The Astana Times of 7 November 2012

The Astana Times -40C

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Wednesday, 7 November 2012

№ 9 (20)

Qurban Ait Celebrated as Holiday of Tolerance and Peace

www.astanatimes.kz

Nazarbayev Seeks Wider Business Cooperation with Turkey

By Galiya Nurzhan

President Nursultan Nazarbayev (center), flanked by Islamic religious leaders, addresses the media on Qurban Ait (Eit al-Adha) at the Hazret Sultan Mosque in Astana praising the traditions of tolerance and peace in the Kazakhstan society.

ATOM Project Launches Art Show in The Hague

By George D. Gleboff THE HAGUE – On October 29, the ATOM Project gave a presentation explaining the initiative to a diverse audience at the headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at The Hague, capital of the Netherlands. The presentation was organized by the Nazarbayev Center in cooperation with Kazakhstan’s Embassy to The Netherlands and the OPCW. Speakers included Nazarbayev Center Deputy Director Roman Vassilenko, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to the Netherlands Mainura Murzamadiyeva, OPCW Director General Ahmet Uzumcu, Deputy President of the Netherlands Senate Hans Franken and one of Kazakhstan’s most remarkable artists and Honorary ATOM Project Ambassador Karipbek Kuyukov.

The ATOM Project is an initiative

of President Nursultan Nazarbayev launched on August 29, which is the International Day against Nuclear Testing.

“Since the first days of independence, President Nazarbayev has effectively built the new state based on the diversity of our society, its freedom-loving nature and the sensibility of Kazakhstan’s citizens,” Vassilenko told the gathering who braved the chilly rain to attend the event. “And, since its first days, working for global peace and security, particularly the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and nuclear disarmament, have been paramount priorities for the president.”

The ATOM Project – located at www.theatomproject.org – is an international petition campaign designed to unify global public opinion in order to achieve a permanent end to nuclear weapons testing.

“The stronger the public support

ASTANA – On October 10, President Nursultan Nazarbayev paid an official visit to Turkey and signed a new agreement to double trade between the two countries to $10 billion by 2015.

President Nazarbayev met Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other top government officials. He presented Gul and Erdogan with the Altyn Kyran Order, the highest award in Kazakhstan given to foreign heads of state and government, for their roles in boosting bilateral cooperation and participated in the first meeting of a new Strategic Cooperation Council and in a joint Business Forum. The president also visited Kazakhstan’s industrial exhibition in Ankara and took part in the flag-raising ceremony of the Turkic Council.

Continued on Page A3

By Aliya Nurken

ASTANA – On October 30, the government of Kazakhstan launched the People’s IPO programme at its regular meeting.

“Today, we have launched the People’s IPO programme. This decision was preceded by preparatory, organizational, technical and financial work. A wide range of issues with international experts, consultants, banks and financial institutions were discussed. Kazakhstan’s people will get an opportunity to direct their savings not only for the purchase of real estate and into banking deposits, but to invest in modern financial institutions. This programme provides that any citizen of Kazakhstan can buy, for example, shares of the national company KazTransOil. This programme should be widely promoted as it is necessary to explain to the population the peculiarities of the stock market.

Every citizen of Kazakhstan should receive comprehensive information to make a decision,” Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov said.

Continued on Page A5

World Becomes Safer as Kazakhstan, U.S. and Russia Complete Degelen Project

By Artur Abubakirov

Karipbek Kuyukov (c) shows his paintings to Hans Franken of the Dutch Senate (r) and Ahmet Uzumcu (second from right) at the OPCW in The Hague. generated by The Atom Project through its educational and outreach efforts and its international campaign aimed at collecting petition signatures against nuclear weapons testing, the greater opportunity it will have in attracting additional support for the efforts of non-governmentalorganizations, parliamentarians and activists. As a result, it will help to

Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Starts People’s IPO Programme

influence leaders of world powers toward achieving peace and a world free from nuclear weapons,” Vassilenko said in his remarks to the audience which included international diplomats, Dutch politicians and government officials, nuclear disarmament activists and the media.

Continued on Page A3

KURCHATOV, EAST KAZAKHSTAN – On October 18, a celebration was held in Kurchatov city to mark the completion of all nonproliferation work at the Degelen Mountain test area on the former Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site.

Kazakhstan’s party was represented by Kairat Kadyrzhanov, director general of the National Nuclear Center, Alexander Kim, deputy chairman of the Atomic Energy Agency, and Barlybai Sadykov, director of the Multilateral Cooperation Department of the Foreign Ministry. Kenneth B. Handelman, U.S. principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Global Strategic Affairs, Arthur Tom Hopkins, deputy as-

sistant secretary of Defense for Threat Reduction & Arms Control, Elizabeth Millard, U.S. charge d’Affaires represented the U.S. while Vladimir Kutsenko, adviser to the chairman of the ROSATOM State Corporation, headed the Russian delegation.

Other scientists and experts from the three countries who were involved in the project also participated in the event.

Kazakh, U.S. and Russian agencies successfully completed a complicated project known as Degelen Project and ensured permanent safe storage for hundreds of kilograms of nuclear material that had remained in Degelen Mountain tunnels since the Soviet nuclear tests.

Continued on Page A2

Kazakhstan, Austria Astana’s Peace Efforts Noted at IPU Assembly Sign $220M Deals during President’s Visit

By Valentin Lossev

By Rysty Alibekova

VIENNA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev paid an official visit to Austria on October 23 during which he participated in a bilateral business forum and approved the signing of 19 agreements worth 170 million euros ($220.88 million).

President Nazarbayev met with Austrian President Heinz Fischer and attended the opening of the Business Forum with him. Earlier, Nazarbayev discussed scientific and research cooperation with Austrian business executives and experts from the European Union.

Nazarbayev held talks with Jurgen Sanders, the curator of the General Directorate for Research and Innovation of the European Commission; Manfred Horvat, a professor of Vienna University of Technology and the leader of an international panel of experts advising the government on its

inventions and innovations policies; and Josef Hochgerner, the president and science director of Austria’s Center for Social Innovations. Nazarbayev said Kazakhstan was strengthening its scientific and innovative development.

The World Economic Forum had acknowledged the success of these measures by raising the country to 51st place in its global competitiveness ratings, 21 places higher than in the previous year.

President Nazarbayev discussed cooperation in developing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with Christoph Leitl, president of the Austrian Economic Chamber. They also discussed other measures by Austrian companies to generate increased economic diversification in Kazakhstan.

President Nazarbayev thanked his Austrian hosts for organizing the event.

Continued on Page A4

QUEBEC CITY, CANADA– A delegation of the Parliament of Kazakhstan led by the Chairperson of the Mazhilis of Parliament Nurlan Nigmatulin was among the 1,400 delegates representing 125 countries from around the world who arrived to the Canadian francophone Québec City at the end of October to participate in the 127th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Large number of delegates, including more than 75 speakers and deputy speakers of national parliaments participated. Kazakhstan’s parliamentarians and the speech of Mr. Nigmatulin at the Plenary Session of the IPU Assembly and his subsequent bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Assembly with counterparts from Afghanistan, Egypt, Canada, Pakistan, Germany, South Korea and others received close attention from both politicians and the media.

There is a simple explanation to such increased attention. One of the key topics on the Assembly’s agenda was cultural diversity and tolerance.

“The choice of the Canadian province Québec, with its many years history of Francophone and Anglophone culture, as a venue for

Nurlan Nigmatulin, Chair of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan (center), accompanied by Konstantin Zhigalov, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Canada (right) and other members of the delegation, at the 127th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Quebec City in October 2012. the 127th IPU Assembly is seen as highly symbolic,” emphasized Mr. Nigmatulin in a speech in front of 1400 delegates. In recognition of the significant contribution of the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, in promoting dialogue of civilizations and strengthening interreligious and interethnic accord at the global level, Mr. Nig-

matulin was given the opportunity to be the first speaker to address the Plenary Session of the 127th IPU Assembly.

Commenting on the host country, Abdelwahad Radi, president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, mentioned that cultural diversity is also a cornerstone of Canadian society.

Canada is a country with a hugely

diverse population. Its 32 million inhabitants reflect a cultural, ethnic and linguistic makeup which can only be found in a few places. It has a history of nation building that thrives on diversity while promoting equality, integration and mutually respectful acceptance of others.

Continued on Page A3

Inside ECONOMY & BUSINESS Entrepreneurs May Have to Join Atameken Third Kazakh-British Forum Highlights Kazakhstan’s Pro-Business Environment Pages A4-A5

EDITORIAL Religious Tolerance: A Work in Progress Page A6

OPINIONS

EURASIA

NATION & CAPITAL

SHUKEYEV: Samruk-Kazyna to Expand Companies and Modernize Management BOZHKO: Emergency Services Ready for Crises Page A7

Kazakhstan Promotes Bid for EXPO 2017 in Astana Page A8

Traditional Weddings Gain in Popularity among Kazakh Youth World Champ Juncadella and Astana TAK Move Up to Formula One Pages B1-B8

US$1 = 150.84 KZT 1 Euro = 194.22 KZT 1 Rouble = 4.81 KZT

The Astana Times

А2

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

Nation

Kazakhstan, U.S. and Russia Complete Degelen Project

Presidents Barack Obama of the USA, Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan and Dmitry Medvedev of Russia announced the success of cooperation in March 2012.

From Page A1 The once-secret project at the Degelen Mountain Complex took years to complete and involved hundreds of kilograms of weapons-usable nuclear material – both plutonium and highly-enriched uranium – that had been secured in sealed tunnels. Scavenger activity in the area raised the threat that some of the material might be stolen. The tunnels were reopened, filled with special cement that rendered the nuclear material unusable for weapons purposes, and then resealed.

In a very windy weather typical of the steppes of Kazakhstan, all the participants of the ceremony visited the National Nuclear Center, which was established in 1992 to solve the complexity of problems such as the elimination of remnants of nuclear tests, the creation of scientific and technical bases for nuclear power development in the country, as well as the conversion of the former militaryindustrial complex of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site and the use of its technical potential for national peaceful interests. The attendees were also familiarized with the security measures taken, as well as with the facilities itself installed around Degelen Mountain to secure the area and keep it under control.

Opening the monument devoted to the completion of the project, Kadyrzhanov thanked everyone involved and reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s intention to further trilaterally cooperate in the area of ensuring nuclear safety.

“This is an example of true cooperation and politicians should be invited here and shown that ef-

fective collaboration is possible,” Kutsenko told the gathering in his turn.

“The Department of Defense was pleased to join counterparts from the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation to cel-

ebrate the completion of all nonproliferation work at the Degelen Mountain test area on the former Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan. A ceremony in Kurchatov, Kazakhstan, commemorated the success of this trilateral effort to

eliminate the remnants of past nuclear testing activities and to bring the test site to a safe and secure state. A monument sponsored by the government of Kazakhstan was unveiled and individuals who made a significant contribution were recognized,” the U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs George Little said in his statement provided on that day.

“This collaborative effort, announced at the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit by the Presidents of the United States, Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Russian Federation, has been unprecedented in terms of actions to combat the threat of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism,” continued the statement.

Earlier in March in 2012 at the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul the presidents of Kazakhstan, the U.S. and Russia Nursultan Nazarbayev, Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev made an announcement about progress in ensuring that loose nuclear material is not vulnerable to smuggling or to potential terrorist plots.

The Kazakhstan-U.S.-Russian

cooperative project demilitarized the complex using environmentally sound methods to close and permanently seal its tunnels. By eliminating the possibility of any future use of the complex, this project will have a positive impact on the three countries broader efforts to enhance national security, as well as international security. In October 1995, the U.S. Defense Department announced the signing of a Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) agreement with the Republic of Kazakhstan that would permanently close and seal the former Soviet Union’s Degelen Mountain nuclear test tunnel complex at the Semipalatinsk site. It was the largest such complex in the world and it took 16 years to complete this project and make the world safer today.

The former Soviet Union conducted underground nuclear tests at the Degelen Mountain Complex from 1961 to 1989. In 1991, President Nursultan Nazarbayev closed down the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, one of the largest in the world. Later, the country voluntarily renounced the world’s fourth largest nuclear arsenal.

● There were no Kazakh citizens among the victims of Hurricane Sandy in the United States, Foreign Ministry spokesman Altay Abibullayev said. Abibullayev said all necessary aid would be given to Kazakh citizens if any of them applied to the Foreign Ministry. Round-the-clock hot lines were set up at the Kazakhstan Embassy in Washington, DC and in the Kazakhstan Consulate in New York City for Kazakh citizens temporarily residing in the United States and for their families in Kazakhstan. ● This year’s Hajj started on October 24, and Kazakhstan received permission to send 5,500 people this year. “5,246 Kazakhstan citizens have arrived in Mecca since the beginning of the pilgrimage,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman Altay Abibullayev said. “The Kazakhstan consulate in Jeddah and the Kazakhstan embassy in Riyadh are offering all necessary support to the pilgrims. They monitor their arrival, meet large groups of pilgrims at Jeddah airport and transfer them to their places of residence. ● An architect from Astana, Yevgeniy Nevelichkov, has suggested erecting a transparent dome over Astana’s Left Bank area. He said a dome would help neutralize the disadvantages of the extreme continental climate in the capital. Nevelichkov said the dome would solve the problems of cold winters and attract millions of tourists to Astana.

“Such a dome can work as a giant greenhouse,” he said. “Construction of a dome with a diameter of 1.5 km to 2 km will allow it to cover almost all the major buildings on the Left Bank. Astana could become a blossoming garden with an average temperature of 20 degrees Centigrade.”

Nevelichko said constructing the dome would cost $1 billion.

Officials and experts from three countries celebrate the completion of a project at the former test site which permanently secured hundreds bombs worth of nuclear materials.

Eurasian Media Forum Explores Challenges of Multiculturalism in Europe

By Yelden Sarybay ASTANA – On the second day of the 2012 Eurasian Media Forum in mid-October, a biting comment from Vitaliy Tretyakov, a Russian euro-skeptic, made the audience laugh and cry at the same time.

“Russia will not join the European Union,” Tretyakov said.

“But if we allow our imagination to consider it, here’s a scenario: Western Europe, including Germany, France, will unite with Eastern Europe, represented by Russia. The president will be Russian, and the vice president can be French or whoever you want.”

Tretyakov was responding to a provocative question from a guest speaker at the forum, Günter Knabe of Germany, a specialist on Central Asia.

The tenth Eurasian Media Forum, arranged by the organizing committee led by its long time chair and member of the Mazhilis of the Parliament Dariga Nazarbayeva and hosted by Riz Khan from Al Jazeera’s English language service, brought together several hundred eminent politicians, experts and journalists from around the world.

But this year, the tone of leading experts was not optimistic. The Jakarta Globe’s Desi Anwar wrote an article about the forum with the telling title, Eurasian Blues. “The general feeling from the panellists is that the idea of integration is unrealistic and doomed to failure,” she wrote, “And that there is no such thing as a Eurasian iden-

Domestic News in Brief

The 10th Eurasian Media Forum brought together hundreds of officials and experts from scores of countries to discuss pressing issues on the global agenda. tity, while the European Union and (European) identity itself is being re-examined. What is needed, ultimately, is the finding of common values. It seems wherever we are, we all share the same problems.”

Europe’s current dilemmas were explored under the topic: Economic, political, social and cultural crisis in Europe: is the ‘point of no return’ behind us? Panellists included Theodoros Pangalos, the former deputy prime minister of Greece

(2009-2012), Christian Miesch, a member of the Swiss parliament, Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs commentator of the London Financial Times, Rustam Arifdzhanov, editor in chief of Russia’s first public Muslim TV channel AlRTV, Knabe and Tretyakov.

Following an exchange of ideas on issues such as the immigration of Muslims into the EU, the strengths and weaknesses of European multiculturalism, Knabe

asked Tretyakov, “Russia will never join the EU, but let’s suppose it did. Would that make you happy?” Then Tretyakov made his controversial comment. That led to a conversation about the possible disintegration of the European Union.

“It is obvious Europe ceased to be the strongest region (of the world) long ago,” Tretyakov said. “It is far from being the strongest if we compare it with the United States,

China or the former Soviet Union.

It is also obvious that Europe is not the richest region, although it is not among the poorest yet.”

Tretyakov said Europeans misunderstood the concept of culture while pursuing the policy of multiculturalism. “Culture is perceived in a very primitive way: folk dances, songs, writers. But in the broad sense, culture embraces lots of things including ethnic crime,” he said. “If you are bringing someone else’s culture into your territory, you are bringing crime, too, and many other negative things, which also contribute to what a culture really is, even though it may not please those who belong to a different culture.”

Tretyakov said Germans were too romantic in their mentality and he mocked their concepts of idealism.

Rachmann, from Britain, supported the concept of multiculturalism and argued for more openness, praising the British culture of plurality.

Another panel explored the question of Terrorism: From War to War and discussed the Eurasian democratic revolutions of the past decade and asked whether the Arab Spring was guided chaos or the awakening of democracy.

Forum participants also discussed Kazakhstan’s new antinuclear weapons initiatives The ATOM Project, with the participation of Iranian Special Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ramin Mehmanparast, and the ATOM Project honorary ambassador, Karipbek Kuyukov.

● The Kazakh film Zhauzhurek Myn Bala (1,000 Brave Boys), a historical thriller directed by Akan Satayev, has been included in the Oscar long-list in the Best Foreign Film category reports, the American Film Academy said. Some 71 films are included in this category. Karen Shakhnazarov’s White Tiger will represent Russia and Nurbek Egen’s Empty House will also represent Kyrgyzstan. South Korean Kim Ki-duk’s Pieta that won the Golden Lion in the Venice Film Festival has been included in the list as well. The short list for Oscar-nominated films in this category will be announced on January 10, 2013. The awards ceremony will take place in Los Angeles on February 24. Iran’s movie A Separation won the Best Foreign Film Oscar Award last year. ● The famous Kazakh mountaineer Maksut Zhumayev who has climbed every mountain higher than 8,000 meters (25,000 feet) in the world without using oxygen tanks nearly fell off a precipice during his ascent of the Grossglockner, the tallest mountain in Austria in October.

Zhumayev had said he was going to dedicate the joint ascent by Kazakhstan and Austrian climbers to a soccer game held between the two countries’ national teams on October 16. Zhumayev said the expedition successfully climbed the mountain, but a dangerous incident occurred during the ascent despite unexpectedly fine weather. ● The Office of Military Cooperation at the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan has invited young Kazakh men to take part in a contest for education in U.S. military academies, the website of the U.S. Embassy in Astana said. The Class of 2017 will start in summer 2013. The programme covers education in the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

The candidates must be unmarried, at least 17 years of age and must not have passed their 23rd birthday on July 1, 2013. The U.S. Embassy said foreign students will get the same training, pay and allowances as U.S. citizens and will have to follow the same rules and regulations.

The Astana Times

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

А3

Eurasia and world

External News in Brief ● On October 11, President Nazarbayev visited the Turkish capital Ankara and held talks with Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul. Nazarbayev’s two-day visit focused on boosting bilateral economic ties.

