AstanaCalling #282

Astana Calling

Issue No 282 FRIDAY, 7 DecEMBER 2012 www.mfa.kz A weekly online publication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan

President’s Day: First Day of the New Epoch President Nazarbayev addresses the nation

EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs visits Astana Commitment to strengthen relations

CIS Summit in Turkmenistan

Intergovernmental Commission Meets in Tashkent

President Nazarbayev attends

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan advance cooperation

OSCE Ministerial Council Meets in Dublin Ministers review progress

Things to Watch

Popularizing Culture at Home and Abroad Interview with Vice Minister of Culture and Information

Also in the News

The December 1 public holiday “Day of the First President” marks the achievements of Nursultan Nazarbayev’s leadership

President’s Day: First Day of the New Epoch In an address to the nation on the Day of the First President, the new national holiday on December 1, President Nursultan Nazarbayev recalled the key events of the first 21 years of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and outlined his hopes and plans for the future of the country.

The President highlighted three milestones as having been of particular significance in determining the future direction of independent Kazakhstan: Firstly, the signing of the 1991 Decree to close the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site – the first sovereign act of the nascent Republic and the first step on Kazakhstan’s route to becoming a passionate advocate of anti-proliferation and the abandonment of nuclear weapons worldwide.

Secondly, on December 1 1991, the election of the first President of Kazakhstan, by an absolute majority of the population.

The President recalled that the election took place at a point in history when the old totalitarian system was receding into the past, but the country was undergoing a difficult transition and there was an urgent need for the normalization of people’s lives, even in such elementary matters as the provision of food and employment and the security of life in towns and villages.

The election of the country’s first President unified the people and ensured a consistent, coherent approach to the development and strengthening of the independence of Kazakhstan. It was the defining moment when the people of Kazakhstan made a definite choice in favour of a Republic with a strong Presidency.

Thirdly, the adoption of the Constitutional Law “On the State Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan.” This official declaration of independence followed just six days after the President was sworn into office on December 10, 1991. It established the legal framework for the urgent adoption, in the closing months of 1991, of a series of laws and decrees defining Kazakhstan’s sovereignty in the economy, business, infrastructure, and foreign trade.

The President paid tribute to the citizens of Kazakhstan for the contribution they have made to its dynamic success in the two decades since independence was declared. He said that from a backward outpost of the collapsed Soviet empire, Kazakhstan has evolved into a leader in the CIS, Eurasia and the world.

GDP has grown at an average 6-7% annually for the last ten years and most experts predict continued growth, despite the global economic crisis. Economic growth has enabled the people of Kazakhstan to break out of poverty and today, GDP per capita at USD 13,000 is one of the highest of the former Soviet states, the President said.

He went on to express special gratitude to the international investors who have demonstrated their confidence in Kazakhstan by investing over USD 160 billion since independence.

The President spoke of many other significant moments in the development of Kazakhstan and its relations with its neighbours and the wider global community. Looking to the future, he wished all Kazakhstanis peace, happiness, prosperity and wellbeing and congratulated them on their new national holiday.

“I am grateful to all my fellow-citizens for the decades of support, which gives me strength to work selflessly for the happiness of the people, for the good of our country” President Nursultan Nazarbayev

ASTANA CALLING / ISSUE 282 / 2

Back to Contents

President Nazarbayev meeting with Turkmenistan’s President Berdymukhamedov in Ashgabat this week

CIS Summit in Turkmenistan President Nazarbayev took part in a CIS Heads of State meeting in Ashgabat on December 5, marking the end of Turkmenistan’s one-year chairmanship of the Organization.

CIS leaders discussed a number of issues related to sustainable development and security in the region and focused on trade-related cooperation as well as cultural links between CIS countries.

They adopted a CIS Heads of State Declaration initiated by Turkmenistan on further development of comprehensive cooperation, including the effort of all member states to strengthen the role of the CIS in developing both relations between countries in the region as well as relations between regions themselves.

Heads of State also decided to declare 2013 the Year of Ecological Culture and Environmental Protection in the CIS. They expressed confidence that holding events on this theme in CIS countries will spur interstate partnership in this area.

In his speech, President Nazarbayev noted that issues of economic development and security are becoming increasingly interconnected.

