In this issue:
OSCE Chairman-in-Office Visits Kazakhstan
Economy Grows 9.4 Percent in 2004, Strong Growth to Continue in 2005 and Beyond
Kazakh Engineers Create Universal Amphibious Car
Kazakhstan’s Ice Hockey Team Wins Place at 2006 Turin Olympics, Stunning Austria and France
Economic growth --- Economikalyk damu
Trade surplus --- Sauda kaldyk
OSCE Chairman-in-Office Visits Kazakhstan
Dimitrij Rupel, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Slovenian Foreign Minister visited Astana on February 15 for talks with officials on continued political reforms in Kazakhstan, challenges to stability in Central Asia and Kazakhstan’s aspirations to chair the OSCE in 2009.
In Astana, Minister Rupel met Nurtai Abykayev and Ural Mukhamedzhanov, the Speakers the Senate and the Majilis of the Parliament, Bulat Utemuratov, Secretary of the Security Council, and Deputy Foreign Minister Askar Shakirov. At the end of his visit, the Chairman met representatives of political parties and NGOs.
He said democratic reforms in Kazakhstan, which hopes to take on the OSCE Chairmanship in 2009, would send an important signal to other countries in Central Asia, and he encouraged Kazakhstan to press ahead with political reform, especially in the areas of political pluralism and independent media.
The Chairman-in-Office said he was pleased that a representative of Kazakhstan, Kuanysh Sultanov, will be a member of the group of seven Eminent Persons chosen to advise on ways of strengthening and reforming the OSCE. “Kazakhstan will have a say in reforming the OSCE, a topic very high on our agenda this year,” he said. The first meeting of the Eminent Persons group will take place in Ljubljana on February 17.
Minister Rupel welcomed Kazakhstan’s willingness to discuss the recommendations of the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) after parliamentary elections last autumn, in which ODIHR identified shortcomings in a number of areas. He said ODIHR “has made several highly constructive recommendations, including the need for an improved legislative framework, and the OSCE stands ready to work in partnership with the Kazakh election authorities to implement these recommendations.”
Minister Rupel said the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media is ready to provide all necessary legal assistance in drafting a new media law and on other possible initiatives, such as decriminalization of libel law, in conformity with OSCE standards.
The Chairman-in-Office expressed strong support for Kazakhstan’s efforts in the field of counter-terrorism, in particular its commitment to ensuring that human rights are safeguarded. He welcomed “the Kazakh government’s stated intention to improve good governance. I believe committed actions in this area will further enhance Kazakhstan’s economic development.”
During his talks in Kazakhstan, Minister Rupel also discussed issues relating to pending legislation on fighting extremism.
At a news conference, Minister Rupel said: “Today our common enemies are terrorism, economic and environmental problems, natural disasters, and ineffective practices of government management. We came to the situation where activity of organizations such as the OSCE is extremely important.”
Economy Grows 9.4 Percent in 2004,
Strong Growth to Continue in 2005 and Beyond
Kali Abdiyev, Kazakhstan’s National Statistics Agency, told the press conference in Almaty on February 14 that Kazakhstan’s economy grew 9.4 percent last year and may grow by 9.0 percent this year. This continued a positive trend of the past five years whereas the economy, fueled by high oil prices and benefiting from earlier systemic reforms, has been growing 10 percent annually on average, including 9.3 percent in 2003.
Services accounted for 50.7 percent of Kazakhstan’s gross domestic product, while production of goods accounted for 44.9 percent of the GDP. Industry accounted for 31.1 percent of the GDP.
Kazakhstan’s 2004 GDP was worth 5.543 trillion Tenge (US$43 billion) in current prices.
The 2004 GDP growth was explained by expansion in construction (11.2 percent), industry (10 percent), and transportation and communications (12.2 percent), as well as the 53 percent growth of trade surplus. Kazakhstan’s trade surplus soared to US$7 billion in 2004, from US$4.573 billion in 2003, driven mainly by favorable world prices for its export staples including crude oil, precious metals, and grain. Overall exports rose 54 percent to $20.3 billion.
