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 326 / FRIDAY, OCT 18 2013
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Visits Kazakhstan Bilateral relations and OSCE on the agenda
Kazakhstan Celebrates “Kurban Ait” Three-day holiday for “Feast of the Sacrifice”
News from the Government in Brief
Kazakhstan’s Military to Abolish the Draft Fully professional army by 2016
Also in the News
Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov and Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Leonid Kozhara, in Astana this week
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Visits Kazakhstan The Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Leonid Kozhara, paid a working visit to Kazakhstan, October 13-14. The meeting had a dual purpose: Mr Kozhara discussed bilateral relations between Kazakhstan and Ukraine but was also acting in his capacity as the current chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Political and economic relations between Kazakhstan and Ukraine have been strong since both countries achieved independence at the end of 1991. There have been a total of 18 presidential visits between the two countries – President Nazarbayev has visited Ukraine nine times and his Ukrainian counterparts have made the same number of visits to Kazakhstan. Prime Minister Akhmetov notably made his first official visit to Ukraine in April this year. It was in the spirit of excellent Kazakhstan-Ukraine relations that it was announced that Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych will visit Kazakhstan on an official state visit in 2014. As far as economic relations are concerned, between 2007 and 2012 bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and Ukraine more than doubled, from USD 2.6bn in 2007 to USD 5.5bn in 2012. The figure for 2012 represented an increase of 24% on the previous year. Kazakhstan is now Ukraine’s third-largest trading partner within the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and its eighth-largest trading partner worldwide. An important part of Mr Kozhara’s talks this week with Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister, Erlan Idrissov, was the development and strengthening of trade links within the Customs Union, of which Kazakhstan is a member with Belarus and Russia. Both sides were quick to stress that Kazakhstan’s membership of the Customs Union should in no way detract from the positive developments in bilateral trade between the two countries. On wider trade issues, Mr Kozhara spoke of Ukraine’s support for Kazakhstan’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). He said that he was convinced that this would not only have a positive effect on the country’s economy but also on trade relations between Kazakhstan and Ukraine. In addition, the two Foreign Ministers agreed that they could assist each other in their relations with the European Union (EU). Ukraine is currently in talks with the EU about the signing of an Association Agreement while Kazakhstan is conducting a dialogue with Brussels on enhanced partnership and cooperation. Importantly, Ukraine currently holds the chairmanship of the OSCE – a position held by Kazakhstan in 2010 – and it is Mr Kozhara who is the present Chairman. Mr Idrissov told his Ukrainian counterpart that Kazakhstan welcomes and fully supports Ukraine’s efforts in its chairmanship role to try to settle regional conflicts; to control the spread of conventional weapons; to strengthen ecological and energy security; and also to develop the OSCE’s strategy towards Afghanistan. For his part, Mr Kozhara said that Ukraine recognizes the good work done by Kazakhstan to strengthen stability and security in Central Asia. Mr Kozhara’s personal role in his work for the OSCE was recognized by the awarding of the title of Honorary Professor of the Presidential Academy of State Management. The award was made when the Ukrainian Foreign Minister went to the Academy’s Institute of Diplomacy to deliver a lecture.