The Heads of State adopted a document on preparing for celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two. They noted that the Great Patriotic War, as it is known in the former Soviet Union, is the main historical event that unites CIS countries.

The meeting also adopted an inter-state program called “Cultural Capitals of the Commonwealth” that will play an important role in bringing together people from CIS countries. The program will take place in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus. The cities of Gabala (Azerbaijan), Gyumri (Armenia) and Mogilev (Belarus) have been designated Commonwealth cultural capitals.

Heads of State signed a number of agreements, including on cooperation in organizing an integrated currency market, on coordination of financial intelligence services and on cooperation in training specialists in anti-terrorist units as well as on cooperation on equipping them.

Heads of State also agreed that Belarus will chair the CIS in 2013.

President Nazarbayev expressed confidence that the agreements reached during the Summit will strengthen the foundation of partnership between CIS states.

During his visit to Ashgabat, President Nazarbayev held a bilateral meeting with Turkmenistan’s President, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. The two leaders discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade and transportation and also focused on cultural and humanitarian links between the two countries.

President Nazarbayev also met with President Putin on the margins of the CIS meeting. The two leaders discussed the strengthening of trade relations and the implementation of existing agreements.

The CIS Heads of State meeting was preceded by a meeting of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers attended by Erlan Idrissov. The Minister also held bilateral meetings with Belarus Foreign Minister, Vladimir Makey and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Konstantyn Gryshchenko.

ASTANA CALLING / ISSUE 282 / 3

Back to Contents

OSCE Foreign Ministers at this week’s meeting of the Ministerial Council in Dublin

OSCE Ministerial Council Meets in Dublin As the Irish Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) draws to a close, the 19th meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council was held in Dublin on December 6-7. Foreign ministers and top officials from the 57 OSCE participating States across Asia, Europe and North America reviewed the Organization’s contribution over the past year to developing a security community based on shared values.

The Ministerial Council is the central decision-making and governing body of the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe.

This week’s Council was chaired by Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Foreign Affairs, Eamon Gilmore. The meeting was attended by 1,000 delegates and by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in what is likely to be one of her last engagements in her current role. Kazakhstan was represented by Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov. Mr Gilmore held bilateral meetings with Ms. Clinton, Mr Idrissov, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and UK Foreign Secretary William Hague.

Speaking to the Council, Mr Gilmore urged participants to work together to advance the shared aim of a common, comprehensive and indivisible security community; a community of shared values. He outlined progress made during Ireland’s Chairmanship, which set as its top priority the full implementation of OSCE human dimension commitments, an area of particular concern given the continuing threat to fundamental freedoms and human rights in a number of OSCE participating States. Mr Gilmore highlighted significant progress on the Transdniestrian settlement process, where Ireland drew on its own experience in conflict resolution, as well as efforts to promote good governance by sharing Ireland’s work on seizing criminal assets.

“Issues in the human dimension have always been at the top of our agenda, including during our chairmanships of the OSCE and the OIC. This year Kazakhstan was elected to the UN Human Rights Council, which is a clear recognition of our achievements and encouragement for further steps. As a multi-ethnic and multi-confessional society, we pay special attention to promoting tolerance and non-discrimination” Erlan Idrissov, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs

Addressing the Council, Minister Idrissov noted the progress made over the past year in developing a Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security community that member states agreed to at the Astana Summit in 2010. He defined the priority issues to be addressed over the coming three years as: an update of the OSCE principles on non-proliferation, economic and environment cooperation, reform of the OSCE including its legal status, and implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on “Women, Peace and Security”. He also reiterated President Nazarbayev’s initiative to create a platform of regional security organizations to ensure better coordination in achieving common goals.

In 2010 Kazakhstan became the first post-Soviet state to chair the OSCE. Kazakhstan worked to give new impetus to the Organization and initiated the first OSCE Summit to be held in 11 years. The December 2010 “Astana Commemorative Declaration: Towards a Security Community” marked a new departure for the OSCE, committing signatories to joint implementation of a free, democratic, common and indivisible Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security community based on shared principles and goals.

In 2013 the OSCE will be chaired by Ukraine.

ASTANA CALLING / ISSUE 282 / 4

Back to Contents

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton (far left), meeting with President Nazarbayev

EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs visits Astana Concluding a four-country visit to Central Asia, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Baroness Catherine Ashton, visited Astana on 30th November for talks. She met with President Nazarbayev and had a working dinner with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Erlan Idrissov.

