On May 1-3, 2008 Kazakhstan celebrated Unity Day. On the
festive occasion President Nursultan Nazarbayev congratulated
Kazakhstan’s people and noted that “because of the peoples’ unity, trust
and tolerance we have created an independent state, which is known,
respected and admired all over the world.”
“We observe rights and opportunities of all people, in spite of their
ethnicity, religion, language”, the President said.
“We proceed to better life and we have announced our wish to
stand equally with more developed countries. And we need friendship and
unity on this way. Only in this case will we, our children and
grandchildren be able to live in a prosperous state”, N. Nazarbayev
underscored.
On May 4, 2008 Spokesperson of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry Mr. Yerzhan
Ashikbayev announced that the meeting of the Special Working Group of
the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA)
will take place in Almaty on May 6-7.
Implementation of the CICA Catalogue of Confidence Building Measures,
preparation for the 3rd meeting of the CICA Foreign ministers, which is
scheduled for August in Almaty, are to be discussed. A list of events in
the sphere of combating illegal drug trafficking and new challenges and
threats will be discussed and then considered at the forthcoming meeting
of the Senior Officials Committee to be held in June in Seoul.
“The participants will elaborate on the drafts of political
declaration and the agenda of the ministerial meeting, Convention on
legal capacity, privileges and immunities of CICA Secretariat and its
personnel, possibility of setting up a fund for development of CBMs, and
some other documents”, the spokesperson said, reports Kazakhstan Today.
On 5 May 2008 Mr. Kanae Yamamoto, Parliamentary
Secretary of Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry of Japan, visited
Astana and met with Mr. Bolat Akchulakov, Energy and Mineral Resources
Vice Minister of Kazakhstan.
During the talks, sides discussed development of 24 different
projects on cooperation in the sphere of peaceful use of nuclear energy.
The projects will play significant role in establishment of mutual
beneficial cooperation, contribute to development of nuclear industry in
Kazakhstan and provide a reliable access to the nuclear fuel for Japan,
Kazinform reports.
Japan is keen to participate in the development of uranium in
Kazakhstan. As the outcome of the meeting, a MoU on energy cooperation
was signed.
On 5 May 2008, the 5th meeting of Kazakhstan-Turkey Inter-Governmental
Commission was held in Astana, which was co-chaired by Tourism and
Sports Minister Temirkhan Dosmukhambetov and Turkish State Minister Said
Yazicioglu.
During the interactions, issues of multifaceted bilateral cooperation
was discussed, with the focus on commerce and investment interaction. It
was noted with satisfaction that over the last five years, two-way trade
volume had grown 500 percent and reached USD 1.9 bln. The sides agreed
to fix the target of increasing the trade to $5 billion over the next 3
years.
Kazakh Minister Dosmukhambetov spoke for increased
interaction between private sectors, especially Chambers of Commerce and
Industry of the two nations, Kazinform reports.
His Turkish counterpart said that when Turkish-Kazakh relations over
the past decade are examined, what emerges is that while today's
situation does not accurately reflect the full expectations of trade
relations between the two countries, it can also be seen as an important
period of encouragement for future relations.
It should be mentioned that high-level political dialogue between the
countries is maintained. Last year, Presidents of the two Republics paid
visits to each other’s country, opening new opportunities for further
deepening ties in all spheres of Kazakh-Turkish relations.
On 1 May 2008, Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation
PLC, the holding company of a leading diversified natural resources
group with integrated mining, processing, energy and logistical
operations based in Kazakhstan, announced acquiring a 50% interest in
Bahia Mineração Limitada (‘BML’). The 50% interest in BML is being
acquired from Zamin BM NV (‘Zamin’) for a cash consideration of US$300
million.
Accroding to press release issued by ENRC, BML is a Brazilian company
focused on the development of an iron ore deposit in the Bahia State of
Brazil. ENRC believes that BML has a high-quality asset base.
ENRC is confident that the iron ore
market continues to offer attractive opportunities, particularly in view
of the recent growth in the price of and relative demand for iron ore.
ENRC believes that the acquisition of this stake will further enhance
ENRC’s position in the iron ore market; ENRC’s Iron Ore Division
produces 17 million tonnes of iron ore concentrate annually.
