Astana Calling
A WEEKLY ONLINE PUBLICATION / WWW.MFA.GOV.KZ ISSUE NO. 352 / FRIDAY, MAY 04 2014
Astana Develops Infrastructure in Run Up to EXPO 2017
Nazarbayev Confident Eurasian Economic Union is on Track
Kazakh Foreign Minister Meets with OSCE Secretary General Both Highlight Need for United Security Community
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Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov (left), President Nursultan Nazarbayev (centre) and Astana Akim (Mayor) Imangali Tasmagambetov at a meeting to discuss the development of the capital
Astana Develops Infrastructure in Run Up to EXPO 2017 Kazakhstan’s young capital is developing its architecture and infrastructure in the run up to EXPO 2017 and to reach President Nazarbayev’s Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy goals. Astana’s development is a driving force in the Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy, which envisions the country entering the world’s 30 mostdeveloped economies by 2050, as well as remaining a regional leader. With only approximately 4.7 percent of the country’s population, Astana already contributes 9.4 percent of Kazakhstan’s gross domestic product (GDP). Gross regional product (GRP) for 2013 topped 2.7 trillion tenge ($14.8 billion) and GRP per capita hit $23,000. Now, the city has launched construction work for EXPO 2017. Over the next three years, energy-neutral or energy-positive buildings and neighbourhoods will be developed within the expo complex, as well as new public facilities, technologically advanced transport and energy systems and other groundbreaking infrastructure. President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s vision for Astana has always been that of a major global metropolis and a source of pride for the country.
Other projects set for completion in 2014 are underway, he said. These include rebuilding the Central Park and creating a new park on the Yessil River, where more than 15,000 trees have been planted. The left bank is also being beautified. “I’d like to emphasise the realisation of a large-scale architectural project on the reconstruction of Nurzhol Boulevard. It will be fully completed this year, adding a special colour to the administrative part of the left bank,” said the akim. In 2013, 12 public gardens were created and reconstructed in the city and approximately 32,000 trees and bushes were planted. This year, the city’s plan is to construct and repair 13 more public gardens and two parks and to plant 16,000 additional trees. Viable infrastructure and sustainable energy policies are crucial to Astana’s development, Tasmagambetov said. To this end, 18 kilometres of heating mains are currently being rebuilt and 50 more kilometres will be built next year. Other projects underway for Astana include ultra-modern trade and logistics complexes.
“Astana continues developing, as always. Sixteen years since its establishment is a short time, but a lot has been done. There was a task to build a new capital city for our state, which would not be worse than other capital cities. Now, we’re setting a higher hurdle - to become one of the capital cities that is most convenient for life,” said the President on April 25, a day after the groundbreaking ceremony at the EXPO 2017 complex site. “Last year, 1.1 million square metres of housing were commissioned. Four schools, eight kindergartens and a dispensary polyclinic complex were commissioned. And thanks to unique facilities built by us, the city has become a major cultural, sporting and tourist centre. For the first time ever, the city has been visited by over 1 million tourists. One hundred thousand of them are from foreign countries,” the President said. EXPO 2017 is one of the most ambitious projects ever launched in Kazakhstan and will bring enormous benefits to the country, he said. Astana will be at the forefront of green innovation across a range of sectors. Public transport is one of the key focuses of Astana’s development. Daily passenger flows in the city often reach 750,000 trips, and bus use is growing. Early in the year, Astana City Akim (Mayor) Imangali Tasmagambetov announced plans to purchase 350 new buses and create two municipal bus fleets. An 8.5 hectare plot near the Industrial Park will house the new facilities, which are expected to be ready this October. Bus enterprises are being consolidated and new routes are being added, raising the number of bus routes from 50 to 76.