“Leonid Kozhara spoke about Kazakhstan’s positive experience when it held the Chairmanship of the OSCE in 2010, and emphasized that, as the current Chairman of the Organization, Ukraine upholds all of Kazakhstan’s initiatives, as well as its goals and tasks, laid out in the Astana Declaration which came out of the Summit in 2010.” Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan
ASTANA CALLING / ISSUE 326 / 2
Back to Contents
President Nazarbayev at Astana’s Khazret Sultan mosque
Kazakhstan Celebrates “Kurban Ait” In keeping with the rest of the Muslim world, Kazakhstan this week celebrated “Kurban Ait”, known in Arabic as “Eid al-Adha”, or the “Feast of the Sacrifice” in English. The feast commemorates the Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his young, firstborn son in obedience to a command from Allah, who was testing Abraham’s faith. When Allah stopped the sacrifice, saying that Abraham had proven his faith, Abraham sacrificed a ram instead. Therefore, the sacrifice of an animal, often a sheep, is an essential part of the ritual of the festival. Although Kazakhstan is a secular state where freedom of belief is guaranteed by the Constitution, 70% of the population are Muslim, and thus the Islamic calendar is observed by the majority. There are clear instructions laid down for the observation of the “Kurban Ait” festival. Many people will visit the mosque, where special Eid prayers are said. People gather with their families and the dead are especially remembered. The Koran sets down the criteria to choose the sacrificial animal. The animal must be healthy and without any visible flaws, such as torn or cut ears, broken horns or missing teeth. After the animal has been sacrificed in the name of Allah, it is divided into three parts. One-third of the meat is given to friends and neighbors and one-third or more of the meat is donated to the poor and needy. No more than one third can be kept for the person’s own consumption. The fleece of the animal can be given to the poor or used as a prayer rug, but on no account can it be sold. Often the skins are gathered for distribution at the local mosque. The Chief Mufti of Kazakhstan, Yerzhan khadzhi Malgazhyuly, congratulated all Muslims on the feast days of “Kurban Ait”, and also reminded them of how they should conduct themselves on the sacred days of the festival by getting up early, dressing smartly, attending the mosque and by visiting parents, the elderly and the sick. Muslims were also asked to remember the dead in their prayers.
Chief Mufti of Kazakhstan, Yerzhan khadzhi Malgazhyuly
The Chief Mufti also reminded the faithful about the procedures for sacrificing the animal and the distribution of the meat. Believers were reminded that the sacrifice itself must take place only on the territory of the mosque.
President Nazarbayev sent his congratulations to Kazakhstanis, describing “Kurban Ait” as, “one of the great spiritual values which unites our people”. He went on, “The blessed festival of “Kurban Ait”, brings plenty and strengthens unity, sympathy and agreement, helps create closer ties, strengthening mutual understanding between the representatives of different ethnic groups and religions.” In addition, the President stressed the historical significance of the holiday and its meaning, saying that it underlined the humane tradition of helping the needy – values which had been handed down in Kazakhstan from generation to generation. “It is a source of joy that the cooperation and friendship between people of different beliefs in our country serves as an example to the whole world,” he concluded.
“I wish you all joy and health. May the Almighty place on us His boundless mercy and compassion. May peace and agreement, well-being and prosperity, be preserved in Kazakhstan society for ages to come.” Chief Mufti of Kazakhstan, Yerzhan khadzhi Malgazhyuly
ASTANA CALLING / ISSUE 326 / 3
Back to Contents
Kazakhstan’s Military to Abolish the Draft The Ministry of Defence of Kazakhstan has announced that compulsory military service will be phased out over the next two to three years. The Ministry believes that modern military technology needs to be used and deployed only by well-trained, professional specialists. By abolishing the draft Kazakhstan will bring its military forces into line with what has become usual practice in the majority of NATO member states, as well as Georgia and Ukraine in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The Armed Forces of Kazakhstan number around 110,000 personnel and are already staffed on a mixed basis, with 65% of those at the level of sergeants and private soldiers serving on contracts. Those who are drafted are called up on the basis of two draft periods each year, in the Spring and in the Fall. The numbers being called up in each period will be gradually reduced in the months and years ahead, as the Deputy Minister of Defence and Chief of the General Staff, Colonel-General Saken Zhasuzakov, explained: “We still have around 12,000 enlisted men serving now. In this Fall’s call-up period, we are releasing 6,000 of them, and calling up 1,500. In spring 2014, we will release a further 6,000 and again call up 1,500. Over time, this figure of 1,500 will be reduced to 500. In this way I believe that by 2016 the Army will consist of 99% professionals.” Such a reduction will fit in with the call by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Nazarbayev, for Kazakhstan to have Armed Forces which are not large but are well-trained, professional and equipped with the most modern military technology. According to General Zhasuzakov, the Army needs well-qualified specialists in order to handle modern weaponry. It would not make financial sense to train conscript soldiers to the necessary level then send them back into civilian life. Soldiers serving on a contract basis in the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan are paid between KZT 80,000 and KZT 150,000 a month (approximately USD 520-980), depending on their rank and length of service. They are provided with accommodation, or else given a grant to cover the cost of accommodation if they have to find their own. The size of the grant depends on the area of the country where they are serving. In 2014 a further 500 homes will be built for service personnel. By 2017, plans are underway to ensure that the housing needs of all servicemen will be catered for. Kazakhstan’s professional soldiers are also given the opportunity to improve their education and qualifications. On September 1, 2014, the National Defence University will be moved from Shchuchinsk to Astana, and there are plans to open an academy or institute for sergeants. Officers and sergeants with more than eight years of service have the right to study paid for by the Ministry of Defence, including in higher educational establishments abroad. The children of servicemen are guaranteed places in educational establishments, including nurseries; and service personnel and their families are given free medical care. While the decision by Kazakhstan’s Military of Defence to move towards a professional army is in line with most western countries – it remains to be seen whether abolishing the draft will become the norm in the CIS region. Earlier this year Georgia announced that it would abolish conscription by 2017; and when the current drafting period began this month in Ukraine the Ministry of Defence in Kyiv announced that this would be the country’s final draft and that by the end of 2014 the Ukrainian Army would be entirely professional.
