Vol. 3, No. 30, August 28, 2002
Politics
Senior U.N. official signals Central Asian nuclear free zone treaty may be signed this year Kazakhstan sends humanitarian aid to AfghanistanConstitution ensures inviolability and integrity of the state, official saysPresident reshuffles the Government Fight against corruption intensifies U.S. Ambassador presents vehicles to Kazakhstan border troops Economy
Second Stock Exchange to open in Kazakhstan Ecostar-8 communication satellite launches Over 9,000 foreigners work in Kazakhstan ________________________________________________________________
DO YOU KNOW THAT...
... August 29 marks the 11th anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan by President Nazarbayev at the time the USSR was still in place. It is estimated that 1.6 million people in Kazakhstan have suffered and continue to suffer from the devastating consequences of 468 nuclear and thermonuclear explosions carried out by the Soviet military over the period of more than 40 years.________________________________________________________________
POLITICS
Senior U.N. official signals Central Asian nuclear free zone treaty may be signed this year The top U.N. disarmament official said August 24 that a draft treaty, which declares the five former Soviet republics in Central Asia a nuclear free zone, might be ready for signing this year. Jayantha Dhanapala, the United Nations Undersecretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, who was at the end of a Central Asian tour, told reporters that he was encouraged by his meetings in the region and hoped the document would be signed this year. It has been under negotiation for five years. "We in the United Nations think that the present historical moment is an opportune one to conclude the treaty in order to signal the stability, the unity and prospects for the future in this Central Asian region," he said. The Central Asian nations agreed to create a nuclear free zone at a summit in Kazakhstan in 1997. The United Nations backed the idea by a special resolution. The region's nuclear legacy has moved its leaders to seek non-nuclear status. The Soviet military heavily used Kazakhstan for nuclear tests and part of the Soviet Union's nuclear arsenal was stationed there. In recent years, the region's proximity to Afghanistan has increased the danger of some nuclear materials falling into the hands of terrorists. The Central Asian nations' support for the international anti-terrorism campaign after the Sept. 11 attacks has boosted Western involvement in the region and attracted attention to regional security. The signing of the nuclear free zone treaty is expected to lead to international efforts to identify all radioactive sources in Central Asia and to tighten control over such sources. The treaty also envisages cleaning up the environmental damage caused to the region by the use of radioactive materials.Kazakhstan sends humanitarian aid to AfghanistanConstitution ensures inviolability and integrity of the state, official says"The Constitution is alive and working and have not exhausted its full potential," Constitutional Council Chair Yuri Khitrin said at a roundtable discussion in Almaty on August 22. The roundtable, "The Constitution's role in ensuring the rule of law, rights and freedoms of the citizens", was held on the eve of the 7th anniversary of Kazakhstan's Constitution, adopted by the nationwide referendum on August 30, 1995. The Constitution ensures inviolability and integrity of the state, Mr. Khitrin said. The Constitution provided the foundations for the enactment of "fundamental market reforms", including pensions system reform, utilities and housing reform as well as changes in healthcare and education, he noted. The Constitution consolidates the wide spectrum of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of a person. As such, it has established the legal regime for the stability of the society, Mr. Khitrin said.Representatives of political parties and non-governmental organizations, academia and the media are taking part in the roundtable.President reshuffles the GovernmentOn August 28, President Nursultan Nazarbayev reshuffled the Government, creating new ministries and saying the changes are aimed at further improving the system of state management in the country. Mr. Alexander Pavlov was appointed the First Deputy Prime Minister, a position he held in 1999-2000. Until recently Mr. Pavlov was deputy prime minister and minister of finance.The ministries of finance and state revenues were merged into a single Ministry of Finance with Mr. Zeinulla Kakimzhanov, formerly head of the revenues agency, assuming the top position. The new Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning was established with responsibilities for state planning of revenues and budget. The new minister is Mr. Kairat Kelimbetov, until recently the first deputy finance minister. The new Ministry of Industry and Trade was established on the basis of the reformed ministry of economy and trade. Mr. Mazhit Yessenbayev, who headed the old agency, continues in his job with the new title and additional responsibilities for the development of industry. Fight against corruption intensifies In a press release of 22 August, the Prosecutor-General's Office said that during the first six months of this year it took legal or administrative measures against a total of 2,100 civil servants suspected of corruption. Also brought to trial were two former ministers and four judges. The press release said 1,256 corruption-related crimes have been reported so far this year, of which 100 were committed by local administration heads. The Prosecutor-General's Office has created a database of more than 3,000 civil servants implicated in corruption, including 750 Defense Ministry and 220 Interior Ministry personnel. The announcement came following the series of relevant inquiries sent to the Prosecutor-General's Office by the recently-created Commission on Anti-corruption Measures and Professional Ethics under the President of Kazakhstan.U.S. Ambassador presents vehicles to Kazakhstan border troopsU.S. Ambassador Larry C. Napper presented the keys to 15 new UAZ 4-wheel-drive vehicles to Border Guard Service in Astana on August 22. The vehicles were handed over as part of assistance provided through the Department of State's Export Control and Border Security Program. Within the next two weeks, the Border Guard Service will receive another 14 vehicles, U.S. Embassy in Almaty said in a statement.Kazakhstan and the United States have agreed to work together to strengthen export controls and border security as one of their priority areas of cooperation. By sharing expertise and improving the capabilities of agencies in each country responsible for export control and border security, Kazakhstan and the U.S. hope to improve cooperation in order to prevent illicit trafficking in weapons of mass destruction, dual-use technologies, and conventional arms. As part of that cooperation, the State Department's Export Control and Border Security Program provides equipment and training to address needs identified and agreed upon by government agencies of both countries.Under the program, 60 Border Guard Service officers participated in training programs in 2001and received 133 high frequency radios and supporting equipment. In 2002, in addition to vehicles, the Export Control and Border Security program will provide training for 170 government personnel, supply computer equipment, and provide 200 radios and night vision goggles. "Recognizing Kazakhstan's strategic importance and contribution to the global war on terror, the U.S. Congress approved supplemental funding for the Export Border Control and Border Security program in Kazakhstan, raising its budget for this fiscal year to $5.1 million," the U.S. Embassy said. The purchase of the vehicles turned over to the Border Guard Service today was funded through this supplemental budget.ECONOMY
Second Stock Exchange to open in KazakhstanThe Central-Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (CKSE), founded by Valut-Transit Bank and KG Securities, is about to be launched. All registration documents for the CKSE have been prepared and submitted to the National Bank. In addition, an agreement was signed with the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) for the purchase of special stock exchange software.Ecostar-8 communication satellite launchesOver 9,000 foreigners work in Kazakhstan According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, as of July 1, 2002, 9,100 foreigners were officially working in Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Today reported. The majority of the foreign workforce is hired by oil and gas companies working on projects such as Karachaganak, Tengiz and CPC, as well as construction and social infrastructure projects in Atyrau, West Kazakhstan, Mangystau, Aktyubinsk and the cities of Astana and Almaty. * * *For more news and information visit us at www.kazakhstan-embassy-us.org
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
