Kazakhstan
News Bulletin
Released weekly by the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan
December 17, 2002 Vol. 4, No.12
________________________________
In this issue:
Astana Celebrates 5th Anniversary as Capital
Media, Authorities Expand Dialogue
New National Human Rights Center Established in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, U.S. Strengthen Ties in Fighting Drug Trafficking
GDP to Grow by 9.4% in 2002, Says President
Kazakhstan Works to Raise Uranium Supplies to International Markets
Astana Celebrates 5th Anniversary as Capital
Dubbed City of Rapid Changes
The people of Astana celebrated
the 5th anniversary the city as the new
capital of Kazakhstan on December 10
with major festivities. When the capital
was moved from Almaty in 1997, only
225,000 people lived in the city. By
2002, the population of Astana, grew to
more than half a million people. It
expected to reach one million in five
years.
Over the past five years the area Saltanat Saraiy, the Palace of Ceremonies,
of the city grew by 2.5 times. Further is among the dozens new buildings
expansion of the city is planned on constructed in Astana during the first 5
the left bank of the River Ishim, where years as a capital
a special economic zone was
established.
Currently, the construction in Astana accounts for 3 percent of the country's GDP. 20,000 jobs were created in the construction industry locally, providing major boost to auxiliary production facilities throughout the country.
The capital currently boasts one of the largest average wages and the lowest unemployment rates in the country. Astana became the first place to introduce mortgages as a way to satisfy the booming need for housing. Hundreds of peoples have already signed up for that system.
Over the 5 years, almost 600 new shops and more than 200 cafes have been built and began servicing the customers. When the capital moved five years ago, it is said, there were only two decent places to eat in the city.
Compared to other countries' experiences of moving the capital, international experts believe Kazakhstan has made a remarkably fast and effective transition.
"Astana became the national idea of the people of Kazakhstan," said President Nazarbayev. "It amuses everybody because it grows as quickly as the nation itself."
Media, Authorities Expand Dialogue
Public Council on Media established
Journalists, politicians and government officials moved last week to institutionalize the dialogue between the media and authorities by joining together in a new Public Council on Media.
The Council was established on December 10 in order to draw the public into the process of formulating the state's informational policies. Its goals are to work out the recommendations to improve legislation, protect the rights of journalists, and develop ethical and professional principles of work for the mass media.
Mr. Seitkazy Mataev, head of the Kazakhstan's Union of Journalists and the founder of the first national press club, has been approved as the chairman of the new council.
"The Council includes respected journalists from across Kazakhstan, representatives of the Ministry of Culture and Information and of the Ministry of Justice," Mr. Mataev said in an interview with Khabar TV last week. The members of the 23-person Council include Sergei Kozlov of Radio Liberty, Vladimir Rerikh of Khabar, Esetzhan Kosubaev of the presidential press service, and others. Among the members also is Artur Platonov, a TV news anchorman who was beaten by the three former police officers in a traffic brawl in August for which the court recently sentenced them.
The council's task is to help mass media in their work and to solve journalists' problems, Mr. Mataev said. The council has been given the broadest authority, including "the right to request any documents related to the media from the authorities, and to invite to its sessions any officials", he said. The members also have "the right to give assessments of the state bodies". The Council will hold its meetings in Astana, Almaty or other city at least once in a quarter, Mr. Mataev noted.
The idea to establish such a council was first raised at the first Journalists' Congress of Kazakhstan last March. "Such a council could be truly independent and raise issues with the government that need to be resolved," President Nazarbayev said on that occasion.
New National Human Rights Center Established in Kazakhstan
The new Human Rights Center was established in Kazakhstan to support the recently established office of the Human Rights Ombudsman. The Center's main tasks would be to help the Ombudsman keep record of observance of human rights and freedoms and ensure him with the needed resources in reinstating the violated rights and freedoms. The Center will also support the Ombudsman in drafting the recommendations on improving legislation on human rights, methods and forms of their protection as well as in developing international cooperation in this sphere.
The office of the Human Rights Ombudsman was established in September 2002.
Kazakhstan, U.S. Strengthen Ties in Fighting Drug Trafficking
Memorandum signed in Astana, U.S. to provide assistance of $530,000
Kazakhstan and the United States expanded their cooperation in countering the drug trafficking in Central Asia last week, when a memorandum of understanding was signed in Astana on December 12 providing for additional U.S. assistance for Kazakhstan's law enforcement agencies.
The document envisages U.S. grants of $530,000 as well as technical and consultative assistance. It complements the existing programs of cooperation between law enforcement communities of the two nations in fighting terrorism, preventing the spreading of sensitive materials related to weapons of mass destruction and other areas.
Kazakhstan has long identified drug trafficking, emanating mostly from Afghanistan, as one of the biggest security threats in Central Asia and even as far as Europe and beyond. Speaking at the NATO-CEAP summit meeting in Prague on November 22, President Nazarbayev said "the problem of illicit drug trafficking from Afghanistan has not diminished but, on the contrary, has increased" since the collapse of the Taliban. This "enables the criminal groups to finance the terrorists' training and to commit the acts of terror worldwide", he said.
In the year of 2002 alone, Kazakhstan's police forces have seized 15 tons of narcotics transported through its territory, including 90 kilograms of heroin. A few months ago Kazakhstan also came out with the initiative to establish a CIS antinarcotics center in Almaty.
GDP to Grow by 9.4% in 2002, Says President
Kazakhstan's GDP will grow by 9.4% in 2002 year-on-year, President Nursultan Nazarbayev said on December 13 at a meeting on the agribusiness complex development in Astana on Friday. The president said the GDP growth in the industrial sector is expected to reach 9.8%, in agriculture 2.5%, and in the construction field 19%.
Kazakhstan expects to produce about 47 million tons of oil in 2002, a 5% year-to-year rise, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Vladimir Shkolnik told the Parliament on December 9. Kazakhstan is expected to produce slightly more than 50 million tons of oil in 2003.
Kazakhstan Works to Raise Uranium Supplies to International Markets
Intends to use its world's largest uranium reserves
Kazakhstan plans to take measures to increase supplies of uranium to world markets, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Vladimir Shkolnik said in the Parliament on December 9.
"We have a lot of potential (to develop uranium production) in Kazakhstan, we are increasing annual uranium output and we have very aggressive, ambitious plans to provide the world energy industry with uranium," he noted. Presenting a draft program on the development of the fuel and energy industry in 2003-2015, Mr. Shkolnik said Kazakhstan would invest $293 in uranium production during this period. Investment will total $32.1 million in 2002, $85 million in 2003, $101 million in 2004-2006 and another $107 million by 2015.
Kazakhstan has the world's largest uranium reserves, or about 21% of the world's explored uranium reserves of 4.2 million tons. Mr. Shkolnik noted that 75% of Kazakhstan's uranium could be produced by the environmentally acceptable in situ leaching (ISL) method. Kazaktomprom, the national uranium import and export operator, is one of the world's top ten uranium producers. It is also cooperating with a number of U.S. companies in the energy field.
* * *
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
