Official Statements:

Newsletter
on Kazakhstan
February 1, 2008

President Nursultan Nazarbayev Attends the Forum of the Bolashak Program’s Scholars in Astana

The Bolashak Program was established in 1993 by personal initiative of the President. Since that time, the program has been radically transformed and the number of scholarships has increased up to three thousands. The Bolashak program has also increased the number of participating countries. Kazakhstan sends its scholars to 32 countries now. As a result, the program has contributed much to the preparation of high calibrated professionals.

Bolashak scholars successfully work in the area of public administration, budget organizations and national companies, local and international corporations.

The President put an emphasis on prospects of Kazakhstan’s development and on the role in it of the scholars of the Bolashak Program.

“You embody patriotic young people of the country who are ready to contribute to the establishment of new Kazakhstan. It is time to make the hopes that the country has in you come true,” Nursultan Nazarbayev said.

The President said that the Bolashak program can be considered as a breakthrough project aimed at forming a competitive nation.

The President expressed an opinion that Bolahsak scholars could be the basis to the new generation of managers that is about to come to power.

The President announced the idea of the national project “Intellectual nation – 2020”. The project’s implementation consists of three parts. Those are innovative development of educational system, powerful information revolution and spiritual education of young people.

“The project’s goal is to educate Kazakhstani people of new generation and to turn Kazakhstan into a country having competitive human resources,” the President noted.

The Head of State also noted there was an issue of modernizing the Bolashak Program. First of all, it is necessary to ensure a greater transparency of the applicant selection process. All people must be sure in the availability and fairness of the program.

The President noted that the association of Bolashak scholars could participate in the selection process as a public inspector.

In conclusion, the President said that all Bolashak scholars must consider the opportunity to study abroad as a unique possibility to contribute to the establishment of our young independent state.

“Today, the society and I, as the Head of State can ask you to work in full for the prosperity of our Motherland. You are the new generation of citizens that will create a new Kazakhstan in a new world. I believe, you have enough desire and strength to make Kazakhstan a strong, respectable and prosperous state in the XXI century,” Nursultan Nazarbayev emphasized

In Akorda Palace, President Nursultan Nazarbayev Views a Project of Developing the Resort Zone of Burabay

The project developed by the Turkish company BF Global implies the establishment of a tourist-entertaining complex of world class on the coast of the Shuchie Lake.

It is planned to build nine hotels comprising 3700 rooms meeting all world standards. Entertainment and trade centers of a total area of more than 21 thousand square meters, more than 700 private cottages and 4-5-storey houses comprising 1620 flats are also going to be built there.

The implementation of this project implies the development of the Burabay resort as a popular site for summer and winter holidays. Golf-clubs, an equestrian center, climbing walls will attract tourists from around the globe.

For winter holidays, it is planned to build skate rings and skiing routes with modern elevators.

The project will be implemented in five stages taking 12 years.

The President pointed out the necessity of constructing transport infrastructure in the resort zone.

The Head of State noted that the resort zone Burabay is a pearl of Kazakhstan. It is necessary to protect forests and restore damaged green areas.

Karim Massimov, Prime-Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has had a meeting with representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Senior Advisor in the IMF's Middle East and Central Asia Department D.Owen introduced T.Callen, the new head of IMF’s Mission to Kazakhstan.

During the meeting they discussed global economic matters and development prospects for 2008.

According to the IMF experts a worldwide economic slowdown is expected in 2008. And it is quite possible that continuing turbulence at global financial markets could result in more unfavorable occupancies.

In the context of these developments economic environment surrounding Kazakhstan will remain complex, and access to international financial markets is likely to be limited for Kazakhstan. Consequently, GDP growth is expected to decline. However, in accordance with international standards, economic growth rate is still expected to be high in Kazakhstan. Decrease in the rate of inflation is expected – inflation surged in the second half of 2007 as a result of an upswing in food prices that occurred in many countries.

The IMF representatives praised the steps taken by Kazakh government “in the complicated environment of the global crisis”. The National Bank’s support to the commercial banks and a package of supportive budgetary measures carried out by Kazakh Government helped successfully manage of the situation.

In the opinion of the IMF experts, decent budget indicators and acceptable level of international reserves provide Kazakhstan with sufficient resources to continue resisting “external shocks”.

David Owen said that slowdown of economic growth rate in these conditions would help “increase economic management efficiency”. He emphasized that strengthening of supervision in the financial sectors is a crucial aspect of this process and that the IMF is ready to provide expert support in this area. It is also important to take steps to promote competition at internal markets, and therefore IMF welcomes creation of the Agency for Protection of Competition.

