GOVERNMENT Weekly Review: Kazakhstan views OSCE Chairmanship as value of national scale. Kazakh PM visited Karaganda region. Several ministries held meetings of boards.
During the negotiations with the leadership of the UN Office in Vienna the Kazakh Secretary of State noted that Kazakhstan appreciates and supports the activity of the UNODC on strengthening the international security, struggle against terrorism, corruption, cross-border crime and drug trafficking. Mr. Saudabayev said that being in the forefront of the battle with Afghan drug trafficking Kazakhstan firmly committed to international obligations in the field of control over drugs and participation in corresponding regional initiatives. The OSCE Chairman-in-office defines the issue of Afghanistan stabilization as one of the key priorities of the Organization for 2010 and recons on close cooperation with the UNODC on this matter. Director General Costa highly appraised the establishment of the CARICC - Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre for combating the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors in Almaty. During the meeting with Tibor Toth the Kazakh Foreign Minister appraised the activity of the Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization aimed at strengthening the regime of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and promotion of the international security level.
Delivering a speech at the inauguration sitting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev told that this "is perceived in our country not only as a foreign policy success, but as a value of the national scale" "In accordance with the OSCE traditions, we announce a motto of the acting chairmanship, which symbolizes identification of the chair-country. The motto of the Kazakh chairmanship will be four 'T' - Trust, Tradition, Transparency and Tolerance", the President said. He noted that the first 'T' means mutual trust. The second one is adherence to the OSCE principles and values. The third one is maximum openness and transparency in international relations, free of 'double standards' and 'dividing lines'. The forth 'T' is reflection of global trends on strengthening intercultural and inter-civilization dialogue, which obtains more significance in the modern world.
The Head of State proposed to announce August 1 the Day of the OSCE. "We call on the OSCE member countries to support Kazakhstan's initiative on convocation of the top-meeting in 2010. The meeting of the OSCE leaders will give an opportunity to mark the 35th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, the 20th anniversary of the Paris Charter and the 65th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War", the Kazakh President said.
On January 10 Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov paid a working visit to Karaganda region. He was accompanied by the Minister of Healthcare, the Vice Minister of Economy and Budget Planning, the Vice Minister of Industry and Trade, the Vice Minister of Education and Science, the Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Information, and a group of the Parliament deputies. In the course of the visit the Premier familiarized himself with the work of the innovative pharmaceutical complex, established by the President's instruction. He observed whole cycle of production of medicines including quality control of the products and the Republican Bank of biologically active substances and standard samples of medicines.
On Monday January 11 the Government held is first in this year telephone conference. Minister of Industry and Trade Asset Issekeshev informed that 34 projects were planned to be completed in Kazakhstan in 2010. As it was told before at the end of the last year Karim Massimov charged the Government to get ready for realization of industrial projects. "134 projects with the total amount of investments up to USD 1 mln are planned to be accomplished in 2010 including 78 ones to be completed by July 1", he said. As Minister of Industry and Trade Asset Issekeshev reported, over KZT 800 bln was invested in the projects. Over 16,500 people work at the construction sites. About 17,000 jobs will be created as a result of the projects' launching.
The Head of the Government urged to pay special attention to the situation at the Kazakhstan's borders due to the establishment of the Customs Union on January 1, 2010.
As it was reported President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan On amendments to some legislative acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on customs affairs directed on implementation of integrated control at automobile border-crossing points during movement of goods and transport means across the state border through transferring the functions of transport, veterinary, quarantine control and plant quarantine control to the customs authorities.
The Governor of Zhambyl region informed that the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border was lack of good technical equipment, the customs and frontier services were short-staffed. In particular, there are only 12 customs officers instead of 100 required. The check points are poorly equipped. The Governor of the West Kazakhstan region was charged to take control over the prices for foods and fuel and lubricants, as long as they might increase due to opening of the borders. The PM charged the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, "KazMunaiGaz" JSC together with the regional Governors to submit the plan of fuel supplies for sowing campaign.
