Official Statements:

President Nursultan Nazarbayev chaired in Kostanay 21st Plenary Session of the Foreign Investors’ Council under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The theme of the session: “Alternative Sources of Finance for Further Economic Development of Kazakhstan under the Varying Conditions in the Global Financial Markets”.

Minister of Industry and Trade Aset Issekeshev presented new members of the Council – CEO of Royal Dutch Shell Peter Voser, Director General of the UC RUSAL Oleg Deripaska, Executive Vice President of Mitsubishi Tetsuro Terada, President of TeliaSonera Lars Nyberg. The Governor of the National Bank Grigory Marchenko and Presidential Aide Kuandyk Bishimbayev are included in the Council from the Kazakhstani side.

Aset Issekeshev also reported on the implementation of the Protocol of the 20th Plenary Session of the Foreign Investors’ Сouncil.

President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Thomas Mirow delivered a speech where he outlined problems of domestic measures to expand access to traditional and alternative sources of finance.

Minister of Economy and Budget Planning Bakhyt Sultanov devoted his speech to the issues on attracting funds through diversification of sources of finance for the economy of Kazakhstan and through the alternative instruments of attracting investments.

In the course of the session the Council members discussed main issues of the session’s theme and other crucial questions of the investment climate and investment policy of Kazakhstan.

Summing up the meeting, the head of state emphasized that despite the first signs of improvement, all countries continue tackling current economic challenges.

Kazakhstan was among the first to elaborate its anti-crisis program. For its realization the state allocated more than USD 19 billion that makes 14 percent of the country’s GDP. To date, in Kazakhstan we have seen the first positive results.

“The international Rating Agency Standard & Poor’s has recently upgrade Kazakhstan sovereign ratings. It is an important and positive sign of the fact that we are on the right way,” the President stressed.

Moreover, the crisis once again proved a need for economy diversification. That is why starting from the beginning of the next year; Kazakhstan will launch a five-year plan of accelerated industrial and innovative development.

Active involvement of foreign investors along with mobilization of financial resources is one of the important factors of the program's successdul realization.

In this connection the head of state drew attention of the Council members to the need for development of Kazakhstan participation, to create conditions for foreign investors to reinvest their profits, to the importance of a shift from short-term speculative investments to long-term investments into the traditional branches of the country's economy.

The next session of the Foreign Investors’ Council chaired by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan will be held in Astana, on December 4 and devoted to the issues on diversification and technological development of Kazakhstan.

On the same day President Nursultan Nazarbayev held bilateral meetings with President of the EBRD Thomas Mirow, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ArcelorMittal Lakshmi Mittal, and Director General of the UC RUSAL Oleg Deripaska.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev held Bilateral Meeting with President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev at the Kremlin

A range of important issues of bilateral cooperation and strategic partnership was discussed in the course of the meeting conducted in the atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust which was traditional for Kazakhstan-Russian relations.

The heads of state expressed satisfaction with the state of relations between two countries, development of comprehensive interaction on all the directions of the cooperation.

Discussing the global financial crisis, Nursultan Nazarbayev emphasized the importance of promoting and realization of the initiative on supranational currency unit.

The leaders of Kazakhstan and Russia underlined the acceleration of the Customs Union establishment process. Almost all the necessary documents have been harmonized.

As the President of Kazakhstan pointed out, establishment of the Customs Union and opening of the borders between the member-states would become an event of global scope.

The heads of state emphasized the importance of the preparation work to the next Forum of Near Border Regions of Kazakhstan and Russia to be held in Orenburg, in autumn this year.

In Nursultan Nazarbayev’s opinion which was supported by the President of Russia, the issues on interregional and near border cooperation taking into account the establishment of common customs space of the two countries should be discussed at this forum.

President Nazarbayev and President Medvedev also discussed the current situation in the global and regional aspects as well positions of the two countries on the eve of the CSTO and SCO summits.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev took part in the Session of the Council of Heads of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States in Yekaterinburg City

A wide range of issues related to ensuring stability and security on the SCO space, development of trade and economic cooperation and promotion of cultural and humanitarian relations was discussed at the meeting.

An important result of the summit was confirmation of the Regulation on political and diplomatic measures and the SCO mechanisms of reaction on the situations that endanger peace, security and stability in the region. First and foremost it refers to the recent nuclear tests carried out by North Korea.

Special attention was given to the situation in Afghanistan and stepping up of the SCO’s interaction with this country. The sides agreed on every strengthening of anti-terror and anti-drugs potential of the SCO. It primarily supposed efficient use of opportunities of the Central Asian Regional Information Coordination Center and turning it into the main body for countering drugs in the region.

In order to toughen control over migration flows, President Nursultan Nazarbayev initiated signing of an Agreement on Cooperation in the Fight against Illegal Migration.

The head of state also emphasized that under the global financial crisis conditions a task to mitigate its negative effects by strengthening of economic cooperation of the SCO member states assumes a special relevance.

“The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has all opportunities to utilize its potential and introduce a common supranational currency unit referred to the main regional currency basket. This unit could be used in trade and economic settlements between the SCO member states,” Nursultan Nazarbayev highlighted.

On the whole according to the experts‘ research decisions made at the summit are aimed to expand practical interaction in political, economic, and humanitarian spheres both between the SCO member and observer states.

Following the summit, a number of documents on deepening cooperation between the SCO member states to counter terrorism, extremism, drugs trafficking, trans-border organized crime and other threats had been signed.

On the same day, President Nursultan Nazarbayev met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The topical issues of further strengthening and development of mutually beneficial Kazakhstan-Indian cooperation were discussed during the meeting.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev met President of the Federative Republic of Brazil Liuz Inacio Lula da Silva Who visited Astana for State Visit

Following the official meeting ceremony at the Akorda Palace, the tete-a-tete and expanded talks took place.

Presidents of Kazakhstan and Brazil discussed prospects for the development of Kazakhstan-Brazilian bilateral relations and emphasized significant potential of their development.

Kazakhstan considers Brazil as a perspective foreign policy and trading partner in Latin America.

In turn, Brazil highly assessed Kazakhstan’s achievements in political, socioeconomic spheres, aspiration of Astana for diversification of the country’s economy and entering the list of world’s 20 competitive countries.

All necessary environments have been created for expanding cooperation in the political aspect. A trusting dialogue has been established on highest level. Conditions for further development of inter-parliamentary relations have been created as well. The Kazakhstan-Brazilian deputies group has been established in the Majilis of Parliament.

In the course of negotiations the progressive development of trade and economic cooperation was noted. In 2008, the trade turnover has grown nearly twofold and reached US$ 275 million. Moreover, the volume of bilateral trade does not meet the economic potential of the two countries.

The sides discussed opportunities for participation of Brazilian business in realization of the breakthrough economy diversification projects.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev stated that all necessary environments was created for foreign investors – liberal market economy, legislation that provides protection of foreign investments. Moreover, the World Bank included Kazakhstan in the list of world’s 20 countries with favorable investment climate.

It was noted that perspective directions are energy, metallurgy, machinery, agriculture, aviation and space researches, tourism and sport.

Nursultan Nazarbayev and L.I.Lula da Silva also shared their visions on the issues of international politics and expressed interest in deepening bilateral cooperation to ensure regional and global security, to counter international terrorism and to consolidate the financial and economic stability across the globe.

Following the negotiations, President Nursultan Nazarbayev and President Liuz Inacio Lula da Silva issued a joint statement.