Kazakhstan through the eyes of foreign mass media

The articles of these mass media outlets gave insight into President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev's initiatives and his role in normalization of relations between Russia and Turkey, Kazakhstan winning the coveted non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council in 2017-2018, the recent SCO Summit and its outcomes as well as developments in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), the trading bloc founded by Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus.

Foreign mass media also paid utmost attention to the upcoming International specialized exhibition Expo 2017, the futuristic Expo City being built in the heart of Central Asia and changes it had already brought to the face of the Kazakh capital. Foreign news outlets also shared news about the development of Kazakhstani industrial, oil & gas, and business sectors as well as a unique surgery performed in Astana that may change the sphere of cardiology and millions of lives around the world forever.

Aqsaqal of the Turkish world

It is no secret that Kazakhstan earned a remarkable standing in the world thanks to President Nazarbayev's peacekeeping and foreign policy initiatives on non-proliferation, the chairmanship in the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), the organization of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the holding of the Astana Economic Forum, the chairmanship of the Organization Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Eurasian integration initiative, G-Global, and the list goes on.

The most recent initiative of the Kazakh leader or, it is better to say, the new document - Manifesto. "The World. The 21st century" presenting his take on a world without wars was delivered on the sidelines of the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit in New York earlier this year.

In the article entitled "Towards a world without wars" posted by The Business Times its author Vincent Wee claims that President Nursultan Nazarbayev has once again taken the lead in international relations, with the bold new document, reflecting a genuine concern for the fate of the world. According to him, it outlines steps which could lead the world to become nuclear weapon-free. Wee notes the document has gained traction since achieving the status of an official document of the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council. He applauds President Nazarbayev for calling on the world not to underestimate the risks and the threat of a deadly war on a global scale. In the document the Kazakh leader shares his concern that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is not fulfilling its purpose. "It's not hard to imagine, says Wee, "what can happen if nuclear weapons and the technology that produces them will fall into the hands of terrorist." In the article Vincent Wee also commends Kazakhstan and President Nazarbayev for permanently closing the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, becoming the first, and for now, only such country to take such action.

In another article published by The Business Times "President's 100 concrete steps taking Kazakhstan to its goal" the Kazakh leader is praised for taking proactive steps to help his country weather the storm and overcome the global financial crisis. According to the article, a year ago President Nazarbayev proposed five key reforms or 100 concrete steps which are Kazakhstan's answer to global and internal challenges and are aimed at bringing the Central Asian republic into the club of the world's 30 most developed countries. The proposed reforms are interconnected with the Kazakhstan's 2050 Development Strategy, the Nurly Zhol new economic policy, National Plan "100 Specific Steps on Implementation of Five Institutional Reforms" and other key policy documents.

The author of the article focuses on each reform. The first reform, in his words, will ensure the modernization in the procedure of admission to civil service, with a more comprehensive system that will be based on meritocracy.

The second reform focuses on ensuring the rule of law in Kazakhstan and involves a transition from the five-step justice system (first instance, appeal, cassation, supervisory and re-supervisory) to a three-level (first, appeal, cassation). In addition, eligibility requirements and mechanisms of selection of judges will be tightened, the scope of the jury court will be extended and the Astana International Arbitration Center will be created.

According to the author, the third reform aims to attract more investors to boost economic growth and diversify industry by promoting a more business-friendly environment. For example, the current practice of civil servants making declarations of incomes will be extended to declaring expenses as well, from January 2017. Additional measures include strengthening the institution of a business ombudsman, who will act on behalf of entrepreneurs.

He also mentions that other steps to attract investors will centre on establishing a multi-modal Eurasian transcontinental transport corridor that will facilitate quicker delivery of goods between Asia and Europe via Kazakhstan. Other transport infrastructure developments include the construction of a new airport to service the growing needs of Almaty.

Finally, the establishment of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) with a special status using a separate judicial system based largely on English law and the use of English as an official language alongside Kazakh and Russian is expected to turn Astana into a major financial hub for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries and West Asia.

The fourth reform will focus on national identity and will be implemented through a number of projects, such as patriotic act "Mangilik Yel", large-scale project of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan "Big Country - Big Family" that are called to "strengthen the Kazakh identity and create conditions for the formation of an integrated civil community."

And the last, but definitely not least, according to the author, is the reform that seeks to boost accountability in the government. State agencies will be free to achieve their goals independently but heads of the state agencies will report annually on the achievements of their departments.

Aside from its foreign policy initiatives and far-sighted reforms Kazakhstan is also renowned for its multi-vector policy. Indeed, Kazakhstan enjoys good relations with Russia, China, the United States and other Western nations.

Speaking of cooperation with its closest ally - Russia - in the interview with Rossiya 24 TV Channel President Nazarbayev urged the two countries to jointly implement transition to the Fourth Industrial Revolution through development of bilateral relations in the field of research and industrial cooperation, TASS news agency reported. "The research and technology cooperation is a separate topic now. Experience sharing and joint work in the innovation industry. Everyone is now talking about transition to the Fourth Industrial Revolution - this revolution should be implemented in the industrial field together with Russia," Nazarbayev said, according to TASS.

It should be noted that the Fourth Industrial Revolution that may differ from the earlier ones by speed, scale and power of transformation was discussed earlier within the framework of the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 20-23, 2016.

Sputnik News Agency also shared an article about the interview in which President Nazarbayev suggested that CIS may develop as a platform for dialogue. In the article the Kazakh President stresses that the CIS states agreed to reduce bureaucracy in the organization, and therefore the CIS can develop, become a more clear organization as a platform for dialogue, exchange of views between its member states.

In June President Nursultan Nazarbayev was given ample praises by multiple Turkish media outlets for breaking the ice in Russia-Turkey relations. After Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin regarding the November downing of the Russian plane with the words of excuse and condolences, the Turkish mass media started talking about Russia-Turkey rapprochement. The two leaders even held a 40-minute telephone conversation after seven months of silence.

Local experts started guessing who acted as a mediator in the normalization of relations between Moscow and Ankara. Prime Minister of Turkey Binali Yildirim and, then, President Ergodan himself both gave credit to President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev for contributing to restoration of ties between Turkey and Russia. Turkish printed and online mass media dedicated their articles to Russia-Turkey rapprochement with the help of the Kazakh leader.

Thus, popular newspaper Milliyet with a run of 140,000 daily copies published an article praising the role of the Kazakh President in de-escalation of the Turkish-Russian relations.

Two Turkish news agencies sondakika.com and haber7.com also dedicated their materials to Nursultan Nazarbayev who, according to them, thawed ice between Moscow and Ankara after exerting mammoth diplomatic efforts.

It was noted that President Nazarbayev used every effort to help Russia and Turkey return to a dialogue. At the meeting with then-Prime Minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu on February 6, 2016 in Astana President Nazarbayev stressed that crisis in the Turkish-Russian relations negatively affects Kazakhstan as well.

Many Turkish analytical experts forecast that it will be President Nursultan Nazarbayev who will help mend the Turkish-Russian ties.

For instance, on January 22, 2016 Turkey's Cihan News Agency published an article penned by Hasan Kanbolat entitled "Turkish-Russian tension could be solved by Nazarbayev's leadership" pointing out that the Kazakh President is the one who can become a mediator between the two feuding parties.

Karar newspaper, in turn, published an article calling Nursultan Nazarbayev ‘Aqsaqal of the Turkish world' who prevented further escalation of the Turkish-Russian crisis.

Another historic first for Kazakhstan

Another big win for Kazakhstan's foreign policy in June was the country's election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in 2017-2018. After a grueling campaign launched by the Kazakh Government six years ago, Kazakhstan made the history by becoming the first Central Asian state to sit on the UN Security Council.

Foreign Affairs Minister of Kazakhstan Erlan Idrissov penned an op-ed "High time for Central Asia and Kazakhstan to have a voice in UN Security Council" for Thehill.com blog explaining why Kazakhstan and the CA region in general should be presented in the Council.

In the article Minister Idrissov stressed the role of the United Nations Security Council, which solemn task is to maintain international peace with the power to intervene if threats put it or the safety of civilian populations at risk. Its effectiveness has a huge impact on the world and the lives of millions of people.

The Council's authority stems from the UN Charter and the support of the international community. But, according to Idrissov, it will be strengthened when its membership is as representative as possible.