“Military art has changed completely. Today, the success of an operation depends on new weaponry, technology and equipment. In order to master this weaponry and use it correctly, we need high class specialists with the right level of training.” Colonel-General Saken Zhasuzakov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan
ASTANA CALLING / ISSUE 326 / 4
Back to Contents
News from the Government in Brief President holds government to task President Nazarbayev held a meeting with the full government on October 11 to review the results of its work in the first nine months of the year. The President indicated that improvements needed to be made in several areas of the government’s work. He started with budget policy, saying that in deteriorating economic conditions such as those currently being experienced, the government had to adjust its budget policy, but this had not happened. Agreement has not been reached with local mayors, which could lead to imbalances. And whilst some KZT 150bn had not been spent as allocated, in other areas the cost of certain projects had gone way beyond what had been budgeted, by KZT 60bn already this year. The President also focused his attention on the issue of small businesses. He said that though the “Business Road-Map 2020” had become an effective instrument for supporting business, an increasing number of complaints were being made. There are 43 regions and cities of regional status where the subsidies for credits for small and medium businesses are not being paid. The President ordered the Governors of each of these regions to account for their actions and publish the results in the media. The President also questioned the attitude of government departments towards energy saving and agriculture. And he called for an effective credit policy to be worked out with the National Bank. He asked how it could be that with over KZT 1.5 trillion being spent on education this year alone, there could still be almost 500,000 children awaiting nursery places. The President found one bright spot: some 70,000 new jobs have been created this year thanks to an effective industrial policy carried out under the regional development program. (akorda.kz)
Mayor of Almaty reports to the President President Nazarbayev on October 10 received the Akim (Mayor) of Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, Akhmetzhan Yessimov. The President congratulated the Akim on the infrastructure improvements being carried out in the city. The ecological situation is getting better; public transport is being converted to gas-powered; roads are being repaired; and plans are underway, as put forward by the President, to build a ring-road round Almaty. “All of this is beneficial,” the President said, “for the improvement of life for the people and for the economy of the city. Almaty is in the vanguard of the country’s regions.” The President paid particular attention to the development of the tourist industry in Almaty, which should become one of the key elements of the city’s economy. “I have ordered serious work to be undertaken to develop tourism, notably for downhill skiing, using the potential of the Almaty mountains. This will also create new jobs,” stated the President. Preparations are already underway for holding the Winter Student Games in 2017, and Almaty has applied to become the host city for the Winter Olympics in 2022. Mr Yessimov reported that he had already held a meeting with the leadership of the World Tourism Organization and that future meetings and events were being planned with their assistance. (akorda.kz)
Kazakhstan and China sign cooperation agreement The Chairman of the lower house of the parliament of Kazakhstan, the Majilis, Nurlan Nigmatulin, and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, Zhang Dejiang, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation at a ceremony in Beijing on October 15. The signing took place during a meeting of parliamentarians from Kazakhstan with their Chinese colleagues. As Mr Nigmatulin emphasized, the Memorandum establishes a legal basis to the agreements made between President Nazarbayev and the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, when Mr Xi Jingping visited Kazakhstan last month. The agreement creates a joint parliamentary commission, and there are already plans for the first meeting of this commission in Astana next year.