This was the first official bilateral visit by the EU High Representative to Kazakhstan, reflecting the continued importance of Central Asia in the EU’s foreign relations five years after the adoption of the EU Strategy for Central Asia by the European Council in 2007.

Following her meetings, Baroness Ashton stated that the European Union is “keen to deepen and strengthen the relationship with Kazakhstan through the new Cooperation Agreement which will be the first of enhanced agreements in this region”. She stressed that the EU supports Kazakhstan as it moves forward in the negotiations to become a member of the World Trade Organisation and underlined the need for strong economic ties between businesses in Kazakhstan and EU countries.

President Nazarbayev and Baroness Ashton also discussed international issues, global and regional security issues, including the situation in Afghanistan. President Nazarbayev noted the importance of the meeting, which is a continuation of an intensive political dialogue between Kazakhstan and the EU. In this context, the two sides discussed the role of the EU-Central Asia Strategy and mutual cooperation issues. Baroness Ashton fully supported President Nazarbayev’s call for regional integration.

The meetings in Astana took place at a crucial time when Kazakhstan and the EU are negotiating a substantial upgrade in their relations through the Enhanced Partnership Agreement which will replace the current Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in force since 1999. The enhanced agreement, the first of its kind for the EU, recognizes Kazakhstan’s importance as a partner and in the region, laying the ground for both deeper and broader bilateral relations in all areas of common interest.

“It is important that the country moves forward with economic liberalisation and in support of civil society and human rights. We will continue to work closely together with Kazakhstan as we move forward into the future” EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy, Catherine Ashton

Astana was the last stop of a tour to Central Asia which had taken the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy to Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and took place in the context of the EU-Central Asia Ministerial Meeting in Bishkek on 26-27 November.

Over the past six years, the European Union has been Kazakhstan’s main trade and investment partner. Together, EU Member States have invested approximately US$70 billion in Kazakhstan’s economy in the period 1993-2012.

Baroness Ashton was appointed the EU’s first High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in 2009. In this role, she is also Vice-President of the European Commission.

The new position was created under the EU’s Lisbon Treaty and the holder is charged with coordinating the Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.

ASTANA CALLING / ISSUE 282 / 5

Back to Contents

Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Krymbek Kusherbayev and Uzbekistan’s Finance Minister Rustam Azimov signing the protocol on last week’s meeting of the intergovernmental commission

Intergovernmental Commission Meets in Tashkent The intergovernmental commission on bilateral cooperation between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan met for the twelfth time on November 29-30 in Tashkent. The meeting was attended by representatives of State and the business communities of both countries and a report was signed by Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Krymbek Kusherbayev, and Uzbekistan’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Rustam Azimov.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Kusherbayev said that discussions had focused on cooperation in trade and investment, transport, energy, oil and gas and the management of agriculture and water. The delegations also discussed cooperation in the areas of culture, healthcare, emergency situations, construction and the military. He emphasized that strengthening relations with Uzbekistan has been defined as a priority by President Nazarbayev, and said that the meeting had made significant progress towards an intergovernmental commission document, which will further that aim.

Mr Kusherbayev highlighted the shared position of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in relation to the proposed Kambaratin hydro-electric power stations on the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan. The Naryn flows into the Syr-Darya, the longest river in Central Asia, which passes through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

Diversion of water from the Syr-Darya for irrigation contributed to the shrinkage of the Aral Sea, one of the major environmental disasters of the latter part of the 20th century. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan support an assessment of the Kambaratin project using international expertise and in line with the spirit of the U.N. Convention, to evaluate the impact on water resources across the region.

“We found common solutions to over 20 issues and made detailed plans for adopting an intergovernmental commission document which would serve to further develop our relations. Our relations are a priority for our countries and have been defined as such by President Nazarbayev” Krymbek Kusherbayev, Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, after the twelfth meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

The relationship between the two neighbouring states, which share a long and sometimes turbulent history, as well as many areas of common interest in today’s world, has been strengthened in recent years by contact at the highest levels. The commission meeting follows the visit to Kazakhstan last September by Uzbekistan’s President, Islam Karimov, during which he and President Nazarbayev pledged to work together to conserve and consolidate the peace, stability and prosperity of the people of Central Asia. Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov will visit Uzbekistan later this month and in 2013 President Nazarbayev will return to Uzbekistan at the invitation of President Karimov.