The minister noted that when the Council first met 70 years ago, Central Asia did not figure high on the global agenda, being largely part of the Soviet Union and regarded as remote, far away from areas of importance or influence.

But, in his words, the things have changed dramatically as the former Soviet republics are now thriving independent countries. The rise of China as an economic power and the growth of trade between Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa have put it at the centre of the global economy. Sadly, too, extremism and conflict have taken root on the fringes of the region. The minister stressed that the lack of a voice from the region is obvious. That is why Kazakhstan has put its name forward for election at the end of this month to the Council as a non-permanent member for 2017 and 2018.

Minister Idrissov expressed confidence that, if elected, Kazakhstan will make a distinctive and positive contribution to the UN's work which goes well beyond our geography. Despite the fact that Kazakhstan has been an independent country only for 25 years, few nations can match Kazakhstan's support for the UN or promotion of peace, disarmament and dialogue.

According to Idrissov, Kazakhstan was the first country in the world to voluntarily renounce the world's fourth largest nuclear arsenal and close the Semipalatinsk Test Site. Kazakhstan has worked tirelessly to encourage other counties to follow its lead. As President Nursultan Nazarbayev rightly said in his Manifesto "The World. The 21st Century", the cause of nuclear disarmament must be the top priority for the UN in the coming decades.

Aside from nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation Kazakhstan has become a powerful advocate for wider peace and dialogue. Kazakhstan helped mediate in the crises in Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan as well as play the role in breaking the deadlock of Iran's nuclear program.

Kazakhstan proposed the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) at the UN, which today brings together 26 countries from Egypt and Israel to Turkey and Russia to India, Pakistan and China. The Central Asian republic also hosts the increasingly influential Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, attended last year by the UN Secretary-General. In May 2016 the UN General Assembly hosted the Religions against Terrorism conference in Astana at Kazakhstan's initiative in which dozens of parliamentary and faith leaders from around the world adopted a message urging believers and non-believers alike to fight the violent extremism and ideologies nurturing it.

According to the minister, Kazakhstan put conflict prevention and resolution at the heart of its foreign policy, but at the same time the country recognizes its responsibility to contribute more directly to the global good. So, Kazakhstan became actively engaged with a wide range of regional and global organizations such as the African Union, CARICOM, and SIDS (Small Island Developing States) and peacekeeping operations under the authority of the UNSC.

In the article Minister Idrissov vows that as a potential UNSC member Kazakhstan is determined to maintain its balanced and inclusive foreign policy. Kazakhstan will continue to be guided by its strong belief that only collective action can overcome global challenges and will promote the four pillars of its campaign - nuclear, water, food and energy security.

The article was published in the days prior to the Day X - the session of UN General Assembly in New York where the future of the UN Security Council would be determined. On June 29 Kazakhstan woke up to the news that its efforts were rewarded and it would serve on the UN Security Council in 2017-2018.

Reuters News Agency was one of the first to announce the news that Kazakhstan along with Sweden, Ethiopia and Bolivia had secured the UN Security Council seat. Out of 193 members of the UN, 138 voted for Kazakhstan in the second round of voting. It should be noted that Sweden received 134 votes. 185 and 183 UN members voted in favor of Ethiopia and Bolivia respectively. According to Reuters, the new members, including Kazakhstan, will replace Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela on the Council starting from January 1, 2017.

Well-known Malaysian News Agency - Bernama - also shared the news of Kazakhstan winning the seat on the UN Security Council. It commended the Kazakh leader and diplomats who traveled far and wide lobbying nations to garner support for Kazakhstan's bid. Bernama noted that Kazakhstan beat Thailand during the election and will represent the Asia-Pacific region on the Council.

The official press center of the United Nations also posted the news about Kazakhstan's election to the UN Security Council. In the press release the UN noted that Kazakhstan was elected as a non-permanent member for the first time in its history, outstripping Thailand with the number of votes. The UN especially emphasized that Kazakhstan's rival, Thailand, held non-permanent membership in 1985-1986.

The UN pointed out that Kazakhstan will begin its tow-year term on January 1, 2017 and will replace Malaysia on the Council. Moreover, according to the press release, Kazakhstan is the third country of the former Soviet Union to serve on the Council. The first one - Russia is one of the five permanent members and the second one - Ukraine - is a non-permanent member whose term expires at the end of 2017.

Russia's Sputnik News Agency also shared the news about Kazakhstan becoming the UN Security Council non-permanent member.

America's Fox News wrote that Kazakhstan along with Sweden won contested elections for coveted seats on the Security Council. Ethiopia and Bolivia, according to the agency, faced no opposition for seats earmarked for Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. It was noted that two European countries - Italy and the Netherlands agreed to split the two-year term after deadlock in voting. Italy will hold the Security Council seat in 2017 and the Netherlands in 2018.

Fox News added that winning a seat on the Security Council is a pinnacle of achievement for many countries, including Kazakhstan, because it gives them a strong voice in matters dealing with international peace and security from conflicts in Syria and South Sudan to actions that threaten global stability such as North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile tests and attacks by extremist groups such as the Islamic State. Given that there are 40 conflicts and 11 full-blown wars going on in the world, Kazakhstan with its peaceful take on foreign policy will greatly contribute to the work of the Council.

NewKerala.com web portal also shared the news of Kazakhstan becoming a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. According to the web portal, all UN Member States are required to comply with Council decisions, in which Kazakhstan's voice will be taken into account in 2017-2018. Unlike Bolivia and Ethiopia which had no competitors at the election, Kazakhstan had to defeat Thailand to secure the seat reserved for Asia Pacific.

NewKerala.com noted that Kazakhstan as a non-permanent member of the Security Council will be responsible for determining the existence of a threat against peace and to respond to acts of aggression. It will be also responsible for finding peaceful means to settle a conflict or a dispute between Member States. In some cases, the Council can resort to sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security. The Security Council also recommends to the General Assembly the appointment of the Secretary General and the admission of new Members to the United Nations.

The Nation - Thailand's Independent Newspaper reported that Thailand was beaten by Kazakhstan in the UN Security Council seat race. According to the article published by the newspaper, Kazakhstan beat out Thailand in a second round, picking up 138 votes against 55 for Thailand and winning a council seat for the first time since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The newspaper quoted Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov as saying that "we are very proud to be the first central Asian country to serve on the council" and pledged to focus on nuclear non-proliferation and development. The newspaper also praised Kazakhstan for giving up its nuclear arsenal after the breakup of the Soviet Union and years of lobbying for the UN Security Council seat.

Later on the newspaper even extended its congratulations to Kazakhstan on the UNSC election in a separate article. "Thailand congratulates Kazakhstan for being elected to the United Nations Security Council, and sincerely appreciates the support rendered to Thailand from all Member States throughout the campaign," it wrote.

The Latin America Herald Tribune wrote that President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev considers election of the country to the UN Security Council as a ‘historic victory' that belongs to the entire Central Asia, which had never been present in an organization that takes responsibility for international peace and security. "Our objective is to build a world free of nuclear arms, of the virus of war and of conflict. Kazakhstan will work to reach that noble goal for the United Nations centennial in 2045," he said.

According to the Latin America Herald Tribune, Kazakh Senate Speaker Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev was among those elated by a "historic victory of Kazakh diplomacy under the leadership of Nazarbayev, a shining example of the fact that we are a country with political structures recognized by everyone." Senator Byrganym Aitimova, who serves as Astana's permanent representative to the United Nations, and Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov were confident that Kazakhstan will have a clear position on every conflict debated in the Security Council and Kazakhstan has much to offer the world. According to the source, Idrissov said that ‘it is time to attract attention to the development needs of our part of the world. Kazakhstan will bring the priorities of Central Asian development onto the UN agenda'.

In the article "Kazakhstan wins seat on UN Security Council" for The Diplomat Magazine Catherine Putz notes that Kazakhstan has long been on a quest to be recognized internationally and that a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council is yet another brick in this road.

Aigerim Toleukhanova penned the article about Kazakhstan's election to the UN Security Council for EurasiaNet.org website lauding Kazakhstan to become the first country from Central Asia ever to secure a seat on the United Nations Security Council. This kind of positioning on the global stage, according to Tokeukhanova, is something that Astana, which strives to be seen as major diplomatic player, takes very seriously. The country's most recent moment in the diplomatic spotlight was in 2010, when it became the first post-Soviet republic to chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. In June that same year, Kazakhstan declared its candidacy to claim a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. In 2011-2012, Kazakhstan became the first Central Asian country to become chair of Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Toleukhanova mentions that Astana received some public relations support in its bid from former US ambassadors to Kazakhstan Ken Fairfax and Larry Napper.

