Astana Calling
A WEEKLY ONLINE PUBLICATION / WWW.MFA.GOV.KZ ISSUE NO. 359 / FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2014
South Korean President Visits, Focuses on Expanding Ties
Italian PM Signs Energy, Cooperation Agreements During Visit
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan Seek Deeper Political Dialogue
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Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev (right) and South Korean President Park Geun-hye at their June 19 meeting at the Akorda Presidential Palace
South Korean President Visits, Focuses on Expanding Ties South Korean President Park Geun-hye paid an official visit to Kazakhstan from June 18-20 on her Central Asian tour. Her visit focused mainly on expanding economic ties and realising her vision for a barrier-free Eurasia. At a June 19 bilateral meeting of President Park and President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, the main directions for discussion were strengthening high-level contacts, expanding trade and investment and technological cooperation, as well as the development of the Kazakhstan-South Korea strategic partnership. Presidents Nazarbayev and Park exchanged views on topical issues of the international agenda and checked their positions on key issues of bilateral cooperation within international and regional organisations. Nazarbayev noted that the visit of the South Korean president was a significant event for Kazakhstan. “Since the early days of our independence, we have been studying reforms that were carried out in your country. I met with all the presidents of South Korea, starting with Mr. Roh Tae-woo. Our relationships, which we began to build in those years, are at a very good level now. I hope your visit will create conditions for even closer cooperation. We want to have close political and economic relations with your country,” Nazarbayev said. “We have a broad scope for cooperation and great potential for economic interaction indeed. Today I saw firsthand the rapidly developing Astana, which demonstrates a high level of economic growth,” Park noted. She also expressed hope that the long-term development strategy, Kazakhstan 2050, will be successfully implemented. At the expanded meeting of delegations, Nazarbayev noted that Park’s first state visit is a new milestone in the history of the Kazakh-South Korean strategic partnership. He also expressed the condolences of the people of Kazakhstan on the crash of the Sevol ferry in April. The President of Kazakhstan stressed that in a very short period of time, South Korea has performed an “economic miracle,” transforming from an agrarian country to one of the 20 leading economies in the world. “Interaction between our two countries in the fields of energy, automotive, engineering, construction, mining, healthcare, education and science is dynamically developing, and the total trade volume reached $1.5 billion. I am confident that, as a result of this
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visit, we will be able to reach a whole new level of cooperation in the economy and in politics,” Nazarbayev said. He noted that Kazakhstan supports South Korea’s policy on the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. In turn, the president of South Korea expressed her appreciation for the invitation to visit Kazakhstan. “I attach special importance to the meeting, where we discussed issues of cooperation in all fields. Strong and friendly relations have developed between our two countries. I welcome the fact that we have discussed issues related to the international situation, including the North Korean nuclear problem,” Park said.
“Since the early days of our independence, we have been studying reforms that were carried out in your country. I met with all the presidents of South Korea, starting with Mr. Roh Tae-woo. Our relationships, which we began to build in those years, are at a very good level now. I hope your visit will create conditions for even closer cooperation. We want to have close political and economic relations with your country.” – President Nursultan Nazarbayev to President Park Guen-hye
Park stressed that Kazakhstan is a key partner for South Korea. She also expressed her gratitude for the support of major international initiatives, including those related to the strengthening of trusting relationships within the CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia), the establishment of trust and peace on the Korean peninsula, as well as the “Eurasian initiative.” During Park’s three-day state visit, the two countries are expected to pledge continued support for their ongoing joint projects, worth a total of $10 billion, including the construction of a coal-fired power plant and a petrochemical complex. Kazakhstan is the foremost destination for South Korean investment in the region, with more than 250 South Korean companies operating here. Park noted Kazakhstan’s policy of diversifying its industry by developing the information technology, cutting-edge traffic technology and renewable energy sectors, saying these areas offer great potential for bilateral cooperation.
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Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev (right) during a June 12 meeting in Kazakhstan with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi
Italian PM Signs Energy, Cooperation Agreements During Visit Two cooperation agreements were signed during Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s working visit to Kazakhstan. In a June 12 meeting in Kazakhstan’s Borovoye resort area, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Renzi discussed prospects for expanding cooperation in energy, agriculture and transportation. KazMunayGas and Italy’s Eni S.p.A signed an agreement on implementing the Issatay exploration project, which will look for oil and gas in the Issatay block of the North Caspian Sea. Under the new deal, each company will own a 50-percent interest in exploration and production rights at the block. The agreement also envisages a shipbuilding and shipyard construction project at Kuryk on the Caspian coast. Another memorandum of understanding was signed between Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, IVECO S.p.A. and Allur Group LLP. Prospects for increased cooperation in oil and gas, transport, energy and agriculture were also on the agenda of the two heads of state as well as enhancing partnerships in the trade, economic and investment spheres. Nazarbayev and Renzi also addressed current international issues.