Astana Calling
A meeting of officials to discuss the development of the capital
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Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev (centre) at a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Council hosted by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (right)
Nazarbayev Confident Eurasian Economic Union is on Track Meeting his Eurasian counterparts in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, recently, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said he believes remaining challenges to the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union can be resolved in time to meet established deadlines. He added, however, that there is “no rush.” Speaking at the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council Summit on April 29, the President said he believes most of the key issues have been resolved and that the union would become a reality as planned for next year. President Nazarbayev was welcomed to Minsk by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The two leaders told the media that experts had worked hard to resolve the formation’s remaining issues, meaning the union could become a reality on schedule. Russian President Vladimir Putin joined his counterparts for the roundtable discussions. President Nazarbayev was quoted as saying, “I do not think we should rush this matter. There is, however, a possibility to meet the deadline and address all the issues. We can come to an agreement.” The Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) envisions an economic union of, initially, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, who signed the founding agreement in November 2011. This embodied the principles that will guide the EEU, including the establishment of the Eurasian Commission, itself similar to the well-established European Commission. Other countries looking to participate in the EEU include Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Armenia was expected to complete its entry into the Customs Union at the Minsk Summit; however, the country’s president did not attend the gathering by press time. The goal of integration among the former Soviet republics is to boost trade, culture and security in the region and was first proposed in a lecture at a Moscow university in 1994 by President Nazarbayev. The regional leaders gathered in Minsk as the official signing of the agreement drew closer. “I agree that we should all do the same things we talked about from the very beginning. We respect these wishes of the countries, and it is clear that our union appeals to them,” the President told the media in Minsk.
Astana Calling
The troika of leaders from Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan were scheduled to discuss all the remaining issues at their April 30 meetings and President Nazarbayev said the focus should be on the remaining legal issues and the respective interests of the participating states. Lukashenko was quoted as saying he does not believe that there are any special issues between his country and Kazakhstan and added, “It makes sense to exchange views on the prospects of the union and the problems that will arise in some or other way,” according to the Belarusian Telegraph Agency, a national news source.
“I agree that we should all do the same things we talked about from the very beginning. We respect these wishes of the countries, and it is clear that our union appeals to them” – President Nazarbayev A 600-page draft document outlines the proposed principles and constitution of the EEU. The summit discussions in Minsk have taken place at a time when the deepening crisis in Ukraine has highlighted security concerns among the former Soviet republics as well as concerns about Western sanctions against Russia. However, the summit was seen by observers as a positive step towards the Eurasian integration that Putin and his partners believe will bring increasing amounts of foreign direct investment to the region and benefit the citizens of the partner countries within the union. Partial regional economic integration has already begun following the launch of the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. The Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Victor Khristenko has stated publicly that “all major issues on the draft treaty have been resolved” but admitted a number of bilateral issues remained to be settled. The plan is for the three presidents to sign the agreement at their next summit, to be held in Astana on May 29.
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An Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) delegation headed by OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier (centre left) at a meeting with a delegation from the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs headed by Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov (middle right)
Kazakh Foreign Minister Meets with OSCE Secretary General Both Highlight Need for United Security Community The need for an undivided European and Eurasian security “We believe the OSCE, having much experience, jointly with community was the focus of the April 28 meeting between Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov and Secretary General of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Lamberto Zannier in Astana. The two discussed the role of the OSCE in building such a community as well as a range of issues in bilateral cooperation.
the UN and other international organisations, could contribute to strengthening the effectiveness of the border services of Central Asian countries and participate in the implementation of programmes to support efforts in combating drugs in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries,” Idrissov said at the meeting, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release.
The OSCE is uniquely positioned to address security issues in its area of responsibility, the parties concurred. It was also agreed that the December 2010 OSCE Summit in Astana outlined a clear direction for the organisation’s development. The need to create an undivided security community in both Europe and Eurasia, the key idea of the 2010 Astana Declaration, was made more relevant in light of the Ukrainian crisis. The OSCE can expand its role in international efforts to prevent the situation in Ukraine from escalating further, the parties said.
The sides also discussed the rise of inter-religious and interethnic tolerance in the context of the global financial crisis. They expressed concern about the increase in hostile speech and hate crimes, xenophobia and Islamophobia in the OSCE region, including on the Internet.
“Both sides confirmed that the joint promotion of the legacy of the OSCE Astana Summit is an important direction of work, which will be the main priority of Kazakhstan in its activities within the organisation in the coming years. As a stable and reliable partner in promoting peace and cooperation, Kazakhstan announced its candidacy for nonpermanent membership in the UN Security Council for 2017-2018, including the intention to achieve the creation of a Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security community – the strategic goal set forth in the Astana Declaration,” the foreign ministry’s press service reported. Zannier stressed that the OSCE’s priority is to ensure comprehensive security, encompassing the organisation’s 57 participating states. Today, security is not exclusively regional, he said. Idrissov and Zannier also discussed the political situation in Ukraine and affirmed their commitment to a peacefully negotiated resolution to the situation there. Events in Ukraine highlight the imperative to continue building a common space and indivisible security community across Europe and Eurasia, Zannier said.