The U.S. diplomats cited Kazakhstan's positive relations with its ally and partner in the Eurasian Economic Union - Russia and close ties with its other great power neighbor - China. Fairfax and Napper also praised Kazakhstan's decision to relinquish its nuclear weapons arsenal and its donations to the African Union program to fight Ebola as positive factors. Despite its young age, Kazakhstan, according to them, did a lot for regional and global comity and the UN Security Council will enable Kazakhstan to contribute even more to its region and the world beyond.

To sum up, the election of Kazakhstan to the UN Security Council demonstrates the nation's strengthening at the international level. It will boost Kazakhstan's visibility and reputation in the international arena. More importantly, the non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council will give our country the opportunity to participate directly in shaping the current global agenda on security and to increase the relevance of issue important to Central Asia on the international arena.

In June Kazakhstan was also elected as the 10th CRIRSCO member - the Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards - by its chairperson Dr. Harry Parker in Astana. "The objective of our Government was to adopt world's best practice in the reporting of exploration results, mineral resources and mineral reserves," Miningreview.com quoted then-Minister for Investment and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Asset Issekeshev as saying. According to the Miningreview, after the election Issekeshev expressed his pleasure that his country's efforts had been rewarded by being accepted as the tenth member of CRIRSCO. Parker explained that the CRIRSCO family of reporting standards was used by mining companies, investors and financial institutions on six continents, and that Kazakhstan's adoption of the KAZRC would enable public reporting of Kazakhstan's exploration results, mineral resources and mineral reserves to be in the format expected to support investors.

SCO becoming a political power to reckon with

Kazakhstan also found itself in the spotlight of foreign mass media in June as a founding member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), heads of state of which gathered in Tashkent for the regular summit.

The SCO which used to be a Central Asia bloc that pursued collective security is now expanding to Eurasian bloc that can achieve more both in security and economic terms by accepting new members. The 16th meeting of the Council of Heads of state in the Uzbek capital focused on the accession of India and Pakistan to the organization. By admitting India and Pakistan into the bloc, the SCO is facing up to a security threat in the broader Eurasian region. With India and Pakistan on board, the bloc might also add a few countries to the observation list.

According to Payvand Iran News, Iran is seen as the next big player to join the emerging power of the SCO. "Iran is the next. So, this organization with three billion residents is becoming a huge power," the agency quoted Nursultan Nazarbayev as saying. According to the agency, India and Pakistan had their admission finalized at Ufa summit in Russia last year but the procedures including the adoption of all SCO documents by both countries are still under way and they may have to wait until the 2017 summit for formal seat among its members.

Iran has long sought membership in the SCO but the group kept the country waiting until it reached an agreement with the US, Europe and other key international players on its nuclear program. With the addition of Iran, the group would control around a fifth of the world's oil and represent nearly a half of the global population.

The Iranian news agency also notes that the SCO is expected to boost China's plans to rebuild the Silk Road as its signature foreign policy initiative and reach markets in Europe and Africa.

Business Recorder web portal considers India and Pakistan's accession to the SCO security bloc as a boost to the importance of the organization. According to the portal, Russian President Vladimir Putin said ahead of the summit that the accession of India and Pakistan would increase the organization's relevance, both in the region and worldwide. Putin also said at the summit that there were "no obstacles" left for Iran - currently an SCO observer - to join the organization now that sanctions connected to Tehran's nuclear program have been lifted.

The Hindu Business Line believes that India's SCO membership will help drive its economic growth. According to the source, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi who attended the SCO Summit in Tashkent said the partnership will help protect the region from threats of radicalization, violence and terror and drive its economic growth. In his words, India would significantly benefit from the grouping's strengths in energy and natural resources and in turn India's strong economy and vast market could drive economic growth in the SCO region.

Times of India reported that the importance of India's SCO membership can hardly be overestimated. First of all, it will give India a strong foothold in Central Asia. By developing the Chabahar port in Iran and linking it with freight rail route connecting China, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran, India will be given vital access to the region. It will also serve as the basis for India's engagement with the larger Eurasian economic framework.

Plus, according to Times of India, SCO membership will also allow India to coordinate its security mechanisms with the countries of Central Asia, Russia and China in the face of rising Islamic extremism in the region.

Germany's Deutsche Welle dedicated an article "India, Pakistan and the SCO expansion" to the changes happening to the security grouping led by China and Russia. According to the German news agency, the admission of India and Pakistan comes at a time when the two nations are seeking greater engagement in the Eurasian region, which is one of the more strategically important areas of the world. Deutsche Welle believes that Central Asian countries rich in hydrocarbons are particularly attractive for energy-starved India and Pakistan.

"Joining the SCO will better facilitate access to Central Asia for India and Pakistan, which is no small matter given that two major transport projects they're involved in - the CPEC and Chabahar - envision a big role for Central Asia," Michael Kugelman, a South Asia expert at the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars, told Deutsche Welle.

Russia Beyond the Headlines blog presented Vladimir Putin's take on India and Pakistan's accession to the SCO. According to the Russian leader this move will make the organization even more powerful. "Indeed, as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization expands its areas of operation and its membership through the participation of the powerful countries, it turns into a very powerful international association that commands respect and is relevant both in the region and worldwide," Putin said. According to the blog, the SCO was initially created to address issues of border cooperation between its members, yet it has become highly demanded and attractive in the region, and many countries of the world have expressed their willingness to join it.

According to TASS News Agency, Vladimir Putin sees security as the key task of SCO. Speaking at the SCO Summit in Tashkent, the Russian President pointed out that its member states should continue improving potential of the regional anti-terrorist structure, coordination of law enforcers in the framework of the UN and other international organizations. He went on to add that the SCO members should not forget about the threat coming from Afghanistan. "Of course, the situation in Afghanistan requires special attention," he said. "It is important that jointly with the Afghani counterparts we fight actively the threat of terrorism and trans-border crime, coming from that country, we should work on stopping production and distribution of drugs." Putin believes that the member countries should help Afghanistan in reaching national accord and in the economic recovery. Another focal point of his speech at the summit was removal of the barriers in trade. "An important component of SCO's activities is development of close economic cooperation," TASS quoted the Russian president as saying. "We should continue removing barriers in trade, in movement of capitals and labor force, we should develop industrial and technology cooperation." It is crucial, in his words, to develop in SCO territory "industrial chains" and the transport infrastructures as well.

The article published by Xinhua News Agency focused on the multilateral cooperation within the SCO debated at the Summit in Tashkent. According to Xinhua, at the Summit the SCO leaders vowed to raise the regional cooperation to a qualitatively new level. It will be characterized by increasing the efficiency of cooperation in the spheres of politics, security, economy, development of cultural and humanitarian ties. The leaders, according to Xinhua, noted that the world economy is still suffering from the effects of the global financial and economic crisis. The SCO member states should strive for a profound transformation of the global economy through large-scale, structural reforms, diversified and improving competitiveness of economies and innovative development on a long-term basis.

Xinhua especially stressed the leaders reaffirmed the support for the Silk Road Economic Belt, a regional development initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 that seeks to boost regional economic activities by linking China with Europe through Central and Western Asia by inland routes. They promised to jointly construct the Silk Road Economic Belt, which they said can be one of the tools for facilitating regional economic cooperation.

The member states, according to the article, also agreed to continue mutually beneficial multi-faceted cooperation in energy, transport corridors, public health, science and technology, education, environmental protection, sports, tourism and preservation of cultural and natural heritage.

The SCO member states called for joint and consolidated efforts and comprehensive measures to deal with the growing threat of international terrorism and extremism, fight against illicit drug production and trafficking, smuggling of arms, ammunition and explosives, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and various means of delivery, as well as combating transnational organized crime.

Traditionally, there were a lot of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. For instance, the press service of the Chinese Foreign Ministry published a press release about President Xi Jinping meeting with Nursultan Nazarbayev.

