Astana Calling #296

Astana Calling

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Kazakhstan

Central Communications Service for the President of Kazakhstan

A WEEKLY ONLINE PUBLICATION / WWW.MFA.GOV.KZ ISSUE No 296 / FRIDAY, 22 MARCH 2013

Prime Minister Chairs Meeting on e-government and Health Online government information and services increasing; Healthcare improving

Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Completes Nordic Tour Finland, Sweden and Norway open to cooperation with Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan in the Fight Against Tuberculosis Health Ministry marks World TB Day y World TB da

n 2013 Campaig

Kazakhstan Celebrates Nauriz Ancient festival of spring marked by public holidays

Also in the News

Prime Minister Akhmetov and government colleagues at this week’s meeting on e-government and healthcare

Government discusses Business Road-Map E- government and healthcare were on the government’s agenda at its March 19 meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister, Serik Akhmetov. “E-government” – accessing government services and making payments on the internet – is the way of the future. The Minister of Transport and Communication, Askar Zhumagaliev, the Minister of Education and Science, Bakytzhan Zhumagulov, and the Minister of Internal Affairs, Kalmukhanbet Kassymov, addressed the meeting on the state program, “Information Kazakhstan-2020”.

The Ministers pointed out that there are already 90 government services online; citizens can make 21 different state revenue payments; 17 payments of duties on certain products; four different tax payments; and they can pay three separate domestic bills. They can also settle any fines imposed for traffic violations.

In 2012 alone, nearly 11 million electronic receipts were issued. More than 230,000 citizens have already registered to use the e-government services; and the e-government portal is being visited daily by 30,000 people.

All the necessary arrangements are in place for setting up online all government services for both business and social needs. Once these have all been transferred to e-format it is predicted that it will save the issuing of over 40 million paper documents each year.

Next, the Minister for Healthcare, Salidat Kairbekova, reported on the results in 2012 of the State Healthcare Program, “Salamatty Kazakhstan”, and the tasks which lie ahead now. The Program covers the period 2011-2015, and is aimed at adapting the country’s healthcare provision to contemporary conditions.

Ms Kairbekova was able to speak of some notable successes for the Healthcare Program last year. Outlying areas now have improved healthcare thanks to “mobile medicine”: the creation of three special medical trains and 49 mobile health centers.

Progress was made in the training of more family doctors, nurses and psychologists. Maternity care improved; over the last three years the death rate among mothers has fallen four-fold and that of infants by 25%. Life expectancy rose from 69.01 years to 69.6 years in the course of 2012, meaning that the Program is in step with the government’s goal to reach a life expectancy of 70 years of age by 2015.

In the coming year, the following areas are among the priorities for the “Salamatty Kazakhstan” Healthcare Program: improve still further maternity care; expand the accessibility of “mobile medicine”; wider availability of medicines; better use of modern medical technology; raise medical science to international levels; improve training of medical staff and management; integrate medical information into the state program, “Information Kazakhstan-2020”.

In his summing up at the end of the meeting, Prime Minister Akhmetov called for ministers to ensure that by the end of 2013 all of the government’s social services are available online, and that the e-learning project continues to progress.

“The State Healthcare Program, “Salamatty Kazakhstan”, allows us to improve the effective management of this sector, which will lead to high quality medical services and a healthcare system which is available to all and at the same time competitive.”

Minister of Health, Salidat Kairbekova

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Minister Idrissov meeting with President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö

Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Completes Nordic Tour The Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Erlan Idrissov, made a whistle-stop tour of Finland, Sweden and Norway from March 17-21. As well as holding talks with the Foreign Ministers of each of the three Nordic countries, Mr Idrissov met politicians from the energy, environmental and trade sectors; opened a new Embassy of Kazakhstan in Finland; and gave a keynote address in a prestigious institute in each capital city: the Aleksanteri Institute of the University of Helsinki; the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE); and, in Oslo, the Norwegian Institute for International Relations (NUPI).