The two presidents agreed to expand scientific, cultural and humanitarian areas as well as trade ties. On October 12, President Nazarbayev travelled to Istanbul to participate with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the inaugural meeting of the Turkey-Kazakhstan High Level Strategic Cooperation Council. The two leaders then signed the New Synergy action programme to boost economic cooperation between 2012 and 2015. ● On October 22-23, President Nursultan Nazarbayev paid his fourth official visit to Austria since diplomatic relations were established in 1993. He held talks with Austrian President Heinz Fischer.

The visit led to the signing of agreements on international trucking and energy cooperation between KazMunaiGas (KMG) and Austria’s Österreichische Mineralölverwaltung (OMV) energy group. President Fischer praised the strong ties between Austria and Kazakhstan and said the two countries would continue to support each other in the international arena. He thanked Kazakhstan for supporting Austria’s candidacy to the UN Human Rights Committee and pledged Austria’s support for Kazakhstan’s candidacy to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Fischer said Austria also favoured Kazakhstan’s candidacy to host EXPO 2017 in Astana. ● On October 23-24, President Nazarbayev made his first official visit to the Czech Republic since diplomatic relations were established in 1992. The President met Czech President Vaclav Klaus and Prime Minister Petr Necas in Prague to discuss bilateral relations and increased cooperation in the economic, scientific, cultural and humanitarian areas. At a Kazakh-Czech Business Forum in Vienna on October 25, agreements were signed on commercial projects worth over $250 million. President Nazarbayev said the projects would further stimulate trade between the two countries. ● On October 25, Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov visited Berlin for the 60th anniversary of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations. Akhmetov met German Chancellor Angela Merkel who paid two visits to Kazakhstan during 2010. He also met Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister of Economics and Technology Philip Rosler, Vice President of the Federal Association of German Industry and Transport Ulrich Grillo and leaders of major German companies, including Bosch, BASF, Siemens and ThysenKrupp to explore prospects for increased economic cooperation. ● Prince Albert II, the ruler of Monaco, paid his first visit to Kazakhstan on November 2-5. The visit included a meeting between Prince Albert and President Nazarbayev, the opening of an honorary consulate of Monaco in Astana, and the official opening of the exhibition called ”The Era of Monaco Princess Grace Kelly” in the Palace of Peace and Accord devoted to Prince Albert’s mother, Princess Grace. ● Foreign Minister Yerlan Idrissov discussed ways to expand press freedom in the 56 nations of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) when he met Dunja Mijatović, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media in Astana on October 31. Mijatović also met Culture and Information Minister Darkhan Mynbay, the presidential advisor Yermukhamet Yertysbayev and Human Rights Ombudsman Askar Shakirov. ● The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) peacekeeping exercise Indestructible Brotherhood-2012 has been completed near Almaty. The exercise started on October 8. On October 15, the exercise entered its active training phase where participants practiced maneuvers in different crisis scenarios at the Ili military training grounds. Scenarios included responding to terrorist attacks and attacks on military bases.

In another scenario, an armed group attacked a road train carrying humanitarian cargo. The militants then tried to intermingle with a crowd of refugees in order to attack civilians.

The exercises involved 950 troops, 70 vehicles, 35 armored vehicles and four Mi-17 helicopters.

Nazarbayev Seeks Wider Cooperation with Turkey

President Nazarbayev (l) presented the highest award of the country, the Order of Altyn Kyran, to President Abdullah Gul (r) and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

From Page A1 President Gul praised Kazakhstan’s leadership in the region and its economic achievements.

Nazarbayev noted that his visit marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Turkey.

“For 20 years, our countries have advanced through significant stages of development,” Nazarbayev said.

“During this time we have learned a lot from each other and achieved enormous success. Today, effective cooperation between Kazakhstan and Turkey continues at the highest level. Our relationships in various international and regional organizations are expanding.”

During their meeting, the presi-

dents discussed a wide range of issues of bilateral and international importance and identified key areas for further cooperation. In his talks with Prime Minister Erdogan, President Nazarbayev discussed resolving regional and international problems, issues of energy security and economic cooperation. He noted that the successful cooperation between the two countries was based on their common historical roots and cultural values.

“We are very pleased to see our dear brother President Nazarbayev visit our country on the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Kazakhstan.

Bilateral relations have reached a new level during this visit,” Erdogan said.

President Nazarbayev praised

Astana’s Peace Efforts Noted at IPU Assembly From Page A1 All the above definitions also fully apply to Kazakhstan. That is why the experience of interethnic peace and religious dialogue in Kazakhstan, the initiatives of Kazakhstan in this sphere, such as the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions and the G-Global initiative, were also among the issues discussed in Quebec City by the members of Kazakhstan’s delegation with its parliamentary colleagues from around the world.

In addition to the issues of ethnic and cultural diversity, non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament was another important subject of the 127th IPU Assembly.

The ATOM Project initiated by President Nazarbayev was in the spotlight both during the Assembly’s sessions and bilateral meetings. In fact, Mr. Nigmatulin was the keynote speaker at the special session to launch the handbook for parliamentarians to support nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.

“I commend this volume not just to legislators, but to all who truly care about nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, and – without exaggeration – the future of our planet,” wrote UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon in handbook’s preface.

“Kazakhstan voluntarily abandoned the fourth largest nuclear arsenal in the world after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and our delegation made a substantive contribution at the Assembly’s workshop on new tools to promote nuclear disarmament by explaining the peaceful initiatives of the President of Kazakhstan, including the ATOM Project,” Mr. Nigmatulin told the delegates of the 127th IPU Assembly.

The ATOM Project, an international initiative to build global support for a permanent ban of nuclear weapons testing and total abolition of nuclear weapons, was launched

by President Nazarbayev in Astana on August 29, 2012 on the UN International Day Against Nuclear Tests.

“The international ATOM Project (Abolish Testing: Our Mission) is an ambitious project,

which is aimed, first of all, at bringing together the millions of citizens of the world to put an end to the testing of nuclear weapons.

We are ready to cooperate with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and other international organizations to achieve the goals of the ATOM Project,” Mr. Nigmatulin said in his remarks.

Despite the short period of time since the launch of the ATOM Project, it is already not only well known but also warmly welcomed by the international community.

“This project is one more testimony that Kazakhstan and its leader, Nursultan Nazarbayev, are active participants in the process of building a new world free of nuclear weapons. And it is very important that everyone, who cares about the future of our planet, can contribute to this noble cause,” said Minister of State, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the House of Representatives of Belgium François-Xavier de Donnea.

“I closely watch the initiatives of the President of Kazakhstan in the area of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons,” Saber Hossain Chowdhury, member of the Parliament of Bangladesh and chair of the IPU Standing Committee on Peace and International Security. “The actions of Kazakhstan, which had a nuclear arsenal and voluntarily gave it up, are an impressive example for all of the countries in the world.”

“The 127th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union was very useful for Kazakhstan’s parliamentarians and gave us a unique opportunity to inform the members of parliaments from all over the world about the main aspects of President Nazarbayev’s policy, especially with regards to strengthening global stability and security,” Mr. Nigmatulin said in an interview. “And what is most important, we see that it finds immense appreciation from the international community. There is a great interest shown by the parliamentary representatives of the international community to the major initiatives of the President of Kazakhstan.”

the fast growing relations between the two states.

“Turkey in recent years has become one of the world’s most economically developed countries.

Its economy is now the sixteenth largest in the world and the sixth largest in Europe, thanks to its dynamically developing manufacturing industry. We are happy to see this. The prosperity of our brothers will have a positive impact on us,” he said.

President Nazarbayev told the first session of the Council of Strategic Cooperation that Turkey was one of Kazakhstan’s most important economic partners. In the two decades since Kazakhstan’s independence Turkey had invested $2 billion in the country, he said.

The Council discussed regional

security issues, the situation in the Middle East and the problems in Afghanistan and Syria and expanding Kazakh–Turkish cooperation in the fields of energy, transport, science, education and culture.

“Turkey is the closest strategic partner of Kazakhstan. When we achieved independence, we restored the lost connection between our countries. We returned to the Turkic world. We got to know each other. Our space has expanded; we have more friends,” Nazarbayev said.

Kazakhstan’s president told the Council there was great potential for the growth of tourism between the two countries. He said Turkish business would take an active part in this process. Given the geo-strategic location of the two countries connecting Asia and Europe, there was also scope for the further expansion of bilateral cooperation in the field of transport and transit.

Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Turkey in the cultural sphere is also flourishing following the Days of Astana culture festival that was held in Ankara in September.

Nazarbayev and Erdogan also signed a new joint declaration to accelerate cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and humanitarian fields.

“For 20 years, we have held a lot of meetings. But today’s meeting is special, because we have established the Council of Strategic Cooperation. Turkey was the first country which recognized Kazakhstan’s independence an hour after its declaration. This will never fade away from the memory of the Kazakhstan people,” Nazarbayev said.

Erdogan said Kazakhstan’s constructive domestic and foreign policies had given it a high standing with great influence among na-

tions in the region and around the world.

During the visit, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Industry and New Technologies Asset Issekeshev and Turkey’s Economics Minister Zafer Chaglayan signed a joint four year action plan on realization of the joint New Synergy economic programme for 2012-2015, to boost bilateral trade to $10 billion a year and increase the volume of annual bilateral investments between the two countries by $500 million.

Alikhan Baimenov, Chairman of Kazakhstan’s Agency for State Service Affairs and Ali Kumbuzoglu, the head of Turkey’s Office of State Personnel signed a memorandum on cooperation.

In all, 15 agreements on new joint projects worth more than $1 billion were signed between Turkish and Kazakh companies during the state visit.

The Alma Farm Company of Kazakhstan and the Abdi Ibrahim company of Turkey signed an agreement to build a new pharmaceutical plant in the Almaty region.

The Kazakhstan Engineering defense company and Turkey’s Otocar Company agreed to cooperate in manufacturing and providing maintenance services for military wheeled vehicles and off-road vehicles in Kazakhstan.

The Business Forum brought together 50 representatives of Kazakhstan companies and 600 representatives from Turkish business organizations to expand partnerships between the two countries.

“We will actively contribute to the further development of relations between the business circles of our countries. Kazakhstan has created a favourable investment climate. I sincerely thank President Nazarbayev for his active support of Turkish business investment,” Prime Minister Erdogan said.

ATOM Project Launches Art Show in The Hague From Page A1 The Nazarbayev Center is implementing the ATOM Project.

The Center was established in January 2012 and its mission includes the implementation of presidential initiatives. Its activities are focused on advancing the development of Kazakhstan and promoting world peace through research, analysis, education, and increased awareness as well as promoting humanitarian engagement on the issues of nuclear nonproliferation, religious and ethnic harmony and economic stability.

“As an international organization working towards the elimination of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction, the OPCW is fully committed to the important goals of disarmament and non-proliferation and the promotion of international peace and security,” OPCW Director Uzumcu said at the event.

Franken from the Netherlands Senate said, “Though the Netherlands never faced any nuclear tests, we support Kazakhstan in its efforts.”

“I was born without arms, but I have the power and strength to call on the world to stop the development of nuclear weapons.” – Karipbek Kuyukov “Like Kazakhstan, the Netherlands has long-term traditions of tolerance and international cooperation and the ATOM Project along with this exhibition serves as an example of such cooperation for nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation,” he said.

The ATOM Project also presented an art exhibition entitled ”I Have Only My Heart to Hold You: The Art of Karipbek Kuyukov”.

Uzumcu and Franken opened the exhibition and Kuyukov escorted them through it.

Kuyukov is an artist working in Karaganda, Kazakhstan and is a second generation survivor of the nuclear weapons tests carried out by the Soviet Union for 40 years from 1949 to 1989 at the Semipalatinsk site. Because of the effects of nuclear radiation fallout, Kuyukov was born without arms, but still continues to paint and create his art using his mouth and feet.

Karipbek Kuyukov, 44, poses in front of his most recent painting, Mother’s Pain, in The Hague.

“There is a moving story behind each of these paintings,” Uzumcu said. “They carry a message of peace from the hearts of the people of Kazakhstan calling for the prohibition of nuclear testing and the eventual elimination of nuclear arsenals around the world.”

“Your talent and your pictures are amazing,” Uzumcu told Kuyukov. “You possess great skills allowing you to tell precisely the severity of the life experience that was handed out to you and the deep message that you bear to the world.”

In an interview with Khabar TV, OPCW Director General Ahmet Uzumcu added: “The ATOM Project is very important for achieving global peace and security. I hope this initiative finds its continuation in the struggle against nuclear testing and for a world free from all types of weapons of mass destruction.

Our organization is honored to hold this presentation and the art show of artist Kuyukov which sends a powerful message to the international community.”

Hans Franken of the Dutch Senate added: “The ATOM Project is a great initiative. We must look back at our past in order not to repeat mistakes. And the artist, Karipbek Kuyukov is an extraordinary person who spends his life struggling for these noble causes.”

During the event, Coşkun Çörüz, a former member of the Dutch parliament who visited Kazakhstan and the former Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, said: “Kazakhstan is

playing a very important role not only in the region but also globally.

We must unite our efforts in the fight against nuclear testing. I admire your artist, and his art is very symbolic.”

Ursula Gelis, a member of the board of a Norwegian NGO ‘No to Nuclear Weapons’, also commented: “Kazakhstan not only speaks for a world free from nuclear weapons but also takes concrete actions.

I paint myself and I understand the language of Karipbek’s paintings.

He showed the pain of the mothers and his beautiful homeland which was destroyed by nuclear explosions.”

Today, Kuyukov continues his lifelong work as a non-proliferation activist serving as The ATOM Project’s Honorary Ambassador.

He calls upon the world’s leaders to abolish nuclear testing and achieve the decades-old dream of nuclear disarmament.

“In my paintings, I try to express all the pain that nuclear weapons bring,” Kuyukov said. “I was born without arms, but I have the power and strength to call on the world to stop the development of nuclear weapons. Through my paintings and my personal experience, I can tell the story of our nation as a lesson and example for other countries to follow.”

Kuyukov’s art was on display in The Hague through November 2, 2012. In November, it will be presented in Basel and Geneva in Switzerland, and then move to Washington, DC in December.

The Astana Times

А4

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

Economy

Kazakhstan, Austria Sign $220M Deals during President’s Visit From Page A1 “I am sure the forum will become a useful dialogue platform for the business communities of the two countries and will contribute to the search of new horizons of bilateral partnership,” he said. “Kazakhstan highly appreciates Austria as a reliable economic partner in the European Union. The existing potential of bilateral relations opens up broad prospects for cooperation.”

Kazakhstan, President Nazarbayev said, “consistently pursues the policy of maximum transparency and stability. The evidence of confidence of foreign investors in the Kazakhstan economy is the attracted volume of investments. Since 1993, our country has attracted more than $160 billion. We should also note that Kazakhstan accounts for 80 percent of all foreign investments attracted to the Central Asian region. About 10,000 companies with foreign capital are working in our country.”

“Today, we have set an ambitious goal of accelerated diversification and modernization of the national economy,” Nazarbayev said. “We aim to develop our own industrial production and reduce dependence on exports of energy. I think this opens great potential for deepening cooperation with Austrian companies intending to invest in the priority sectors of our economy.”

President Nazarbayev said Kazakhstan was distinguished by its favourable tax and investment climate and stable financial system.

“Our country has significant natural resources,” he said. “We set low tariffs for electricity, gas, railway transportations. All these are the main components of the cost of the production process. The state creates exceptional preferences in the priority areas of economy. We are interested in the development of export-oriented industries with high added value. One of the key directions for mutual cooperation here is the engineering industry, taking into account the leading positions of Austria in this field in the world.”

The president of Kazakhstan said the creation of a high-tech economy incorporating innovative, nuclear and nanotechnologies and the development of services, education, health and tourism were all very important for his country.

Austrian President Heinz Fischer (left) accompanies President Nursultan Nazarbayev (right) as he inspects the guards of honor in Vienna on October 23.

“The implementation of large and mediumsized projects will significantly strengthen the position of Austrian business in Central Asia,” the president said. “In addition, the Customs Union of Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus, which implies a single commodity market with a combined GDP of about $2 trillion and a combined population of about 170 million people, opens new opportunities for potential investors. We have created most favorable conditions for the Kazakh-Austrian economic partnership, supported by political stability in our republic.”

President Nazarbayev invited Austrian executives to participate in the Sixth Astana Economic Forum in May 2013.

The participants of the forum discussed plans to expand trade and investment ties between Kazakhstan and Austria. They focused on developing investment and cooperation in the industrial, mechanical engineering, energy, infrastructure, tourism, healthcare and environmental protection sectors.

Representatives of 50 Kazakh companies took part in the event, including the Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund, Kaz-

MunaiGas, KazakhTelecom, Kazakhstan Engineering, the Kazakhstan Chamber of Commerce also known as the Atameken Union and the Engineering Union of Kazakhstan.

Agreements were signed for extended cooperation in the fields of education, chemistry, construction, engineering, medicine, navigation and tourism. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and New Technologies Asset Issekeshev said agreements were also reached on the manufacture of coronary stents, special railway equipment and energy-efficient building materials. Issekeshev described President Nazarbayev’s trip to Vienna as a milestone event.

Before the end of October, the new KazakhAustrian agreement to protect foreign investors will come into effect and a new bilateral memorandum was signed at the forum to set up a new Austrian-Kazakh Business Council for cooperation between Kazakhstan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and its Institute of Economics.

The Ministry of Industry and New Tech-

nologies has produced a roadmap on bilateral economic cooperation which already lists 30 priority projects and 27 events. It identified five priorities in the business partnership with Austria: the development of technologies in transport, health and pharmaceuticals, tourism, energy, cooperation in oil and gas development, mechanical engineering and in the development of Kazakhstan’s hydroelectric and wind power projects for clean and sustainable energy. A working group will be formed for each of these areas to develop action plans that will then be implemented.

Issekeshev said an Austrian-Canadian company is drawing up a plan to create new ski resorts in Kazakhstan. Currently tourism only generates 0.5 percent of Kazakhstan’s gross domestic product per year. However, under the new long-term strategy for tourism it is projected to generated 2.5 percent of annual GDP by 2020.

A memorandum of understanding was also signed between the KazMunaiGas and Österreichische Mineralölverwaltung (OMV), an integrated oil and gas international company based in Austria.

Entrepreneurs May Have to Join Atameken

By Yernat Mukhamadiyev ASTANA – The governing board of the Atameken Union, or National Economic Chamber of Kazakhstan,discussed making membership in the body compulsory for business owners in the country at a meeting in Astana on September 26.

“The main issue which we are discussing today is the compulsory membership of entrepreneurs. On this issue, the President (of Kazakhstan) has recommended that we discuss the business environment, opportunities and the approaches of such a large, united and monolithic organization as this union to represent the interests of business,” Atameken Union Chairman of the Presidium Timur Kulibayev told the board.

“In general, the main purpose of membership is not only to distribute the financial resources that we will collect from entrepreneurs.