According to the Chinese MFA, Xi Jinping praised China-Kazakhstan bilateral cooperation for showing a momentum of rapid development with fruitful results. The two countries, in his words, have become a true community of shared interests and shared destiny. The Chinese leader drew attention of his interlocutor to the need to compile the docking plan of the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt with the new economic policy of the Nurly Zhol, fully use the new model of production capacity cooperation jointly opened by China and Kazakhstan, advance the implementation of related cooperation projects in production capacity at an early date, and boost cooperation in such areas as agriculture, energy, local affairs, people-to-people and cultural exchanges as well as environmental protection.

According to the press release, Nursultan Nazarbayev, in turn, expressed that it is a priority of Kazakhstan's diplomacy to develop good-neighborliness, mutual trust and friendship with China. It should be mentioned that Kazakhstan firmly supports China's Silk Road Economic Belt initiative, and agrees to accelerate the docking of the initiative with the Nurly Zhol new economic policy. The Kazakh President added that his country is ready to cooperate with China in such areas as trade, agriculture, logistics, infrastructure and tourism.

China's CCTV also dedicated an article to the meeting of the Kazakh and Chinese leaders on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tashkent. According to the source, during the meeting Kazakhstan and China pledged to align their development strategies, China-proposed Silk Road Economic Belt initiative and Kazakhstan's new economic policy named the Nurly Zhol. According to CCTV, Xi suggested that the two nations keep close high-level contacts, support and coordinate with each on major issues of their respective concern, and always plan for cooperation from a strategic height and a long-term perspective. Xi Jinping also reiterated that China supports Kazakhstan in hosting the "China Tourism Year" in 2017. It was added that the Chinese side wants to enhance cooperation with Kazakhstan in the United Nations and other multilateral platforms.

TASS News Agency also wrote about Xi Jinping and Nursultan Nazarbayev's meeting in Tashkent, adding that the Chinese leader supported the initiative of Kazakhstan to host the EXPO-2017 international show in Astana.

As for other bilateral meetings held on the margins on the SCO Summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had bilateral talks with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. According to the New Indian Express, the two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen and improve ties.

Times of India reported that while in Tashkent Prime Minister Modi also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss India's full SCO membership and its perspectives.

Of course, leaders of the SCO founding members - Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin - also held a meeting on the sidelines of the Summit. They both welcomed India's accession to the economic and regional security bloc, according to The BRICS Post. At the meeting, they touched upon the adoption of commitments by India and Pakistan as regards their full-fledged incorporation into the SCO and the SCO's plans to establish a new development bank and a new transport corridor. It is worth mentioning that Xi told his Russian counterpart that he wants to consolidate China-Russia political and strategic trust, strengthen mutual support, link the countries' development strategies, dovetail the Silk Road Economic Belt project with the EEU, and promote closer cooperation and interaction on current international and regional issues.

Iran's Press TV reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met with his Russian colleague Sergey Lavrov on the margins of the two-day SCO Summit as well. The two ministers discussed bilateral ties and the latest developments in the region. According to Press TV, Zarif and Lavrov paid utmost attention to the Syrian conflict during the talks.

According to Trend News Agency that also covered the Zarif and Lavrov's meeting, the sides touched upon bilateral and regional concerns as well as Iran's aspiration to get the full SCO membership.

Additionally, the SCO leaders made several proposals to wrap up the work of the SCO Summit in Tashkent.

For instance, President Xi Jinping put forward a five-point proposal, according to China's CCTV.com. His proposal included promoting the Shanghai Spirit, a spirit of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, communication, respect for cultural diversity and mutual development, security, cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, openness and inclusiveness.

According to the Trend News Agency, President Nazarbayev proposed to create the Eurasian transit and transportation hub, which will link member and observer states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Nazarbayev recalled that more than a year ago he initiated the creation of the joint Eurasian economic space and that its key element is the infrastructural unification of Eurasia's central hubs by the revival of the historic Silk Road routes. In accordance with this, the Kazakhstani President offered to concentrate efforts of the SCO member states on a number of directions, including the joining of the Eurasian Economic Union and China's "Silk Road Economic Belt" project.

In conclusion, it was announced that Kazakhstan is taking over the SCO presidency and that the next Summit will be held in Astana in June 2017.

The Trend News Agency shared Nursultan Nazarbayev's remarks on Kazakhstan's priorities of the SCO chairmanship. According to the Azerbaijani news agency, during its chairmanship at the SCO, Kazakhstan intends to continue the great work done by Uzbekistan and to contribute to the development and strengthening of the SCO, to enhance its role and authority in the world. "Strengthening the regional security, developing the economic cooperation, revealing the transit and transport potential, and deepening the cultural and humanitarian ties are among the priorities of Kazakhstan's chairmanship," Trend quoted Nazarbayev as saying.

At the Tashkent summit the SCO member states signed a program to develop cooperation in tourism, BelTA News Agency reported. According to the Belarusian news agency, it is the first universal document in the history of the Organization aimed at the development of the common tourism space based on the established cultural, historical and economic ties in the interest of intensifying tourist exchanges.

According to BelTA, the program will create an efficient legal framework for establishing cooperation in tourism in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and will identify areas of joint cooperation, promote the development of coordinated approaches to the rational use of the resources of the tourism sector. The document will help address tasks of the efficient use of the tourism potential for strengthening and extending the relations of good neighborliness, friendship and cooperation between the SCO nations.

Considering the joining of new countries, the SCO will include more than 60 percent of the territory of Eurasia, 45 percent of the world's population, and over 19 percent of the world's GDP. Indeed, the organization is shaping to become a political power to reckon with.

Speaking of the Belt and Road Initiative which was brought up by many participants of the SCO Summit, Professor of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University Seylbek Musataev said in the interview with Xinhua News Agency that the initiative brought up by China will help countries along the route overcome crises and become prosperous. According to the professor, many countries are keen to participate in the Belt and Road construction and try to echo the initiative by initiating their own programs. In fact, the expert saw many similarities between China's Belt and Road Initiative and Kazakhstan's "Nurly Zhol" new economic policy proposed by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, as both are laying great emphasis on infrastructure construction.

"Within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, Kazakhstan and China have jointly implemented some construction projects of transportation, and have built schools, hospitals and enterprises along the Belt route, thus, promoting development of local commerce and economy", said Musataev. After Kazakhstan's Khorgos Eastern Gate land port was opened, number of container shipments from China to Europe and Russia via Kazakhstan increased remarkably.

In the interview professor Musataev mentions another important infrastructure project jointly implemented by Kazakhstan and China, the Western Europe-Western China international transit corridor. The World Bank expects that the launch of the corridor will increase the volume of freight traffic by 2.5 times. Additionally, new enterprises and ancillary facilities will be built along the transit line, which will bring local people a large number of employment opportunities.

The professor also notes that the youth of Kazakhstan, students at the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in particular, welcome the initiative, which is expected to bring many job opportunities to them as well.

EEU seeks closer cooperation with EU

Aside from firmly supporting the SCO and the Belt and Road Initiative, Kazakhstan also plays an important role in another integration initiative - the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). In fact, it was President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev who suggested the idea of creating a ‘Eurasian Union' in 1994. The purely economic bloc has an integrated market of 183 million people and a gross domestic product of over $4 trillion. The EEU introduced the free movement of goods, capital, services and people.

In June 2016 Belarus revealed that it is developing proposals for new regulations on free economic zones in EEU. According to BelTA news agency, the current regulations governing the operation of free economic zones in the EEU will expire in 2017. Of course, the business community of the EEU member states, including Kazakhstan, is concerned about the future of free economic zones. Being its founding member, Belarus has already prepared a number of proposals in order to keep the operation of the Belarusian free economic zones as well as their attractiveness for business on par with other member states of the union. The EEU has free trade agreements with Ukraine, Moldova and Uzbekistan and has recently signed one with Vietnam. The Eurasian trading bloc is considering the opportunity to launch free trade zones with Serbia, Singapore and Iran.

In addition, Russia will join forces with Belarus and Kazakhstan to create a universal EEU database on citizens who are forbidden to travel abroad, BelTA reported in another article. Those are people who have outstanding fines, taxes, or alimonies or untrustworthy debtors. It is expected that with the launch of the database the EEU states will deny them exit.

According to BelTA, the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), the supranational regulating body of the union, is worried its member states don't have a normal dialogue with European and the U.S. businesses, which say they would like to see the EEU as a predictable factor. That is why it was proposed to begin cooperation with the U.S. government and business entities on technical aspects, for example to establish a dialogue on technical regulation.