“Our countries have a single agreed view on the issue of developing a fair system of water use in the Central Asia region that is defined in the joint declaration of our Presidents” Deputy Prime Minister Krymbek Kusherbayev

Economic ties between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have also developed rapidly in recent years. Bilateral trade amounted to $2.8 billion in 2011, a 47 per cent increase on 2010, and growth continued into 2012, with the figure from January - October estimated at $2.3 billion. There are now 118 enterprises in Kazakhstan funded by investment from Uzbekistan, while 166 companies in Uzbekistan benefit from investment from Kazakhstan, of which 31 are fully funded by Kazakh companies.

ASTANA CALLING / ISSUE 282 / 6

Back to Contents

Popularizing Culture at Home and Abroad In an interview with Liter, Askar Buribayev, Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Culture and Information explained the Ministry’s involvement in staging concerts, plays, ballets, festivals and other cultural events in Kazakhstan this year.

Askar Buribayev, Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Culture and Information

Asked what made 2012 memorable for him, he said that staging the “Abay” opera by Akhmed Zhubanov and Latif Khamidi in the historical opera theatre in South Thuringia, Germany, was a pivotal moment for Kazakhstan; it was the first time that a Kazakh opera had been performed in western Europe.

The Ministry of Culture and Information has organized exhibitions and events with other CIS countries and TURKSOY – the International Organization of Turkic Culture. This year, TURKSOY declared Astana the cultural capital of the Turkic world. As part of this the Ministry organized a photo exhibition called “The new capital of the new millennium” in the “Aru Art” gallery, which attracted professional photographers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Moldova, Turkey and Cyprus.

Mr Buribayev said that the “Treasures of France – French art and culture from the Renaissance to our days” exhibition held in the Kazakh State Arts Museum deserved a special mention. Over 400 artefacts from the largest state museums - the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the Centre Pompidou, the National Library of France and the main regional museums in Montpellier, Dijon and Aix-en-Provence could be seen on display in Kazakhstan in this unique exhibition.

At the diplomatic level, the Ministry has been organizing gala concerts to celebrate 20 years of bilateral relations between Kazakhstan and various states. This included a gala concert in Bishkek for the official opening of the days of Kazakh culture in Kyrgyzstan and a gala concert in October in the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, to celebrate 20 years of the Agreement on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between Russia and Kazakhstan.

The Ministry of Culture and Information takes an active part in cultural events at home and abroad. This also applies to theatre.

In March a workshop for stage actors on “Traditions and innovation in modern theatre” and “Theatre criticism and its role in modern theatre” was held in Astana. The workshop brought together young directors, stage producers, teachers and students from the Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts and professionals from abroad. This year Kazakh theatre companies travelled to share their plays with audiences in Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and South Korea.

When questioned on Kazakh cinema, Mr Buribayev said that the Ministry is following a strategic plan to enhance the competitiveness of Kazakh cinema. This includes popularizing national culture both within the country and abroad. In accordance with state guidelines, the main themes tackled by Kazakh cinema are Kazakhstan’s history and contemporary life. The Ministry has supported the Cinematographers’ Union of Kazakhstan, which organized the first ethnographic cinema festival this spring in Astana and has played a key role in bringing Kazakh cinema to film festivals and forums in Europe, Asia and the US. With so many cultural events in the capital, how does the Ministry ensure that far-flung regions of Kazakhstan are not left out?

Mr. Buribayev replied that the Ministry has drawn up a plan for touring organizations to visit single-industry towns and that the Cinematographers’ Union has screened new Kazakh films in small towns around the country.

ASTANA CALLING / ISSUE 282 / 7

Back to Contents

Also in The News…

• On December 5, Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov attended a meeting of the Prime Minister’s Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). In his speech he said that the SCO had to become a catalyst for regional economic development, SCO financial support mechanisms had to work more smoothly to improve economic cooperation and that cooperation in the energy sphere had to be developed. He also talked about President Nazarbayev’s initiative for an SCO innovative cooperation program, which has already been submitted for consideration by SCO Member States. (Primeminister) • On December 5 in Astana a memorandum was signed to create a technical regulation council of Belarusian, Kazakh and Russian business dialogue with Business Europe. The memorandum aims to strengthen economic links streamline technical legislation between the countries in the Customs Union and the European Union. (Kazinform) • A congress for political analysts in Russia entitled “Social modernization as the key paradigm of reform in Kazakhstan”, shows that Russia is studying Kazakhstan’s new approaches to social modernization very carefully. Aleksey Vlasov, Director of the Moscow State University Information and Research Center, said that Kazakhstan had the most progressive and interesting social policy in the post-Soviet sphere.