The main goal is to get our entrepreneurs involved in decision making so that we can have a two-way relationship: We need to know how businesses function on the ground, what their problems are and how we can solve them, not only at the national level but also out in the field with city administrations and local authorities,” Kulibayev said.

National Economic Chamber Chairman Ablay Myrzakhmetov said it plans to start monitoring the prices of goods, services and works purchased by large companies through its new marketing centre.

“We developed the project; contractors have already been chosen and work on the creation of the independent marketing centre to monitor prices for goods, services and works has begun. This centre will start operating at the end of this year,” Myrzakhmetov said. He said the new centre would be fully operational by January 2013.

The Atameken board also discussed the European model for creating an institutional structure of business associations and the prospects for introducing it into Kazakhstan.

Kulibayev said there was widespread support in the business community to do this. “Today, we have about 400 branch and regional associations that represent different layers and lines of business.

The administration of the Atameken Union has visited every region of the country, with instructions to

collect suggestions from entrepreneurs in the field and to construct a full picture of the modern situation,” he said.

According to studies carried out by the NEC staff, if Kazakhstan’s domestic business community is consolidated, its status and bargaining power will increase. Citing this study, NEC board member and leader of Ak Zhol political party Azat Peruashev said he supported adopting the European model.

“The group of our party in the Parliament will support the idea of obligatory membership [in the NEC Atameken]. By doing so, a direct link between the organization and its members will be created. Thus, we will carry out inventories of the enterprises in the country and establish direct contact with them,” he said.

Participants at the meeting agreed that the interests and rights of any individual businessman would be protected at the highest level. They said the introduction of the European model would generate a strong and working dialogue between the organization’s officials and its members. They said such a programme of consolidation was particularly desirable to help the integration processes of Kazakhstan’s private companies within the three-nation Customs Union and the Single Economic Space.

The board also heard reports on reducing administrative barriers for business, on Public Council proposals to protect the rights of entrepreneurs and on proposals for Parliament to improve the administration of tax collecting and customs tariffs.

The Atameken Union, or National Union of Entrepreneurs, was created on March 24, 2005 at the Congress of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan on the instructions of President Nursultan Nazarbayev. On June 5, 2007 the delegates of the Atameken-NEU Congress decided to change it into the Atameken Union-National Economic Chamber of Kazakhstan.

That body is now the leading organization of Kazakhstan’s business community and more than 90 percent of all business associations in the country are members of it.

The Chamber provides experts to sit on government councils and commissions dealing with business issues and uses its own experts to analyze the drafts of regulatory legal acts. It also organizes unified positions on major economic issues and government policies from the business community.

The Atameken Union is also a member of many international organizations including the World Chambers Federation (WCF),

which covers commercial, industrial, economic, marine, stock-exchanges, lands and customs associations, the International Chamber

of Commerce (ICC), the Union of Black Sea and Caspian Region Confederation of Enterprises (UBCCE) and other bodies.

Economic News in Brief ● Kazakhstan will launch new projects in car manufacturing in 2013, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and New Technologies Asset Issekeshev said. The country currently has eight companies involved in car manufacturing and they all receive state support. The government is discussing cooperation and integration in auto manufacturing with Russia’s Ministry of Industry and exploring potential markets for auto-making projects in Kostanay and Ust-Kamenogorsk. ● Astana’s international trade is growing. The city’s municipal website said exports in the first eight months of 2012 from companies in the city area were worth $5,036.7 million, a rise of 30 percent over the same period in 2011. Exports of processed oil and gas from the city area rose by 10 percent during the same period of time compared with last year. The city region imported $1,182 million worth of goods during the first eight months of this year, a rise of 56.2 percent compared with the same period in 2011. The other 11 nations in the Commonwealth of Independent States contributed 12.4 percent of all imports. ● The proportion of gold in the gold and currency reserves of Kazakhstan’s Central Bank has increased by 30 percent since January 1, 2012, National Bank Deputy Chairman Bissengali Tadzhiyakov said. In that period, the nation’s total reserves, including the foreign currency reserves of the National Fund, increased by 17.2 percent and reached $80.5 billion. The gold and currency reserves of the National Bank reached $30 billion and the assets of the National Fund reached $50.5 billion. A 2011 presidential decree gave the National Bank the priority right to purchase fine gold in bars inside the country. Thanks to its growing currency and precious metals reserves, Kazakhstan’s ability to sustain the economy is growing. Under the current managed floating exchange rate, the national currency has remained within the range of 147 to 150 tenge per $1 U.S. dollar this year. The tenge only weakened marginally against the dollar by a maximum of 1.1 percent. The domestic monetary base increased by 7.8 percent and reached a total of 10.5 trillion tenge ($70 billion). ● The board of the Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund has approved the size of its new equity offering and the price for one share of KazTransOil, which has been set at 725 tenge ($4.8). The number of KTO shares available for purchase by retail investors under the initial IPO issue will be limited to a maximum purchase of 7 million tenge ($47,000).Thegovernment has developed a programme to sell the shares of Samruk-Kazyna’s subsidiaries and dependent companies. It expects at least 160,000 individuals and all the saving funds in the country to participate in buying the total IPO issue, which is scheduled to take place in several stages until 2015. This will allow time for a gradual placement of the shares of the major and most stable stateowned companies. ● Kazakhstan ranked No. 46 out of 144 countries in the 2012 Legatum Prosperity Index, the best placing among the 12 countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Last year Kazakhstan ranked No. 50 among 114 countries. Legatum is a British institute. Russia ranked No. 66, Ukraine was at No. 71, Belarus at 54, Uzbekistan at 64, and Kyrgyzstan at 88. The index assesses the achievements of each state in eight categories. Kazakhstan ranked 54 on its economy, 59 on entrepreneurship and opportunity, 95 on governance, 43 on education, 60 on health and 53 on safety and security. Norway, Denmark and Sweden took the top three overall rankings. ● On Oct. 1, 2012, Kazakhstan’s public debt totaled 3,651.6 billion tenge ($25 billion), including an external debt of 679.3 billion tenge ($4.5 billion), the Finance Ministry said. Intercompany debt rose to 48.9 percent of total external debt.

Public debt, including the debts of the government, the National Bank and the local government bodies, increased by 11.79 percent to $24.37 billion over the same ninemonth period.

The Astana Times

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

А5

Business

Business News in Brief ● The Turkish company Abdi Ibrahim has purchased a controlling 60 percent share in Kazakhstan’s Global Pharm, the Anadolu news agency said. The new owners pledged to invest in new industrial facilities to open by the end of 2014, it said. “With this new company, our corporate cash flows we will reach $85 billion by 2019,” Abdi Ibrahim chairman Nezih Barut said. The deal was part of the Turkish company’s strategy to increase its presence in Commonwealth of Independent States nations, he said. ● One third of the petrol supplied to Kazakhstan’s gas stations in the first 10 months of this year were imported, the Oil and Gas Ministry said. It said 3.4 million tons of petrol were consumed this year from January 1 to October 25. Some 2.3 million tons of this gasoline came from oil fields and refineries within the country. The remaining 1.1 million tons of petrol were imported.

The Oil Ministry said the existing refineries and processing facilities of PetroKazakhstan Oil Products, Atyrau Oil Refinery and Pavlodar Oil Chemicals Plant are being rebuilt and modernized as part of the Program of Accelerated Industrial-Innovative Development (PAIID). ● The number of cars manufactured by Kazakh car plants has increased almost 18-fold in the last four years, the Kazakhstan CarBusiness Association said. The country now makes 11,000 cars a year. An SKD assembly factory, including welding and painting, was built in 2011-2012. The plant will be part of the programme to manufacture the Nomad, the first made-in-Kazakhstan. The project will cost 11 billion tenge ($73.3 million) and eventually produce 25,000 cars a year. The Kazakhstan Car Business Association said Astana Motors would export more than 400 cars to Belarus, Russia and the other Central Asian countries this year. AutoVAZ and Asia Auto will build a factory in Ust-Kamenogorsk with a capacity to make 60,000 cars per year. ● Astana’s urban transportation department has bought 83 new buses worth 1.5 billion tenge ($10 million) this year, Rashid Amanzhulov, head of the city’s Department of Passenger Transport and Roads for Automobiles said.

“We plan to buy another 20 buses before the end of the year,” he said.

The city’s municipal press service said that over the past four years from the start of 2009 to the end of this year, 243 new buses costing 4.6 billion tenge ($30.7 million) were purchased and put into service. City bus routes are being streamlined to reduce duplication of routes and cut the number of routes along streets overloaded with traffic. ● The Financial Supervision Agency of the National Bank of Kazakhstan has reported that on September 1, the loan portfolio of commercial banks in the country was worth 11.1 trillion tenge with consumer loans worth 1.3 billion tenge. In September, the total value of loans made by Kazakh commercial banks increased by almost 2 percent due to the activity of banks that were market leaders. Experts believe that by the end of 2012, the consumers’ lending sector of commercial banks will increase by 30 percent in value. ● Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, Kazakh national railways, will consider increasing its production to up to 5,000 rail cars a year, the company’s vice-president, Erik Sultanov, said. The expansion of production to this level will cost nearly $20 million. The decision to increase capacity is expected to be taken during the first half of 2013. Kazakhstan Rail Car Building Company plans to produce 1,700 rail cars this year and 2,500 in 2013. The Kazakhstan Rail Car Building Company currently has the capacity to build 2,000 lowsided cars and 500 covered trucks per year. The cost of building one rail car ranges from $81,000 to $90,000. The company built 737 rail cars costing 9.6 billion tenge ($63.49 million) in the nine months from January to September this year.

Third Kazakh-British Business Forum Highlights Kazakhstan’s Pro-Business Environment

By Tatiana Braun LONDON – Kazakh business leaders recently concluded their third successful business forum in London. Kazakh bankers, heads of companies and top managers of the country discussed new opportunities for investors, favorable climates and prospects for cooperation. Investors already working in Kazakhstan also shared their experience in doing business.

The forum organized by the Kazakh-British Chamber of Commerce and Industry with the support of Government of Kazakhstan and the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the United Kingdom has become an important event in the economic, social and political life of the two countries.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to the United Kingdom Kairat Abuseitov attended the event, along with honored guests and active participants of the forum. Praising the gathering for reaching agreements, the Kazakh diplomat urged a shift beyond traditional British investment in natural resources to other sectors with which offer equally significant potential for economic development, such as infrastructure, transport, communications, construction, water supply and housing construction. Agriculture, as well as green businesses open great opportunities for British business. The ambassador believes that the market of Kazakhstan is of strategic importance for the United Kingdom as Kazakhstan’s economy over the last year was one of the fastest growing in the world.

The volume of foreign trade with the United Kingdom in the first eight months of this year (ac-

Kazakh and British officials and business executives speak at the 3rd annual forum in London in late October. cording to Kazakhstan’s customs statistics) amounted to USD 1.278 billion. Last year, this figure was USD 2.145 billion, which is 1.4 percent more than in the same period of 2010. The main products exported by Kazakhstan to the United Kingdom are refined copper and unwrought copper alloys, crude oil, petroleum products obtained from bituminous minerals and silver. Kazakhstan imports passenger cars, pharmaceuticals, ferrous metals and paper, as well as bulldozers, graders, scrapers, mechanical shovels, excavators, loaders, and road rollers, among others.

As for foreign direct investment (FDI), the United Kingdom is also a reliable partner. Thus, according to the National Bank of Kazakhstan, from 1993 and in the first half-year of 2012, the gross inflows of FDI in the domestic economy reached USD 159.4 billion, including USD 11.2 billion from the United Kingdom. For the first half of this year, the figures were USD 10.8 billion and USD 120.4 million respectively.

Of particular importance is the interaction with foreign partners on an institutional basis. This is confirmed by the Council of For-

eign Investors, which since 1998 has annually held its meetings under the personal chairmanship of President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

In addition to an investment law aimed at the promotion and protection of investments in the territory of Kazakhstan, the government signed a number of bilateral agreements on the mutual protection of investments with 47 countries, including the United Kingdom.

It was especially emphasized by Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan David Moran who said Kazakhstan is ready to openly discuss problems, taking into consideration, for instance, the country’s investment climate. The Council of Foreign Investors helps to work and find solutions. “The diapason of commercial interests and their range are endless, starting from cooperation in the field of space technologies to the use of British experience in the organization of the Olympic Games,” Moran said.

At the first panel session, Deputy Prime Minister Kairat Kelimbetov presented an overview of the economic prospects of Kazakhstan in the context of the global economy.

Kelimbetov stressed the forum is

a good opportunity to discuss Kazakhstan’s progress in achieving global goals. The deputy prime minister provided the forum’s participants with the main parameters of the government’s anti-crisis programme, current achievements and challenges for the future.

“Thus it was noted that the National Fund has accumulated USD 51 billion. The reserves of the National Fund and National Bank of Kazakhstan reached USD 85 billion, which accounts for almost 80 percent of the GDP. By the way, USD 10 billion was used for the anti-crisis program in 2008-2010.

It was a huge recapitalization and support of our four systemic banks to provide them equity and an opportunity to support the small and medium economy sector,” he said.

In 2010-11, GDP growth in Kazakhstan was 7.2 percent and 7.5 percent respectively. This year it is expected to reach more than 5 percent and 7 percent in the next five years. This means that in 2015 the GDP per capita will be USD 15,000. “If we recall the 90s, when our GDP was barely $700 per capita, the future USD 15,000 per capita is a vivid indicator of not only the growth, but also a significant

improvement in quality of life,” Kelimbetov said.

Another encouraging factor is that Kazakhstan’s banking system is approaching pre-crisis times. If during that time, the share of bad loans in the banking sector was 50 percent of GDP, now it has been reduced to 20 percent.

“Kazakhstan today ranks 51st in the Competitiveness Index of the World Economic Forum, while previously the republic was only 72nd.

This confirms the effectiveness of our reforms and our efforts to create a favorable business climate for investors,” Kelimbetov added.

According to the World Bank’s Doing Business Index, Kazakhstan is ranked 47th. It is a good indicator for the country, and taking into account the fact that Russia is ranked 70th, it can be said that Kazakhstan has made a revolutionary breakthrough.

Kelimbetov believes this is the result of Kazakhstan’s pro-business tax policy and investment climate for attracting investors, especially European, and facilitating the sharing and transfer of technologies.

“We have an interesting project with British Gas at the Karachaganak deposit and with the Shell Company at the first phase of Kashagan.

Kashagan is indeed a global project, and it provides a good opportunity to enhance the competitive advantages of Kazakhstan in the diversification of our economy,” the deputy prime minister said.

The participants asked questions about possible changes to the investment climate in the country resulting from Kazakhstan’s expected entry into the WTO, the development of cooperation in the framework of the customs union and about the principles of creating a Eurasian economic union and a single currency.

Participants of the forum also discussed the prospects of the Kazakh economy in light of global economic instability, the increase in the trade balance and counter inflation, the availability and activity of trading markets, alternative sources of funding and de-leveraging.

The moderator of the session was executive editor of The Economist magazine and member of the British Parliament Dudley Fishburn.

The main speaker was former White House Economic Policy Advisor Todd Buchholz.

Kazatomprom, Japan’s Sumitomo Kazakhstan’s Prime Launch Rare Earth Metals Plant Minister Starts People’s

By Galiya Nurzhan ASTANA – On November 2, the opening ceremony of a new complex to produce collective concentrates of rare earth metals (REM) built by the Kazakhstan-Japanese joint venture Summit Atom Rare Earth Company (SARECO) took place in the town of Stepnogorsk of the Akmola region.

The event was symbolic and important for what it meant both for global markets of rare earth metals and the local community which had seen better times in the past and which pins hopes on the new venture.

Vladimir Shkolnik, Chairman of the Board of JSC NAC Kazatomprom and Furihata Toru, Member of the Board and the Senior Managing Executive Officer of Sumitomo Corporation, cut the symbolic ribbon.

Acting Chairman of the Industry Committee of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Kazakhstan, Yerzhan Karibayev, Deputy Akim of the Akmola region, Eduard Kvyatkovskiy, Managing Director of the SamrukKazyna National Welfare Fund, Kuanysh Bektemirov, took part in the ceremony from the Kazakhstan side.

Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan, Yosuke Kondo, Executive Director of Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC), Nagatomo Tetsuji, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan, Harada Yuzo joined in to form the Japanese delegation.

“The project is aimed at industrial and infrastructural development of the Akmola region, and particularly, the town of Stepnogorsk, and this corresponds to the principles specified in the State Programme on Accelerated Industrial and Innovative Development of Kazakhstan. The commissioning of this plant will create jobs for 250 Kazakhstan specialists of different specializations and will have a positive impact on the social develop-

ment of the region,” Mr. Shkolnik told the opening ceremony of the plant.

Stepnogorsk is a formerly secret town which during the Soviet times had both uranium mines and the world’s largest anthrax production and weaponization factory. The factory has been dismantled since Kazakhstan’s independence in partnership with the U.S. under the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction programme. The town, though, has seen a steady decline of its fortunes.

In his speech, Mr. Toru pointed out that the enterprise would be a new milestone in the development of state and corporate interests between the two countries.

During the ceremony, the heads of Kazatomprom and Sumitomo Corporation signed the Project Agreement defining further steps of the implementation of the SARECO strategy development. SARECO also signed agreements on products sale with Sumitomo Corporation, Shin-Etsu Chemicals and Rhodia.

About $30 million were invested into the REM pilot production in Stepnogorsk city by the participants of SARECO in accordance with their participatory interests in the charter capital: 51 percent by Kazatomprom and 49 percent by Sumitomo Corporation.

The plant represents a unique complex of thermal and hydrometallurgical processing of different types of raw materials, and became the realization of the results of work of Kazakhstan, Japanese and European scientists and engineers. The plant was designed and constructed in compliance with all requirements of environmental standards, and the technology and control systems applied are environmentally sound.

SARECO’s plant is designed to produce 1,500 tons of TREO (amount of REM oxides) per year, with the annual capacity set to increase up to 3,000 tons of TREO by 2015, and

up to 5,000-6,000 tons of TREO by 2017. The major part of production will be comprised of the REM of the so called heavy group, which is in short supply globally nowadays. The main target market for SARECO is the Japanese market.

The new plant will concentrate on production of heavy rare earth elements, especially dysprosium and other metals used in magnets and electric car motors.

According to Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper, Japan could begin importing rare earths from Kazakhstan as early as January 2013 as part of its efforts to lower its dependence on China. Initial production of 1,500 tons a year at the plant would be equivalent to about 7.5 percent of Japan’s annual demand. Imports from Kazakhstan would include 20 tons a year of dysprosium, or 3 percent of Japanese demand. The minerals are vital in the production of consumer electronics like smartphones, as well as motors for hybrid and electric cars.

The enterprise is not restricted by the production of the primary product – the collective concentrate of REM. On the condition that the production has a long-term raw material source, an isotope separation is expected to be established by 2015 in the territory of Kazakhstan, and a few years later - the production of magnets based on rare earth metals.

