GOVERNMENT Weekly Review: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon paid official visit to Kazakhstan. President of Ukraine Yanukovich visited Kazakhstan. PM Massimov visited Jordan and Lebanon.

The prime ministers discussed a wide array of topics regarding trade-economic and investment cooperation between Kazakhstan and Jordan, prospects of interaction in healthcare, defense industry and agricultural sector, particularly, export of grain and transportation of Kazakhstan's agricultural products to Jordan. The memo of understanding between the ministries of foreign affairs was signed within the meeting. "Jordan gives great importance to the development of mutually beneficial trade-economic and investment cooperation with Kazakhstan.We would like to suggest Kazakh businessmen investing in Jordan", Samir Rifai noted. After the talks with his Jordanian colleague the Kazakh Premier met with King Abdullah II of Jordan. The parties summed up the results of the bilateral talks. They noted that the Kazakh-Jordanian Intergovernmental Commission should play important role in activation and successful realization of bilateral trade-economic contacts.

Next day the delegation headed by Kazakh Prime Minister paid an official visit to the Lebanese Republic. The issues of development of bilateral Kazakh-Lebanese trade-economic cooperation in various sectors of economy - agriculture, in the field of tourism and financial sector were discussed with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri. At the meeting with President of Lebanon Michel Suleiman there was held an exchange of opinions on bilateral economic cooperation. It was noted that there were created all conditions for deepening economic interaction. The sides expressed interest in this process activation. Within the framework of the visit there were also held negotiations with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lebanon Ali Hussein Al Chami. The issues of strengthening regional cooperation were discussed. "We invite Lebanon to become a CICA member", Kazakh PM Massimov said. Ali Hussein Al Chami expressed interest in cooperation and Lebanese readiness for participation in the process of strengthening stability and security in Asia.

Upon coming back home Kazakh PM held the first session of the Coordinating Council on issues of entrepreneurship under the Kazakh Government in the Ukimet Uiy. Heads of the central executive bodies, National Bank (G. Marchenko), Financial Supervision Agency (Y. Bakhmutova), SamrukKazyna National Welfare Fund (K.Kelimbetov), Kazakhstan Financiers Association (S. Akhanov), Kazakhstan Entrepreneurs Forum (R.Batalov), Atameken Union National Economic Chamber (A. Peruashev), Kazakh Commerce and Industry Chamber (Y. Kozhasbai) and other industrial and regional business communities took part in the sitting. The Coordinating Council on entrepreneurship was created under the Kazakh President's instruction for effective implementation of Kazakhstan's Strategic Development Plan till 2020, State Program of Forced Industrial and Innovative Development and Business Road Map-2020.

On April 7, Kazakh Head of the State Nursultan Nazarbayev received UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon who had arrived with official visit. Before arrival to capital city the distinguished guest accompanied by Kazakh Secretary of State - Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev and East Kazakhstan Governor Berdybek Saparbayev visited the Institute of Radiation Safety and Ecology and "Tokamak" thermonuclear reactor in Kurchatov town, Eastern Kazakhstan region. Ban Ki-moon got acquainted with the exposition of the Museum of History of the Semipalatinsk Test Site. "I appreciate the sample of Kazakhstan's leadership. Conducting works at the nuclear test site and renouncing nuclear weapons you became an example for the rest of the world. We hope nuclear explosions will not ever happen again. Let's work together for establishment of nuclear free world", he said in his record left at the museum.

The President of Kazakhstan showed exceptional leadership and initiative making a decision to close the Semipalatinsk test site. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said it at a meeting with Kazakh Secretary of State - Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev. He noted that thanks to the initiatives of President Nazarbayev August 29 was declared the International Day of Action against nuclear testing. The Secretary General expressed hope that during the Washington Nuclear Security Summit Nursultan Nazarbayev would speak for the early ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

"Kazakhstan is absolutely committed to the ideals of the United Nations and we always support your initiatives", President Nazarbayev said at the meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. He thanked the Secretary General for his first ever visits to the Aral and Semipalatinsk. "These are the global environmental disasters we are very concerned with", N. Nazarbayev said. He suggested discussing impressions of the visit since it coincided with the theme of the global summit that would be held in Washington on April 12-13.

The same day Kazakh President received President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich who had arrived in Kazakhstan with an official visit. Kazakhstan is paying great significance to strengthening friendship and cooperation with Ukraine. Head of the State Nursultan Nazarbayev announced it at the meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich . "We have always said that the nations of our countries are connected with ancient, historical and cultural ties", the Kazakh President noted. The Head of the State expressed hope that the first official visit of V. Yanukovich to Kazakhstan will give new impulse to expansion and movement of the stopped fields of cooperation. The Kazakh President noted presence of solid legal base between Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Both Kazakh and Ukrainian Governments will be entrusted with a task to develop our joint actions on the basis of Road Map-3. Yanukovich noted that he had studied the Road Map-3 Kazakhstan-Ukraine Action Plan for 2010-2011 and concluded that the document needed refinement and significant expansion. He said it was necessary to prepare and take specific steps within the framework of this Plan prior to the Kazakh President's visit to Ukraine in the second half of the year. Presidents of Kazakhstan and Ukraine have agreed on transit of 6 mln tons of the Kazakh oil through Ukraine. In addition, foreign ministers of both countries Kanat Saudabayev and Kostyantin Gryshchenko signed a protocol of amendments to the Agreement between the Government of Kazakhstan and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine "On mutual trips of citizens". "We support your initiative on holding the OSCE Summit and we are ready to take part in development of the agenda", the Ukrainian President said. V. Yanukovich said that in 2013 Ukraine would chair the OSCE and this cooperation with Kazakhstan would be a good experience for Ukraine.

On April 9 Georgian Prime Minister Nikoloz Gilauri was received by Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov. Georgia has always considered Kazakhstan as a very important strategic partner knowing that Astana and Moscow having closest warm relations. Heads of governments discussed the issue of establishment of storages for Kazakh grain at the territory of Georgia. "I hope my visit will be a step forward to further development of cooperation", Mr. Gilauri said. He invited Mr. Massimov to pay a visit to Georgia and expressed hope that the standing session of the Kazakh-Georgian Intergovernmental Commission will become an impetus to further development of interaction of two states. "We discussed establishment of special grain storages at the territory of Georgia that will allow Kazakhstan to diversify this type of goods", N. Gilauri said at the press conference upon the results of the meeting. The Heads of Government negotiated the issues of energy and transportation of Kazakh goods through Azerbaijan and Georgia as well.