• In Riyadh on December 5, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Egypt Berik Aryn was chosen as Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO). Riyadh hosted the 33rd meeting of the Executive Council and the 11th ISESCO General Conference. During the Conference the Kazakh delegation and ISESCO Director General Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation between Kazakhstan and the organisation and in particular the possibility of opening an ISESCO representative office in Kazakhstan. (Zakon, Trend) • On December 4, President Nazarbayev visited the new electric locomotive factory “Elektrovoz kurastyru zauyty” to take part in its opening ceremony. He said that Kazakhstan was successfully carrying out the industrial-innovation program to become less dependent on raw materials. The President also said that new factories were being opened to make up for the deficit in freight and passenger carriages and that he was pleased that engineering graduates from the “Bolashak” program were going to work for the factory. He also visited “Astanagenplan”, where the Mayor of Astana put forward a number of architectural and urban planning proposals in preparation for “EXPO-2017”. (Akorda) • On December 5 at a summary election conference, the west Kazakhstan branch of the “Nur Otan” Party summarized what it had done from 2011-2012, discussed tasks at hand and how to further develop regional party organization. (Bnews) • Kazakhstan’s airlines will be able to buy new airplanes at production price. In November 2012 Kazakhstan was added to the Cape Town Convention list of countries which have the right to cheaper export credit financing when buying new airplanes. The legal draft for ratifying the Cape Town Convention was put together by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport and Communications and adopted in July 2012. (Tengrinews) • HP Kazakhstan has signed a deal with “Transtelekom” (a sister company of “Kazakhstan temir zholy”) to carry out an infrastructure project worth USD 62 million. According to the 13-year agreement, HP will supply, set up and maintain the “REMS Central” automated system as part of the project to create an automated control system “Energodispetcherskaya tyaga”. (Newskaz)

ASTANA CALLING / ISSUE 282 / 8

Back to Contents

• Talgat Musabayev, the Chairman of Kazakhstan’s National Space Agency, talked in an online conference about Kazakhstan’s space projects. He said that the national space sector had to be developed by setting up a remote satellite sensing system. At present a medium and a high-range resolution satellite are being built in Kazakhstan as well as a centre for satellite control and a centre for processing and circulating satellite images. Mr Musabayev also said that before the end of 2012 Kazakhstan will launch its ground control complex for monitoring and controlling space equipment. This will save the nation USD 3 million per annum.

(Zakon) • A collection of stories called “It’s simple to walk among people…” by disabled writers, has been published in Almaty. The stories are about people who have overcome their fears and the difficulties posed by their disability to succeed in life. The “Eldani” charity with support from the “Soros Kazakhstan” Fund has organized a presentation of the book on December 10 in the “Caesar” theater in Almaty. There are over 563,000 disabled people living in Kazakhstan.

• Ilya Ilyin received a Guinness World Records Certificate for lifting a combined score of 418 kg in the men’s 94kg division at the 2012 London Olympic Games to retain his Olympic gold. On Twitter he thanked everyone who believed in him and supported him throughout his journey. (Tengrinews) • Daniel Juncadella, “Astana” team race driver, has been noticed by the likes of McLaren Mercedes and Ferrari. Originally he was going to race in HRT F1 Team’s cars. Now he says that “Mercedes and Ferrari have offered me a unique opportunity to prove myself. I have to make a responsible decision and choose the technical team with which I will represent Kazakhstan in world sport”. (Tengrinews)

Things to Watch…

• On December 16, Kazakhstan will celebrate its 21st anniversary of independence.

• December 29 will be a working day in Kazakhstan. December 31 will be a rest day ahead of the January 1 New Year holiday. .

ASTANA CALLING is a weekly online publication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Please send your requests and questions to pressa@mfa.kz

ASTANA CALLING / ISSUE 282 / 9

Back to Contents