As well as speaking about Kazakhstan’s positive and rapidly-developing relations with each of these three Nordic countries, Mr Idrissov invited each country to encourage companies to participate in EXPO-2017 in Astana. As the theme of EXPO-2017 is “Energy for the Future”, Finland, Sweden and Norway will each have an interest in the event, as they are among the world’s leaders in alternative energy sources and sustainability of resources.

Mr Idrissov used these presentations to highlight the advances which Kazakhstan has made in a little over 20 years of independence, both at home and abroad. Domestically, Kazakhstan has created a vibrant market economy, a stable political system and strong civil society. The Foreign Minister pointed out that the country has responded positively to the ethnic diversity of its peoples, creating a society in which people of all backgrounds live in harmony.

Despite the global economic crisis, the economy of Kazakhstan since the turn of the century has grown by an average of 7% per annum, even managing 5% growth in last year’s difficult economic climate. If in 1993, shortly after the break-up of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was equivalent to just USD 700, it is now USD 12,000, a 16-fold increase in 20 years.

Foreign investment has flowed into Kazakhstan – more than USD 170 billion in the past 20 years – and the state has reserves of around USD 87 billion. Some experts make Kazakhstan the world’s third fastest-growing economy, behind China and Qatar.

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Both foreign and local businessmen can see that Kazakhstan’s business climate is supported by a consistent regulatory environment, with favorable investment laws, adequate measures for supporting investments, and economic and political stability.

The government has acted to considerably reduce the tax burden on small and medium-sized businesses and remains committed to easing the overall tax burden in order to stimulate new business ventures. It is hoped that membership of the World Trade Organisation, the WTO, is not far away.

Kazakhstan, Mr Idrissov went on, is a country with ambition. Under the guidance of “Strategy 2050”, the development plan laid out

by President Nazarbayev in his State of the Nation Address last December, Kazakhstan is aiming not only to be one of the world’s top 30 developed countries by the middle of this century, but also to diversify its economy away from dependence on natural resources, developing hi-tech industries and alternative energy sources – something which EXPO-2017 should help to boost.

The stable domestic and economic situation, Mr Idrissov indicated, is helping Kazakhstan to play an important role internationally, both in its own region and globally. Kazakhstan can play a key role in finding solutions to the troubled situations in its nearneighbours, Afghanistan and Iran. This has already been recognised by the international community. The next Ministerial meeting on Afghanistan within the Istanbul Process will take place in Almaty on 26 April. And Almaty was the latest and will be the next venue for the meeting of the group discussing Iran’s nuclear program, the so-called “3+3 Talks”.

Mr Idrissov neatly summed up for his Nordic hosts how Kazakhstan sees its place in Central Asian affairs. “Instead of seeing Central Asia as the arena for a new ‘Great Game’, he said, “it should be regarded as the platform for a ‘Great Gain’ – a place where interests converge rather than collide. There is no need for a ‘zero sum’ game; rather there is great potential for a ‘win-win’ situation.”

“Thanks to a peaceful and balanced foreign policy, Kazakhstan gained high international recognition, and became a responsible and respected member of the world community.

Today, Kazakhstan is contributing to the settlement of regional and global problems.”

Foreign Minister, Erlan Idrissov

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Minister for Healthcare, Salidat Kairbekova

Kazakhstan in the Fight Against Tuberculosis Kazakhstan’s Health Ministry and local authorities ran a program of events to mark World TB Day in the republic on March 24. The occasion was marked globally by a campaign under the slogan, “Stop TB in my lifetime”.

In the build-up to the day and on the day itself – chosen because it is the anniversary of the date in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced his discovery of the bacillus that causes tuberculosis (TB) – Kazakhstan joined with countries around the world in holding events to raise awareness of the problems caused by TB and the solutions which can be put in place.

The main events in the build-up took place in Almaty on March 20. A half-day conference was held in the Health Ministry’s National TB Centre, aimed at strengthening cooperation between state organizations, international bodies and social groups in order to stabilise the TB situation in Kazakhstan.