The Statistics Agency expects Kazakhstan’s GDP to expand by 9.3 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period a year ago. The Agency sees a 9.0 percent GDP increase for 2005 as a whole.
“I personally do not expect an economic slowdown for another two years,” Abdiyev said.
In a related development, Kairat Aitekenov, Vice Minister of Economy and Budget Planning, said Kazakhstan’s GDP growth in 2005-2008 might reach 7.4-8.8 percent depending on global oil prices.
Kazakh Engineers Create Universal Amphibious Car
Several years ago, engineers at a weapons plant in Semipalatinsk, facing a bleak future with spiraling demand for its produce – armored carriers - came up with an idea to save their plant from extinction: build a civilian universal vehicle.
Such an idea was not new, to be sure, for there have already been numerous cases in Kazakhstan, Russia and other countries, where military facilities were successfully converted to peaceful uses. Yet, an equal number of failures could probably be found in as many countries, too.
So it came as a great relief to many when plant
managers announced earlier in February that
they successfully produced and tested Esil, an
amphibious track vehicle they claim to be
universal in its potential use.
Beibit Altynbekov, chief of production, said: “This
vehicle can travel well in cross country, marshy,
mountainous, ravine conditions and on water.”
Esil is based on the military prototype, but has
undergone numerous changes to satisfy civilian
demands.
Talgat Turkybayev, a spokesman of the plant,
said: “This is the first time such a vehicle has
been developed in Kazakhstan. It can be used in any conditions, and it has heater for winters and conditioner for the summer conditions.”
Engineers and officials are hopeful the vehicle would be in great demand and would like to look beyond it. Ideas under consideration now include a mobile headquarters for emergency services and agricultural workers. Another ambitious project is to develop Astana, a vehicle they would like to compete with Hummers.
Kazakhstan’s Ice Hockey Team Wins Place at 2006
Turin Olympics, Stunning Austria and France
Kazakhstan’s ice hockey team beat Team France in the final qualifying game on February 13 to win its place among the world’s best at the XX Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy, in 2006.
When the qualification tournament began a week ago, the Kazakh team’s trip to Turin was less than assured. They began by losing 4-0 to the tournament’s host Austria, a favorite to win the qualification. They then won 2-1, however, over Ukraine. At the same time, Austria had squandered the chance to qualify by losing 4-3 to a Ukraine side that had already been eliminated.
So by the time of the game between Kazakhstan and France on Sunday, France knew that a draw against the supposed group minnows would be enough to qualify them for the Olympics.
But that was not to be: the Kazakhs won 1-0. Andrey Samokhvalov rammed home the decisive goal at the end of the first period, but it was goaltender Vitaliy Kolesnik who deserved the plaudits, making 26 saves on his way to a remarkable clean sheet.
In the end, despite scoring just three goals and finishing with a negative goal difference, the Kazakhs confounded pre-tournament expectations to earn their second Olympic appearance in history since the 1998 Nagano Olympics.
In Turin in 2006, Kazakhstan and Latvia, a fellow qualifier from a different group, are slotted in to Group B with Sweden, Slovakia, USA and Russia. In almost exactly a year, the men’s Olympic ice hockey tournament will open on February 15, 2006 at 11.30 (AM) local Turin time with Kazakhstan taking on Sweden in the first game.
Things to Watch:
- Kazakhstan’s Parliament to convene for a joint session on February 18, 2005, to hear the annual Presidential State of the Nation address.
- The Government issued a resolution moving certain weekend days off because of upcoming holidays. According to the resolution, Saturday March 5 will be a working day, whereas Monday March 7 will not. That will give people three days off, March 6, 7 and March 8, the International Women’s Day. Similarly, Saturday March 19 will be a working day, whereas Monday March 21 will not. This will bring together three days off as well, March 20, 21, and March 22, the Nauryz Holiday.
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News Bulletin of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the USA and Canada
(Compiled from own sources and agency reports)
Contact person: Roman Vassilenko
1401 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20036
Tel.: 202 232 5488, ext. 104, Fax: 202 232 5845