The production based on rare earth metals is a new direction of industrial-innovative development of Kazakhstan that leads to the creation of more value-added high technology productions in the country and allows entering the developing REM market.

Kazatomprom, Kazakhstan’s national atomic company, is one of the world’s leading uranium mining companies and the national operator for import and export of uranium, rare metals, nuclear fuel for power plants, special equipment and dualpurpose materials.

IPO Programme From Page A1 On November 1, the Board of Directors of the Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund approved the offering price for KazTransOil notes within the People’s IPO at 725 tenge ($4.82) per share.

According to the Chairman of the Board of the Samruk-Kazyna Fund Umirzak Shukeyev, the price was formed taking into account the recommendations of the international company UBS and JSC Kazkommerts Securities, which fully evaluated the company. The preparation for the People’s IPO programme with the attraction of foreign advisors has been underway for one year. It is planned to sell 10 percent of securities of KazTransOil to retail buyers, or ordinary residents of Kazakhstan, as the priority clients.

The acceptance of applications will begin on November 6 and will finish on December 5. The total number of authorized common shares of KazTransOil is 384,635,600 .

“In accordance with the final conclusion of the consultants, the estimated value of 100 percent of the share capital of KazTransOil after application of an 18 percent discount is 250 billion tenge. Apart from that, the structure provides for a mechanism for proportionate acceptance of orders if demand exceeds supply. The maximum volume of the offering taking into account the quantity and price of the proposed shares can be about 28 billion tenge ($186 million).

According to the consultant’s preliminary analysis of demand from the pension funds of Kazakhstan, the indicative total demand of the pension funds is 19 billion ($127 million) at the offering price in the range of 700-750 tenge per share.

Ten percent, minus one share of the total number of authorized common shares was approved. That is 38,463,559 common shares. Based on this data, the potential of participation in the programme can be assessed at the level of 500,000 people,” Shukeyev said.

According to the approved IPO procedure for KazTransOil, priority will be granted to filling orders of the market maker in order to maintain prices for buying and selling the shares.

Among investors, priority will be given to retail investors – the citizens of Kazakhstan – followed by the acceptance of orders from domestic pension funds. Moreover, the number of shares available for purchase by retail investors as part of the People’s IPO will be limited and orders of retail investors will be filled in full within the range of 7 million tenge.

According to research, currently 34.4 percent of the adult population are aware of the programme and 7.3 percent of the respondents voiced their intention to buy shares.

The demand of Kazakhstan’s pension funds for KazTransOil shares may reach 19 billion tenge.

According to the Minister of Culture and Information Darkhan Mynbay, a full-scale information campaign on the People’s IPO was conducted by 80 media sources, and a joint media plan was developed and implemented. A total of 3,040 branches of JSC Kazpochta across the country are ready to provide transfer-agency services.

Deputy Prime Minister Kairat Kelimbetov stressed that the People’s IPO would attract investors to the economy, and it would be an important step for further economic growth of the country.

А6

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

The Astana Times

Employment 2020 Programme Offers Opportunities for Shymkent

editorial

Religious Tolerance: A Work in Progress For a long time, religion in Kazakhstan has been a ta- ization of Islamic faith is now registered to have 2,228 boo subject in political discussions for fear of upsetting mosques in operation throughout Kazakhstan. “This nathe delicate status quo. Historically defined religious tionwide Islamic religious organization preaches the Isboundaries categorise the citizens of the republic into sev- lamic faith according to the teachings of Sunni mazkhab eral confessions, creating a diverse group including Sunni Abu Hanifa and Imam Matrudi, given the historical feaMuslims and Russian Orthodox, the two largest groups, as tures of Islam in this country.” Mr. Lama Sharif said.

In one year, the Agency has also worked with the Justice well as Protestant and Catholic Christians, Judaists, Buddhists and many others. There are an increasing number of Ministry to register throughout the country nine dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Christian Faith that include 261 people professing revived traditions of Tengrism.

The past twenty-odd years of independence gave reason parishes, as well as 79 sites of the Roman Catholic Church. for many people to have faith in something, and they be- Mr. Lama Sharif added that the Agency “completed regiscame free to choose any religion they like. Abai, the great tration of 4 Jewish communities and 2 Buddhist associaKazakh poet and philosopher, in “Word Six” of his Book tions. Out of the earlier 666 Protestant religious groups, a of Words, wrote that, “It is possible to unite people of dif- total of 462 have been re-registered, or 69%, the rest will ferent origin, religion and views simply by giving them an go to liquidation. The majority of non-traditional religious abundance of livestock. But achieving unity at the price organisations had not filed for re-registration. Of the 48 non-traditional of cattle – that’s the religious organibeginning of moral zations, only 16 decay.” There is According to Kairat Lama Sharif “Today, good associations were harmony and re- relations have been established between Spiritual re-registered, ligious tolerance Directorate of Muslims and the Orthodox Church the remaining in Kazakhstan, in for cooperation in the field of social service and 32 will be liqpart due to increduidated through ible oil wealth and charity, joint participation in the civil projects, court decisions at stable GDP growth promotion of moral values and religious harmony. the request from throughout the I am sure that this will continue in the future as the Ministry of country’s young his- a key to strengthening inter-ethnic and interJustice.” While tory, but how deep earlier he preare they and how to religious friendship of our citizens.”

Kazakhstan’s citizens follow many religions, dicted that the represerve them? registration procIn the summer of some do not follow any religions. What holds ess would reduce 2011, a spate of vio- them together is their citizenship, their love of the number of lence in the Aktobe the freedom to choose any faith, and certain religious groups province, including by about a third, Kazakhstan’s first principles of understanding. In order to remain in fact 30% of suicide bombing, a country on a steady course of economic and previously regended with deadly cultural development, these principles need istered religious shoot-outs between to be expressed and adhered to. As a secular organizations in police and armed Kazakhstan have men. The unabashed government, Kazakhstan’s responsibility is to ceased to exist. criminal activities protect the rights of all its citizens, including the Additionally, of self-proclaimed right to follow any religion or not to follow any “the Agency for Islamist terrorists religion at all.

Religious Affairs breaking into arhas performed mories and blowing up office buildings in the middle of the day came as a over one thousand religious checks of the literature so shock to peaceful civilians who are more used to seeing far. You can find the list of books that have received the reports of such acts in countries far away, not this close to agency’s approval on our website. We are currently lookhome, not in person. The truth is that these terrorists are ing into around three thousand more items. We have two also citizens of Kazakhstan. For at least one generation of centres performing this work,” Kairat Lama Sharif told the people of Kazakhstan, a vacuum left by the Soviet-era the Senate in September 2012. The re-registration of reideology of cynical religious nihilism permitted so-called ligious organizations brings the relationship between the religious scholars to discipline new followers into die- government and representatives of different confessions to a new, “more civilized level,” according to Ruslan hard believers ready to highjack religion.

It was this newly found adherence by people to different Zhangazy, Senior Research Fellow at the International faiths represented in Kazakhstan, and the efforts by a few Center of Cultures and Religions, one of agency’s above to hijack religion for corrupt purposes, that called for the mentioned centers.

The challenges faced by the agency are manifold. The creation of a new government agency specifically to deal with issues of a religious nature and a new legal frame- government seeks to eliminate extremist branches of reliwork to regulate this sphere. Religion is nothing new, but gious sects. President Nazarbayev specified a few guideit seems that until now it had never been a problem. As lines when the government began a thorough check of rethey say in the West, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” In ligious affairs. He said, “It is necessary to strictly suppress the spread of elements of extremist religious ideology in 2011, it seemed that something needed fixing for sure.

Enter the Agency for Religious Affairs, a new government the country, especially open actions which are aimed at entity created in 2011, and a new law on religious activity undermining the constitutional system and which pose a threat to citizens’ lives and health.” Terrorist cells that adopted in the fall of 2011 to replace the one from 1992.

Kairat Lama Sharif, who was appointed chairman of the openly declare jihad on the government are automaticalnewly established Agency for Religious Affairs in July ly a threat, but what of all the peaceful spiritual groups?

2011, noted the undeniable: “There is increased public Here, the role of the Agency is once again important in interest in religion, an atheist past turned into religious establishing clarity for the state.

A solid and easily understandable stance of the governfreedom, democratic principles and the ability to practice ment is important for law and order in the country. If at any their religion.”

Kairat Lama Sharif is a career diplomat. The choice of moment religious groups start to preach hatred, the fabric somebody from the foreign ministry to head the new agen- of Kazakhstan’s multi-ethnic social fiber will tear apart. cy is not coincidental. When it comes to matters that touch The warm and what might be described as welcoming spirthe hearts and souls of the people, a professional negotia- it of Kazakhstan takes pride in historically having adopted tor who knows how to deal with delicate topics is exactly ethnic groups that through war, exile, imprisonment or the right person for the job. Mr. Lama Sharif has worked whatever reason found themselves enveloped in the vastin Kazakhstan’s missions in Egypt, the United Arab Emir- ness of the steppe. Since before the Imperial Czarist times, ates and Saudi Arabia, where he encountered firsthand the members of different communities slept together under a relationship between religious organisations and govern- blanket of blue, represented in Kazakhstan’s modern flag. ments. A qualified expert in the Arabic language and au- But if leaders of different denominations start pulling the thor of books such as “Namaz” (1990), “The Pilgrimage” bed covers from each other, everyone will be left cold.

Local and national efforts by the government encourage (1990, 1993), “The Prayer” (1991), “The Muslim Calendar” (1991), “The Alphabet of Faith” (1998) and “Arabic: inter-religious understanding. Bishops and imams cut red riba Reader” (2004), Mr. Lama Sharif is a perfect candidate bons together, Protestants marry Muslims, and, in contrast to recent German events, nobody complains about rabbis perto achieve the goals of the agency.

The Agency of Religious Affairs, a government entity forming ritual circumcision. Events are also held promoting with more than 200 employees, has specific roles to play inter-religious understanding, such as the tri-annual Conin the public sphere. Anyone intending to embark on the gress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, bringmissionary work must first be registered with the ARA. ing world leaders together at the Palace of Peace and Accord The agency inspects all religious teaching materials, also known as the “Pyramid.” In addition to the work of the checks for extremist texts and propaganda and facilitates ARA, the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan spends treinter-religious relations. According to Mr. Lama Sharif’s mendous amounts of energy organising educational mechaspeech to Kazakhstan’s Senate on Sept. 27, 2012, he ex- nisms, such as summer camps and conferences that teach pected that the number of re-registered spiritual organi- school children tolerance and how to work together.

It doesn’t matter what religion a person follows, so sations this year will drop by a third. On October 12th, participants at a round table meeting, organized together long as he or she is a responsible citizen. As explained with the OSCE center, added that the new law will have by Kairat Lama Sharif, “Today, good relations have been a positive effect on the religious situation in the country. established between Spiritual Directorate of Muslims Further implementation of its provisions will clearly de- and the Orthodox Church for cooperation in the field of lineate the relationship between the state and the existing social service and charity, joint participation in the civil religious groups and streamline the activities of religious projects, promotion of moral values and religious harmoorganisations to protect society from the influence of de- ny. I am sure that this will continue in the future as a key to strengthening inter-ethnic and inter-religious friendship structive religious movements.

On October 25, 2012, the one-year deadline introduced of our citizens.”

Kazakhstan’s citizens follow many religions, some do by last year’s law expired for religious organisations to not follow any religions. What holds them together is re-register.

Mr. Lama Sharif announced at a round table meeting their citizenship, their love of the freedom to choose any in Almaty on October 13th, 2012 that the reasons why faith, and certain principles of understanding. In order to some previously registered associations will cease to exist remain a country on a steady course of economic and culare because of the small number of their members or the tural development, these principles need to be expressed formality of existence of these organisations. “Only those and adhered to. As a secular government, Kazakhstan’s associations that exist and have at least 50 followers will responsibility is to protect the rights of all its citizens, including the right to follow any religion or not to follow remain in operation,” Mr. Lama Sharif said.

In the end, as of October 25, 2012 a monolithic organ- any religion at all.

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By Lyubov Makasheva The population of Shymkent in South Kazakhstan soon will reach one million. Shymkent is now the third-largest city in Kazakhstan.

Nearly half the people in Shymkent – 44.7 percent – are in the working population and that figure is rising as thousands of rural young people continue to migrate into the city.

Shymkent is a major educational center. It has 12 universities, 32 colleges and five vocational schools that produce more than 20,000 graduates per year in their full-time training programmes.

Seventy percent of graduates from these programmes stay in the city, which also serves as the regional capital.

In the first eight months of 2012, 17,486 people applied for work through the employment agencies of Shymkent and we found jobs for 13,571 of them, 77.6 percent of the total number.

The Employment 2020 national job creation programme has helped the city a lot. Within its framework, 2,864 graduates of universities, colleges and vocational schools have been enrolled in entry-level jobs in youth work. In all, 3,188 young people have been hired for social work earning an average wage of 52,000 tenge. Part of their salary is paid from the city budget and the other part is provided by their employers.

Since January 1, 891 unemployed people have volunteered for free retraining in specialized work courses that are in demand in the labor market.

The process of finding permanent employment for them has been almost completed.

The city now also holds job fairs every month that are organized by the mayor’s office.

In early September, a job fair was organized at the A-Mega Trading industrial centre, the site of the Shymkent lead plant. Industrial production is being scaled down at the lead plant and almost 700 workers will lose their jobs. At the fair they were offered a choice of more than 1,000 new jobs including 362 new jobs created by six companies opening new factories in the South Kazakh Ontustik industrial zone.

The city government of Shymkent has also devoted resources to helping people in socially vulnerable sectors of the population. In December 2011, we were the first city in Kazakhstan to create a center to rehabilitate people who have served criminal sentences and help them socially adapt to society. It provides psychological support services, medical examinations, help them acquire the necessary documents and help them find jobs. Since the beginning of this year, the center succeeded in finding new jobs for 73 out of the 76 who applied to us for help after their release.

In June 2012, the mayor’s office of Shymkent set

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a quota of 5 percent of available jobs that should be reserved for former criminals just released from prison.

Our office is also involved in finding work for the disabled. To achieve this goal, we cooperate with the national government, public organizations and private businesses. During the past two years 160 disabled people in Shymkent city took training courses on entrepreneurship and how to find jobs in the labour through a joint Kazakh-Norwegian project called SYSLAB. Today, we are working to create a new municipal employment service for the disabled to help them to overcome psychological barrier and increase their chances for employment.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev has said that under the Employment 2020 programme, the state must help self-employed and low-income groups receive targeted social assistance in finding stable jobs. We are playing our part in Shymkent. In early 2012, the number of able-bodied recipients of targeted social assistance in the city was 1,986; by the end of September it had fallen by 58 percent.

We will continue to provide computer literacy education to poor and vulnerable people so that they can expand their access to information, including the national e-government platform. Through the Internet, the disabled in Kazakhstan can now receive long-distance education.

The Shymkent city administration is also working to create favourable conditions for the emergency of new small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In the first eight months of this year, 4,821 new jobs were created under the Business Road Map 2020, Employment 2020 and other regional programmes and through the expansion of production in local factories.

Micro credit programmess are also generating new jobs in Shymkent. Kazmikrofinans, the national state-supported microcredit bank, has distributed loans worth 1,409 billion tenge to 5,050 people in the area of whom 4,328 are women.

Our city is characterized by its labour force surplus which generates intense competition for jobs in many sectors. However, the local demand for blue-collar occupations is high. After training one can always qualify for a profession which is in demand in the labour market. Therefore, the cause of unemployment, especially among young people, is often not the lack of available jobs and vacancies, but the natural human shortcomings of laziness, complacency and the failure to communicate.

I believe that a widespread public education campaign which celebrates the value of work and of overcoming dependency and social passivity will change and improve the situation.

The author is head of Shymkent’s department of employment and social programs

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The Astana Times

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

А7

opinions

Samruk-Kazyna to Expand Companies and Modernize Management

By Umirzak Shukeyev President Nursultan Nazarbayev and the Government have approved the Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund’s new 10-year strategy to 2022.

Samruk-Kazyna controls 361 affiliates and 200 associated companies and manages the most important assets of the state. The new strategy defines objectives, priorities and follow-up activities for all these companies in the medium term.

Before approving our new strategy, we carefully studied the experience of similar holding companies around the world, especially those that have successfully modernized. They can be divided into two groups: operational and strategic holdings. Our aim in the medium term is to make Samruk-Kazyna a strategic holding by improving its corporate governance and bringing the management of its subsidiaries up to world standards.

The Temasek Company in Singapore is a strategic holding, fully owned by the state, but it operates in a competitive market as a normal commercial company and its primary concern is profit.

Samruk-Kazyna’s Kazanah Company is oriented to the usual corporate priorities, but it also invests in projects of social value, in which private companies are not involved. When Kazanah carries out uneconomic but socially important projects on the instructions of its owners, the government as a shareholder helps it in many ways.

For example, it helps through the partial financing of the project and regulation of tariffs.

Samruk-Kazyna’s new strategy has been placed on the fund’s website at www.sk.kz where it is accessible to everyone.

In the first nine months of 2012, Samruk-Kazyna’s total net income, excluding second tier banks, amounted to 727 billion tenge, which is 20 percent higher than the planned amount. This means that the main companies of the fund are steadily growing. This is true for both mining companies and infrastructure companies.

The income of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, Kazakh National Railways, grew by 16 percent in the first nine months of this year compared with the same period last year, and KEGOC’s income increased by 124

percent over the same period compared with 2011.

Improving the performance of the fund’s subsidiaries is one of the main functions of Samruk-Kazyna’s management, according to the law on sovereign wealth funds.

Our daughter companies’ task is to profitably invest their funds in core assets and cut unreasonable costs and we have to monitor their activities. The approved strategy, depending on the specifics of each industry, sets lower limits for the rate of return of investment projects that can be initiated and implemented in the companies.

Working with the managements of the fund’s large companies, Samruk-Kazyna’s executives develop and implement programmes to reduce costs. The programmes are based on the analysis and diagnosis of all business processes, costs and other expenses of the companies, and on a comparative analysis of business processes with advanced foreign companies.

Specialized international consulting firms identify the differences in the level of performance of subsidiaries from leading global companies in order to determine the potential for optimization and to improve management in the areas which increase competitiveness, thereby contributing to the growth of companies.

By the end of 2012, concrete initiatives will be prepared to reduce costs and streamline business processes and regulations of Samruk-Kazyna subsidiaries. We expect to see the first results of these initiatives by mid-2013.

We are developing a new dividend policy for our subsidiary

companies to finance the improvement of their performance. This will create a new clear and transparent method to calculate and pay dividends. It will create a differentiated approach to determine the standard accrual of dividends, depending on the company’s maturity, the nature and profitability of its activities in light of ongoing investment projects and other factors.

Samruk-Kazyna has an extensive investment programme. There are over 200 projects in our portfolio, half of which are under active implementation, including the projects announced in President Nazarbayev’s state-of-the-nation address. These are mainly projects in the strategically important oil and gas industry sector.

Thus, the investment portfolio of KazMunaiGas includes more than 50 projects, of which 38 are being implemented. They should achieve very significant results.