On Tuesday January 12 Prime Minister Karim Massimov took part in the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy JSC (KTZ) enlarged board meeting. The Premier expressed satisfaction with the \company's 2009 results. KTZ President Askar Mamin reminded that implementation of two important infrastructure projects - new railroad lines Uzen-state border with Turkmenistan and Zhetygen-Korgas - had been started the year before. Kazakhstan Temir Zholy JSC (KTZ) plans to finish construction of Uzen-state border with Turkmenistan and Zhetygen-Korgas railroad lines in December 2011. "The Head of the State gave a start to these projects, and we plan to finish their implementation by the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan's Independence, in December 2011", he said. The projects' total cost is KZT 230 bln. He noted that the company should apply the best world experience in this direction. Prime Minister charged the President of the Company Askar Mamin to start up the first launch complex of the plant on Talgo passenger carriages assembly by July 1, 2010. He also charged to finish construction of a works on electric locomotives production in Atbasar, a freight cars assembly plant in Ekibastuz and continue implementing the project on production of passenger carriages in Almaty city. The Head of the Cabinet reminded that KTZ jointly with KazAgro National Holding were commissioned to make a proposal on creation of grain carriers' production on the basis of activity of the existing domestic enterprises.
On Wednesday Minister of Transport and Communications Abelgazy Kussainov announced key tasks of the Ministry for 2010 at the board meeting. He said: "KZT 104 bln is to be utilized while building Western Europe - Western China international corridor in 2010. It is also planned to complete the tender procedures and proceed to work at three concessional projects: Almaty - Khorgos, Astana - Karaganda, Tashkent - Shymkent - Zhambyl region border and involve 128 thousand people into construction works ". According to him, special attention would be paid to execution of the tasks set by the Premier at the above mentioned enlarged session and ensuring adoption of amendments to the Law on railway transport on legal regulation of interaction of the participants of the rail traffic. In the field of water transportation the rate of the domestic ship operator in Kazakh goods transportation is planned to be increased by 65%. A project on establishment of the marine specialists training system is planned to be implemented as well. Introduction of the digital tachographs system on international motor transportations on the territory of the country is scheduled in the highway transportation field. Development of the transportation and logistics centers, entering into agreements on redirection of traffic flows through the territory of Kazakhstan with Russia and China are planned as well.
The Agency for Informatisation and Communications plans to implement the 3G service in February-March 2010, as Chairman of the Agency Kuanyshbek Yessekeyev said it at a sitting of the board in Astana. "Frequency diapason of the Ministry of Defense has already been released. It was decided to provide three operators with frequencies in order to implement 3G service", Mr. Yessekeyev noted. "If the operators receive the frequencies the 3G service is supposed to be provided in February-March", he added. The 3G service is expected to be provided in all regions of the republic in two years, and in small towns - by 2015.
Today Minister of Industry and Trade Asset Issekeshev has held the board meeting of the Ministry in Astana. "In three quarters of 2009 the volume of direct foreign investments in the Kazakh economy amounted to USD 13 bln". According to the Ministry, the most active countries are the Netherlands - USD 4.2 bln, the USA - USD 1.5 bln, France - USD 858.7 mln, Great Britain - USD 693.4 mln, China - USD 550.6 mln, Italy - USD 473.4 mln and Russia - USD 418.8 mln.
Within the frame of the sitting Premier Massimov encouraged domestic enterprises to use state support provided for them today for increasing productivity and technology upgrade. "We helped our enterprises to develop the Kazakh content and export in 2009 and we will continue to help in 2010 - but these opportunities are not infinite", the Premier noted. He specified that the state maintained the enterprises in order to give them an opportunity to allow respite and do not lose their markets. "This period should be used for increasing productivity and technology update", he stressed. In whole the Prime Minister positively evaluated the Ministry's activity in 2009. Kazakh Premier called to muster all strength for the industrial-innovation development of the country. According to him, if we do not developour industry next 5-10 years we will have to save it as a whole.
Today Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Sauat Mynbayev also held a sitting of the Ministry's board. He announced that Kazakhstan planned to produce 80 mln tons of oil and gas condensate in 2010. "This year we expect growth of oil and gas condensate's production up to 80 mln tons that is 4.6% higher as compared to 2009. Transport deliveries are expected to rise by 8%", Mynbayev said. In accordance with the data provided by the Ministry of Energy, extraction of oil and gas condensate in Kazakhstan in 2009 made 76.5 mln tons. Oil export reached 68 mln tons while the volumes of processed oil products was 12.1 mln tons.