Commenting on the acquisition Dr. Johannes Sittard, Chief Executive
Officer of
ENRC, said, “We are excited by the prospects and the fundamentals of the
iron ore industry. With this outlook we particularly welcome the
opportunity to acquire an interest in BML. At full output this project
could support an operation producing in excess of 20 million tonnes of
concentrate per annum. We are confident that in time the acquisition
will enhance shareholder value.”
Armando Santos, Chief Executive Officer of BML, said, “In addition to
the very
favourable market conditions supporting the development of this project,
we are delighted by the strong governmental support to BML in the State
of Bahia, including the environmental authorities, which we expect to
facilitate the implementation programme.”
Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) acted as sole financial advisor to
ENRC for this acquisition.
ENRC is the holding company of a leading diversified natural resources
group with integrated mining, processing, energy, logistical, and
marketing operations. ENRC is the world’s largest producer of
ferrochrome, based on chrome content, the world’s sixth largest iron ore
exporter by volume and world’s fifth largest supplier of traded alumina
by volume (CRU and Heinz H. Pariser, 2006 data). The Group’s revenue was
US$4,106 million for the year ended 31 December 2007.
On April 30, 2008 Marriott has opened the 143-unit Marriott Executive
Apartments (MEA) Atyrau in Kazakhstan.
Located in central
Atyrau, the capital of Kazakhstan’s oil industry, the new Marriott
Executive Apartments is nearly already sold out for its first year in
operation. It is under a management agreement with CP Residential Atyrau
LLC, an affiliate of Capital Partners, Kazinform reports.
The 21-storey property is located on Satpaeva Street in Atyrau, just
11 km from the airport and within walking distance of major oil
companies and government buildings, as well as the bridge connecting the
European and Asian parts of Atyrau. It is the anchor of a
19,000-square-meter, mixed-use project that also features 230 square
meters of office space and 1,450 square meters of retail and food and
beverage outlets, including HSBC Bank, an Adidas retail shop, Il Patio
Italian restaurant, Planet Sushi, TGI Fridays and a French delicatessen.
The Renaissance Atyrau Hotel, opened in 2007 and also managed by
Marriott International, is located approximately 800 meters from the
site.
The Marriott Executive Apartments Atyrau offers one, two and
three-bedroom apartments of various sizes. The hotel restaurant,
Bayterek, serves a mixture of Italian, European and local cuisine and is
open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Other hotel amenities
include a 350-square-meter (3,767-square-foot) fitness center equipped
with Technogym and sauna, 24-hour room service, in-unit mini-bar and
laundry/valet service.
Atyrau, located at the mouth of the Ural River on the north coast of the
Caspian Sea, is now the capital of Kazakhstan’s oil industry. The Atyrau
International Airport is located approximately 15 minutes from the city
center and is served by a number of regional carriers, Kazinform writes
referring to ASIA Travel Tips.com.
The 4th International Central Asian Exhibition Household
Appliances, Consumer Electronics and Houseware titled “CEM Central Asia
2008” will be held in Almaty on May 27-30, 2008. The event will be
organized by Iteca, Kazakhstan’s exhibition company.
This exhibition is
the only specialised event on the household appliance industry in
Kazakhstan and Central Asia. CEM Central Asia demonstrates a high
scientific and technical level of the market and forms a strong,
reliable and high-quality basis for the household appliance industry in
Kazakhstan. It is a platform for a sound competition in this industry
market serving as an additional incentive for the overall development of
the sector.
An official support will be rendered by Kazakhstan’s Industry and
Trade Ministry, the Almaty akimat. 40 companies from 15 countries of the
world will participate in the exhibition.
The previous year “CEM Central Asia 2008” exhibition brought together
a number of global brands, working in the sphere of home appliances,
electronics and household products. About 25 companies took part in CEM
Central Asia 2007 to represent the brands of 12 countries.
The household appliance market in Kazakhstan is one of the most
well-developed consumer markets considering its saturation with goods
and sales.
The annual growth of the household appliance market in Kazakhstan is
about 20-25%.
The annual growth of the number of shops selling household appliances
is about 15%. According to experts, the consumer interest in the
household appliance market of Kazakhstan is on the rise. The booming
demand for household appliances will continue for the next five or six
years.