China’s Premier Xi Jinping greets Nurlan Nigmatulin
During the visit, Mr Nigmatulin also met Chinese Premier Xi Jinping, to discuss relations between the two countries. Mr Xi Jinping emphasized that cooperation between parliamentarians is an important component of the comprehensive strategic partnership. Both Kazakhstan and China recognize the high level of cooperation between the two countries and stressed that the agreements reached are solid examples of the constructive cooperation that has developed. (ortcom.kz) ASTANA CALLING / ISSUE 326 / 5
Back to Contents
Also in The News… • Nur Otan Party holds extraordinary Congress The Nur Otan Party began its 15th extraordinary Congress in Astana on October 17-18. 1,200 delegates from all over Kazakhstan attended the Congress. The first day was split into five sessions, which concentrated on the renewal of the Party and its role in carrying out the Strategy “Kazakhstan-2050”. The second day will begin with a plenary session led by the Chairman of the Party, President Nazarbayev. (ortcom.kz) • Retail and wholesale trade increase The volume of retail trade in Kazakhstan in the first nine months of 2013 grew by 12.7% compared to the same period in 2012, and stood at KZT 3512bn. Wholesale trade for the same period was also up by a similar percentage, 12.5%, accounting for just over KZT 9700bn. Food provision services for the January-September period also rose, by 7.4% compared to last year, totalling KZT 166.3bn. (primeminister.kz) • Population of Kazakhstan rises According to official figures, the population of Kazakhstan rose by 166,000 in the first eight months of 2013. As of September 1, the population stood at 17,750,000. Of these, a little over half of the population lives in urban centers: 9,384,600, compared to a rural population of 7,691,100. In the 12 months from September 1, 2012 to September 1, 2013 the population rose by 239,000, or 1.4%. (primeminister.kz) • Alternative energy projects planned in Zhambyl Region The Akim (Governor) of Zhambyl Region announced October 10 that together with private companies, the regional authorities are planning to invest around USD 370m in four alternative energy projects. These will involve hydro, wind and solar energy. A 50-megawatt solar-power station will be built with the help of French and German investors. There are plans to construct a 100-megawatt wind-power station with the assistance of an international company. (primeminister.kz) • 20 years of patent protection in Kazakhstan The national patent system of Kazakhstan has been in existence for 20 years this week. The Committee responsible for national patents comes under the remit of the Ministry of Justice. The anniversary was marked this week by an international seminar on intellectual property rights, held jointly with the International Organization for Intellectual Property. The seminar was attended by representatives from the countries of the Caucasus, the Baltic region, Central Asia, and Central and Eastern Europe. (ortcom.kz) • Armed Forces recognizes best Sergeants The fifth All-Army Competition for the title of Best Sergeant in the Armed Forces took place this week. Sergeants from all of the armed services were put through a series of tests to see who was the best prepared in a number of military disciplines. StaffSergeant Rinat Suyundukov of the Air-Mobile Forces won the overall title of “Best Sergeant in the Armed Forces”. (mod.gov.kz) • Precious metals refinery almost complete A refinery specializing in the processing of industrial products for the recovery of precious metals is due to be competed in Astana in November, and production should be underway by the end of the year. The plant has been constructed by JSC “TauKen Samruk”, and has been largely financed by the “Samruk-Kazyna” Fund, which has invested over KZT 1bn in the project. (strategy2050.kz) • Polyglot seminar held in Semey The Shakarim Regional Specialist School for gifted children in Semey held a seminar this week, entitled, “Multilingualism as the Basis for Integration into the World Educational Community”. Children at the School are taught in three languages. The seminar looked at the issues facing modern education in Kazakhstan, notably how to introduce the model of innovative education to develop the intellectual potential of each citizen of the country. The seminar was attended by teachers of gifted children, notably from tri-lingual schools. (ortcom.kz) ASTANA CALLING A WEEKLY ONLINE PUBLICATION / WWW.MFA.GOV.KZ Please send comments and questions to pressa@mfa.kz
ASTANA CALLING / ISSUE 326 / 6
Back to Contents