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www.kazakhstan-embassy-us.org

Vol. 4, No. 3, October 9, 2002

Politics

Kazakhstan's Supreme Mufti calls for "peace among religions"

Republic holds Senate elections October 8

Kazakhstan joins international convention against terrorism financing

Central Asian leaders call for international assistance to cope with Aral disaster

U.S. to build Embassy in Astana

Economy

Astana hosts international investment conference

Kazakhstan produces over 34 mln tonnes of oil in January-September

First McDonald's in Central Asia to open in Kazakhstan in 2003

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DO YOU KNOW THAT...

...Islam came to what is today Kazakhstan circa 8th Century A.D.. Among the greatest Islamic philosophers and scholars that Kazakhstan's land gave to the world were Al-Farabi (870-950 A.D.), born near Turkestan, and Khodja Akhmed Yassaui, a great Sufi thinker.

Currently, more than 60 percent of Kazakhstan's population profess Sunni Islam, and this number includes people of 20 ethnic groups, including Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Tartars, Uighurs and others.

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POLITICS

Kazakhstan's Supreme Mufti calls for "peace among religions"

Says terrorism has "no religion, no language and no nationality"

Abdsattar Hajji Derbisali, Supreme Mufti Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Kazakhstan, who is on a visit to the United States this week, told reporters in Washington today that Muslims of Kazakhstan "condemn terrorism" and believe that "Islam has nothing to do with terrorism". He added that "the small group of people has used the peaceful teachings of Islam as a cover to conduct horrendous attacks of September 11th".

The Mufti, who has been heading the public association of Muslims since 2000, said the people of the republic yearn for "peace among people of all ethnic and religious beliefs, the way it is in Kazakhstan". They believe "all differences in the world should be resolved peacefully, through negotiations". The Mufti stressed that church and state are separated in Kazakhstan according to the Constitution and that the authorities respect this provision.

Kazakhstan holds Senate elections October 8

Third of seats contested on rotating basis

On October 8, the elections to Kazakhstan's Senate were held across the country. According to the Constitution, the Senate elections are held indirectly with voting conducted by the deputies of local legislatures of all levels. Almost 50 candidates contested 16 available seats. The contestants included business people, lawyers, local deputies and government officials, as well as a significant number of incumbents. According to preliminary results, only four incumbents kept their mandates. The complete results will be known in two weeks time. The newly-elected senators will be sworn in in December and will have a 6-year mandate.

Kazakhstan joins international convention against financing of terrorism

Country is also member of other anti-terrorist conventions

On October 2, President Nursultan Nazarbayev has signed into law the bill ratifying Kazakhstan's accession to the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.

Kazakhstan is already a member of other international conventions against terrorism, such as the conventions on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons, including Diplomatic Agents, the Convention against the Taking of Hostages, and the Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings.

Central Asian leaders call for international assistance to cope with Aral disaster

Say problem transcends regional boundaries, influences climate in Europe

The presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, at their October 6 meeting in Tajikistan's capital Dushande, called for the establishment of the U.N. Commission for the Aral Sea as a way of attracting the international attention to one of the world's worst large-scale ecological disasters.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan said, "the salt of the Aral Sea causes ice to melt not only in the Pamir, but also in the European Alps". The Aral crisis is a global problem, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov told journalists after the forum. "One million tonnes of salt get into the air as a result of the evaporation of the Aral Sea. This is upsetting the ecological balance not only in the region but in the world as a whole," he said.

The four leaders met within the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea and adopted the Dushanbe Declaration stipulating a set of measures their countries can do on their own to alleviate the crisis. They instructed the Fund's executive committee to develop an action program for the period up to year 2010.

President Nazarbayev noted in Dushanbe that Kazakhstan is currently carrying out a 70-million-dollar program to provide water to the people in the Aral Sea area and to save the northern part of the sea where fishing industry has seen a comeback lately.