By 2020, production of oil and gas will increase by 150 percent. The volume of processed petroleum products will grow from 13.7 million tons per year currently to 19 million tons per year; the volume of oil transported will increase from 65.8 million tons per year currently to 85 million tons per year; the volume of gas produced will increase from 98.8 billion cubic meters per year currently to 132 billion cubic meters per year.

The depth of processing (refining), will rise from 68 percent currently to 90 percent per year and the quality of motor fuels will meet Euro 4 and Euro 5 standards.

By the end of 2012, construction on the project to produce road bitumen at the Aktau plant and on the new North Caspian ecological base in the Atyrau region to deal with oil spills will be completed.

By the end of this year, construction will also be completed on the first section of gas pipelines from Kazakhstan to China and from Beyneu through Bozoy to Shymkent. These projects will solve the problems of supplying gas in the south of Kazakhstan.

Samruk-Kazyna is also financing 19 energy projects of the Samruk Energo Company worth $8.6 billion. One of the largest is the construction of the Balkhash thermal power plant, which will have a capacity of 1,320 megawatts. A contract has been signed

with the Samsung Engineering Company to design and manufacture the first cogeneration module for the plant. Work on it started in September.

Samruk-Kazyna is financing the modernization of the Shardary hydro-electric power station, which will achieve its full capacity in 2016, the modernization and expansion of the Ekibastuz thermal power plant No. 1 and the expansion of capacity in the Ekibastuz thermal power plant No. 2. On August 1, work began on constructing the Moynak hydroelectric power plant. The KEGOC Company is working to modernize the national power grid and to build the new North - East – South national transportation corridor.

These projects will address power shortage problems in the south of the country, increase the reliability of electricity in Central Kazakhstan and integrate all areas of the National Power Grid.

Samruk-Kazyna makes its investment decisions in an ordered and continuous process. First, a project is discussed in the Investment Fund Committee, then it is approved by the fund’s board, and the largest and most important projects are considered in the state commission headed by the prime minister.

The policy of local content is one of the most important aspects in the work of the Fund. We provide orders for local companies. This contributes to the creation of jobs and the emergence of competitive enterprises that meet international standards.

By 2014, 44 projects in emerging domestic industries worth 150 billion tenge will be implemented

by Samruk-Kazyna companies.

These projects will provide the needs of the companies of domestically manufactured products worth more than 90 billion tenge per year.

Recently, Samruk-Kazyna has implemented new rules for procurement. They contain measures to encourage the development of new industries based on long-term cooperation between domestic producers and the fund’s companies. Samruk-Kazyna companies will offer conditional discounts for Kazakh suppliers, who develop new production and a 150 percent increase in conditional discounts for local content in products. It

will impose obligations for suppliers in contracts on priority procurement and on the use of materials of domestic origin. And it will establish mandatory long-term contracts with domestic companies that develop the manufacture of new products.

Much work is being done to ensure the transparency of the procurement process. One of the steps being taken is to minimize the human factor in procurement.

International practice shows that the most effective tool in creating a transparent system of procurements is making them automated.

The procurement process on the Internet is open to all potential participants and is fully transparent. It should be introduced everywhere, at all levels of relations of the Fund’s group of companies and private business. On September 14, we presented an information system of electronic procurement for Samruk-Kazyna and launched trial operation procurements via price offers.

The fund also conducts routine preparation of companies that are candidates for IPO share issues under this program.

The IPO issue of shares of KazTransOil is already planned for November 2012. The company’s consultants have updated the cost of all of its equity capital. The price, quantity and structure of the company’s IPO offering will be approved by the Samruk-Kazyna Board of Directors by end of October 2012. The next phase after the approval by the government of options for placement is the collection of applications for their purchase.

Another strategic priority for Samruk-Kazyna is social responsibility. Special attention will be paid to social and labor relations and training. It is important to avoid labor disputes in SamrukKazyna companies that employ 327,000 people. We created the Center of Social Partnership to monitor alarm zones. It also provides a platform for negotiations between social partners.

Samruk-Kazyna has introduced the principle of personal responsibility for company executives in the field of providing social stability and it is issuing annual ratings of social stability for them. Cooperating with trade unions, we es-

tablished a council of trade unions of the fund’s companies. Close attention is paid to the qualification of employees and their training and a new dual training system for them has been developed.

Samruk-Kazyna has selected 700 specialties of secondary technical education for workers in all its subsidiary companies and professional standards are being prepared for each of these specialties. Much work is being done to integrate the professional standards of the national qualification system in these programmes. The fund has chosen 16 organizations of vocational education and training to train a first selection of 400 students from its subsidiary companies for a new training program that began on September 1.

Future specialists will both study and work at the fund’s subsidiary companies.

In our personnel policy for top management, we are creating a talent reserve for key management positions called the Top 100.

We will screen all employees in the positions of directors of departments and higher. Those who have a reasonable potential and who work well in place, will be included in Group C of management personnel. Those whose personal and professional qualifications qualify them to occupy higher positions will be assigned to Group B. Exceptionally talented candidates with the potential to become future directors of companies will be enrolled in Group A. We have conducted the first session on the formation of personnel reserve in five major subsidiaries of the Fund. Ninety-eight managers were tested and 37 of them were rated in the B category.

This campaign will give us a great opportunity for corporate modernization. We will be able to realistically assess our human resources. The potential of the best employees will be recognized at the highest levels of management.

We will develop career plans for them, provide them with opportunities for studying, earning new qualifications and ensure their participation in planning meetings with the top management of Samruk-Kazyna.

The author is chairman of the board of the Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund.

Emergency Services Ready for Crises

By Vladimir Bozhko The government has approved a new draft law On Civil Protection that consolidates and streamlines previous legislation to make the nation’s emergency services more efficient in their actions to prevent and respond to crises.

We have analyzed the procedures insurance companies in nations around the world use in assessing and financing coverage against emergencies. Until now the national system of insurance against accidents and natural disasters was not sufficiently developed in Kazakhstan and the damage caused by such events was, therefore, seldom compensated to the people who suffered from them. Under these conditions, almost all the financial burden of providing housing for the victims of natural disasters and related mishaps and addressing their financial problems is shouldered by the national government and the local authorities. However, providing sufficient insurance to protect people against the costs of these disasters is a goal our society should achieve in the shortest possible time.

The new bill and the Administrative Code introduce a number of provisions to ensure that security and safety planners will be held responsible for their decisions and actions. When the new legislation becomes law, we will have tools to bring such people to accountability.

The new law also specifies how the state should protect the people by providing them with notification and early warning of impending crises of different kinds. It also introduces the concept of civil protection. It gives the emergency response services the right to tap into the state’s material reserves for the needs of refugees.

Improved practical measures to prevent emergencies have been included in the Strategic Plan for national development, the outline plan for the territorial development to 2020 and the five-year National Security Strategy for 2012-16. These measures are also included in the program for development of conurbations and single industry towns.

Successful preemptive actions undertaken by Kazakhstan’s emergency services in April 2012 helped to prevent major flood-

ing in the West Kazakhstan and East Kazakhstan regions. Some 339 rescue personnel, 70 vehicles and 44 boats were dispatched to meet the crisis. River banks were fortified, emergency water flow channels were blasted open and the threatened population was warned and trained in survival activities in the event of severe floods.

In all, 3,305 people were evacuated, 1.5 kilometers of dams were built in the South Kazakhstan region, 70,000 cubic meters of melt water were pumped off and medical and psychological assistance were provided to 1,199 people.

The Koksarai Reservoir on the Syr Darya River successfully fulfilled its function of regulating the flow of the river waters and provided security and drinking water to 2.5 million people. Its construction since 2008 had already boosted economic growth in the southern region and generated 2,500 construction jobs.

More than 6 billion cubic meters of floodwater has flowed already into the reservoir preventing the recurrence of largescale floods in the South Kazakhstan and Kyzylorda regions.

This year there were floods in two regions that never had them before - Zhanaozen and Zhezkazgan. In Zhezkazgan city the flooding was triggered by an exceptionally heavy rainfall. A drainage canal overflowed and rainwater gushed into 105 houses. Recent rainfalls in the region have been unprecedented and unpredictable. To give accurate predictions and sufficient warning time to prepare for such storms, Doppler radar will be required.

The personal responsibility of individual citizens is important in preventing and responding to such crises. Land owners who use irrigation canals and ditches before the spring flood seasons should also maintain special systems of protection zones and natural watercourses. The construction of buildings and dumps should not be allowed in these areas as that often causes flooding.

That is what happened in Zhezkazgan.

Moraine or glacial lakes pose another challenge. In the past 10-15 years, about 100 of them have appeared in the mountains of ZailiyskiyAlatau. The Kazselezaschita programme over the past 20 years to create protection against mud- and landslides in the upper reaches of the Khorgos

River produced very disturbing results such as the degradation of glaciers. In one case this led to the formation of a moraine lake called The Trap 3.7 million cubic meters in size. Now it poses a real threat to the Khorgos border post.

Our ministry responded to this emerging danger by ordering the construction of protective structures jointly with Kazakhstan TemirZholy, Kazakh National Railways, which is responsible for the development of the Khorgos checkpoint. So far,more than one million cubic meters of water has been released from The Trap to ease the situation. Through the entire summer, thislake remained under control.

Or take disasters of a different order such as fires. Once we talk of fires, this year over 6,000 landscape fires on the area of over 183,000 hectares took place.

The most hazardous situations we had to deal with were in the Akmola, Almaty, East Kazakhstan, West Kazakhstan, Pavlodar, North Kazakhstan and South Kazakhstan regions. On April 22, 15 wildfires broke out in two districts of the Almaty region simultaneously.

We responded by allocating funds to district administrations for the prevention and suppression of wildfires, and other emergencies. However, we concluded that these resources remained underused by the local authorities who had access to them.

At the initiative of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the issue of steppe fires and floods in the border area was raised at the 8th Forum of cross-border cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan that was held in Astrakhan. During the 9th Forum held in Pavlodar, a protocol was signed to the 1994 Agreement between the Governments of Kazakhstan and Russia providing simplified and quicker procedures for emergency service providers whenever they had to cross the borders.

So far 4,381 voluntary fire squads have been created around the country.

This year, two new fire stations have been opened in the town of Dostyk in the Almaty region and in Ganyushkino in the Atyrau region. A new fire station will open soon in Astana.

The state has sufficient material reserves in the event of emergencies, including food, special cars, fuel and construction

materials, heat guns, waterpumps, and stocks of personal hygiene items. A fuel oil storage facility has been constructed at the Zhambyl thermal power plant with over 30,000 tons capacity to serve the southern regions.

However, the ministry still confronts some problems. We remain short of such equipment as snow removal machines, graders, and pumps for remoBudge dirty or contaminated water.

However, emergency medical services are being rapidly and successfully upgraded. We have opened Emergency Medicine Centres, 18 railway hospitals, 310 health posts and we operate three medical trains and six roadside medical and rescue vehicles. The healthcare train services this year examined more than 84,000 peoples living in 212 rail stations and villages.

Under the Salamatty Kazakhstan state programme four Eurocopter helicopters and two Russian Ka-32 helicopters were purchased. Emergency services aircraft made 442 rescue flights in this year, including 156 that delivered humanitarian supplies and evacuated people from disaster zones.

Six new roadside medical and rescue stations opened in four different regions in July.

The Ministry held four field exercises this year codenamed Koktem, Winter, Zher and Kazspas. The presidents of the seven member states in the Collective Security Treaty Organization agreed to give our Rock City of Astana training facility the status of an international training ground.

In all, 11 joint exercises and training maneuvers were carried out on responding

to cross-border fires and floods and a series of meetings and training workshops were held with our Russian counterparts to develop joint measures for fire safety. We are developing with Russia a new system of space-based monitoring and forecasting of emergencies. We are also developing new partnerships with other member nations in the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Eurasian Economic Community, the United Nations, the CSTO, the International Civil Defence Organization and with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

We also have very good contacts with the National Guard of Arizona in the United States. Our officials have made several visits to Arizona and acquired useful experience in the creation of crisis centers.

Our engineers learned new expertise in combating floods and operating large water reservoirs.

We carefully studied the experience of the 911 emergency response service in the United States, and we are trying to emulate the best international practices from other countries.

We have recently provided humanitarian assistance to Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Japan, Ukraine and Somalia worth 1.5746 billion tenge. Our rescue aircraft evacuated from Egypt and Japan 314 people of Kazakhstan and 32 citizens of Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Japan and delivered 154 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Pakistan, Japan and Turkey.

The author is the Minister of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

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The Astana Times

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

Nation & Eurasia

Kazakhstan Promotes Bid for EXPO 2017 in Astana

By Yelden Sarybay ASTANA – The word Expo brings to mind grand buildings with bright lighting, sparkling against an urban backdrop. Think of the Crystal Palace in its heyday, or Shanghai just two years ago, or South Korean city of Yeosu this past summer. Expos leave lasting impressions in people’s memories, if not in the sands of time.

And though the Kazakh steppes have seen many merchants and foreign explorers come through, there has never been an opportunity to organise a modern-day world fair recognised by the Bu-

reau of International Expositions (BIE).

Now is the time to promote Astana’s proposed theme for an expo as early as 2017, a theme which becomes more relevant with every passing day: future energy. As a country rich in oil and other ossils, Kazakhstan is especially aware of the importance of moving beyond fossil fuels as a primary source of energy. This sort of massive event should highlight the importance of working toward a more sustainable tomorrow.

To be able to play host to a gathering of more than 100 countries is a source of prestige for Kazakhstan. On July 1, 2010, at the 147th session of BIE member countries, Kazakhstan announced its desire to host the International Specialised Exhibition in Astana.

The only other candidate city that has formalised its proposal is Liege, Belgium. At the time of writing, the official website of the French-speaking municipality counted 140,839 individuals supporting their bid, each of whom filled a five-step online form confirming their identity. Astana’s humble Facebook page had only 1,068 likes. The final vote, however, is up to the member states of the BIE at the upcoming December general assembly in Paris,

and social media indicators woud not reflect all the passions that go along with the two bids.

If Kazakhstan’s bid to host the specialised expo succeeds, the government plans a massive development project to prepare to host more than 5,000,000 visitors.

Such a scale is unprecedented even in the conference-friendly capital city. An area of 113 hectares, located at an equal distance from the railway station and the airport, is designated for the construction of pavilions, the expo city and other necessary facilities.

For three months between June 10 and Sept. 10 , 2017, the expo centre will attract millions to see the latest technological advancements in the sphere of renewable energy.

Historically, World Fairs and expos have been held by host cities to show off the innovative potential and industrial power of their country. The 1851 World Expo in London’s Hyde Park was held under the title “Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations.” The expos evolved into forums of intercultural dialogue, and lately into nationbranding enterprises. The successful expos of Finland, Japan, Canada, France, Spain, Germany and China have underlined each

country’s growing stature in the international community.

Hosting the exposition in Astana will not only symbolise Kazakhstan’s growth in capability and maturity but also signify the change of an era. The proposed theme, Future Energy will spark discussions about environmental degradation due to dwindling oil and gas resources, and about what sources of energy must be developed to secure stability when fossil fuels run out.

Investments in the alternative energy sector in the world rose by 30 percent in 2010 to reach a whopping 243 billion US dollars.

The expo will serve as a platform for the exchange of international experience in this field. The scarcity of traditional energy resources coupled with the threat of environmental crises associated with their use have become an issue whose urgency is difficult to question.

By 2030, Kazakhstan plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent. This will be achieved primarily through the introduction of new technologies and renewable energy sources.

The Energy Research Centre has been established at Nazarbayev University, the country’s major university. The centre was set up to promote research and devel-

opment activities in renewable energy, physics, and high-energy technologies. The wind potential of the country alone exceeds the national annual electricity consumption.

It is the duty of this generation to find viable alternative energy sources and preserve the wonderful flora and fauna that surrounds us. Hosting EXPO 2017 in Astana is another step on Kazakhstan’s route to a new type of economy based on environmentally clean energy resources that do not harm the planet. The country’s president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, commented that “Kazakhstan is one of the richest nations in oil, gas and uranium deposits. We know how important sustainable and responsible use of natural resources is for our future.” According to him, “an exhibition devoted to the latest scientific developments in this [future energy] field will not only draw attention to the global problem of depletion of energy resources, but will also serve as an impetus for further development of alternative energy.”

An event of such scale and magnitude is far from an easy task.

It will require joint efforts from every branch of society, government and business. The bid to host the International Specialised

Exposition 2017 in Astana is supported by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministries of Industry and New Technology, Education and Science, Communication and Information, and Finance. The Mayor of Astana and an entire country of enthusiastic citizens are also on board. President Nazarbayev stressed that, “We are ready to do whatever is necessary to make sure that this important event takes place at the highest level.”

The future is near. The winning expo candidate will be announced in November. No one knows for sure whether “Connecting the world” (the theme put forward

by Liege) or “Future energy” will win the thematic battle. What is certain is that the responsibility of providing an environmentally sustainable future for unborn generations will not slip from our shoulders. Winning the bid would be beneficial not only for the city: hosting a world-class event such as the exposition will speed up the process of developing alternative energy by concentrating more effort from individuals and organisations. To add to the cumulative effect of such work, EXPO 2017 in Astana would also coincide with the city’s 20th anniversary as the capital of Kazakhstan.

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The Astana Times

Nation & Capital Wednesday, 7 November 2012 Kazakh Teacher Brings out Talents in Each Child Page B2

Exhibition Dedicated to Life of Grace Kelly Opens in Astana

Kazakhstan’s “Beatles” to Celebrate 45th Anniversary Page B3

World Champ Juncadella and Astana TAK Move Up to Formula One

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Video Promoting Astana for EXPO 2017 Wins Cannes Prize

Traditional Weddings Gain in Popularity among Kazakh Youth

By Laura Tussupbekova

ASTANA – Bilateral relations between Kazakhstan and Monaco have reached a new peak, demonstrated by the first official visit of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco to Kazakhstan on November 2-5.

Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Monaco were established in January 2009, and active political engagement with the Principality of Monaco has begun in advance of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

A delegation from Monaco, headed by Prime Minister Michel Roger, arrived in Kazakhstan for the first time for the OSCE Summit in Astana. And the exhibition dedicated to Grace Kelly, the Princess of Monaco and mother of Prince Albert II served as a cultural support for existing political ties.

The Prince himself and President Nazarbayev opened the exhibition, “Epoch of Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco.”, devoted to Prince Albert’s mother, Princess Grace Kelly.

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By Maral Imanbayeva The Kyz Uzatu ceremony completes with the bride, in white dress, being walked along the Ak Zhol (white carpet) in order to send her off on a good footing in her new life.

By Nadezhda Khamitova ASTANA – Kazakh wedding traditions are strongly recommended for familiarizing by any expat visiting or living in Kazakhstan. The traditional wedding reveals mentality and centuries-old customs.