Issues on the agenda included ways in which to make the population more aware of how TB is spread and how it can be combatted; how to make people realise the importance of seeking urgent medical help if TB is suspected; ways in which to teach people about the need for a healthy lifestyle; and the importance of ensuring that medical personnel understand the need for caution when dealing with TB. The conference was followed by a popular gathering on the square in front of the Palace of the Republic, to raise the awareness of TB, its causes and treatment, among schoolchildren, students and the residents of Almaty. As well as the distribution of leaflets and other material related to the TB question, posters were displayed on billboards and on public transport and questionnaires were distributed to try to discover the level of knowledge among the population about the causes of TB and how to treat it.

Kazakhstan’s health services have already seen improvements in the past five years in dealing with the problem of TB. The rate of infection among the population in this period has fallen by nearly 35%, and the death rate has dropped by over 57%. But in her report at last week’s meeting of the government, the Minister for Healthcare, Salidat Kairbekova, acknowledged that, while such figures are encouraging, more needs to be done, especially among the prison population, where both the rate of infection and mortality are significantly higher than in the population at large.

“Tuberculosis is an airborne infectious disease that is preventable and curable. The World Health Organization is working to dramatically reduce the burden of TB, and halve TB deaths and prevalence by 2015, through its Stop TB Strategy and supporting the Global Plan to Stop TB.” WHO website

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Kazakhstan Celebrates Nauriz Business was put aside in Kazakhstan this week as the nation celebrated one of the most popular holidays in the calendar, Nauriz (March 21-24), marking the Spring Equinox and a new start to life.

Nauriz is one of the oldest celebrations on the planet, with a history going back over 5,000 years. It is celebrated in many Eastern countries, notably in the five Central Asian countries of the former Soviet Union, as well as in Azerbaijan and parts of Russia, such as Tatarstan and Bashkortostan.

The widespread celebration of Nauriz in the old Russian Empire led to the holiday being suppressed by the Soviet government in 1926; but this merely reflected an ignorance of the significance of the day. It is not, as the Bolsheviks took it to be, a religious holiday, but the celebration of the coming of spring. “Nauriz” (it is written slightly differently in other languages) comes from the ancient Persian words for “new day”, and it was traditionally seen as the start of the new year – as it still is in Iran and Afghanistan.

In 2010, March 21 was officially designated by the United Nations as “The International Day of Nauriz”; and in the same year Kazakhstan declared that March 21-23 would be declared public holidays.

In the olden days, people would mark Nauriz firstly by spring-cleaning their houses. They would plant trees and flowers in honour of the holiday. It was thought that if Nauriz was celebrated in a clean house with a good owner, then in the coming year illness and misfortune would be avoided in that house.

Nowadays, Nauriz is marked by what have become modern “traditions” for celebrating big public holidays. In Astana alone there were more than 40 events organized by the Mayor’s office. People promenaded in the city’s streets and squares; there were concerts, exhibitions, round table discussions and shows. Folk ensembles, artists and actors came to the capital to perform in the open air and in the city’s concert halls and theatres.

Competitions were organised for Kazakh wrestling and other popular national games. An exhibition of decorative folk art was arranged, featuring jewelry, weaving and articles made from leather and felt.

The celebrations on March 22 were rounded off in the evening by a recital in Astana’s central concert hall, “Kazakhstan”, by the popular singer, Aliya Abikenova. And those unlucky enough not to obtain a ticket for this were not forgotten: there was also a disco on the city’s main square, in which famous Kazakh singers took part. Finally, at ten o’clock in the evening on that day there was a grand firework display.

For those celebrating Nauriz at home, the day would not be complete without the traditional dish, “Nauriz-kozhe”. The dish is made from seven ingredients: airan (similar to buttermilk), kurt (a sharp cheese), meat, wheat, salt, rice and raisins, along with milk.

And the reason the recipe is so strict? This is because these ingredients represent the elements of life: joy, success, wisdom, health, well-being, speed, and growth and divine protection.

“If you find a spring of water, ensure that its source is clear”; “May a man be remembered for the tree that he planted rather than the herd he tended”; “If you chop down one tree, be sure to plant ten!”

