GOVERNMENT: Kazakhstan to make a shift to OECD educational model
On Monday Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Karim Massimov met with Foreign Affairs Minister of Spain Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo within the framework of his official visit to the Kazakh capital. At the meeting, the sides focused on the state of commercial and economic relations between the two nations, prospects of investment cooperation in the sphere of transport infrastructure, agriculture, engineering and construction.
First Vice Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev received a business delegation from Spain in order to discuss further strengthening of bilateral Kazakhstani-Spanish relations in commercial, economic and investment sectors. During the conversation, Sagintayev noted that Spain is an important political and economic partner of Kazakhstan in Europe and urged Spanish businessmen to explore Kazakhstani market. Attending the meeting were reps of Talgo, Airbus Defense & Space, Eptisa, Ineco, Eurofinsa and other companies.
Additionally, Astana welcomed the Kazakhstan-Spain Business Forum the same day. Asset Issekeshev, Minister for Investment and Development, revealed plans of the Kazakh Government to expand the list of countries enjoying visa-free regime with Kazakhstan. Presently, there are 19 countries on the list. However, Kazakhstan is planning to include 34 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) into it in the nearest future. This move is believed to attract foreign investment into the Central Asian republic.
Minister of Education and Science Yerlan Sagadiyev announced at a Monday press briefing that Kazakhstan will make a shift to educational system used in the OECD member states in next four years. He also added that 34 new schools will be commissioned in the country this year.
Vice Minister for Investment and Development Albert Rau declared at the international investment forum in Karaganda that 120 projects of the Industrialization Map worth 600 billion tenge are to be launched this year. According to him, it will allow to create 14,000 new workplaces.
On Thursday Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Erlan Idrissov traveled to Beijing in order to participate in the 5th CICA Foreign Ministers' Meeting. At the event, he proposed to establish a full-fledge Organization for Security and Development in Asia on the basis of CICA. Minister Idrissov also held meetings with his counterparts from China, Russia, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey on the margins of the meeting.
Kazakhstan's candidacy for the post of a presiding country of the General Assembly of the Islamic Organization for Food Security was endorsed at the session of the organization in Astana on Thursday. Kazakh Agriculture Minister Assylzhan Mamytbekov stressed that the number of member states of the organization had reached 29 and praised the achievement.
Speaking at the 7th OIC Ministerial Conference on Food Security and Agricultural Development the same day, Minister Mamytbekov said Kazakhstan can play an active role in eradication of extreme hunger and malnutrition in the world. "Over the past 5 years Kazakhstan remains one of the leaders in terms of flour and grain export. Kazakhstan has some 24 million ha of croplands and 180 million ha of pasture lands," noted Mamytbekov adding that the country can contribute to provision of food security in the region.