Wedding traditions in Kazakhstan consist of several parts and may vary depending on the region of the

country, but in most cases they have similar foundations. Historically accepted wedding customs are Kuda Tusu (match-making), Kyz Uzaty (bride’s farewell ceremony), Zhigitten Toi (wedding itself) and Yesik Ashar (guest visits after wedding).

Though in the past, parents and relatives of grooms and brides were match-making when their children

Autumn Events Showcase French Art and Culture

By Natalia Kurpyakova

ASTANA – The year 2013 has been proclaimed the Year of France in Kazakhstan. So this year’s Fall Meetings 2012 events, which traditionally serve as a sharing of French cultural history and art with the Kazakh public, formed a prelude to the 2013 Year of France.

The first Fall Meetings 2012 event was a film on the creation of the Eldorado ballet by Anjelen Preljocaj set to the music of German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen.

Preljocaj, one of the most brilliant choreographers of the twentyfirst century, combines in his work classical techniques and the expressive plasticity of modern dance. His ballet troupe has toured the world with great success and their performances in Paris, Berlin, New York, and Moscow were awarded international prizes.

“The dance is like embroidery and the singer is a leaf, caught by the wind,” says the choreographer.

He explains that music and movement must merge and become one,

so as if the body of the dancer performing a jump is injected with a sound.

The joint project of his ballet and the Kulyash Baiseitova National Opera and Ballet Theatre is scheduled to take place in Astana in 2013, and may be set to music of Antonio Vivaldi.

Preljocaj is often called a modern classic and a provocateur of ballet. Contemporary ballet is not just another technique, but an attitude possessed by performers who are given an opportunity to

were just born and in some cases they did not have a chance to see each other before the wedding, today this custom has no place in the changing reality. There are still many families that want their children to have relative ties with families of their choice, but youth prefers to find their love themselves.

Continued on Page

loosen up and show their individuality.

“The system of modernism is difficult for classical dancers, but any kind of new choreography is interesting,” said Chief Choreographer of the Baiseitova Theatre Tursynbek Nurkaliev. “Preljocaj can fantastically develop dramatic work, and he is very precise and attentive to music.

We hope that our joint project will be demonstrated in 2013 in Kazakhstan and a year later in France.”

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Exhibition Showcases History of Astana and Turkic World

Visitors to the new exhibition, “The Turkic World”, are interested in learning more about the history and traditions of the ancient Turks.

By Maral Imanbayeva ASTANA – This year Astana was announced as the cultural capital of the Turkic world by an international organization TURKSOY. During this year the capital of Kazakhstan has already held about 30 major international and local events, festivals and forums.

A new exhibition, “The Turkic World”, opened at the Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan on October 31.

The project was supported by the Foundation of the First President

of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Nazarbayev Center, the Kyzylorda and West Kazakhstan Regional History Museums, the West Kazakhstan history and archeology center, the Otyrar state archaeological museum-park, as well as by prominent scientists and turcologists.

Doctor Litterarum of the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, scientist Myrzatai Zholdasbekov and the scientific consultant of the project, senior research fellow of the Nazarbayev Center’s Institute of Statehood, Problems of Security and Development, Doc-

tor of Historical Sciences, Professor Ayman Dosymbaeva delivered their speeches on new scientific discoveries in the study of Turkish historical and cultural heritage.

Foreign guests, representatives of the diplomatic and academic circles, representatives of culture and art sphere were invited to the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

The Exhibition Hall of the museum was steeped in gloom, filled with music of kobyz, a Kazakh traditional musical instrument. The imitation of the ancient monument Kultegin was placed in the center of

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ASTANA – A Kazakh video promoting Astana to host EXPO 2017 has won the Silver Dolphin Award at the Cannes Corporate Media and TV Awards.

On October 18, the film “Astana EXPO 2017: The Great Expectations of Kazakhstan” won a Silver Dolphin second prize in the Corporate Video category at the annual awards ceremony. It was the third time the awards had been given.

The CCMTV awards brings together professionals in the field of marketing communications from companies, PR-agencies, government agencies, media companies, television stations and advertising agencies.

This year, more than 660 films and videos were submitted and 129 of them won in 36 categories.

The Kazakh video was made by SLED Production House and commissioned by the Trade Committee of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade to support Astana’s bid to host EXPO 2017.

“The recognition of the Astana EXPO 2017 video as one of the best is a pleasant surprise for the organizing committee,” said Trade Committee Chairman Aidar Kazybayev. “Today, we won recognition at the festival of corporate films.

This was a significant event, and we also hope that Kazakhstan will also win the right to host the 2017 International Specialized Exhibition EXPO itself.”Kazakhstan officially applied to the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE) in Paris on June 10, 2011 to host EXPO 2017 in Astana. The event would be the first major international exhibition to be held in the Central Asian country.

Astana competes with the Belgian city of Liege for the right to host the International Trade Fair.Kazakhstan’s 2012 Olympic cycling champion Alexander Vinokourov is actively involved in the committee of EXPO 2017. And a car and motorbike expedition organized by the Kazakhstan Geographic Society led by the country’s biker celebrity Dmitry Petrukhin will visit 35 countries that are members of the BIE as part of the campaign.

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the hall with large screen mounted under the dome.

Visitors had a chance to witness medieval stone sculptures, monuments of Turkic runic writing and other archaeological artifacts that allow making a bridge between the culture of medieval states and ancient Turks such as Karluks, Karakhanids and Kypchak. Numerous findings discovered during archaeological explorations occupied a worthy place in the exhibition.

Overall, the exhibition featured more than 200 items, including a suspension with the belt of bone and clay utensils from the six or seventh centuries, a bronze mirror from the 19th century, and the manuscripts of the early 20th century.

In addition to the Middle Ages monuments, the historical documents which argumentatively tell the past and the present of Astana, its social and cultural relations with the Turkic states and the development of science and art, as well as the initiatives to the President, who played an important role in the revival of the national culture were also demonstrated.

Astana invariably promotes dialogue between cultures and religions, and for that it has received the honor to be the first Cultural Capital of the Turkic World. In 2013, this status will go to the Turkish city of Eskisehir, and in 2014, to the capital of Russia’s Tatarstan, Kazan.

Organizers believe this tradition of passing the so-called cultural torch to new cities to be building a momentum for further rapprochement of the Turkic peoples.

“The Turkic World” exhibition will last until January 27, 2013.

The creative team of “Astana EXPO 2017: The Great Expectations of Kazakhstan” celebrates winning the Silver Dolphin award at the Cannes Corporate Media and TV Awards on October 18.

Things to Watch in November

Exhibition of the paintings of decorative art of Arlan Ankauov “Uakyt zhyldamdygy” November 7, 2012 Palace of Independence International Art Forum Kulanshi November 15, 2012 Palace of Peace and Accord (Pyramid)

Exhibition of famous Kazakhstan’s photographer Vladimir Kurilov November 16, 2012 Palace of Independence Exhibition of famous Kazakh photographer Shukur Shahay November 27, 2012 Palace of Independence Repertoire of the Kulyash Baisseitova National Opera and Ballet Theatre: Tschaiskovky “Swan Lake” November 5 Puccini “Floria Tosca” November 9 Polish vocal music November 16 Puccini “Chio - Chio San” November 17 Puni “Esmeralda” November 18 Concert of the 1st International Chamber Music Festival “Astana - a cultural capital of Turkic- speaking countries and CIS” November 20 Classic vocal music concert November 24

The Astana Times

B2

Kazakh Teacher Brings out Talents in Each Child innovation. Besides, it’s never too late to learn. I was lucky to get a refresher course on the system of Cambridge in Kokshetau recently.

It would be desirable if similar courses for teachers were carried out as much as possible.”

To call Akmaral by her patronymic name is impossible because the freshly graduated university graduate looks so fragile and has such a charming smile. But talking to her at the end of a school day, you understand she is not only goal oriented, she is a real workaholic and loves her job.

By Rinat Dussumov ASTANA – Akmaral Rakhimova, deputy director of the Akmola regional boarding school for gifted children, teacher of the Kazakh language and literature and coordinator of the republican scientificpractical center Daryn, is adamant that all kids are talented and that teachers must find a way to bring out each child’s individual talents.

“I do not agree with the assertion that a teacher is a sort of megabrain,” says Rakhimova, “Sometimes it happens that you do not teach children, but they teach you.

Many will ask how that could be possible? Well, for example, if a child is unable to complete an assignment even though the theory behind the assignment has been explained and classmates have tried to help, then a teacher must analyze his technique to determine if he failed to explain the material properly. Typically, this happens after work when a teacher reviews their notes, examines reference materials and considers the techniques of famous teachers. Finding the answers can sometimes take a long time, but a teacher nevertheless has to find the solution because a student is waiting for an answer to his question. I believe a teacher should always follow the best and latest techniques, especially in the century of modern technology and

“You need to gain a child’s trust first.

Then the teacher will become a person who can unlock the potential of students and understand what is most important for them.” – Akmaral Rakhimova

“Sometimes, you have personal plans, but have to cancel them since you have a lot of work to do. Students are in our boarding school for the whole day and the residential building is nearby, so we almost do not leave them. It is interesting to work here. I still remember my first day. To confess, I didn’t think that I would stay here for a long time. I had training here when I was a student. Then I was invited as a teacher.

I became a coordinator later, started to teach and was entrusted to be engaged in scientific affairs. The main difference between our school and others is that we strive to live and to teach through the eyes of children.

And what they see can be implemented by our director, my mentor, Saruar Smagulovna Shankulova. It is a hard task, but she can handle it thanks to her artistic and creative approach to work.”

For example, the pride of the school is Yerassyl Kasykbayev, who is now a student of Kazakhstan State University of Law. The gifted

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

People

student has managed to win two grants, was a leader of the Republican Union of the children’s organization Zhuldyz, has participated in various academic competitions, and has even spoken to the deputies of the Senate of the Parliament.

“There is no doubt it is very important who will lead you down the right path,” says Akmaral.

“Zhanar Tasbolatovna Kulmagambetova led me forward at school in the Enbekshilder district. We are working together at the boarding school now. I would also not have overcome all of the challenges, obtained my diplomas, or even had successful tests and the opportunity to attend the Lev Gumilyov Eurasian National University, from which I graduated three years ago, without the help of my parents and Zhanar Kulmagambetova. Honestly, my mother didn’t want to let me to go to Astana and wanted me to stay at KSU (Kokshetau State University) named after Shokan Ualikhanov.”

Akmaral believes all children are equal, but that does not mean she has the same relationship with each.

Each child requires an individual approach, not just with words, but also actions. This philosophy is practiced not only by Akmaral but is central to the work of the entire boarding school.

“You need to gain a child’s trust first,” asserts Akmaral. “Then the teacher will become a person who can unlock the potential of students and understand what is most important for them. The current educational system continues to experience many difficulties. We are gradually moving away from the Soviet school standards. And this, of course, has its advantages.”

The regional boarding school is one of the best for gifted students.

It offers leadership, coupled with the experience of the masters of pedagogy and with idea that with just a little help, youth can accomplish great things.

Turkish Hairstyle Master Volunteers His Skills in Kazakhstan

By Galiya Nurzhan

ASTANА – Baris Seref was born in Ankara in 1984 and graduated from Anadolu University in 2001.

From early childhood he always wanted to start a hairdressing business of his own and recently his dream came true in Astana where he also helps disabled children and cuts their hair free of charge.

The Astana Times asked Seref about his experiences setting up a business in Kazakhstan.

What are your impressions of Astana?

For me Astana is the other world.

The first time I came to Astana was in 2007 and since then this city had become my second home. Astana is developing very fast. I’m amazed by the unique architecture of the new government buildings, the skyscrapers, the new housing complexes, the shopping centres and the remarkable monuments.

Astana offers a great variety of opportunities for young people to find themselves in government work or in business.

How do you assess Kazakhstan’s political and economic policies?

In comparison with other countries of the Central Asian region and the Commonwealth of Independent States, Kazakhstan’s policies are very positive, effective and directed at democratization, social protection and the development of civil society. Kazakhstan’s economy is distinguished by its sustainability and growth. Kazakhstan is very attractive for foreign investments due to its natural and mineral resources, its business climate supported by favourable investment legislation, attractive measures to support investments and its economic and political stability.

This year Kazakhstan is celebrating its 20th anniversary of independence. Why was Turkey the first country to recognize the independence of Kazakhstan?

Kazakhstan and Turkey are both Muslim nations that share a common culture and common roots.

Over the last 20 years, the relationship between them has grown close. Kazakhstan has achieved impressive results under the lead-

Baris Seref in his hairdressing salon ership of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who is regarded in Turkey as one of the leaders of the Turkic world.

When did you realize you wanted to be engaged in voluntary work in Kazakhstan?

Before I opened my hairdressing salon I thought of volunteering to help disabled, poor and orphaned children and cut their hair free of charge.

Why did you choose Astana as the location for your business?

For me Astana is a perfect place for new experiences and new beginnings. I believe Astana has a prosperous future and will attract even more investment into its economy and business. This city is very suitable for conducting business because Kazakhstan’s government takes all the necessary steps to provide opportunities for business. Astana as a city of business attracts many investors and businessmen from abroad and it serves as a venue for business fo-

rums from regional to international level.

How did you start your business?

At the age of 13, I started working as a hairdresser in Ankara. For many years I worked hard, gained experience and developed my skills. When I was ready to start my own business, I moved to Astana and I have never regretted it.

How do you evaluate business opportunities for foreigners in Kazakhstan?

Kazakhstan provides equal opportunities for its citizens and foreign residents because it is a country for those who want to work. Working here, I have never had any insurmountable problems.

In Kazakhstan, the society and business-climate are very liberal. I do not feel any barriers. It is very comfortable to conduct business here.

In the future I plan to establish a professional school for hairdressers and hairstylists in Kazakhstan.

The Astana Times

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

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Culture

Paintings Go on Display at Kasteyev Museum before Auction

By Yelena Brusilovskaya ALMATY – The Kasteyev State Museum of Art held an exhibition of collection of paintings, drawings and jewelry works organized by the Oner international auction house prior to a public sale of those works.

The exhibition was held in advance of the Oner House’s third auction. It displayed the works of eminent Kazakh, Russian, Ukrainian and other international artists. This diversity makes the collection unique, art critic Oksana Yazydgy told The Astana Times. All the paintings and works of jewelry were provided by private collections as the museum does not sell its exhibited works.

The exhibition included works

by Abylkhan Kasteyev, Hodzhiakhmet Khodzhikov, Gulfairus Ismailova, Aisha Galimbayeva, Nicholai Khludov and Salihitdin Aitbayev, as well as paintings by 18th and 19th century Western artists and Russian masters including Konstantin Korovin.

Yazydgy said the core of the exhibition was a set of paintings

by Pavel Saltzman, including his black-and-white graphics. These were expected to fetch the highest prices and were categorized as top lots.

“The works of Abylkhan Kasteyev are currently in fashion and the exhibition displayed his acclaimed watercolour Akin, as well as works by the early 20th century Russian artist Richard

Kazakh traditional decorations are on display.

Sommer, who lived and worked was born out of a private collecin Central Asia. Almost all the tion. Also, collectors as a rule artists whose pictures are set for are people who know and underthe auction are represented in the stand art. Therefore, they treat collections of leading museums, their art with due care to ensure such as the Tretyakov Gallery in their safety and if necessary they Moscow and the Russian Muse- hire renovators to restore them to their pristine condition. Each um,” Yazydgy said.

The critic said the sale of such significant work of art has its works to private collectors was own promenade, or life history. unavoidable as no museum had Responsible collectors play an the capacity to display all the important role in ensuring if it is a good one.” works available to it.

Yazydgy said Oner director “No museum can accommodate everything that the artists Maxim Tkachenko believed such have created and continue to public auctions helped to bring create,” she said. “Private col- back to Kazakhstan works of art lections usually eventually go on that were taken from the coundisplay to the general public. The try in the chaotic decade of the Tretyakov Gallery, for example, 1990s, and were also important

Kazakhstan’s “Beatles” to Celebrate 45th Anniversary

in helping to discover previously unknown works.

The auction research process even sometimes uncovered the identity of previously unknown or anonymous artists who had been forcibly deported to Kazakhstan during the Soviet era, Tkachenko said.

“Sometimes pictures come to us in poor condition because they were stored in inappropriate places,” Tkachenko told The Astana Times. “Then, we have to restore them.”

“In recent years the standard of living of the people of Kazakhstan has increased significantly, so now people with average incomes can easily afford to buy works of art,” he said. “At our last auction, some works by of modern French artists were purchased in installments by elderly retired ladies.”

“I think that paying $500 for a painting is not expensive,” Tkachenko said. “We select paintings for sale designed to be within the purchasing range of an average citizen of Kazakhstan. We do not offer works

by Vincent Van Gogh. Any painting by him is worth hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars. The selection of paintings for sale in our auctions, and the auctions themselves, is completely open. All the items or lots are included in the catalogue. So it is easy for anyone to become the owner, not only of their own automobile, but also of works by famous artists.

Paintings from the Kasteyev collection that will soon go on sale.

Contemporary Art Exhibition Impresses Visitors

By Maral Imanbayeva ASTANA – The exhibition of contemporary art, “Art Dala,” took place in the Korme Exhibition Centre in Astana from October 13 to 15. The exhibition organizers were the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Foundation of the Spiritual Development of the People of Kazakhstan and TURKSOY, the cultural organization of the Turkic speaking countries. More than 100 works by nine contemporary artists from all over Kazakhstan were for the first time presented to the public.

The exhibition featured works in various genres, including photo art, painting, installations, artdrawing and performances. The basic concept of the exhibition

was the synthesis of the nomadic steppe and European cultures.

Artists tried to creatively combine the different cultures of Asia and Europe, modern and folk. For this, artists used a variety of materials, such as tires, felt, strips of cloth, plastic sleds, even an empty plastic bottle.

An installation titled “7 Days” by Arystanbek Shalbayev consisted of huge loaves of bread with prohibitory signs put on them. Everybody was free to interpret this extraordinary art in their own way.

Also works by the founder of the Kazakh avant-garde movement, Moldagul Narynbetov, who died a year ago, were presented by his installation “Kokpar” made from car tires. Through the refuse of today’s technology and engineering, the author wanted to protest

the fact that today we destroy the environment.

Smail Bayaliyev, an artist from Shymkent, presented to the public two of his works. One creation was a huge nuclear warhead made of felt, whose interior resembles a yurt. Inside the yurt, there are iron armatures of men’s jackets and a spinning propeller. According to author, the installation is devoted to topics of the former Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. But most of all, the audience was struck by the scale of the second creation, “Herd of horses,” created from felt in the form of four huge horses.

The vast array of artistic styles presented at the exhibit is expected to give a new impetus to the development of modern art in Kazakhstan, and organizers plan to hold similar events more often.

Autumn Events Showcase French Art and Culture From Page B1

Dos Mukasan are approaching their anniversary in style.

By Maral Imanbayeva ASTANA – They are called Kazakhstan’s Beatles, although surprisingly even today in Kazakhstan it is possible to find someone who has never heard of that iconic British band. All citizens of Kazakhstan, however, are familiar with the band, Dos Mukasan.