The EEU constantly adds new members and tries to establish cooperation with as many countries as it can. After signing the free trade agreement with Vietnam, the EEU, according to BelTA, reached out to Afghanistan and suggested considering the possibility of more vigorous advancement of cooperation.

In other news from the Eurasian bloc, Belarus seeks to remove exemptions and restrictions to trade. Belarus, according to BelTA, sees the removal of exemptions and restrictions to trade in goods and services as the goal number one. The second goal is to ensure a coordinated industrial policy, which implies, on the one hand, country specialization in order to eliminate redundant duplicating productions, and, on the other hand, implementation of new high-tech projects using joint scientific, production and financial capabilities. The third goal is to develop the common energy market in order to ensure equal conditions for competition between manufacturers of the member countries. It was noted that in recent years the mutual trade has declined mainly due to external factors. Still there are positive advances towards integration which create a basis for further cooperation. The future of the Eurasian Economic Union will largely depend on the ability of its member states to find a balance between national and global interests for the achievement of common development goals. Belarus hopes that the removal of exemptions and restrictions to trade will positively affect the mutual relations with foreign countries, promote a stable and predictable economic environment, attract investment resources and new technologies to the region, and create joint products competitive both on the domestic and foreign markets.

President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin believe that cooperation with the EEU can breathe new life into the crisis-stricken EU. They shared their thoughts on the EEU-EU cooperation at the session during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in June, Sputnik News Agency wrote.

"Disintegration and economic isolation don't solve any of the internal problems, that's just self-delusion. The EEU wants to see an effective, stable European Union, with which it wants to closely cooperate. In exactly the same way cooperation with our union is beneficial for Europe," Sputnik quoted Nazarbayev as saying. Putin, in turn, added, "We propose the creation of a large Eurasian partnership with the participation of the EEU and also countries with which we have already developed close relations: China, India, Pakistan, Iran, and of course our partners in the Commonwealth of Independent States as well as other interested countries and unions." According to Sputnik, Putin said that Europe, which at the moment is in a very difficult positive, could use the Eurasian bloc as a bridge to those countries.

According to BelTA, the EEU member states can use that cooperation and bring their products to EU markets. For instance, Belarus and Kazakhstan have plans to expand joint production to bring their locally made products to the markets of the EU member states and third countries. Kazakhstani and Belarusian businessmen have already set up a joint venture to manufacture cartridges for printing equipment and have plans to sell their products in third countries. There are plans to set up more joint ventures to promote their products to the EU market.

Kazakhstan and its foreign business partners

It should be noted that Kazakhstan develops business cooperation not only with the EEU member states, but also with other countries. For example, Kazakhstan has by five-six times reduced the time spent on customs inspection of cargo arriving from the Baku International Sea Trade Port in Azerbaijan's Alat settlement. According to Trend News Agency, if earlier the customs clearance of cargo at the Kazakh port of Aktau city took up to 10-12 hours, now the process of verification of cargo takes an average of about two hours. This became possible through obtaining preliminary information regarding the cargo departing from the port of Alat.

AzerNews Agency informed that presently Kazakhstan is engaged in the construction of a new Kuryk port on the Caspian shore, which will be similar to Azerbaijan's Baku International Sea Trade Port. It is being built near the Aktau port. According to the news agency, the port will provide opportunities for the acceleration of freight transportation from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan. Its capability will be higher in comparison to the port of Aktau. All necessary conditions for the fast and smooth transshipment of freight will be provided, AzerNews reports.

Located at the distance of 100 kilometers from Aktau, Kuryk port's main objective will be transportation of transit cargo from China to Iran, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey and further to Europe. The construction process of ferry complex in Kuryk port which is considered to be a strategically important object as it will allow transporting goods to neighboring countries without unloading cars is currently underway. The new ferry terminal is expected to allow Kazakhstan to export oil, polyethylene, iron ore and concentrates to world markets through Baku, Azerbaijan.

The launch of the new port will also allow Kazakhstan to increase transit transportation from the current 18 million tons of cargo to 33 million tons in 2020 and to 50 million tons in 2030.

Jacopo Dettoni, deputy editor of fDi Magazine, in the article penned for the Financial Times claims that China replaced Russia and western countries as the country's top source of foreign direct investment in 2015.

According to Dettoni, Chinese companies announced 12 new greenfield investment projects into Kazakhstan worth $1.2 billion, outstripping Germany and the U.S. with five announced projects apiece. This is due to the fact that the Kazakh and Chinese governments signed multiple commercial agreements within the framework of China's "One Belt, One Road" initiative as well as a package of deals worth a total $4bn in sectors including oil and gas, petrochemicals, uranium mining and telecommunications.

China is not the only newcomer in Kazakhstan's FDI matrix, Dettoni said. India and Iran have replaced Kazakhstan's traditional partners, shoring up foreign investment into greenfield projects as well. Despite getting new partners, Kazakhstan's gross inflows of FDI has almost halved recently, falling to $14.8 billion in 2015. FDI into oil & gas and mining alone fell 58 per cent year-on-year to $3.5bn.

Dettoni admits that Kazakhstan's investment attractiveness is closely intertwined with the situation in oil & gas and mining sectors. Recovering oil prices and the resumption of production at the Kashagan oilfield in late 2016 may allow Kazakhstan to regain some confidence.

Speaking of other foreign investors, Japan channeled $4.5 billion in Kazakhstan's economy in ten years, the Journal of Turkish Weekly revealed. According to the article, the main share of investments falls at uranium production and manufacturing of uranium products. However, it was noted that Kazakhstan and Japan have a great potential of cooperation in energy, oil and gas spheres and in the sphere of energy efficiency and reduction of greenhouse emissions. The two-way trade between Kazakhstan and Japan made USD 1.4 bln in 2015. The Journal of Turkish Weekly reminded that Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev is set to visit Japan this autumn.

Georgia is another country that is trying to expand business cooperation with Kazakhstan. The former Soviet republic is looking at ways to enhance ties with its "strategic partner" Kazakhstan by developing bilateral tourism, real estate and business relations. According to Agenda.ge, in early June Tbilisi hosted the Georgia-Kazakhstan Business Forum to attract more investments from Kazakhstan. At the forum Kazakhstani businessmen were informed about the opportunities offered by Georgia's business-friendly environment and ways both sides can benefit from closer ties. Additionally, Georgia showcased a range of investment projects currently underway at the Business Forum in the fields of agriculture, tourism, real estate, logistics, retail, transit and more.

So far Georgia has received about $300 million USD investments from Kazakhstan, Georgiatoday.ge reported. Kazakhstan is an important foreign investor and has supported a number of projects and companies in Georgia over the years. Kazakhstan first started investing in Georgia in 2006. It received the largest amount of investments from Kazakhstan in that first year ($152.31 million), but it dropped slightly in 2007 ($88.49 million) and again in 2008 ($65.94 million). In the last two years the amount of money from Kazakhstan has dropped further and now Georgia hoped to reinvigorate Kazakhstan as a donor country and encourage bilateral relations.

Another ex-Soviet republic, Ukraine, joined forces with Kazakhstan in order to speed transportation of parcels from online stores between the two countries. Ukrainian postal service company Ukrposhta, according to Interfax.com.ua, launched transportation of international clustered parcels from Ukraine to Kazakhstan to let clients get goods from online stores via the two countries' postal services faster. Interfax.com.ua revealed that Kazakhstan is the first country Ukrposhta has signed such agreement with.

Kazakhstan's cooperation with Belarus, in particular between Atyrau and Brest regions, was in the spotlight of the meeting in Brest in late June. According to BelTA, the two oblasts see potential in advancing bilateral cooperation in agribusiness and processing industry. Atyrau region expressed its interest in Brest oblast with regard to the experience of developing the manufacturing of agricultural products, dairy and light industries, and fish processing. Agriculture, processing industry, civil engineering, logistics, tourism and recreation were mentioned among the most probable avenues of cooperation for setting up joint ventures as well. The article notes the lack of joint ventures with Belarus in the Kazakh region. At the meeting the sides agreed there are good prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation. In addition, the Brest oblast administration was invited to come to Kazakhstan to get familiar with the potential of Atyrau Oblast and sketch out possible ways of interaction.

