Official Statements:

Internal policy

October 12, 2007. President Nursultan Nazarbayev participated in the International Conference Devoted to the 10th Anniversary of the Strategy “Kazakhstan-2030”. While addressing the auditory, the President called the development and adoption of the Strategy to be ones of the most important events in Kazakhstan’s modern history. For the first time, this document clearly formulated long-term priorities in Kazakhstan’s development and outlined ways to achieve them.

“Today, we have all reasons to say the Strategy “Kazakhstan-2030” has confirmed its actuality and effectiveness. It has irreversibly changed the paradigm of our development from the model of survival to the model of forward development.  Having completed the transitory stage in its development, Kazakhstan is ready and able to qualitatively grow in the nearest future. The key objective of the Strategy “Kazakhstan-2030” remains constant. Our state must be one of the most developed countries in the world by 2030. And we will persistently strive towards this goal,” Nursultan Nazarbayev said in his speech.

External policy

October 17, 2007. President Nursultan Nazarbayev send a telegram of condolence to the Prime minister of Japan Yasuo Fukuda on the occasion of the decease of outstanding modern japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa. “As developer of architectural master plan of Astana City, Mr. Kurokawa has made a huge contribution in the development of our new capital, and his name will be forever add to the history of architecture of the Republic of Kazakhstan”, the telegram says.

October 16, 2007. The Second Summit of Leaders of the Littoral States of the Caspian Sea was Held in Tehran  Presidents of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and Turkmenistan met each other in Tehran in order to discuss important issues of determining the legal status of the Caspian Sea. As a result, the Heads of State have made their views more close on key aspects of the activities of the littoral countries of the Caspian Sea.

The Caspian Sea is unique because of its mineral and biological resources and also its ecological system. According to preliminary data, reserves of only carbohydrate resources are equal to 18 billion tons of standard coal. Obviously, each of the five littoral states has its own interests in the Sea’s natural resources.

The littoral Caspian states have been working on the Convention determining the legal status of the Caspian Sea for more than ten years. This document is very important, because it allows determining the property rights to natural and, first of all, to energy resources. While the Convention is not adopted, the Soviet-Iranian treaties on  February 26, 1921 and on March 25, 1940 are still be in law.

These documents regulate issues of navigation and fishery, but do not determine procedures of exploiting natural resources fields.

In November 2003, representatives of the Caspian littoral countries signed a Framework Convention on protecting naval environment of the Caspian Sea (Tehran Convention), which came into force on August 12, 2006. This was the first document adopted in pentalateral format. Its main objective is to ensure ecological security of the unique Sea and protect it against pollution caused by the exploitation of its carbohydrate resources.

In addition, three Caspian littoral countries, namely Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan regulated all disputable issues in the northern part of the Caspian Sea when signed a trilateral Agreement determining the point of intersection between neighboring parts of the Caspian Sea’s bottom. The document has legalized more than 60 percents of the Sea’s water-surface area in trilateral format.

While addressing the auditory, Kazakhstan’s President reminded that the first pentalateral summit was held in Ashgabat in April 2002. At that time, leaders of the five states could not achieve mutual understanding on all issues, but concrete directions of further work were outlined.

Kazakh leader underscored the special importance of the main document, the Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea, which together with other international acts will regulate the major issues of cooperation between the Caspian littoral states.

Nursultan Nazarbayev outlined Kazakhstan’s position in the future determination of the Caspian Sea’s legal status, which means a separation of the Caspian waters into internal zones, territorial Sea, fishery zones and shared water zones.

The President also noted the necessity of the fastest and scientifically grounded juridical registration of the interaction between the littoral states in the exploitation, protection and renewal of the Caspian Sea’s biological resources by signing a pentalateral treaty.

The Head of State noted Kazakhstan adheres to its policy of ensuring good-neighbor relationships in the region of the Caspian Sea. That is confirmed by Kazakhstan’s initiative in the project of the Summit’s Declaration on establishing foundations for strengthening trust, security and stability in the Sea’s region.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev expressed his confidence that this meeting in Tehran will significantly contribute to strengthening friendship, mutual understanding and prosperity between our countries.

October 15, 2007. Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov met High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana. The sides discussed prospects of co-operation between Kazakhstan and the EU in the fields of trade, investments, O&G and transport, and communications. K. Massimov noted that Kazakhstan, being a major trade and investmet partner of the EU in Central Asia, would abide by the principles of open and constructive partnership relations.  In his turn, Javier Solana reiterated the EU’s intention to expand its presence in Central Asia and render support to political and economic development of the region’s nations.  On the whole, the sides pointed to progress in relations between Kazakhstan and the EU and expressed confidence in further development of the relations against the backdrop of the Central Asia’s growing geopolitical role and Kazakhstan’s in particular.

For the first half of 2007 bilateral trade turnover stood at USD 12.5 billion. The 2006 total figure made up USD 22.7 billion; the EU countries account for 36.8% of the Kazakhstan’s total foreign trade turnover. The share of the European investments makes up over ½ (53%) of the total foreign investments into the Kazakh economy.

Economy

October 18, 2007. As of October 18, in Kazakhstan 22.4 million tons of grain in bunker weight has been threshed. Grain crops were harvested from the area of 15.2 million hectares, at the average productivity - 14.7 centners from a hectare, threshed 22.4 million tons of grain in bunker weight, including wheat - 18.6 million tons, barley - 2.6 million tons.

October 17, 2007. At the plenary of Majilis session Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov stated that for eight months of 2007 GDP growth in Kazakhstan made 10.2%. High growth observed in industrial production, the volume of which has increased by almost 5 %.Thus, the rate of growth in manufacturing industry has exceeded 7.5 %.

October 16, 2007. The government of Kazakhstan suggests reducing deficit of the republican budget of 2007 to KZT 41.4 billion. The bill on amendments and additions to the Kazakhstan law on the republican budget for 2007 was considered and approved on Monday at the 18th session of the republican budgetary commission under the presidency of Prime Minister Karim Masimov.  Due to specification of macroeconomic parameters and receipt of single payments scheduled plan of the revenue part of the budget are increased by KZT 175 billion and will make KZT 2 273 billion. The expenses increase by KZT 133.7 billion and will make KZT 2 503 billion. The deficit of the republican budget has been reduced by KZT 41.4 billion.  The bill will be submitted to consideration of the Parliament.