Eni S.p.A. is important to the Kazakh economy, Renzi said. (ENI owns a 16.81 percent stake in Kazakhstan’s huge Kashagan oil field and is also a joint operator, with BG Group, of the country’s Karachaganak oil and gas project.) He expressed hope for the development of cooperation between other Kazakh and Italian companies, including Fiat, Italcementi Group and Finmeccanica S.p.A. “I deeply believe in the strengthening of relations between Kazakhstan and Italy. I am grateful to Kazakhstan for the support you provide to our companies here,” Renzi said. He also thanked Nazarbayev for the invitation to pay an official visit, which Renzi said he accepted with gratitude. Like Kazakhstan, Italy also has a global event on its horizon, and the prime minister expressed gratitude for Kazakhstan’s participation in the upcoming World Expo 2015 in Milan and congratulated Kazakhstan on winning EXPO 2017 for Astana. “I would also like to say that our country is in need of partners such as Kazakhstan, where there is always stability and prosperity,” the Italian prime minister concluded
The leaders made a joint statement following their meeting and the signing of the two agreements. “The relationship between Kazakhstan and Italy is deepening,” President Nazarbayev said. Adding, “and ties in many areas are developing intensively.” “Italy is a strategic economic partner of Kazakhstan in Europe. Italy accounts for 13 percent of Kazakhstan’s foreign trade. The total volume of Italian investments in our economy is $6.5 billion. Moreover, Italy is the largest consumer of Kazakhstan’s oil,” the President said. Italy will take over chairmanship of the European Union in the second half of 2014, Nazarbayev noted. His country has high hopes for this chairmanship, he said, as Kazakhstan and the EU are preparing to sign an enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. The Kazakh President also invited the prime minister to pay an official visit to Kazakhstan. Renzi expressed his desire for more cooperation between Kazakh and Italian companies.
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Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev (right) during a June 12 meeting in Kazakhstan with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi
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Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov (centre right) during a June 16 meeting with his Tajik counterpart Sirodjidin Aslov in Astana
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan Seek Deeper Political Dialogue Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Erlan Idrissov met with his counterpart from Tajikistan, Sirodjidin Aslov, on June 16 in Astana during Aslov’s official visit to Kazakhstan. During the visit, the two foreign ministers signed a bilateral cooperation plan for 2014-2015 aimed at strengthening political dialogue between Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. Within the framework of the visit, the Tajik foreign minister also met with Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov and the co-chair of the Tajik-Kazakh Economic Cooperation Commission, Kazakh Minister of Environmental Protection and Water Resources Nurlan Kapparov. The current state and prospects for Kazakh-Tajik bilateral cooperation, as well as current regional cooperation issues and matters of international concern, were also addressed during the meeting. Idrissov noted that Tajikistan is an important political and economic partner of Kazakhstan’s in Central Asia and stressed the need for deeper trade and economic relations. Priority areas for increased bilateral cooperation are mining, non-ferrous metallurgy, machinery, the energy sector, transport and communications, light industry and agriculture. “The trade turnover between the countries amounted to over $700 million in 2013. We need to maintain the growth rates and try to expand the range of bilateral trade in the near future,” Idrissov said.