Kazakhstan and its closest ally and business partner Russia are mulling joint projects with a combined value of $25 billion. Sputnik Agency revealed in its article that some 6,000 joint Russian-Kazakh ventures had been developed since [the Eurasian Economic Union] and now the two countries have projects worth $25 billion in total to implement. Out of $25 billion, $6-7 billion fall at engineering, processing, small and medium-sized enterprises, services. According to the article, the Kazakh-Russian cooperation will focus, among other spheres, on processing agricultural products as well as transport and logistics sector.

In June the Times of Central Asia website published a series of articles about Kazakhstan, foreign direct investment into the country and its business sector. One of the articles focused on the Kazakh-Bulgarian business forum held in Astana in early June. It was also emphasized that the two countries have a great potential for trade and economic cooperation as well as implementation of projects under the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). According to the Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan urged Bulgaria to invest more money into the country and take an active part in implementation of joint projects.

In another article the Times of Central Asia announced that the World Bank had approved a multi-million dollar loan to improve transport links along the Kazakhstan Center West Corridor and strengthen the capacity of the local authorities to better manage and preserve roads. The World Bank is expected to allot $978 million within the framework of the five-year Center West Corridor Project to finance construction of about 1,014 km of road sections between Astana and Shalkar, a missing road link between Kazakhstan's center and west (from Astana via Aktobe to Aktau). The new corridor is expected to contribute to the balanced development of the western and northern areas of Kazakhstan. After its launch, these regions will be able to develop economic activity and improve jobs and earning prospects through increased access to markets. About three million people residing along the corridor are to benefit from the project.

The Times of Central Asia dedicated one of its articles to a new trading house that was opened in Astana. The trading house sells goods of over 300 domestic producers only. All goods and services will be presented with the tag ‘Made in Kazakhstan'. The trading house has a total area of 5,000 square meters. It is worth mentioning that President Nursultan Nazarbayev has repeatedly called on Kazakhstanis to buy more domestically produced goods in an effort to support local producers.

In another article the Times of Central Asia claimed that Kazakhstan's trade with CAREC countries reached $22 billion last year. The whooping figures were revealed in June at the first Forum of analytical centers of Central Asia. It was also stated that China is the main trading partner of Kazakhstan in the region as it accounts for more than 77 percent of total trade with CAREC countries. Given that the crisis has slowed the dynamics, the CAREC countries should strengthen their economic cooperation and integration. Strengthening communication, promotion of trade and investment across borders, improving access to foreign markets will help improve the prospects for the entire region, says the Times of Central Asia.

Aside from attracting foreign direct investment, Kazakhstan also seeks more active participation of foreign partners and companies in its infrastructural projects. For instance, DP World's participation in the development of the Khorgos Eastern Gate Special Economic Zone and the Port of Aktau was discussed by President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and DP World Group CEO Ahmed Bin Sulayem on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in June, Al Bawaba reported. Another web portal Joc.com also informed about the meeting saying that the Khorgos Eastern Gate Special Economic Zone is a critical link in the China-Europe containerized rail trade. Located in Kazakhstan's Panfilov district on the border with China, the Khorgos Eastern Gate is a 150-hectare (370-acre) logistics complex and industrial economic zone central to an expanding network of transcontinental trade routes linking China with Europe. The dry port is owned by multimodal operator JSC KTZ Express, a subsidiary of Kazakhstan's national railway company, and operated in cooperation with DP World.

Based in Dubai, DP World considers Kazakhstan, Russia, the New Silk Road countries and the EEU as key markets. At the meeting, it was noted that trade corridors such as the New Silk Way connect supply chains capable of remarkable global economic importance. The DP World Group CEO advised the New Silk Road countries to continue developing trade centric solutions. They bring together all the ingredients required to encourage trade - from marine and inland terminals, free zones, customs and logistics underpinned by smart technology, to create a thriving business environment, he said. Ahmed Bin Sulayem stressed that trade and investment opportunities in the New Silk Road are immense, connecting three continents and 65 countries. It is also the world's largest economic corridor with a population of 4.4 billion and economic output of $21 trillion, while representing 40% of global GDP. According to Al Bawaba, DP World enables trade in over half the world's economy today. Joc.com added that DP World also provides Kazakhstan with advisory services on the development of the Port of Aktau, Kazakhstan's main cargo and bulk terminal on the Caspian Sea.

As to other business news from Kazakhstan, in June AzerNews Agency published an article about rise in revenues of Kazakhstani airlines. According to the news agency, incomes of Kazakhstan's airlines increased by 25% in first half of 2016, compared to the same period in 2015. The gain totaled 62 billion tenge.

Railway Gazette revealed that Kazakhstan TemirZholy company awarded Croatian shipbuilder Uljanik a contract to supply a train ferry in 2017, with an option for a second which would be delivered in 2018. The new vessel which is expected to be used at the new Kuryk Sea Port will be 155 m long and 17.5 m wide, with a capacity of 5 250 tons or 54 wagons. The Railway Gazette added that the contract was signed by Uljanik CEO Gianni Rossanda and KTZ President Askar Mamin in Zagreb on June 6. The agency said the value of the agreement was not disclosed, but it forms part of a €260m package of agreements between Croatian and Kazakh companies.

Kazakhstan Temir Zholy launched the construction of a second railway track on a 110km section of the Almaty 1-Shu line, according to the article that appeared in bne IntelliNews. The construction of the second track is expected to increase the capacity of the line with more trains travelling between China and the Persian Gulf, Europe and Turkey. The news outlet says that in an attempt to diversify its oil-based economy, landlocked Kazakhstan has been expanding its railway and road networks in order to tap into transit potential between China and Iran and Europe. The construction of the second track of Almaty 1-Shu railway line will enable Kazakhstan Temir Zholy to run up to seven additional container trains a day, as well as increase the number of passenger trains. The project envisages the construction of 10 new bridges and the extension of 12 existing bridges. The first stage of the project on a 58.2km-long section will be commissioned in November 2016.

Another foreign company, this time Malaysian, Reach Energy is close to completing its $154.9 million acquisition of a 60 percent interest in Palaeontol B.V. - a unit of MIE Holdings' (MIEH) subsidiary Palaeontol Cooperatif - which owns full working stake in an onshore block in Mangistau Oblast in southwest Kazakhstan through Emir-Oil LLP, Rigzone web portal reported. The transaction will give Reach Energy ownership of a 328.3 square mile block, located around 24.9 miles northeast of Aktau, comprising four existing oil and gas producing fields of Aksaz, Dolinnoe, Emir and Kariman. According to the Rigzone portal, Reach Energy indicated earlier that exploration, development and production of hydrocarbons will continue in the remaining 349.3 square miles of the block, including two discovered fields and six drillable prospects.

A couple of foreign mass media outlets dedicated their materials to Kazakhstani airlines. For example, Ch-aviation.com informed that Kazakhstan's SkyBus air carrier will start internal Georgia flights in June. SkyBus will operate three weekly Batumi-Tbilisi return flights between June 24 and September 27 inclusive.

According to Aviationpros.com and Iran's IRNA News Agency, the most popular air carrier in Kazakhstan - Air Astana - launched a new non-stop flight from Almaty to Tehran. Flights will operate three times a week and will be served by Embraer 190 aircraft. The new service is expected to ease travel and enhance business and cultural links as well as boost tourism between Kazakhstan and Iran.

Probably, the most exciting article about business and investment opportunities in Kazakhstan was published by NINEOCLOCK.RO (daily newspaper in Romania) claiming that Kazakhstan has the potential to occupy the Eurasian region ‘financial harbor' niche. It will happen, according to the newspaper, after the country launches one of its most ambitious projects - the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) in 2017. To woo potential investors, the AIFC will offer unprecedented conditions: no obligation to pay taxes for 50 years. The IPO of all state-owned companies will take place at the AIFC as well. Moreover, the assets of the National Fund and the Unified Pension Savings Fund will find their managers through the AIFC.

The article notes that Kazakhstan realizes that the project is a complex one. But at the same time, the country wants to take this niche and start to develop gradually. According to the newspaper, the financial center opportunities will be shown to investors at the end of this year. If the AIFC proves to be successful, Kazakhstan will join the small group of countries able to integrate into the modern state-building stream. In fact, according to foreign financial analysts, the creation of financial center in Kazakhstan is not a bad idea. The AIFC has already held talks with the London Stock Exchange and the Metal Exchange, NASDAQ, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, NASDAQ Dubai, as well as New York Stock Exchange.