Traditional folk-sayings in honour of Nauriz

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Also in The News…

• The Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rapil Zhoshybaev, paid a working visit to Beijing. Mr Zhoshybaev discussed foreign policy protocol issues, including questions of visas, with officials from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, and also discussed tourism with Beijing’s Tourism Development Committee. Mr Zhoshybaev is also the Commissar of EXPO2017, which is due to take place in Astana in four years’ time. He thanked the Chinese side for their support of Astana’s successful bid and said that Kazakhstan was very interested in learning from the Chinese experience of organizing such huge events. (mfa.gov.kz, bnews.kz) • The Embassy of Kazakhstan in Moscow organized a round table to discuss the program, “The ‘Kazakhstan-2050’ Strategy”.

The round table was led by the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation, Galym Orazbakov. Also taking part were the Director of the Kazakhstan Presidential Institute for Strategic Research, Bulat Sultanov, Russian political scientists and specialists, political commentators and the leaders of research centers and think-tanks. After explaining the key points of the Strategy, Ambassador Orazbakov stressed the importance to Kazakhstan of the friendly strategic relationship with Russia, saying that cooperation in the Customs Union and the Single Economic Space are priorities in Kazakhstan’s foreign policy. (mfa.gov.kz, bnews.kz) • Latest research from the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan has revealed that in schools which have adopted e-learning, the success rate of students has risen by 15%. The Deputy Minister of Education, Sayat Shayakhmetov, said that it had been planned to introduce e-learning in all schools by 2020. But with these latest figures showing that the gap is growing between students exposed to e-learning and those who are not, it is now planned to speed up this process so that e-learning will be available throughout the system of secondary education by 2016. (tengrinews.kz, kazinform.kz) • The Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Serik Akhmetov, last week in Astana received the General Secretary of the Eurasian Economic Community, Timur Mansurov. Mr Mansurov informed Mr Akhmetov on the latest developments in the Community’s programs, notably about the Community’s Anti-Crisis Fund and the venture company of the Community’s HiTech Center, which was founded in 2013. The Center’s charter capital is fixed at 90 million roubles, put up by the National Agency of Kazakhstan for Technological Development; the Russian Venture Company; and the Belarus Innovation Fund. (bnews.kz)

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• President Nazarbayev has confirmed that he will take part in the 12th session of the Boao Forum for Asia. This will take place in China from April 6-8 2013 on the topic of “Asia Seeking Development for all: Restructuring, Responsibility and Cooperation”. Kazakhstan was one of the 28 signatories of the founding document of the Forum, which is aimed at improving economic integration and mutual development of the Asian states. (kazinform.kz) • The first certificates have been issued to people with learning difficulties in a scheme established at the end of last year at the Kazakhstan-Russian University in Astana. The scheme is aimed at helping the 15,000 people with recognised learning difficulties who live in the capital. 14 people passed the course in “Office and computer work”; seven, an English language course; and two in sewing. By the end of this year 250 people should have completed courses under the scheme. (kazinform.kz) • The Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Jordan and Iraq, Bulat Sarsenbayev, visited Iraqi Kurdistan last week. At a meeting with Akhmed Dezzi, Rector of the region’s main university, “Salakhaddin”, Ambassador Sarsenbayev awarded the Rector the CICA jubilee medal, “20 years of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA)”. (kazinform.kz) • A business delegation from the South Kazakhstan Region visited the Turkish cities of Istanbul and Izmir last week. The city of Shymkent has been twinned with Izmir since 2004. The Mayor of Izmir, Aziz Kocaoğlu, congratulated Astana on the awarding of EXPO-2017 and informed his guests that Izmir is a candidate city for the holding of EXPO-2020. (kazinform.kz) • The new Ambassador of Kazakhstan in Azerbaijan, Amangeldy Zhumanbayev, has presented his credentials to the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mamedyarov. Mr Mamedyarov congratulated Ambassador Zhumanbayev on his appointment, and the Ambassador said that Kazakhstan is looking to increase its trading relationship with Azerbaijan. (kazinform.kz) • Some 400 budding chess masters took part in the Kazakhstan Junior Chess Championship in Astana last week. The numbers participating and the level of play at this tournament increases each year. (kazinform.kz)

ASTANA CALLING A WEEKLY ONLINE PUBLICATION / WWW.MFA.GOV.KZ Please send comments and questions to press@mfa.kz

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