In this issue:
Kazakh, U.S. Armies Will Hold Joint Antiterrorist Exercises
Economy Expected to Grow 9.3 Percent in 2004, Unemployment Expected to Decline 1%
Ombudsman to Get Stronger Protection at President’s Urging
Huge Shipment by Rail Head into Record Books
First Kazakh Student Elected President at American School
Congress --- Kuryltai
Kazakh Language --- Kazakh Tili
Kazakh, U.S. Armies Will Hold Joint Antiterrorist Exercises
The armed forces of Kazakhstan and the United States will conduct joint anti-terrorist exercises next year, according to defense officials from both countries. The announcement was made in Kazakhstan on November 9.
Gen. Bolat Sembinov, Deputy Minister of Defense, and Gen. Lance Smith, Deputy Commander of the U.S. Central Command made the announcement at a news conference held at Kazakhstan’s National Defense University in Schuchinsk. In addition to the joint exercises, the U.S. forces will still participate in the annual multinational exercises, Steppe Eagle, held in Kazakhstan each summer.
Gen. Smith was on a visit to Kazakhstan this week to discuss bilateral military cooperation in fighting terrorism, ensuring security in Afghanistan, and in Iraq. In Schuchinsk, he also visited the Defense Ministry’s Cadet Corps, the only institution in the CIS and the region to train professional sergeants for the armed forces.
Gen. Smith thanked the Kazakhs saying “our support for President Karzai of Afghanistan would not have been so effective without the support of Kazakhstan.” He also praised the work of Kazakhstan’s military engineers in Iraq.
Economy Expected to Grow 9.3 Percent in 2004,
Unemployment Expected to Decline One Percent
Kairat Kelimbetov, Economy and Budget Planning Minister, said Kazakhstan’s economy is expected to grow 9.3 percent in 2004 continuing the trends of near double digit growth in each of the past five years. Unemployment is expected to see a one percent drop compared to last year.
Speaking at a Government meeting on November 9, Minister Kelimbetov said “we estimate the GDP in 2004 to grow no less than 9.3 percent, while annual inflation will be at 6.9 percent.” In the first nine months of 2004, the GDP grew by 9.4 percent compared to the same period last year. Inflation in 2003 stood at 6.4 percent.
He added these quick tempos will help Kazakhstan reach its goal of doubling the gross domestic product by 2010 over 2000 two years earlier than planned.
Among statistics revealed at the meeting, oil and gas condensate production grew 13.5 percent in the nine months of 2004 compared to the same period last year, reaching 48 million metric tons. Natural gas production grew 32 percent in the same period.
Minister Kelimbetov noted that by year’s end “the real income of the population will grow 7.5 percent with unemployment at 7.7 percent.” In 2003, real incomes grew 8.5 percent, and unemployment stood at 8.8 percent.
Ombudsman to Get Stronger Protection at President’s Urging
Kazakhstan’s Human Rights Ombudsman will get more protection to carry out his work, according to a bill of amendments presented by the Government to the Majilis.
The amendments to the Administrative Violations Code include introducing punishments in the form of fines or administrative detentions of several days for obstructing the work of Kazakhstan’s human rights watchdog. Similar punishments will be provided for interference in the Ombudsman’s work or attempts to influence his decisions. The office of the Ombudsman was created in Kazakhstan in 2002. Bolat Baikadamov is the Ombudsman.
The Government prepared the bill based on proposed political reforms made by President Nursultan Nazarbayev in a wide ranging speech to the Otan party on June 15.
The Majilis, where the propresidential Otan party is in the majority, is expected to take up the bill shortly.
Huge Shipment by Rail Head into Record Books
It took KTZ four months to prepare the 600-kilometer rail line for transporting the bulky cargo. It is 11 meters high, 10 meters wide and 41 meters long. Along the rail line electric power transmission lines and numerous structures had to be moved to create additional clearance for the wide load.
First Kazakh Student Elected President at American School
Aizhan Tazhiyeva, a fifth grader, was elected president of the
Glen Forest Elementary School in Falls Church, Virginia, just
outside of Washington, DC.
Aizhan, the 10 year old daughter of Askar Tazhiyev, a
counselor of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Washington,
was elected president by her fellow students and teachers at
the school late this October.
She is an honor student, member of the bus patrol team and
attends two gifted and talented classes in math and reading.
Aizhan’s slogan for the election was “No child’s opinion
left behind.”
It took several days after the Election Day for all the votes to
be counted.
“It’s a great honor,” Aizhan said, “I’ll do my best to keep
receiving high marks and contribute to understanding
between students and teachers. I am proud to be the first
Kazakh student to become president of an American school.” Smiling, she added: “But I don’t like too much attention.”
President Clinton was famous for his saxophone playing, the new president of Glen Forest Elementary is a fond player of Kazakh dombra, the national musical string instrument.
Things to Watch:
- Tomorrow November 11 at 10 p.m. EST, Bravo TV will screen an episode about Kazakhstan of Long Way Round, a documentary about the round the world motorbike journey by Ewan McGregor, the Scottish-born film star. The preview of the episode on www.bravotv.com says the episode “begins on day 17 of the journey for Ewan and Charley. The two friends trek across Kazakhstan and along the way encounter such sites as the Caspian Sea, the Aral Sea and the Charyn Canyon. In addition, they experience incredibly rough terrain, a wide array of local delicacies (some delicious, some scary), a face-deforming bug bite and a trip to a famous local spa that turns out to be anything but relaxing”. The hilarious preview of an episode can be viewed here.
- The Fourth Congress, called Kuryltai, of Kazakh Tili (Kazakh Language) International Society takes place in Astana on November 11.
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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
