Embassy of Kazakhstan

POLITICS

Foreign Minister Tazhin on official visit to the Kingdom of Netherlands

On June, 4 at the invitation of Dutch side Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Marat Tazhin held official visit to the Kingdom of Netherlands. Within the framework of the visit Minister M.Tazhin held bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Jan Balkenende and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Verhagen.

The topic issues on collaboration development between the two states both in the bilateral format and within international organizations were discussed during negotiations with the head of executive branch of Netherlands. Yan Balkenende stressed that the Netherlands are considering Kazakhstan as a strategic Central Asian partner taking into account the important role of Astana in addressing global energy security, combating international terrorism and drug trafficking, non-proliferation of WMD, climate change and environmental protection.

In his turn head of Kazakhstani Foreign Ministry, noting the active investment policy of Dutch companies in Kazakhstan, accentuated the importance of priorities of bilateral cooperation within the framework of State program «Path to Europe» and Strategy for a new EU Partnership with Central Asia. Thereupon, the Minister explicitly noted a great demand in Kazakhstan for the best Dutch practices in the field of energy-saving, alternative sources of energy, cleaner production in industry and agriculture.

Kazakhstani diplomat extended an invitation to Jan Balkenende to visit Kazakhstan at any convenient time.

At the end of the meeting the Dutch Prime Minister conveyed his best wishes to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.Nazarbayev.

M.Tazhin held negotiations with his Dutch colleague M.Verhagen in the governmental guest house on the same day during which the sides held detailed exchange of views on the future directions of interaction both in a bilateral and international context and also on the priorities of Kazakhstan’s OSCE Chairmanship in 2010.

In this context Heads of Foreign Ministries specifically discussed topical issues on OSCE agenda and agreed to continue consultations on joint promotion of overlapping interests in all three dimensions of the Organization.

The diplomats noted the similarity of the positions on a range of topical issues of regional security.

As a continuation of active foreign relations M.Tazhin invited his Dutch counterpart to visit Kazakhstan.

Memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands was signed summarizing the results of the visit. According to the MOU parties made a commitment to hold consultations and meetings at every level of political dialogue to promote bilateral political, economic, scientific, technological, ecological and cultural cooperation, to strengthen collaboration on regional and international matters and also the interaction within the framework of international organizations.



Kazakhstan to host Euro-Atlantic Security Forum

The Peninsula

DOHA: The third Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) Security Forum will be held in Astana Kazakhstan on June 24-25, according to a press statement issued by Kazakhstan Embassy. The idea to host the Forum was proposed by the Kazakhstan President N Nazarbayev in support by the North- Atlantic Council.

For the first time, the EAPC Security Forum will be conducted on the post-soviet territory and Asian continent. The forum will be one of the largest events, hosted in the country in 2009. Two Forums were earlier held in Sweden (Are city) in 2005 and in Macedonia (Ohrid city) in 2007, said the press statement.

The Security Forum is going to be an informal ground for open and free discussions on regional and global security issues. The main idea of the Forum is “Security through Partnership”. During the plenary and thematic sessions of the Forum the broad range of topics will be discussed, including security in Central Asia and Caucasus, situation in Afghanistan and energy security issues, the statement said.

More than 50 EAPC and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) member-countries, other states, international organizations and media representatives will participate in the Forum,

At the same time, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly is planning to organise the Rose-Roth inter-parliamentary seminar in Kazakhstan this year. The forum will focus on dialogue and actual questions regarding Euro-Atlantic security. The cooperation between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the NATO was started after Kazakhstan had joined the North-Atlantic Cooperation Council in 1992. It was later transformed to the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) in 1997. In order to develop the political dialogue and military cooperation with the NATO, Kazakhstan has joined “Partnership for peace” (PIP) Programme on May 27, 1994.

Currently, the bilateral cooperation with the North-Atlantic Alliance is being accomplished in accordance with the agreements, reached during the negotiations between the P N Nazarbayev and the NATO Secretary General J de Hoop Scheffer in the NATO Headquarters on December 2006. The agreements was also reached in lined with the task of the Head of the State to deepen and intensify practical cooperation with the NATO. The collaboration between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the NATO is accomplished within the training and equipping of certain armed forces divisions, particularly “Kazbat”/ “Kazbrig” peacekeeping force. The cooperation of Kazakhstan-NATO is also in accordance with the NATO standards and training of a special rescue crew that can participate in international rescue and humanitarian operations.

NATO/UN standars include: boundary security cooperation; armed forces reforms; using NATO’s potential in science, emergency civil planning and environmental problems solving.

As the NATO Secretary -General J de Hoop Scheffer stated, the Republic of Kazakhstan is a key country in Central Asia for the NATO. Kazakhstan is the only Central Asian state, with NATO relations within the partnership activity plan.



ECONOMY

Kazakhstan economy showing signs of recovery- PM

Reuters

Kazakhstan's economy is showing signs of recovery and is likely to achieve growth in the first half of the year, Prime Minister Karim Masimov said on Monday.