Kazakhstan steps up defense cooperation with its neighbors

Moving on from financial and business to defense news from Kazakhstan, TASS revealed that Russia will supply Mi-35M helicopters to its Central Asian neighbor. Russia supplies its Mi-35M helicopters to the armed forces of Azerbaijan, Brazil and other countries. The first deliveries of the helicopters to Kazakhstan, according to the Russian news agency, are scheduled for late 2016. Presently, Kazakhstan uses the Mi-24 helicopters, on the basis of which the Mi-35M was developed. By the way, the new Mi-35M helicopter was presented at the KADEX-2016 international military equipment exhibition in the Kazakh capital Astana in early June.

Belarusian military delegation was spotted at the KADEX-2016 surveying weapons systems and military equipment, BelTA News Agency said. According to reports, the Belarusian delegation met with Kazakh Defense Minister Imangali Tasmagambetov, visited the defense university, the patriotic center of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan and the joint company Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering within the framework of their visit.

Additionally, Kazakhstan and Pakistan signed Military Technical Cooperation Agreement on the sidelines of the KADEX-2016 exhibition, Pakistan's The News International announced. The agreement was inked by Pakistani Minister for Defense Production Rana Tanveer and Defense Minister of Kazakhstan Imangali Tasmagambetov. According to the Pakistani news outlet, the sides reiterated mutual desire to pursue joint ventures and enhance defense relations in all areas. Tanveer lauded Kazakhstan's positive contribution to regional stability and its role in the SCO, the CICA, and the OIC. Minister Tasmagambetov welcomed the agreement which, according to him, provides a solid platform to further enhance bilateral military and technical cooperation between the two countries.

After the signing ceremony, Pakistani Minister for Defense Production Tanveer met with Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Karim Massimov who welcomed the signing of the agreement as well. Massimov, according to The News International, underlined the need for increased cooperation between Kazakhstan and Pakistan at regional and international fora.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu missed the opportunity to attend the KADEX-2016 international military equipment exhibition in the Kazakh capital, but he traveled to Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan later to discuss terrorism and regional security. The Diplomat Magazine said in its article that Shoigu's trip underscored that Moscow certainly has a vested interest in stability in the Central Asian region. Russia's TASS News Agency added that he arrived in Kazakhstan to participate in a conference of defense ministers of countries members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). During the meeting with the Kazakh Defense Minister, Shoigu said that Russia is paying special attention to development of the Russian-Kazakhstani ties in the field of air missile defense. It was evidenced by the fact that it delivered the S-300PS air missile defense systems and missiles for them to Kazakhstan free of charge with an aim to strengthen the unified regional air missile defense system. According to Shoigu, the defense industries of Russia and Kazakhstan have good prospects for cooperation and that the Russian Defense Ministry is ready to help Kazakhstan in all questions of military construction.

Deepening of defense cooperation in border protection, personnel training and joint exercise between Kazakhstan and China was discussed by Kazakh Defense Minister Tasmagambetov and visiting Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Chang Wanquan in June as well. Xinhua News Agency noted that the Chinese defense chief thanked Kazakhstan for its elaborate preparations and thoughtful arrangements for the meeting of defense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as well as for the third international festival of military bands of SCO member states "Peace Horn". For his part, the Kazakh defense minister underscored that Kazakhstan highly values the development of military ties between the two countries and is willing to continue to deepen the exchange and cooperation of the two sides in all fields, including military technologies.

After adding Mi-35M helicopters and S-300PS air missile defense systems to its fleet, Kazakhstan joined forces with Belarus to modernize its Sukhoi Su-25 attack aircrafts within the framework of a special program. According to HIS Jane web portal's June report, the program managed by the 558th aircraft repair plant from Baranovicsi, Belarus in partnership with the Astana-based Kazakhstan Aviation Industry (KAI) LLP aims to improve the combat effectiveness of the aircrafts and extend their operational lifespan. The first modernizes aircraft will be ready for flight trials only in mid 2017.

Kazakhstan's oil sector back to life after instability in global market

The Times of Central Asia revealed in early June that Kazakhstan is looking for markets to export a surplus electricity of around 4-5,000 MW and considers different directions. Despite the fact that Russia also has a surplus of power, Kazakhstan will export the surplus of electricity to its closets neighbor based on the agreement with Ekibastuz Power Plant 2. According to the Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan is also negotiating the possibility of power supplies to central China. Energy-hungry Afghanistan and Pakistan are also considered the possible countries for power export by Kazakhstan. The problem is there are no transmission grids and Kazakhstan cannot transfer surplus electricity that exists in the country. Plus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan outstripped Kazakhstan by launching a large electricity transmission project, CASA-1000, with Kabul and Islamabad to transfer surplus electricity there.

Along with power export, Kazakhstan is also looking for ways to expand its coal export sector. Despite falling global coal prices the World Coal Magazine said coal production in Kazakhstan is likely to grow. The Central Asian republic has an ambitious plan to increase coal production capacity to 151 million tpy by 2020. However, according to the magazine, recent BMI Research shows the country will struggle to meet this target, reaching 136.81 million t in four years. Currently, Russia takes about a quarter of Kazakhstan's total coal production. Additionally, India has shown interest in financing coal mining projects in Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, construction of a coal processing complex in the Karaganda region is planned as part of the multi-billion agreement between Kazakhstan and China.

Ahead of the EXPO 2017 event, which topic will be "Future Energy" and in an attempt to lessen its dependence on oil prices, Kazakhstan is also increasing the capacity of renewable energy facilities and the production of "pure" energy, Trend News Agency reported in June. According to the Azerbaijani news outlet, in the first quarter of 2016, the installed capacity of renewable energy facilities in Kazakhstan with the exception of large hydropower plants totaled 251.55 megawatts. The main increase of the installed capacity accounted for solar and wind farms and amounted to 52.16 megawatts and 17.49 megawatts. The total production of "pure" electricity in the country in 2016 amounted to 186.9 million kilowatt/hours. Trend News Agency also added that Kazakhstan increased production of steel, cooper, aluminum and other metallurgic output.

Back on the topic of Kazakhstan's dependence on oil, the country was hit hard by the plummeting oil prices as many other global players in the oil market. Thankfully, the situation is gradually changing for the better. Good news came in June from Iran as the two nations agreed to build a joint oil refinery in Iran's Amirabad Port. MEHR News Agency and IRNA spilled details of this project that will be constructed by both Iranian and Kazakh sides. According to reports, all necessary permits have been issued and the land is ready for construction. The refinery is to refine Kazakhstan oil and then export to other countries. MEHR News Agency also revealed that Iran is ready for doing oil swap with Central Asian countries, Russia and Kazakhstan.

But the news about the resumption of production at the Kashagan oilfield was probably the most exciting for domestic oil & gas sector. Trend News Agency said it is planned to resume the production in October 2016. Moreover, after several years of negotiating, Kazakhstan and shareholders Kashagan oilfield finally signed the rules of sampling oil, gas and sulfur, AzerNews Agency reported. The sampling rules determine the schedule, storage, measuring and forecasts of production, distribution and calculation of the volume of production at Kashagan field in the process of production sharing between Kazakhstan and contractor companies.

Marketwired.com announced that Aral Petroleum Capital LLP, a wholly-owned operating subsidiary of Caspian Energy Inc., will also resume oil production at the East Zhagabulak field in Kazakhstan. Production was previously halted by Aral due to low prices of crude oil in the local and global markets. With recent stabilization of the crude oil market, production has once again become cash flow positive for Aral. It has received Kazakh government approval to commence exports in the month of June 2016 and entered into an agreement with a Swiss petroleum trading company to export its production to Russia.

Astana readies to host Expo 2017

As it was mentioned earlier Astana is gearing up for one of the most ambitious projects in the history of independent Kazakhstan - the International specialized exhibition Expo 2017. Expo, which starts on June 10 next year, aims to spur discussion and cooperation on energy and to create a global debate among countries, NGOs and individuals about sustainable, green development. As in case with the non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, Kazakhstan also became the first Central Asia and post-Soviet country to welcome the major international exhibition. Kazakhstan sees Expo 2017 as a chance to present itself to the world and boost tourism in the country. According to the Latin America Herald Tribune, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) will help Kazakhstan promote and plan the Expo event in the Kazakh capital. The sides signed a memorandum of understanding in June in Madrid. In particular, Kazakhstan counts on UNWTO's support and assistance in holding training sessions for Kazakhstan tour operators.