"We need to study fully the problem of the Aral Sea shrinkage and to direct international organizations' grants to that goal," the President said. "We proposed to establish a U.N. commission to study the problem, which we will discuss during the upcoming visit of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to our region."

The sea has been shrinking since mid-1960s due to the extensive irrigation policies regarding the two main rivers feeding the Aral Sea, the Amu Daria and the Syr Daria. Mr. Annan is expected in Kazakhstan and other countries of the region later this fall.

On October 5, the four presidents met in Dushanbe within the framework of the Central Asian Cooperation Organization and agreed to President Nazarbayev's proposal to establish a joint water management consortium to collectively tackle this issue.

Unites States to build embassy in Astana in 2003

Almost dozen diplomatic missions moved from Almaty to new capital since 1997

On October 3, Secretary of State - Minister of Foreign Affairs Kassymzhomart Tokayev and U.S. Ambassador Larry Napper signed the intergovernmental Memorandum providing a site for the construction of the United States embassy in Astana. The signing of this Memorandum reflects the aspiration of both sides to develop further the bilateral cooperation in the spirit of strategic partnership, the Kazakhstan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"This decision of the U.S. Administration and Congress is aimed at supporting the efforts of the republic's leadership to strengthen the role of Astana as a political center of our nation and it corresponds to mutual interests," the Ministry added.

So far, almost a dozen of foreign missions moved from Almaty to Astana since it became the capital in 1997. Construction of the U.S. Embassy will commence in 2003. In the meantime, the U.S. will keep a representative office in Astana "to ensure a proper diplomatic presence in Kazakhstan's capital."

During the same ceremony in Astana, the two officials announced the launch of the "Houston Initiative", a public-private bilateral partnership aimed at boosting trade ties and U.S. investment in Kazakhstan (please see Kazakhstan News Bulletin, Vol. 4, N 2, October 3, 2002).

ECONOMY

Astana hosts international investment conference

Strong business interests reflect city's growing importance as political, economic center

Astana will host the International Investment Conference, "Astana: The City of the Future", on October 10-11. Funded by the Kazakhstan government and the city administration, the conference will focus on urban construction development. Kazakhstan investment support center Kazinvest will address further construction development in Astana and attracting investments to Kazakhstan's economy. Conference organizers expect Prime Minister Imangali Tasmagambetov and representatives from 60 companies, both domestic and international, including from Europe and Asia, to participate in the event.

Astana is experiencing rapid growth and construction boom. The new capital's population grew from a little over 300,000 in 1997 to over half a million by early-2002. The city boasts new office buildings, hotels, recreational and sports centers and shopping malls.

Kazakhstan produces over 34 mln tonnes of oil in January-September

Production of oil and gas condensate in Kazakhstan amounted to 34,331,068 tonnes in January-September, which was 16.1% more than in the same period last year. This included 3.607 million tonnes of gas condensate (up 16.3% year-on-year).

Subsidiaries of Kazakhstan national oil and gas company KazMunaiGaz produced 5.62 million tonnes of oil and gas condensate in the first nine months (up 12.7% year-on-year). Most of the total production was accounted for by Tengizchevroil - 9.697 million tonnes (up 3.8% year-on-year) and Karachaganak Petroleum Operating Co. (KPO) - 3.58 million tonnes (up 6.5%). Other Kazakhstan oil companies produced 14.6 million tonnes of oil in the January-September (up 28.2% year-on-year).

First McDonald's in Central Asia to open in Kazakhstan in 2003

The first ever McDonald's in Central Asia is scheduled to open in Pavlodar city in 2003, Kazakhstan Today reported October 3. Local agricultural-industrial group Rubikom developed a proposal for McDonald's management to bring the Big Mac to Kazakhstan. The Pavlodar city authorities provided land for the construction of a new restaurant in the city center.

Speaking to reporters in Pavlodar on October 2, Rubikom manager Olga Mamaeva announced that the company is negotiating a franchise license and arranging for the shipment of necessary equipment and specialist training. The McDonald's, expected to open next summer, will require $650,000 in investment.

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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