The IMF representatives agreed that, generally, within these conditions Government should rely on market decisions not resorting to administrative control of prices or access to foreign currency.

Foreign Ministry’s Collegium was held in Astana

On January 29, 2008, the enlarged session of the Ministry’s collegium was held in Astana, where a detailed exchange of opinions took place on the results of work of foreign office in 2007. Perspective directions of Kazakhstan foreign policy in the light of priority tasks for social and economic modernization of the State, that were presented by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, as well as the entering the list of fifty most competitive states of the world were also discussed.

PM K. Masimov and the Head of the Administration of the President of the RK K. Kelimbetov, chairmen of the committees of the Senate and the Majilis of the Parliament, the heads of central state bodies and national holdings took part in the session. In the course of the panel the issues on practical assistance of the diplomatic corps of the RK in solving internal and external economic tasks, enhancement of interdepartmental coordination in order to guarantee successfully the interests of Kazakhstan were considered.

Opening the session, Kazakh Foreign Minister Marat Tazhin pointed out that in 2007 the Ministry continued to work on further strengthening the national security system, development of the regional integration, coordination of foreign economic activity and integration of Kazakhstan to global economy. He also emphasized the successful fulfilling the international agenda for 2007.

Because of active work of the Head of the State and thoughtful foreign policy strategy the allied relations with Russia have been further developed. Strategic partnership with China and the USA has strengthened. Having adopted a long term EU ‘Strategy for new partnership’ a dialogue with European states has a new content.

Economic component of cooperation in Central Asian direction has steadily developed. On the basis of common interests the interaction with partners was expanded to urgent regional problems such as the efficient utilization of water resources and economic infrastructure development.

Special attention was given to clarification of advantages of the investment climate in Kazakhstan, realization the agreements in fuel and energetic sphere, increase of transit and transport potential of the state, also encouragement of leading world companies to participate in projects in non crude material and high technological spheres of the Kazakhstan economy.

Having been CIS Chairman in 2007, Kazakhstan continued the policy of strengthening the integration beginnings in the CIS, promoting step by step the improvement process of its work. Pragmatic principle ‘a theme each year’, suggested by Kazakhstan, was taken as a basis of work within the frame of CIS. Appreciable progress was achieved in economic cooperation. The agreement on creation of the Custom Union was singed within the framework of EurAsEC, creating appropriate law basis has begun and normative basis of single economic space of Eurasian community were determined.

Positive movement in the direction of increasing the role and authority of Kazakhstan is undeniable in other organizations and regional unions like UN, OSCE, SCO, CSTO and movement in formation of our country as a regional centre of multilateral diplomacy.

The climactic event of the year was the decision of the Ministerial Council of OSCE in Madrid that became the next truth of internal policy of the president ensuring interethnic and inter-religious harmony and stability in kazakhstani society.

The OSCE Chairmanship in 2010 will give Kazakhstan the opportunity to participate actively in global agenda as well as it will become an important factor in building secure, stable and predictable the Central Asia region. The chairmanship will affect on the development of transit and transport dialogue and will be an incentive for additional regional integrative initiatives.

Talking about the plans for the current year Mr. Tazhin underlined the importance of continuing the work on implementation of purposes of the Head of the State.

The head of foreign office mentioned that along with visits of the leaders of our country abroad and visits of high ranking guests to Kazakhstan, the current year is rich of big international events. It is planning to conduct 17th Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE in Kazakhstan, also the Foreign Ministers’ meeting of the CICA, the Ministerial meeting of Asian dialogue of cooperation and forum ‘Common world: Progress through Diversity’.

The Executive Secretary of the Ministry and Deputy Ministers reported the results of supervising issues. In the discussion of undertaken work the heads of profile committees of the Senate and the Majilis of the Parliament of RK on international, defense and security affairs K. Sultanov and N. Rustemov stressed the importance in coordinated work on legislative level for provide the interests of the RK in the world scene. They expressed recommendations on individual aspects of the foreign policy of Kazakhstan.

Summing up the Session, PM of the RK Mr. Masimov positively assessed the work of the Ministry on implementation the course of the Head of the State in world community.

It was given concrete assignments by the Head of the Government to the range of the ministries and departments of the RK in spheres of logistic and finance implementation of foreign policy. Then PM made remarks and suggestions on actual issues on international economic cooperation of Kazakhstan, bilateral and regional interaction and resolution water-energetic problems in Central Asia and collaboration with international economic and financial organizations.