As the exhibition expects at least five million visits, tickets will surely sell like hot cakes. According to PRNewswire, Astana offered the ticket sales program unparalleled in the history of world expos. Free access to the event will be provided for Great Patriotic War participants and disabled veterans, the disabled in general, orphans and children under the age of six. Retirees, mothers of three or more children under the age of 18, students and schoolchildren will be entitled to a discount. Tickets for the exhibition became available online in June. Offline sales will begin in September 2016.

Several news outlets also dedicated their articles to the Expo City 2017, calling it a futuristic city constructed in the heart of Eurasia. According to Global Construction Review, Chicago's Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG) joined forces with IT Engineering, a group consisting of Kazakhstan's Sembol Construction and the multinational Mabetex Group to minimize the Expo City's energy-use while maximizing its energy-harvesting potential and comfort level. A significant part of the energy consumed by the Expo community will be provided from renewable sources.

Curbed.com web portal added that the Expo City will take advantage of sun, wind, and other weather conditions for energy generation. All the glass used on site will have a special glazing to maximize solar gain in the winter and provide shade in the summer. The structures have also been designed to harvest rainwater.

Solar panels will be integrated in every building, with a few getting solar windows, according to Tech Insider. There will also be wind turbines in some buildings as well as in the parks. All of the buildings are connected via a smart grid so each building plays a role in powering the entire city. The city also has access to a nearby hospital, airport, and university in Astana. The architecture firm planned a bus route to go into the new city, and left the groundwork to build a light rail later on if Astana so desires. After the Expo event, the town will be integrated with Astana in a way so that people can work, live, and shop there. The aforementioned Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) will be headquartered there as well.

Kazakhstan eases visa regime to lure more tourists to Expo 2017

PRNewswire also reported in June that Kazakhstan abolished the visa regime with 20 developed countries unilaterally to create favorable conditions for foreign tourists who want to visit Expo 2017. Those include the OECD members, Malaysia, Monaco, the UAE and Singapore. The issuance of visas for tourist groups from China, Kazakhstan's neighbor, was simplified in line with a special agreement signed between the two countries.

Travel Daily News and ETN, Global Travel Industry News, also lauded Kazakhstan for providing visa-free travel for 20 developed countries. The organizers of Expo 2017 are working hard to ensure that tourists have a comfortable experience during their visit to the exhibition and their stay in Astana. Their efforts are focused on improving the transport infrastructure, building a network of restaurants and food courts, and actively promoting the event abroad, according to the source.

Greek news outlet Xania News revealed that Kazakhstan is negotiating visa liberalization with the European Union for its citizens as well. But visa liberalization requires big work in four major spheres, such as the issuance of modern passports, border control procedures, efforts against trans-border crime and the signing of a readmission agreement.

 Kazakhstan to revolutionize the field of cardiology?

Moving on to other news from Kazakhstan, the first Indian film was shot in Kazakhstan in June. Director B. Jaya chose ‘beautiful Astana' as the main location for Vysakham film, starring Avantika and Hari. Although the film crew faced some obstacles during the filming process, including cold weather and prohibition to use drones at border areas, B. Jaya didn't regret picking the Kazakh capital. "I could have gone to Spain, Switzerland, Bangkok or some other places, but I wanted to show something new," she told Deccan Chronicle.

Another cultural phenomenon from Kazakhstan became the topic of China Daily's article. It wrote about the Kazakh folk music and an outstanding woman Jamalhan Harbat, the only female Kazakh inheritor of the Aken Aites art in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Aken Aites, or Aken songs, is a folk art form popular among the Kazakh ethnic group, in which the performer sings while playing a stringed instrument. Harbat, 76, was born into an artistic family; her father, mother, grandfather, uncle and brother were all musicians. Influenced by her family, Harbat began to learn Aken Songs in childhood. In 1977, she took part in an Aken Aites contest, and made it all the way through the championship in Xinjiang, which led to her rise to fame. In 2010, Harbat was honored with the "Lifetime Achievement Award of Aken Aites" in Xinjiang. She's also performed abroad many times. In 1994, during the 11th Kartal International Art Festival in Istanbul, Turkey, Harbat won first prize due to her excellent performance of Aken songs.

U.S. People Magazine posted an article praising kind-hearted people of Almaty for saving a dog from reservoir. According to the magazine, a group of Almaty residents rescued the dog stuck in a reservoir by forming a human chain that pulled the dog back to safety. U.S. People even shared a video of the rescue operation.

Aside from writing about the upcoming Expo 2017 event in June, Global Construction Review also shared a story about Shymkent turning into a smart city. According to the article, Kazakhstan works on a privately financed, high-tech quarter in Shymkent, the third largest city in Kazakhstan. The project which is part of the Shymkent Development Plan until 2020 will be based around a central park, work on which will begin in 2017. GCR believes that the project will create a new quality of life in Shymkent, as it is a sort of testing ground where renewable technologies and the highest level of safety and comfort will be combined.

The article about signing dune in the Kazakh steppe appeared on Channel News Asia in June as well. The source notes that the signing dune, located between the folds of the Tian Shan mountains near the Chinese border, generates a low-pitched, organ like rumble in dry weather. But it's not the only attraction of the Altynemel national park that also boasts volcanic mountains, ancient burial sites, and numerous wild animals that attract large tourist groups.

Speaking of wild animals, in June the International Business Times (UK) welcomed the news about signs of recovery in saiga antelope population in Kazakhstan after 2015 mass die-off. According to the source, in recent months experts saw a glimpse of hope as saigas's population started to grow based on the aerial survey conducted from 18 April to 3 May 2016.

Kazakhstan and Spain are expected to strengthen academic and research ties based on an agreement inked in Madrid. The Latin America Herald Tribune said that the agreements like this one reached between the European country and the Central Asian nation ‘are necessary in a globally interconnected world'. The both sides hope the agreement will produce great results.

Kazakhstani physicians lauded the standards of medical aid for cancer patients in Belarus, BelTA revealed in mid June. The praise came from Mukhtar Tuleutayev, Head Physician of the Oncology Center of Astana, who said that foreign specialists can learn a lot from Belarusian colleagues concerning surgical and therapeutic methods of treatment, radiation treatment, and bone marrow transplantation. While attending the 9th CIS and Eurasian Oncology and Radiology Congress in Minks, Tuleutayev said Kazakhstani specialists will adopt Belarusian methods.

More medical news: Marketwired heralded the performance of a revolutionary new heart procedure done in Kazakhstan on two patients. According to the source, in mid June Dr. Y.V. Pya together with his colleagues from the National Cardiac Research Center in Astana, along with renowned British cardiologist Dr. Michael Mullen and medical investor Prof. Anthony Nobles successfully performed the first in man procedure of cardiac transapical access and closure. Both patients who were requiring replacement of their aortic heart valve received the HeartStitch transapical procedure, allowing the team to place the Heart Valve safely into the beating heart. The procedure will eventually make it possible to perform critical heart procedures percutaneously through a small puncture between the ribs rather than open heart surgery. In the years to come, this technology has the potential of saving thousands of lives all over the world and revolutionizing the field of cardiology. And one should always remember that it all started in Kazakhstan.

The articles published by foreign mass media in June have once again illustrated that Kazakhstan has a lot to offer to the global community not only in terms of politics, but also in the sphere of business, medicine and education. Given the non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council and its active role in the SCO, EEU and other blocs, Kazakhstan is shaping to become an important player in the international arena. The fact that over a hundred members of the United Nations voted for Kazakhstan as a non-permanent member of the Security Council proves they trust the Central Asian country and put their future in its hands.

Rest assured that with the President like Nursultan Nazarbayev whose wisdom and far-sightedness is constantly commended by many foreign mass media Kazakhstan will achieve even greater heights in the future and will successfully implement the existing programs, including the new economic policy "Nurly Zhol", the 100 specific steps and many more.

Major conclusion one can make after reading all those articles is that long gone are the days when global mass media and the international community associated Kazakhstan with infamous Borat.

By Tatyana Kudrenok