times. “The aggravating problems of family relationship, frequent acts of offence committed against women and children, when men abuse su-
periority over women and children during  conicts  and  disputable  situation require new approach to this issue,â€? she continued. “The  main  weapons  in  this Â ď€ ďŹ ght  against violence is to solve fundamental socio-economic problems, raise living standards and spiritual culture of people, providing social and legal protection. Every woman should know that her children and herself have rights, they should not tolerate violence and be able to get necessary support from the state. The aim of this campaign is to raise the legal literacy and to draw public attention to the problem,â€? she concluded. Women are encouraged to turn to representatives of law enforcement with various family and life problems. Some recent examples are  encouraging  police  ofď€ ďŹ cers  to  continue along this path of offering counsel. The Saryarka district police department had received a complaint from a woman named Aigul about her husband. He had been insulting her, lashing out and not coming home. Aigul and her two children had sometimes had to seek shelter with  friends  and  relatives.  Initially,  it had been decided to bring Aigul’s case against her husband to court, but the couple instead chose to try to cooperate to resolve their dispute. Aigul was given an order of protection against her husband, who was registered in the police database. According to Aigul, her family has now been restored and she is very grateful  to  the  police  ofď€ ďŹ cers  who  assisted them. On the advice of
the police inspector, Aigul and her husband are taking psychological rehabilitation courses through the Korgau public fund. Domestic violence is a profound violation, coming as it does from someone who is supposed to be a supporter and protector; someone with whom victims are linked by ties of marriage, common housing, property and livelihood and someone  upon  whom  victims  may  be Â ď€ ďŹ nancially and morally dependent. Domestic violence, in addition to injuring an individual, also destroys families, often leading to divorce, the loss of parental rights, and increases in juvenile crime, suicide  and  murder.  Victims  are  often women, children and the elderly. According to sociological research, jealousy, alcoholism and property disputes are often triggers of domestic violence. Following the decisions and instructions of the head of state, internal affairs departments are tasked with eliminating violence and discrimination against women in Kazakhstan. Any act of violence against women is a crime and should be punishable under the law. Since the beginning of 2013, 245  domestic  violence  offenders  have been subjected to administrative liability in Astana and 1,793 orders of protection have been issued. Astana residents seeking additional information and advice from specialists are encouraged to contact the department of internal affairs  at  71-Â60-Â63,  71-Â62-Â46,  54- 76-03, 37-37-16.
into the ordinary life of the married couple, the successful 22year marriage. However, she only showed the family disaster that had brewed up.
“Sylvia� is a comedy about love and dislike, funny and a little sad, touching lyrical story about how to protect the soul from the pragmatism of the civilized world, how to keep the communication between loved ones. The leading roles are played by Tatyana Lipina as Sylvia and Ilyas  Danyarov  as  Greg,  who  are  well-known and well-loved by the regulars of the theatre. Yana Semeshkina made a successful debut playing Kate. Almas Esmyrza played a doggie person, Julia Zimodra  (Yekaterina  Alekseyenko)  played a girlfriend of Kate Phillies, Diaz Ahmetbekov played psychoanalyst Leslie. Flawless acting of young amateur actors, of course, brought the Attraction theatre to a new level, more mature, making people think about being. It  is  a  pity  that  not  all,  who  wished, could see “Sylvia�. The work of Attraction does not have anything by way of a permanent repertoire and a new play has been shown only three times. However, the Attraction will present the musical “Mamma Mia!� based on the songs of the legendary group ABBA presented soon for the residents and visitors of the capital. On May 31, everyone, who wishes, will have one chance to see, to hear, and to exclaim “Mamma Mia!�
Republican sports boarding school and Temirkhan Zhamantaev from school  No  24  were  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  to  cross  the Â ď€ ďŹ nish  line  in  their  categories. College students also raced the 800-metre distance with Juliana Shannikova Â ď€ ďŹ nishing Â ď€ ďŹ rst  among  girls  and  Vladimir  Baranovsky  winning among college men. The  2,400-Âmetre  race  included  only a single group start. More than 700  runners  started  the  2,400-Âmetre  race  and  the Â ď€ ďŹ rst  to Â ď€ ďŹ nish  was  Almas  Alpysbayev from Humanitarian College. Among women, local athlete Ulbolsyn Dzhupaeva was the winner. The Olympic motto, “The most important thing is not to win but to take part!â€? is also the slogan for Olympic Run Day, and, therefore, each  participant  received  a  certiď€ ďŹ cate of participation. Prizes were also awarded to the eldest and the youngest  participants.  Sixty-Âď€ ďŹ ve- year-old Ameulsin Mirosinasenko participated  in  the  2,400-Âmetre Â
race and proved sports can be enjoyed by all ages. This was also conď€ ďŹ rmed  by  four-Âyear-Âold  runner  Umar Khamidolla and three-yearold Talgatbek Khamza who were willing to stand up at the start along with the adult participants. This celebration of the Olympic spirit was a colourful and memorable event, and proved that the athletic drive is alive and well in Astana.