Vol. 2, No. 11, April 4, 2002
Politics 
·President Nazarbayev sets up new anti-corruption and ethics commission
President Nazarbayev sets up new anti-corruption and ethics commission ·U.S. Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans calls President Nazarbayev
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans calls President Nazarbayev·Kazakhstan ready to open airports for anti-terrorist coalition
Kazakhstan ready to open airports for anti-terrorist coalition·Kazakhstan to open Embassy in Afghanistan
Kazakhstan to open Embassy in Afghanistan ·Majilis ratifies missile silos agreement with the U.S.
Majilis ratifies missile silos agreement with the U.S.·Constitutional Council rules to have legal assessment for new religion legislation
Constitutional Council rules to have legal assessment for new religion legislationEconomy
·Almaty gets ready for the Eurasian Economic Summit
Almaty gets ready for the Eurasian Economic Summit·Foreign trade and investment volumes hit record highs in 2001
Foreign trade and investment volumes hit record highs in 2001·Kazakhstan to produce 55 million tons of hydrocarbons by 2004
Kazakhstan to produce 55 million tons of hydrocarbons by 2004·Government expects 8-9% GDP growth in Q1
Government expects 8-9% GDP growth in Q1POLITICS
President Nazarbayev sets up new anti-corruption and ethics commissionPresident Nursultan Nazarbayev on April 2 signed a decree creating a new commission on the fight against corruption and observance of ethics by public servants. Presidential advisor Colonel General Sat Tokpakbaev, former Defense Minister and Chairman of the National Security Committee, was appointed Chairman of the Commission.The step indicates Kazakhstan's toughening efforts on uprooting corruption as the country moves to further improve its standing as one of most advanced nations in the area, both democratically and economically. It comes on the heels of the decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce of March 26 to grant the market economy status to Kazakhstan, the first country in the CIS to attain that.U.S. Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans calls President Nazarbayev On March 27, Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans called President Nazarbayev to congratulate him on Kazakhstan's obtaining the market-economy status, the press service of the president reported the same day. Secretary Evans said the United States made this decision with great satisfaction since it will promote partnership between the U.S. and Kazakhstan. Mr. Evans also said he was impressed with his meeting with President Nazarbayev in Washington during the December 2001 visit.Kazakhstan ready to open airports for anti-terrorist coalitionSpeaking to reporters on April 1, Secretary of State - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Kassymzhomart Tokaev once again reiterated the republic's readiness to open up one of its airports for the purpose of refueling and or basing aircraft participating in the anti-terrorist campaign in Afghanistan. Kazakhstan would offer access to its bases "under no conditions"; Tokaev pointed out that since the end of January, over 130 anti-terrorist coalition planes have flown in Kazakhstan airspace on their way to or from the theater. US Ambassador to Kazakhstan Larry Napper, commenting to the Associated Press, stated: "We highly appreciate Kazakhstan's constructive approach. We are grateful to Kazakhstan for its friendly, active assistance to the international action against terror."Kazakhstan to open Embassy in AfghanistanKazakhstan plans to open an Embassy in Afghanistan by the end of 2002, Foreign Minister Kassymzhomart Tokaev announced this week. The Government of Kazakhstan believes the Interim Administration in Afghanistan deserves Kazakhstan's "full support for its attempts to sustain peace in the country." Kazakhstan should take an active role in the revival of the Afghan economy, the Foreign Minister stressed. He noted that the republic has plans to provide some 2,000-3,000 tons of grain as humanitarian aid.Majilis ratifies missile silos agreement with the U.S.On April 3, 2002, the Majilis, the lower house of Kazakhstan's parliament, ratified an agreement with the United States on the prolongation of the term for elimination of intercontinental ballistic missiles launching silos, liquidation of consequences of emergency situations and prevention of proliferation of nuclear weapons.Kazakhstan and the U.S. signed the original agreement December 13, 1993 with a purpose of implementing the Cooperative Threat Reduction program. The document, prolonged for an additional 7seven-year period in December 2000, provides for legal basis for the continuing cooperation in the sphere of accounting, controlling and physical protection of nuclear and biological materials; elimination of the consequences of nuclear explosions; conversion of the Semipalatinsk polygon infrastructure; as well as the conversion of Stepnogorsk biological plant, and burying spent nuclear fuel.Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of Kazakhstan Vladimir Shkolnik, presenting the bill to the Majilis, said that under the agreement the U.S. has provided USD 182 million for the works during its fist seven-year period. The remaining USD 6 million will be spent to finish the works. The ratification bill now goes to the Senate before reaching the President's desk.Constitutional Council rules to have legal assessment for new religion legislationOn April 3, 2002 Kazakhstan's Constitutional Council voted to put new religion legislation under legal assessment to clarify its compliance with the country's Constitution. The decision came several weeks after President Nursultan Nazarbayev used his right to seek the council's counsel on the proposed amendments to the law "On Religion" and referred the appropriate bill to the Council following its approval by both houses of the national Parliament. The bill, seeking to change regulations in the religious sphere, has been under consideration, and heated debates in the Parliament and the society, for over a year now. Currently, more than 2,500 religious associations operate in Kazakhstan, representing Islam, Christianity, both Orthodox and non-Orthodox, Judaism, a total of 46 confessions. In 2001 the Government initiated a bill to help regulate the activity of non-traditional religious confessions for the concern of extremist organizations' increased activities in the region.ECONOMY
Almaty gets ready for the Eurasian Economic SummitAlmaty, the "southern capital" of Kazakhstan, its largest city and financial center, is getting ready to host the 2nd biannual Eurasian Economic Summit to take place under World Economic Forum auspices on April 8-9.The summit, «Sustaining Growth in Uncertain Times", "will focus primarily on the eight core countries five of them in Central Asia and three in the Caucasus of the region. It will also pay close attention to the surrounding area (China, Iran, Russia and Turkey) and other nations (Afghanistan, India and Pakistan) that play an important role in determining the fate of the core countries," the WEF said in its advisory.Following its good record of attracting foreign investment, which totaled USD 14,7 billion, since 1993, Kazakhstan is expected to announce up to 40 new investment projects at the forum. (For more information about the summit visit www.weforum.org )
Foreign trade and investment volumes hit record highs in 2001On April 3 National Bank Chairman Grigori Marchenko disclosed that Kazakhstan's foreign trade volume in 2001 amounted to USD 17.3 billion, an increase of 7.5 percent over 2000. Export volumes reduced by 2 percent to USD 9.12 billion, while imports grew by 20 percent, which Mr. Marchenko explained by the growth of demand.According to Mr. Marchenko, foreign direct investment into Kazakhstan totaled USD 2.8 billion in 2001, almost double the amount of 2000 and record high in the history of an independent Kazakhstan.Kazakhstan to produce 55 million tons of hydrocarbons by 2004Oil production in Kazakhstan is expected to rise to 55 million tons by 2004, Minister of Economy and Trade Mazhit Esenbaev revealed at a Government meeting on March 28.Hydrocarbons output is expected to rise by 5 million tons a year in each of the next three years; in 2001 the republic produced just over 40 million tons of crude, according to Government data, Mr. Esenbaev said. In addition, over the next few years the Government will be involved in upgrading the capacities of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium's Tengiz-Novorossiisk pipeline as well as embarking on the active development of Caspian offshore fields.The aforementioned goals, all of which are included in the Government's macroeconomic program, were adopted with consideration of unfavorable trends in the global economy, including "the current situation in the world metals market and conflicting oil price forecasts."Government expects 8-9% GDP growth in Q1The Government of Kazakhstan expects to see 8-9% GDP growth in the first quarter of 2002, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Alexander Pavlov announced on March 28, 2001. The republic's macroeconomic development seems to be advancing at an accelerating pace, Pavlov noted. Industrial output grew by at least 12% in the first quarter, while agricultural production rose 4.3% and investment into fixed capital was up 7.7%. * * *
News Bulletin of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan
(Compiled from own sources and various agencies' reports)
Contact persons: Roman Vassilenko, Aibek Nurbalin
Tel.: (202) 232- 5488 ext. 104, 115
Fax: (202) 232- 5845