Thanks to Dos Mukasan, Kazakhstan has its own “March of Mendelssohn” and no Kazakh wedding will start without their famous song “Toy Zhyry” (“invitation to the wedding” in Kazakh). Dos Mukasan are beloved by both young and old. Their songs about the homeland, Almaty, love – all of them perk up one’s mood, express a state of mind, and run the gamut of emotions.

The ensemble was formed in a hostel in 1967. The group’s name comes from the first syllables of the names of the participants: “Dos” is for Dosym Suleyev, “Mu” for Murat Kussainov, “Ka” for Kamit Sanbayev and “San” for Sanya (Alexander) Litvinov.

The group first entertained students and faculty at the Automation and Computer Science School of the Kazakh Polytechnic Institute. But the new ensemble soon conquered the hearts of everyone at the institute, then the city, then the nation, and finally, citizens across the Soviet Union.

From the beginning, Dos

Mukasan followed their own particular musical direction, adapting Kazakh folk songs and melodies, creating original songs and arranging and performing favourite Kazakh classics. The band performed folk music with electric guitars and saxophones to transfer folk motifs passed down from generations to the language of modern music. They exposed themselves to a broad range of music, bought professional equipment and studied the recordings of famous foreign bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

At the Tenth World Festival of Youth and Students in Berlin in 1973, Dos Mukasan represented the Soviet Union and was awarded the festival’s Gold Medal.

They performed in Germany, Mongolia, the then Czechoslovakia, Afghanistan and many other foreign countries. From 1976 to 1977, Dos Mukasan visited North and South America, where during more than six months they performed more than 180 concerts.

From 1978 to 1980, they held concerts in Izmir.

The composition of the group has changed several times, as some participants went on to teach at universities, do research or attend graduate school in Moscow.

Kazakhs have a saying about such people: “Jeti kyrly bir syrly,”

or “talented is as talented does.”

It is interesting to emphasise that Dos Mukasan is composed of five doctors and seven PhDs, all engineers, scientists, artists and activists from across the country.

For example, Suleyev is a doctor of technical sciences, a professor, and the rector of Satpayev National Technical University.

Kussainov is an Honoured Artist of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a composer and a pen-member of the Kazakhstan Academy of Art. Moldabekov is deputy chairman of the National Space Agency of Kazakhstan, as well as a doctor of technical sciences, professor, and member of the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan.

In 2000, Dos Mukasan had a triumphant reunion and returned to the big stage. All at once, it became clear that over the years the love and affection of millions across Kazakhstan had not faded, but increased. In 2008, a monument in tribute to the creativity of this band was erected in Pavlodar.

Yet another monument devoted to Dos Mukasan will be constructed next year in Almaty on the KokTobe mountain overlooking the city, near the monument to The Beatles.

This year, Dos Mukasan is celebrating its 45th anniversary. An anniversary concert will be held on November 28 at the Central Concert Hall in Astana.

Kazakh ballet lovers have also seen the film-ballet Snow White (music by Gustav Mahler). Preljocaj found that the romantic story of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale hides untapped opportunities for interpretation. Thus, through the dance, he reflects women’s narcissism and interprets Snow White as Oedipus and vice versa. The staging for the play is minimalist, but the extravagant costumes were designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier himself.

The other interesting events during Fall Meetings 2012 were concerts of the Ars Antiqua Ensemble de Paris in Astana, Almaty and Karaganda cities, which have become a gift for music lovers.

Ars Antiqua has been playing the music of the 13th-17th century Europe for more than 40 years and is well known in Europe and beyond.

People know in principle about the vocal talents of troubadours and trouveres (for example, the handsome guitarist in the cartoon “The Bremen Town Musicians”). But to hear songs of the Middle Ages and early Renaissance performed by the traditional instruments of these times is a unique experience.

Thierry Meunier, a lute, Renaissance period guitar and viola da gamba player, Robin Troman, flute, and the team’s leader Joseph Sage, countertenor and drums, performed to the delight of the audience. They performed the courtly canzone in honor of “fair ladies,” and unre-

fined urban tunes, in which a recitative of grumpy gossips and an anvil murmur of a commoner were heard. The unique voice of Joseph Soot, whose vocal register holds more than three octaves, and the soft sound of stringed instruments conveyed the charm of medieval music culture, its complexity and beauty.

The audience was also pleasantly surprised when the folklore group of the Kazakh National University of Arts came to the stage of the Shabyt Palace where the Kazakh National University of Arts (KazNUA) is located. The dombra, kobyz, zhetigen, saz syrnay, the rhythms of the Kazakh folk songs

and works of Dauletkerei and Nurgisa Tlendiyev won the hearts of French artists. Then all together the musicians performed the works of French troubadours, making the final concert uniquely enjoyable event.

The experience of this creative collaboration enriched the Ars Antiqua Ensemble and undergraduates of KazNUA – Ayan Omarov, Madina Suleimenova, Myrzabek Olzhas, Yerzhan Tuteyev and Nurbanu Zhurtekina. They hope these meetings will be interesting to the French audience and that the upcoming Year of Kazakhstan in France will allow them to meet again.

Thierry Meunier with a lute (center), Robin Troman with his flute (left), and the team’s leader Joseph Sage.

The Astana Times

B4

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

Country

Kazakhstan Hospitable to Everyone, Egyptian Expat Says ing the period of establishing the Islamic community. Hospitality, respect, respect to old people, and strong commitment to family – all these are bases of the Kazakh culture and also important in Arabic culture as well.

It is always difficult when you move from your motherland to live in foreign country, but with time people help you to understand their culture, traditions and of course teach you to speak their language (which takes a long time to master).

Children of Yasser and Aliya Mottaleb with their grandmother and a cousin.

By Miras Abykov ASTANA - Yasser Mottaleb, 39, was born in Cairo. Yasser has a wife, two sons and a daughter. He and his wife have been married for 14 years. It would be an ordinary story—except that Yasser is married to Aliya, graduate of Air Technical College of Civil Aviation of St. Petersburg, Russia, and the Kazakh State University of World Languages in Almaty. They met each other at Cairo University. That meeting changed everything and today Mottaleb lives and works in Kazakhstan.

The Astana Times interviewed Yasser Mottaleb, who is currently Director of The Guns & Roses Pub & Grill in Astana, to hear more about his expat story.

How long you have been living in Kazakhstan?

I came to Kazakhstan four years ago after long period of travelling and living abroad. My family and I, we decided to settle in Kazakhstan. The decision came

when it was time for our elder son, Mohamed, to begin school. From the first day, I was fascinated by the beautiful nature of Kazakhstan. Here, for the first time in my life, I saw snow, a routine natural phenomena for this climate zone, which does not occur in Egypt.

It was difficult for me in the beginning because I didn’t speak Russian or Kazakh, and my children were also my translators.

My wife’s family and relatives helped me to adapt to the country and now I feel like I have been living here all my life. I don’t consider myself an expat: it is my home now and I love it just like I love my family.

Was it hard for you to adapt to a country with a different culture, different traditions and different languages?

Honestly, I don’t feel much difference in the culture of the Kazakhs, as I have always felt that it is very close to, if it not the same as, my own Arabic culture. I think this comes from the historical connections between Arabic travelers and Kazakhs dur-

Have you noticed any changes in Kazakhstan since you arrived here?

Kazakhstan is changing and developing very fast, and I am very happy and proud of these changes. For instance, telecommunications are being modernised, sophisticated space communications are being introduced and optical fibre lines have been laid. Positive changes are happening in the transport sphere. More or less favourable conditions have been created for foreign investors: a number of normative and legislative acts and organisational measures for improving foreign economic activities have been adopted. A number of international conferences and forums have been held in Kazakhstan. Astana has become one of the most beautiful cities in the world. A lot of interesting projects are being carried out in different fields. And the education field has improved and achieved international standards.

Your wife is originally from Kazakhstan. How did you meet each other?

This romantic story between an Egyptian young man and a pretty Kazakh girl started when she was spending her holidays at the Red Sea in Egypt. He fell in love with her and asked her to marry him and to stay with him in Egypt.

In the beginning, both sets of parents were surprised with our decision to marry, because it was the first international marriage in our families. But when our families

met each other, the difference in culture, traditions, mentality and language disappeared and the distance between the two countries was not a problem anymore. My family accepted my wife as a daughter.

What role, in your opinion, does Kazakhstan play in the world? To what areas should Kazakhstan pay more attention?

Kazakhstan already plays a significant role in the world political and economic arena, and new initiatives are aimed at strengthening that role. The Kazakhstan people have enormous potential. Kazakhstan has everything it needs to become

a link between the West and the East for consolidating economic, political and other relationships.

Kazakhstan needs foreign investors to push the economy in the right direction and tap into the nation’s massive potential. Kazakhstan is rich in a number of different resources. The mining industry and agriculture play an important role in Kazakhstan’s economy. The country’s chief agricultural exports are livestock products, specifically leather, meat and wool and crops such as wheat, cotton and rice. In my opinion, Kazakhstan needs to invest in tourism, which has a lot of potential to become one of the most important sectors in the economy of Kazakhstan.

Yasser Mottaleb, his wife Aliya, and their three children.

Film Urges Green Thinking in Kazakhstan Improves Civil Service System Kazakh Society and Beyond

By Anna Negina

By Galym Terensay

ASTANA – A new film, The Awakening, recently presented in Astana is the beginning of a large educational project, the main objective of which is to draw attention to environmental problems in Kazakhstan.

Aliya Nazarbayeva, the creator of the project and the youngest daughter of the president of Kazakhstan, plans to shoot several more documentaries to demonstrate the need to move society toward thinking more about green living.

The film talks about life in harmony with the world and nature and chronicles the choice faced by a man and the whole country, which in the future will be decisive for the civilization. The actual challenge of our epoch is to limit our needs and save the Earth’s resources from depletion, she believes.

The producer of the film, Nazarbayeva, recently talked about the film during a presentation.

The documentary aims to evoke a response from people. It shows how they can change their mind and return to nature, to the timeless values of a healthy lifestyle and strong family.

The film was inspired by Nazarbayeva’s visit to a settlement of twenty families organized in an ecological village near Almaty where they had been living for three years on the principle of

Kazakhstan’s Agency for Civil Service has initiated a number of changes aimed at improving the system of state service, says Chairman Alikhan Baimenov.

During Kazakhstan’s 20 years of independence, its civil service system has undergone many transformations. The foundation for the establishment of a civil service administration was laid by the Presidential Decree “On Civil Service” in 1995, which set out the basic principles of the hierarchy of public office and provided for its legal status and social guarantees.

The next milestone in the development of the civil service was the Kazakhstan-2030 Strategy, which in 1997 defined the formation of professional government as a longterm priority. The Law “On Public Service” adopted in 1999 formulated a new, responsible approach to the formation of a professional and effective public service and integrated personnel policy that met current needs. Today, the country is creating new legislative initiatives with such indicators as improving public confidence in the work of state bodies.

Aliya Nazarbayeva, the creator of the project environmental thinking without the harmful effects of large cities.

People of different social classes, ethnic groups and religions, united by a general philosophy, voluntarily abandoned what is called the blessings of civilization and chose a different world with a clean heart and a new worldview.

“When I visited their settlement for the first time, I saw such openhearted and generous people that I really wanted to talk about their life. I want our people to know that there is an alternative to the life that they lead,” Nazarbayeva said.

The film, The Awakening was successfully presented at the UN World Summit Rio +20 and was shown in Brazil in June this year.

To overcome the global crisis, President Nursultan Nazarbayev launched the Global Energy and Environment Strategy and the Interregional partnership programme “Green Bridge,” the development of which had already begun. A key element in that programme is to move to more affordable technologies for energy and food security and new opportunities for regional and international cooperation.

“This is only the first step, the beginning of a large educational project. I hope that after watching this film many of our people will start thinking about deeper and more important things than they do now living in a consumer world.”

Aliya Nazarbayeva noted.

Kazakh TV Marks 10 Years On October 25, 2012, Kazakh TV, the first national satellite television channel of Kazakhstan marked its 10th anniversary. According to Caspionet, this television channel is part of the Khabar Agency JSC, the largest media holding in Kazakhstan established 10 years ago.

On its anniversary, the channel is preparing for a new start.

More commonly known as Caspionet, Kazakh TV is a 24/7 television channel prepared a surprise for its viewers. Starting from October 25, it began broadcasting from Astana in digital format, which will increase the quality of the broadcast.

“In Astana, the television channel will receive a new impetus. I believe the channel will change a lot in one year, since we are working with interesting young people, which is very important. Addition-

ally, I would like to say that we are using modern equipment,” Irina Ledovskikh, the channel’s business news producer said.

Viewers in 93 countries of the world can watch the Kazakh TV informing 253 million potential subscribers about Kazakhstan.

The Kazakh TV audience can enjoy political, economic, cultural and sport news items as well as documentaries, classic and modern films and programmes about history and culture.

“Even spring across Kazakhstan is different everywhere in the country and flowers growing in the country are different. I show this to the audience through my vision and I am pleased that people are fascinated by this nature. I am happy that Almaty residents write to me in the Internet and ask me to show these programmes,” Vitaly

Chernov, Director of Kazakh TV Television channel, said.

Aigul Zhumabayeva served as Kazakh TV director for six years.

The TV channel's staff is convinced that the existing character and appearance of Kazakh TV should be credited to her.

“It is not just a merit but the creative skill of Aigul Zhumabayeva, because she introduced the innovative thinking and some brutalism, which is necessary for our channel.

Today Kazakh TV is a fast-moving, young and modern channel,” Zhanna Akhmetova, chief editor of the Kazakh TV Television channel said.

Kazakh TV broadcasts 24/7 in Kazakh, Russian and English showing the news and more than 30 programmes. A switch to digital format will expand opportunities for creativity.

One of these new initiatives is improving the process of competitive selection for vacancies.

In accordance with the concept of the new model of public service, particular attention will be paid to issues of improving transparency and objectivity in the selection of candidates for state service. The Agency for Civil Service conducted a show-case selection for seven vacant positions in which the competition for one position on average was more than 40 candidates and for some positions rose to 66 candidates.

Representatives of the public, members of parliament and journalists were given the opportunity to watch the final stage of the competitive selection, the interviews.

Observers were provided with information about candidates’ credentials during the competition.

They were also able to express their views on the interview and assess the overall progress of the process.

As Chairman Baimenov noted, these innovations will be taken into account when working to improve legislation. Referring to international experience and legal aspects, he noted that the mission

of the observers is to assess the transparency and objectivity of the competition committee.

High priority will also be given to issues regarding the ethics and image of civil servants. Kazakhstan’s law regarding public service contains clear anti-corruption language. The current Code of Honour of civil servants of Kazakhstan stipulates certain basic moral and professional qualities.

However, cases in which this Code is ignored or openly violated by state officials are not infrequent.

Such violations will now be considered at meetings of the Disciplinary Commission, where recommendations on disciplinary actions to be taken with regard to individual state servants will be made on the basis of concrete data and internal investigation. The work of the Disciplinary Commission, according to the leadership of the Agency for Civil Service, will rest on the principles of openness and transparency. This is confirmed by the fact that, along with members of Parliament and officials from the central state bodies, the commission includes representatives of the Atameken business association and the national mass media.

The Astana Times

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

B5

society

Traditional Weddings Gain in Popularity among Kazakh Youth From Page B1 Still the moment when family of the groom comes to the family of bride on chosen date is called match-making. Family of the bride should meet guests with a lavish dastarkhan (Kazakh for low table) served with traditional dishes and with gifts on which families have agreed before. Traditionally the groom cannot attend the event, and the bride has to be hidden from guests, so the match-making will be conducted by parents themselves.

The ceremony cannot start immediately. First, guests meet the hosts of house, and during the feast, representatives of the groom gradually begin to talk on the reason of their visit.

During the match-making ceremony, parties have to decide the date, expenses, conditions of upcoming event, they also discuss what would be given to the couple as a wedding gift. The best gifts and the most necessary ones for the new family are considered to be an apartment, furniture, a car or money.

Custom of paying dowry for the bride is not actual anymore.

In the past, this would be 47 livestock units paid to the family of bride, and in their turn, relatives of bride had to give their gifts to the groom.

When parties agree on everything, family of the groom puts on the bride earrings, under the custom called Surgalar, as the sign they take the bride as the daughter and promise to love and to respect her.

The next step in Kazakh wedding customs’ chain is Kyz Uzatu, one of the most beautiful moments.

Dress has its important role in this tradition; it should not be white, preferably any kind of red.

“I always wanted my Kyz Uzatu dress to show my fragility and to underline that it is the special day of my life and to be in accordance with traditions. Though it has modern design I have chosen my dress to be of peach colour since traditionally Kazakh wedding dress cannot be white. I can confidently state that my dress was exactly what I have dreamed of and my husband, then fiancé, was impressed,” said Madina Aktayeva, whose wedding took place last August.

Traditionally, at Kyz Uzatu, the bride has to wear Saukele, a traditional hat. When the bride is ready, her parents hold a Saukele Kigizu,

Aizhan Abdirova, wearing a beautiful saukele, signs her marriage certificate as her younger brother helps her. at dastarkhan, a mullah prays for the couple, giving them his blessing. After, relatives of the groom pay redemption for saukele, which could be money or expensive gifts, this is an old tradition but still preserved in some families.

“Maybe we are not that traditional as we have been before, influenced by globalization, we still want to preserve our history. When I put on my saukele at the wedding I truly felt myself Kazakh, it gave me confidence and pride for my roots. I felt like the spirit of my nation filled me inside, it cannot be expressed, it has to be felt once in a lifetime,” recalled Aizhan Abdirova, who currently lives and works with her husband Usen Tulemisov in Sydney, Australia.

When the bride is ready, guests and invitees show their admiration by giving her Korimdik (Kazakh –

symbolic congratulatory payment for something that you see for the first time) By midnight, the bride has to leave the event and be taken to her new home where she will live before the main wedding. At this moment, she has to walk on white path, Ak Zhol (Kazakh for white road) and cannot look back at her family that will be the sign of unfortunate marriage. From now, bride cannot see her mother for the next five days.

“Every bride is crying when walking on the Ak Zhol, it means that you leave your parents and now become part of another family. Though it is a happy moment, it is also sad since you think that you will not see your mother for five days, and in this period it is extremely important to have your mother next to you, and because

The Kemelbekov family at the Neke Kiyu ceremony held before the main wedding.

Poems and Pictures Help Children Learn Kazakh

By Sergei Gorbunov

PAVLODAR – A love of children led Alexander Kolodin, an artist and teacher, to compile an interesting dictionary of the Kazakh language.

The multi-talented Kolodin is an artist, teacher, director and writer. His works have been published in the Kazakhstan editions of “Yunost” (“youth” in Russian), and “Sobesednik” (“companion” in Russian) magazines. But his illustrated dictionary of the Kazakh language for children, “Salem” (“hello” in Kazakh), now in a second edition supplemented by the author, stands out.