The 15th Kazakhstan’s international healthcare
exhibition KIHE – 2008 will take place in Almaty on May 14-17.
The event is being organized by Iteca exhibition company and
officially supported by Kazakhstan’s Healthcare Ministry, the Almaty
Akimat (municipality), Kazakh National Medical S. Asfendiyarov
University and Medtechnika Joint Stock Company.
KIHE – 2008 is the largest
international healthcare exhibition in the region. The previous year 192
companies from 23 countries took part in the exhibition.
The event will serve as a platform for the international companies to
tap the vast Central Asian market. In 2008, the Kazakhstan Government
alone plans to allocate about $1.1 bln to the healthcare development,
which is 40 % higher than in 2007.
Some more funds to be allocated from regional budgets. For the
reference, $ 880 million was allocated by the Republican budget in 2007,
while $ 936 million was appropriated by the regional ones. The
government owns 80 % of medical institutions in Kazakhstan, thus the
government plays a significant role in medical issues.
At present, 1,204 hospitals (162 of them specialized) and 3463
short-stay clinics operate in the Republic. The number of medical
organizations increased in 7 regions of Kazakhstan. State authorities
forecast that hospital accommodation capacity will reach 120,000.
According to 2006 data, there are 46 227 doctors and 106836 nursing
personnel operate in the Republic of Kazakhstan. There are over 200
wholesale medical equipment and pharmaceuticals companies in Kazakhstan.
Following its application for WTO membership, Kazakhstan has brought its
local medical regulations in line with international standards.
The Kazakhstan Legislation Institute has just completed a draft of the
Kazakhstan Healthcare Code which is to come into force in 2009.
In his message to the people of Kazakhstan, the President of the
Republic announced a plan to build a hundred medical facilities. The
program will be realized under the partnership of the State with private
enterprises. The Minister for Health, Anatoly Dernovoy stated that
priority would be given to multi-purpose clinics providing a wide range
of qualified medical services. The building of regional hospitals,
clinics and blood centers will also take place in 2008. Municipal
clinics and hospitals, as well as university clinics are planned for
2009. As well as these positive measures, the ministry will re-organize
the current hospital system which includes 40 types of in-patient
organizations, mostly maternity hospitals, dispensaries, etc.
Over 7000 pharmaceuticals are currently registered in Kazakhstan. The
turnover of the Kazakhstan pharmaceutical market is currently estimated
at $700 million per year in retail prices, and it grows by 12-15%
annually.
Local production makes up 10-11% of the total turnover. A new shop
producing suppositories of international standards has recently been
opened in Shymkent.
The medical equipment market in Kazakhstan has increased rapidly in size
over the last few years. Nevertheless, the market still strongly depends
on the import of medical equipment, which makes up 90 % of its total
capacity. Therefore Kazakhstan Government announced healthcare as a
priority cluster, whereby the goal is to encourage foreign investment in
setting up joint ventures in the country to provide competitive
services, pharmaceuticals and medical tools to the Central Asian market.
In this regard, Indian major companies involved in the sector will
benefit from establishing its presence in Kazakhstan.
Two school students from Kazakhstan became winners of
the IX Asian Physics Olympiad which was held in Mongolia on April 22-28,
2008 Kazinform reports.
As a result of their successful participation in the contest, the
11th grade students of Shymkent Kazakh-Turkish Lyceum (KTL) Shapagat
Berdibek and East-Kazakhstan KTL Andrey Sidorenko have won bronze
medals.
Besides, Li Viacheslav, 10th grade student of
Zhambil KTL and Mr. Timur Toktasinov, 11th grade student of O.Zhautikov
Republican Mathematics and Physics Specialised Boarding School, were
awarded Certificate of Honours.
The success of the Kazakh team is testimony to the dynamic
development of science and knowledge in Kazakhstan, where literacy rate
is 98%.
For more news and information visit us at
www.kazind.com
Weekly News of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in India
(Compiled from own sources and agency reports)
Contact person: Nurgali Arystanov
61, Poorvi Marg, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi-110057
Tel.: (91) 11-46007722, Fax: (91) 11-46007701
E-mail : nurgali@kazind.com