An important mechanism for the development of new forms of cooperation is the revitalisation of the Tajik-Kazakh Economic Cooperation Commission, the next session of which is to be held in Dushanbe this year, according to the minister. The two sides also discussed the situation in the hydropower sector of the Central Asian region. “We are convinced that cooperation in this area is possible only through the strengthening of mutual trust, ensuring transparency and the consideration of the mutual interests of all countries in the region,” said Idrissov. In this regard, the Kazakh foreign minister emphasised the significance of the regional integration process. “We will seek to promote integration in our region. Central Asia has always been and remains a special priority of our foreign policy and our efforts will be focused on the development of these relations,” he said. Aslov, added that the countries maintain a unified position on important issues and support each other’s initiatives in the international arena. The two foreign ministers expressed satisfaction with the level and the content of multilateral cooperation within the framework of regional and international organisations. In particular, the Kazakh minister noted Tajikistan’s successful chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and expressed confidence that their chairmanship, with the slogan, “Cooperation, co-development and co-prosperity,” will be an new impetus to the organisation’s development and strengthening. He also wished his Tajik counterpart success in hosting the upcoming meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the SCO in Dushanbe in July and the SCO summit in September, where a meeting of the heads of the two states is planned. There, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan will discuss the current state of bilateral relations and focus on trade cooperation and investment. Idrissov also expressed his gratitude to the Tajik side for their support of Kazakhstan’s candidacy for a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2017-2018. Idrissov and Aslov expressed satisfaction with the results of their talks and hopes for further productive cooperation between Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov (right) during a June 16 meeting with his Tajik counterpart Sirodjidin Aslov in Astana
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Also In The News... •
Kazakh delegation attends development meeting at UN General Assembly Tastemir Abishev, secretary of Kazakhstan’s Commission on Human Rights under the President of Kazakhstan, attended a high-level meeting themed “Contributions of Human Rights and the Rule of Law in the Post-2015 Development Agenda” at the UN General Assembly on June 9-10. The event represented one of the final steps in the process to develop a new global development agenda beyond 2015. In his speech, Abishev highlighted the importance of ensuring fundamental human rights and freedoms in the work of the United Nations, as well as at national and international levels, in order to achieve global sustainable development, international peace and security and the resolution of local and international conflicts. (mfa.gov.kz)
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Kazakhstan sets visa-free regime for citizens of 10 countries Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced the introduction of a visa-free regime for citizens of 10 countries in his June 12 speech at the meeting of the Foreign Investors Council. The list of 10 visa-free countries includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea and Japan. The decree issued by the government of Kazakhstan will come into force on July 15 and will be valid through July 15, 2015. (mfa. gov.kz)
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Kazakhstan’s geopolitical role discussed in Rome A roundtable discussion, “Kazakhstan and the geopolitics of a multipolar world,” was held in the Italian Parliament on June 17. The roundtable, which included Italian politicians, experts, scientists and representatives of mass media, was organised by the Kazakh Embassy in Italy with the assistance of the Italian Institute for Asia and the Mediterranean (ISIAMED). During the roundtable, participants discussed Kazakhstan’s major foreign policy initiatives, in particular the participation of the country in the process of global nuclear disarmament and the promotion of intercultural and interreligious dialogue, Kazakhstan’s candidacy for a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2017-2018, the G-Global project and World Anti-Crisis Conference, EXPO 2017 in Astana, integration processes and the signing of the Eurasian Economic Union Treaty. (mfa.gov.kz) Kazakh-Malaysian trade and economic cooperation discussed in Kuala Lumpur Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Malaysia Daniyar Sarekenov held a meeting with Minister of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed on June 17. The parties discussed the current state of trade and economic and investment cooperation and prospects for their future development. Sarekenov highlighted the current political and economic situation in Kazakhstan, the main focuses of development identified in the Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy and briefed the minister on the results of the official visit by Prime Minister of Malaysia H.E. Dato’ Sri Najib Razak to Kazakhstan in May 2014. (mfa.gov.kz)
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National Museum to open on Astana Day The new National Museum in Astana will open on July 6, Minister of Culture of Kazakhstan Arystanbek Mukhamediuly reported on May 27. According to the minister, it will be one of the largest museums in the world, not only in size, but also in content. At the instruction of the President, the Ministry of Culture has centralised all regional museums into one; the National Museum will serve as the central element. The museum will include 14 rooms. Twelve of them are ready for operation. (astanatimes.kz)
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Kazakhstan has 61 visa-free destinations: Visa Restriction Index 2014 According to the Ministry of Healthcare, Kazakhstan is planning to spend $1.7 million on training doctors abroad in 2014. “The cost of training for Kazakh doctors will vary depending on the duration of the course, the hospital at where they are trained at and the complexity of the training programme. The training, travel, accommodation and catering expenses per each doctor will come to around $11,000. The funding will come from the state budget,” the Ministry of Healthcare reported. (tengrinews.kz)
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Capital confectioners celebration to mark Astana’s sweet success The Festival of Astana Confectioners will be held on July 4 and is expected to attract more than 20 candy companies. The Confectioners’ Festival is held to promote confectionery skills and increase the level of confectionery arts in Astana. Entrance to the festival is free. The centrepiece of the festival is expected to be a cake entitled “Astana is my favourite city!” (astanatimes.com)
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