“Salem, a self-study dictionary that’s full of catchy couplets, won an international textbooks contest. In 2001, his book “Tales for Nastya” received financial support from the Foundation of the First President of Kazakhstan

at the national competition organised by the Public Education Fund, The Open School, and then was included in the final volume.

Kolodin is a winner of regional and national competitions, including the “Creative Personality of the Year.” His name is now included in Kazakhstan’s encyclopedia. Within Kazakhstan, however, Kolodin is better known as an artist. His paintings have been exhibited in the Presidential Center of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan (now The Nazarbayev Center), at exhibitions in Russia and Germany, and are included in private collections in the United States, Japan, China, Australia and other countries.

Kolodin loves children and says he worships his little granddaughter Nastya. One day, he said, he began to think about how to help kids learn the Kazakh language.

This was how the idea for “Salem” was born.

Now, the book’s print run is growing rapidly, as the bright illustrations catch childrens’ eyes and help them remember the words they are associated with. Kolodin’s wife Natalia, master of library science, head of the methodical sector of the scientific library at the Pavlodar State Pedagogical Institute, provided much assistance in the work of getting it published.

This new book, still smelling of printers’ ink, brings up the question of what is preventing other artists from creating books, music, poetry, and other artistic efforts for children. Experts believe kindergartens and primary schools should be provided with more materials like these. Not only children learning to speak their native Kazakh, but all children could use morebright, thoughtful, artistic learning materials.

from now on things will not be the same. It is a very emotional moment. In the beginning of the path your family holds your hands and in the end the family of your husband takes you. At that moment I was saying goodbye to my family and childhood,” said Gaukhar Taukenova, a happy wife of Asset and mother of the little girl, Jasmine.

Mostly all of the newlyweds go to the mosque, to hold a muslim custom called Neke Kiyu. From this moment, the couple is considered to be husband and wife. This custom is held before the main wedding usually.

“My husband and I believe in the power of parental and mullah blessing. Before the main wedding we went to the biggest mosque of Astana for that time and held a traditional ceremony of Neke Kiyu.

It was of great importance for us to be married in accordance with Muslim traditions,” said Saida Kemelbekova, a beautiful wife of Alibek Kemelbekov and an exemplary mother of Zhaniya.

Main Kazakh wedding celebrations today would look the same to any Westerner. The number of guests invited to the big wedding may vary from 100 to 800, depending on the wealth of the families of the newlyweds.

On the next day, the Yesik Ashar tradition starts and new relatives have to visit each other. First, the family of the bride invites the

Madina Aktayeva, wearing her dream peach colored dress, during her Kyz Uzatu ceremony. couple and the parents of the hus- and so on, as part of the process band. Then relatives of the hus- that could continue for the next band invite relatives of the wife half a year.

The Astana Times

B6

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

Tourism

Kazakh Scientists Join in the Work to Save the Great Altai

The Great Altai Mountains, located in the region straddling Kazakhstan, Russia and China, have since long attracted explorers and tourists.

By Svetlana Abenova UST-KAMENOGORSK, October 29 – Scientists working for the Katonkaragai State National Park (KKSNNP) recently returned from the Gorno-Altaisk region of Russia where they took part in an international scientificadvisory workshop on issues of climate impact and land use in the region.

The forum took place at Gorno-Altai State University and involved scientists and officials from Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia and Germany. Earlier, they met in Ulan Bator with ecologists from Georg August University in Germany and Pavlodar State Toraigyrov University who are studying the influence of livestock grazing on forest regeneration and biodiversity in the forest-steppes

of the Altai, Khangai and Saura mountain ranges.

The research in Kazakhstan is taking place in Katonkaragai National Park on the slopes of the Altai Mountains.

The Katonkaragai National Park covers the Southern Altai region, an area of highland plateaus with numerous mountain ranges, often rising 3,000 meters above sea level. The area includes the south-

Pristine scenery of the Altai Mountains have led many to believe it could hold the entrance to the mystical Shambala kingdom of the Buddhist faith.

The region includes four scenic lakes – Rakhmanovskoye, Yazevoye, Maralye and Chernovoye. ern slopes of the Listvyaga and Katunsk mountains, the western part of the Ukok high plateau, and the Tarbagatai and Sarymsakty mountain chains.

The national park borders on the Altai Autonomous Republic in the Russian Federation to the north and east and the People’s Republic of China to the southeast. The main waterway is the Bukhtarma River which rises on the Ukok plateau. The region includes four scenic lakes – Rakhmanovskoye, Yazevoye, Maralye and Chernovoye.

The idea to create a nature reserve in the Katonkaragai region emerged in the late 1980’s when tantalum-lithium deposits were discovered there by geologists.

In 2003, Kazakhstan was awarded a Gift to the Earth certificate by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for its efforts to preserve the biological diversity of the country, especially in these areas.

“The cooperation of scientists from Kazakhstan, Russia and China in these border regions has great prospects,” Aliya Gabdullina, senior fellow for science, environmental monitoring and information at the Katonkaragai National Park told The Astana Times. “The number of new projects in the fields of nature conservation and environmental education to preserve the rich biodiversity of the Great Altai region is steadily rising.”

The Maral deer, also known as Siberian stag, is famous for the healing and rejuvenating qualities of the extract from its antlers. The Altai Mountains are its natural habitat.

Kazakhstan Seeks UNESCO Biosphere List Status for Alakol Salt Lake

By Galiya Nurzhan ASTANA – Kazakhstan is seeking to get Alakol (Kazakh for colourful lake) Lake included in UNESCO’s biosphere reserves list.

Biosphere reserves are sites established by countries and recognized under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme to promote sustainable development based on local community efforts and sound science.

Alakol Lake is located in southeast Kazakhstan on the border of the Almaty and East Kazakhstan regions, not far from the frontier with China at an altitude of 347 meters above sea level. It is 104 kilometers long and 52 kilometers wide with an average depth of 22 meters and a maximum depth of 54 meters.

It is the second largest inland body of water in Kazakhstan and the only deep-water inland lake in the country. Unusually for any inland lake, it is composed of salt water, which includes many of the elements in the periodic table and its unique chemical composition contributes to the treatment of many diseases of the skin, respiratory, musculoskeletal and nervous systems. The lake’s healing properties are primarily due to its large quantities of salt, or sodium chloride. Its PH levels range from 7.2 to 9.1. In summer, the water temperature is about 25 degrees.

The Alakol basin belongs to

a zone of low moisture and low humidity and, therefore, has favourable climatic conditions to treat lung diseases.

The Alakol State Nature Reserve was established on an archipelago of three islands in the centre of the lake in 1998. The lake is an important crossroads of bird migration routes in Central Asia from India and Africa where they spend the winter grounds.

In 2007, the government allocated 12 million tenge to develop tourism in the region. The regional government, or akimat, expects tourism revenues to triple over the next few years. In 2012, 20,000 to 25,000 people visited the lake. In 2011, the figure was 18,000, which helped generate 38 million tenge for the local economy. The nature reserve currently operates 36 holiday homes and five tourism routes.

Sergey Lazarev, director of the UNESCO Office in Almaty has said Alakol Lake may be included in the organization’s Network of Biosphere Reserves. “Kazakhstan’s Man and Biosphere Committee drafted a good document making the case for including Alakol Lake in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves. It was submitted to the organization by the end of September. Next, the proposal will be assessed and the decision will be made whether the lake should be included in the network or not.

This decision will be made by next summer,” while attending the UNESCO National Com-

missions and Committees of TURKSOY (an international organization of Turkiс countries, the UNESCO of Turkiс world) in Astana on September 13.

Roman Yashenko, UNESCO Man and Biosphere National Committee’s chairman told the conference that a UNESCO biosphere reserve contained three interconnected zones: a conservation zone protected by strict regulations, a buffer zone surrounding the conservation zone and a partnership zone used by people.

The World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) was established in the framework of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere programme. It joins specially protected natural territories and ensures the development and coordination of a worldwide network of regions that serve as demonstration areas and learning sites to maintain ecological and cultural diversity and sustainable development.

The programme now includes 598 biosphere reserves in 117 countries in every region of the world.

Currently, UNESCO’s World Heritage List includes three sites in Kazakhstan: the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yassawi in Turkestan, the stone complex with Tamgaly petroglyphs in the Almaty region and the lakes and steppes of the Sary-Arka and North-Kazakhstan region. The government wants UNESCO to eventually add the Silk Road and Western Tien Shan areas to the list as well.

The Astana Times

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

B7

Sports

Women’s Beach Volleyball Team Places Well in Thailand

By Yuri Lifintsev ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Tatyana Mashkova and Irina Tsimbalova reached the last eight in the Bangsaen Thailand Open beach volleyball tournament in the World Tour that ended on October 28.

Mashkova and Tsimbalova beat the Czech team of Karolina Rehackova and Michaela Vorlova by two sets to one and then defeated Jirapron Kaewjanta and Saowaros Tangkaeo from the host country Thailand by two sets to none.

In their next game Mashkova and Tsimbalova lost the first set 31-29 against Sayaka Mizoe and Anjiera Ishida of Japan. But then they took the lead and won by margins of 2118 and 21-8.

After the third round, the Kazakh team made it into the top eight for the quarterfinals, but faced stronger favourites and were defeated in both games by Brazilians Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas de Freitas by margins of 19-21 and 18:21 and then by Americans Jennifer Kessy and April Ross by 18-21 and 15-21. They finally took fifth place jointly with Anna Vozakova and Anastasia Vasina of Russia.

Mashkova and Tsimbalova completed a breakthrough year on the World Tour with their strong showing in the Thai tournament.

They have won many major victories on the Asian and Russian

Tatiana Mashkova and Irina Tsimbalova showed they have potential to do even better. circuits and in other international competitions. Their strong showing in Bangsaen capped a highly successful season.

In the final, Kessy and Ross from the United States beat Rus-

sia’s Yevgenia Ukolova and Ekaterina Khomyakova in two sets: 21-17 and 21-19. Brazil’s Seixas de Freitas and Bednarczuk won the bronze medal against Lauren Fendrick and Nicole Branagh from the

United States by scores of 19-21, 21-19 and 15-9.

The Bangsaen Thailand Open, sponsored by PTT, was the 12th and final event on the women’s 2012 World Tour calendar.

Kazakh Athletes Win 2012 Qatar Sailing Open Championship

By Yernat Mukhamadiyev ASTANA – Kazakhstan recently won the Qatar International Sailing Open Championship 2012, organized by the Qatar Sailing and Rowing Federation (QSRF).

The event kicked off at the Doha Sailing Club on Oct. 4, 2012 where representatives of 15 countries, including the strongest sailors from Brazil and Saudi Arabia, as well as participants from Bahrain, the Czech Republic, Egypt, England, India, Iran,

Kuwait, Libya, New Zealand, Palestine, Tunisia and host Qatar took part in the competition.

Kazakhstan was represented by young, talented sailors Anuar Kaldykozhayev, Zhanserik Kuanyshev, Magomet Dalakov, Ivan Gorbatov and others.

The competition lasted four days, during which athletes demonstrated their yacht sailing skills. Throughout the competition, thirty athletes competed to determine the strongest athletes in time trial and yacht steering skills.

Kazakh athletes from Aktau, Anuar Kaldykozhayev and Zhanserik Kuanyshev, took first place and won the Qatar Championship.

According to Kaldykozhayev and Kuanyshev, it was the first time they had won such a prestigious tournament.

Zhanserik Kuanyshev became interested in sailing at the age of 11. For seven years, he dreamed of taking part in prestigious junior events. The athletes from Kazakhstan are confident that more victories in adult tournaments will come in the near future.

World Champ Juncadella and Astana TAK Move Up to Formula One

By Anuar Seydal ASTANA – Astana TAK Group race Daniel Juncadella, Europe’s Formula Three motor-racing champion, is moving up to Formula One. Juncadella, from Spain, won the Euro F3 title on October 21 when he came in fourth in the Hockenheim ring race in Germany giving him enough points to clinch the title for the Astana Racing Team.

Now the Astana team has announced Juncadella will represent the team on the Formula One circuit next season.

“I want to thank everyone who supported me and who followed my progress. This season I will be able to adapt in the most prestigious category of the world – Formula One,” Juncadella said. “This

Daniel Juncandella is a new beginning for me in the most important way, and I’m glad that the winning Astana brand and the whole country are with me.”

“It’s a big responsibility for me to represent Kazakhstan and I know that I must work hard to justify the confidence of the club, my

sponsors and all the fans,” he said.

Juncadella and the Astana team are already involved in the legal and technical processes of signing up for the Formula One circuit and Juncadella plans to visit Kazakhstan soon to discuss future plans.

The match between the “Astana” club and Vilnius “Lietuvos Rytas” in the Kazakh capital gave start to the fourth season of the VTB United League in basketball.

The Astana Times

B8

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

Capital

Exhibition Dedicated New Astana Riverside to Life of Grace Residential Complex Unveiled Kelly Opens in Astana

From Page B1 The exhibition was created in 2007 and was first displayed in the Grimaldi Forum Cultural Centre in Monaco. “It displays all the aspects of her life, the life of the Hollywood star who became Princess of Monaco,” said General Director of the Dana Foundation, Anuarbek Orazbekov.

The idea of bringing the exhibition in Kazakhstan came from Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan to Monaco, Vladimir Semenikhin.

At the time, this exhibition has had great success in Moscow.

Among the celebrity visitors of the exhibition were the exhibition curator and former Minister of Culture and Communication of France Frederic Mitterrand, and British architect Norman Foster, winner of the Imperial and Pritzker Prizes and designer of some of Astana’s famous architectural projects, including the Palace of Peace and Harmony, the Baiterek Tower and the Khan Shatyr shopping and entertainment centre. Thanks to the beautiful scenery, created by designer Natalie Kriner, visitors were able to move within a variety of memories associated with the life of this legendary woman.

The Epoch of Grace Kelly: Princess of Monaco was opened in the Palace of Peace and Harmony in Astana on November 4 and will remain open until November 30.

The exhibition is divided into nine rooms. Each will mark a milestone in the life of Grace Kelly, from her Hollywood adventure to her marriage into royalty.

Photos by photographers Howell

Conant, Cecil Beaton and Philip Holzman are presented in this exhibition, and visitors will see some of the princess’s correspondence with her friends in Hollywood, including figures like Jack Kennedy, Alfred Hitchcock and Cary Grant.

The exhibition also displays personal belongings, part of the princess’s wardrobe, including her famous wedding dress, jewelry and many other fashion accessories.

Grace Kelly’s career in cinema is depicted with excerpts from several of her most famous roles, including her performance in “The Country Girl,” for which she won an Academy Award in 1954; as well as performances in other famous films like “To Catch a Thief,” Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window,” and others. There are also family documentaries that give visitors a glimpse into her daily life with Prince Rainier and their children, Caroline, Albert and Stephanie.

The portion of the exhibition that depicts the life of Grace Kelly as Princess of Monaco is expected to attract a great deal of attention.

The organisers present unique photographs beginning with marrying Prince Rainier III in 1956, their children, and moments of her life as the wife of the monarch.

Despite the fact that she had no aristocratic origins, Grace Kelly, with natural dignity, found her place among Europe’s royal families and gained the support and respect of members of the international elite.

The nobility of her character and her charisma created an enchanting atmosphere that attracted media attention to her adopted nation and enhanced the prestige of the Principality. Her activities in social, cultural and environmental spheres contributed to the revival of Monaco’s greatness.

The death of the princess in a car accident on September 14, 1982 was a tragic shock. After 30 years, memories of the princess are still alive in the hearts of many people, and the life and personality of Grace Kelly still attracts attention.

“It is a great honour and responsibility to hold this exhibition in Astana,” Orazbekov says. “The Grimaldi family entrusted us with personal belongings of Grace Kelly, the most valuable relics.”

20% of Astana Residents Involved in Entrepreneurship

By Miras Abykov ASTANA – Almost every fifth Astana resident is involved in some way with an entrepreneurial enterprise, Astana Mayor Imangali Tasmagambetov said recently. The mayor noted the city’s strong entrepreneurial sector during a meeting with recently appointed Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov on issues of Astana’s development.

“The economy of Astana, despite the political and administrative status of the city, reacts to the market. Today, the sector of entrepreneurship occupies an almost 60 percent share of the city’s economy. That includes medium and small businesses. The number of registered small businesses for the beginning of September of this year was 40,751 units, 5.7 percent more than during the same time period last year,” Tasmagambetov said.

“Also, what is of high importance is that the number of people employed in this sector is steadily growing every year. If, for instance, the number

of people involved in the sphere of business was 128,000 in 2007, today there are 158,000 people involved in the sector. Almost every fifth Astana citizen is involved in entrepreneurship,” Tasmagambetov concluded.

The mayor emphasized that the catalyst for the development of small and medium-sized businesses and, in particular, services, are sectors such as construction and industry services.

“As the main participants of the capital market, these areas have created a multiplier effect for the further economic development of the city. Therefore, for the necessities of capital the annual commissioning of 1.5 million square meters of housing are justified and are used for business opportunities, for example using the first floor of houses as office space,” he added.

According to data provided by the mayor, from 2009 to the present, over 65,000 workplaces have been created in Astana, and the unemployment rate decreased in comparison with last year by 0.1 percent.

By Maral Imanbayeva ASTANA – The presentation of a new mixed-use Riverside Apartments complex took place on October 26 at the Radisson Hotel Astana.

Erik Zhussupov, Director of Incom Astana LLP, opened the presentation and spoke about the uniqueness of the project.

Riverside Apartments consists of a group of two modern buildings connected by a passage way.

One of the buildings is the threestar Park Inn Hotel and the second building is the Riverside Apartments.

Located near the beautiful bank of the Yessil River, the complex’s primary attraction is its unbeatable location, which provides fast and direct access to the left river bank, the airport, the train station, as well as other services

and attractions. It is very convenient for business people, given the now frequent traffic jams in Astana.

The residential complex includes four styles of apartments ranging from one to four rooms.

They are fully furnished in the European style of the mid-19th century, and are equipped with the latest technology.

The residential complex provides its inhabitants with ultramodern infrastructure, such as a supermarket, gym, bank, dry cleaners, restaurants and bars, parking and a pharmacy. On frosty winter days, residents might not even need to leave the complex because all necessary services for an active and comfortable day are offered onsite. The project’s designers have thoroughly designed every detail to ensure complete comfort and safety.

Another pleasant surprise is that the apartments will also be available for rent. According to the manager of service company Incom Astana LLP, rental prices will depend on the size of the apartment and the length of the lease.

But on average, rents will be $25 dollars per square meter.

Incom Astana has a reputation as a dependable company, which has been offering its services on the real estate market for more than 10 years. One of the biggest projects of the company is the Arman (Kazakh for “a dream”) complex, which is highly regarded internationally by those in the real estate development industry.

Arman includes a business center and the five-star Radisson Hotel Astana.

Incom Astana has already opened an office for prospective residents of the new Riverside Apartments. The complex will be opened and will be commissioned in December 2012.

Businessmen, architects and foreign visitors participated in the presentation of the project.