Some economists, including those at the International Monetary Fund, expect the Kazakh economy to shrink this year for the first time in a decade after gross domestic product contracted by 2.2 percent in the first quarter.

"We are still in negative territory. But ... we have seen a positive trend starting from March," Masimov told a government meeting chaired by President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

"All the signs are showing that it (gross domestic product) will step into positive territory in the first half."

The export-oriented, resource rich nation has been hit hard by the global economic downturn. The government is now worried about a possible rise in social tension caused by falling incomes in the mainly Muslim, former Soviet republic.

The official government forecast for this year's growth is one percent.

GDP in Kazakhstan, a vast nation wedged between the Caspian Sea and China, grew 3.2 percent last year, after expanding at an average rate of about 10 percent in 2000-2007 on the back of booming oil and metals prices, its main exports.



Kairgeldy Kabyldin: Performance of a feasibility study for Trans-Caspian Project may be launched in the second half

APA

Work on the performance of a feasibility study for the proposed Trans-Caspian Project can be started in the second half of 2009, said Kairgeldy Kabyldin, President of KazMunaiGaz, the national company of Kazakhstan.

”The feasibility study will be developed jointly with SOCAR in accordance with the terms of the agreement on the fundamental principles for the implementation of the Trans -Caspian project. In conjunction with international oil companies, the preparation of technical specifications and other tender documents is on track of completion,” he added.

He also said that the performance of a feasibility study for the Eskene-Kuryk pipeline has been completed.
After the completion of exploration work, the feasibility study will be submitted to “Trans-Caspian KMG” for the further development of project estimates.

The Trans-Caspian system involves the creation of complex objects, including oil terminals in Kuryk on the coast of Kazakhstan and on the coast of Azerbaijan, the tanker fleet to transport oil for the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, as well as the establishment of appropriate infrastructure to ensure the viability, reliability and security of the system.

Kairgeldy Kabyldin recalled that presidents of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed an agreement in 2006 in order to create conditions for the realization of the project and KazMunaiGaz and SOCAR signed several memorandums later on.
The papers on strategic cooperation in oil and gas industry expressed interest in expanding cooperation in oil and gas, petrochemical, refining, transportation and transit of Kazakh hydrocarbons.

According to him, KazMunaiGaz and SOCAR signed an agreement in 2008 on the fundamental principles for the implementation of the Trans-Caspian project, setting out financing, tariff expenses, and phases of the project.

“Today, our companies are working on the implementation of these joint documents. The bother sides are involved in negotiations with foreign firms. The both companies have equal rights in the project,” he added.

He also expressed interest in expanding cooperation with Azerbaijan in the training of specialists in the oil and gas sector.



OTHER NEWS

Fans celebrate victory in Kazakhstan

BBC News

"Six out of six!" says Tony Choma with an emphatic smile.

For England fans, this 7,000 mile round trip to Kazakhstan was worth it.

Fabio Capello's team have maintained their unblemished record in the qualification campaign for next summer's World Cup in South Africa, with a 4-0 victory against Kazakhstan here in Almaty.

"It's terrific," Mr Choma, 51, from Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, continues. "Away games in places like this can be tough - but we've done it."

"It wasn't the best performance of all time," his friend Neil Vatcher adds. "But as is often said, that is the sign of a good team - grafting away. We struggled in the first 20 minutes, but once we got the first goal we were away."

And yes, before that opening goal by Gareth Barry, England's fans did look nervous. They weren't the only ones. The England manager was pacing up and down the touchline looking agitated and irritable, barking out instructions to England's less than convincing defence.

Manic cheering

But Barry's header settled England, and Emile Heskey's goal just before half time calmed any remaining nerves.

Blair Trehernepollock, 42, is one of the many British expats here cheering on England. He moved to Kazakhstan from Clapham in south London to set up in business - and jumped at the chance to be able to see England play just down the road from home.

"It was a fantastic game - and a superb, carnival atmosphere. We were sitting with the Kazakhstan supporters and they loved it," he says.

To the Kazakh fans, cheering manically every time their team got the ball inside England's half, this is the World Cup.

Kazakhstan aren't going to qualify for the tournament itself, so for them, this is it. And they are hugely proud to have had the chance to host England.

Football fans here adore the Premier League. For every three blue Kazakh flags amongst their faithful, there must have been at least one fan in a Premier League jersey - more often than not a Liverpool, Chelsea or Manchester United one.

The cheer from the Kazakh crowd when David Beckham came on as a substitute was one of the loudest of the night.

"The spirit of the game and the mood of the fans on all sides was fantastic," John Murphy, 62, from Bournemouth adds. "Mind you, we paid full whack for our tickets and from our seats you could only see three quarters of the pitch!"

Mr Trehernepollock's son Ned, seven, doesn't seem bothered about that. "It was a very good game. I loved it because England scored four goals - four!" he says proudly.

Ned has another reason to be happy. Unlike the majority of England fans, he is spared the marathon journey home.

As fans spill out into the bars to toast another win, talk about the game gives way to two other considerations - how they'll get back, and more importantly, when.