The OSCE’s activities in Kazakhstan were also on the agenda. Idrissov spoke about the need to consistently and systematically review the status of the organisation, saying Kazakhstan’s development should drive a change in its relationship with the OSCE. “We believe it is time to adjust the interaction between Kazakhstan and the OSCE to new realities and new collaborative arrangements. The year 2015, the anniversary year for the OSCE, will give us a good reason to evaluate our membership in the organisation within the Helsinki+40 process. But even now I can already say that for Kazakhstan, it was an impressive and valuable experience of cooperation in making an active contribution to the strengthening of peace and stability in the OSCE area,” he noted.
OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier (left) meets with Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov
“We want to modernise our work [in Kazakhstan],” Zannier told a media briefing after the meeting. “We consider the Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy as an important set of priorities. We will encourage the role of Kazakhstan in the region as well as the OSCE’s role here.”
The two reviewed security issues and transnational threats and discussed the potential challenges and threats coming from Afghanistan in particular.
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Also In The News... •
President says Eurasian integration will improve competitiveness During a lecture at the M. Lomonosov Moscow State University on April 28, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev recalled that the initiative to begin Eurasian integration had first been proposed 20 years ago during a lecture at the same university. The President stressed that Eurasian integration would help improve the competitiveness of countries who join the union. (Kazakh.tv.kz)
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Biographical book about President Nursultan Nazarbayev presented in Budapest A biographical book about Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev by Mahmoud Kassymbekov has been presented in the Hungarian capital, Budapest. Translated into Hungarian, the book is an official historical and biographical study of the President’s life. The Hungarian version was published with the support of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Hungary. The presentation was attended from the Hungarian side by Minister of Rural Development Sándor Fazekas, Doyen of the Hungarian Parliament Janos Horvath, Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan in Hungary Laszlo Horvath and other officials, representatives of the scientific and creative intelligentsia and the Kazakh diaspora in Hungary,journalistsandstudents.TheKazakhsidewasrepresented by the book’s author, as well as Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Hungary Nurbakh Rustemov and others. (mfa.gov.kz)
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Defender’s Day military parade to include 56 aircraft and new combat vehicles Preparations are in full swing for the Defender’s Day parade to be held in Astana on May 7. Officers from the Ministries of Defence, Internal Affairs and Emergency Situations as well as the Border Service and the Republican Guard will participate in the parade, which will take place in Kazak Eli Square. Some 250 pieces of military equipment and new models of combat vehicles will complement the 56 aircraft from the Kazakh Air Force, which will perform a fly-past. (tengrinews.kz)
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Shanghai Cooperation Organisation holds historic meeting in Beijing The Chinese capital played host to the first meeting of the National Coordinators Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on April 26 with the participation of delegates from the six member states and five observer countries. The head of the Kazakhstan delegation, Shahrat Nuryshev, outlined the possibility of creating a number of joint cooperation committees or a set of communication teams to work jointly with observer states to address particular issues. The Secretariat and Executive Committee of the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure expressed their intention to further strengthen cooperation with the SCO’s observer states. (mfa.gov.kz)
Astana Calling
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Young CIS diplomats gather for forum to promote contact Young diplomats from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) discussed key international topics including the future of the Customs Union, the Common Economic Space and the situation in Ukraine at the April 24-25 Forum of Young Diplomats in Moscow. Four young Kazakh diplomats took part in the forum, which is designed to be a point of contact for the new generation of regional diplomats. The event was sponsored by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is set to become a regular event. (picreadi.com)
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Almaty Marathon draws 7,000 runners from 25 countries Having been rated on par with similar events in Paris, New York, Boston and Amsterdam, the recent Almaty Marathon drew about 7,000 runners who raced an exact distance of 42 kilometres and 195 metres (26 miles and 385 yards). Last year’s winner, Almat Imashev, again won the men’s race, finishing in two hours, 36 minutes and 21 seconds. His goal is to compete in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Gulzhanat Zhanabek won the women’s race. (Astanatimes.com)
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