(Creditors agree to conditions of debt restructuring)
Experts, Diplomats Engage in Discussion on Kazakh OSCE Chairmanship
(Conference cosponsored by think-tank, national university, OSCE, Kazakh MFA)
Kazakh Officials, Media Attend OSCE Central Asian Media Conference
(The conference in Dushanbe debated journalists’ access to information)
Children of Kazakhstan Enjoy Attention across the Nation
(The country celebrates International Children’s Day on June 1)
Kazakhstan and Russia Launch New Phase of Customs Union on July 1, 2010
Kazakhstan and Russiaagreed to launch aCustoms Unionfrom July 1, 2010, on a bilateral basis and expect Belarus to join them as soon as the decision is made in Minsk. This was announced by Prime Ministers of Kazakhstan and Russia Karim Massimov and Vladimir Putin on May 28 at a meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia. According to them, all moot issues have been resolved with due regard for the interests of national economies.
Following the meeting of the Customs Union Supreme body, Kazakhstan and Russia signed the Treaty on implementation of international treaties on developing the Customs Union.
“We have today signed an international treaty that will give us an opportunity to move toward deeper integration, if necessary, on a bilateral basis. The launch of the Customs Union was successful, all of its basic mechanisms are working and functioning normally,” Putin stated.
The agreements, including the Customs Code of the Customs Union will come into force on July 1, 2010. They create a single customs territory, eliminate customs barriers between the member states of the union, abolish customs clearance of goods, except for certain categories during the period of transition rules,and impose uniform customs duties on goods imported from third countries.
Welcoming the signing of the agreement, Prime Minister Massimov stressed the elimination of customs borders between Kazakhstan and Russia by July 1 will expand the market for Kazakh goods, the production of which will be increased with the implementation of projects under the “Kazakhstan-2020” Strategic Plan and the State Program for accelerated industrial-innovative development for 2010-2014.
According to Massimov, the Customs Union, which began its work on January 1, 2010, once again proves its effectiveness and meets the interest of each participating country’s national economy. He said Kazakh GDP growth of 7.2% in Q1 of 2010 can partly be attributed to the first effects of the Customs Union.
As for all existing disagreements they are all settled on a consensus basis. All requirements of the Kazakh side were taken into account. Therefore,Kazakhstan’s national interests are now fully protected, Massimov added.
First of all, on a sensitive issue concerning used car imports the parties agreed to set a transitional period during which the old regime of customs clearance and previous rates of customs duties will remain.This transitional period will last until the signing of relevant documents on the Common Economic Space.
Secondly, decisions (within the Customs Union) will now be made on a consensus basis by mutual agreement. “This is a very important decision, as it is beneficial to both countries and theirs economies,” the Kazakh Prime Minister claimed.
Thirdly, according to Putin, the parties agreed to establish on a temporary basis a joint panel of judges of the Supreme Courts, which will resolve disputes between Kazakh and Russian sides, which will be based in the Kazakh capital Astana.
As for the absence of Belarussian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky at the meeting, Kazakh and Russian Prime Ministers expressed their hope Belarus would join as soon as it signs necessary documents.
“Russia and Kazakhstan are open to Belarus’s joining all agreements and decisions within the second phase of the creation of the Customs Union,” Putin stressed.
Belarus, for its part, confirms its desire for integration with its partners and hopes this work can be successfully completed by July 1, 2010 through the implementation of previous decisions under the Customs Union.
Also at the meeting Russia’s Prime Minister Putin said Russia and Kazakhstan would be seeking WTO accession jointly, even if Belarus does not sign the documents related to the Customs Union. “Russia and Kazakhstan are at an advanced stage of accessing the WTO,” Putin said. “Joining the WTO under this [joint] format will be simpler,” he concluded.
BTA Bank Announces Approval of Restructuring Plan
JSC BTA Bank, one of Kazakhstan’s three largest banks, won approval from its creditors to reduce its total debt burden from US$ 12.2 billion to US$ 4.4 billion in the biggest restructuring deal seen in emerging markets yet. Reducing its debt, the bank’s management intends to restore the position of BTA on the domestic and international markets.
The creditors’ meeting to discuss a restructuring plan relating to KZT 2.442 billion (US$ 16.65 billion) of the bank’s financial indebtedness took place on May 28 in Almaty. More than 92 per cent of BTA’s creditors voted in favour of the restructuring terms, ending months of negotiations that began after JSC Sovereign Wealth Fund “Samruk-Kazyna” took over the bank in February last year.
Pursuant to the Bank Restructuring Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Restructuring Plan had to be approved by the creditors holding no less than two thirds of the bank’s financial liabilities to be effective. Thus, the Restructuring Plan of BTA Bank has been fully approved by the creditors.
The plan approved last week will see the creditors write off US$ 6.8 billion of debt including domestic and international bonds, bilateral and syndicated loans, and derivatives. Moreover, it extends its maturity date to between eight and twenty years. Creditors agreed to cancel or restructure all outstanding claims in exchange for a mixture of cash, equity and newly issued BTA bonds.
Following the Restructuring, domestic and foreign creditors will become shareholders of the bank. They will own 18.5 per cent of BTA’s share capital, while “Samruk-Kazyna” will remain the bank’s major shareholder with 81.5 per cent.
Anvar Saidenov, Chief Executive Officer of BTA Bank, commented on the approval of his bank’s Restructuring Plan: “We cannot say the restructuring process has been easy, but we used our best endeavors to take into account the interests of all parties and to satisfy them as far as possible.”
According to a BTA Bank press release, following the restructuring the bank’s equity capital will be restored to a level required to meet all capital adequacy ratios of Kazakhstan’s Financial Markets Supervision Agency (FMSA) and other regulatory bodies.
Substantial debt relief will enable BTA to engage in its development and strengthening of positions in the financial arena.Restructuring liabilities allows the bank to clean portfolios of bad assets, significantly reduce the burden of foreign debts and concentrate on their sustainable development.
“Not only will the start of the restructuring process solve the problem of this system-making bank, but will also contribute to the recovery of Kazakhstan’s financial sector in general,” the head of “Samruk-Kazyna” Kairat Kelimbetov said. “This example of BTA restructuring demonstrates the stability of Kazakhstan’s financial system.”
The restructuring process should be completed by September 5, 2010. As per the existing procedure, approved by the creditors, a restructuring plan should be approved by the FMSA and the Specialized Financial Court in Almaty.
Welcoming the agreement, Saidenov concluded: “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Government of Kazakhstan, the National Bank of Kazakhstan and the FMSA, and all our consultants, whose professionalism and experience have provided us with an indispensable support in the difficult process of negotiations”.
On April 20, 2009, BTA bank announced the payments suspension on its principal debt to its lenders and plans to restructure the bank’s external debt. On April 18, 2010, BTA signed the agreement with the creditors’ committee on conditions of restructuring.
Nowadays, JSC BTA Bank is the core of the financial group present in all market segments. BTA Bank remains a system-making bank of Kazakhstan and has a potential to restore its strength as one of the most extensive banking networks in the post-Soviet area.
Experts, Diplomats Engage in Discussion on Kazakh OSCE Chairmanship
Dozens of Kazakh and foreign experts, diplomats, NGOs gathered on May 28 in Almaty to exchange opinions on the early results of Kazakhstan’s OSCE Chairmanship in 2010. The conference titled “Kazakhstan’s OSCE Chairmanship: preliminary results and perspectives” was hosted by the Kazakh Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and cosponsored by the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, OSCE’s Center in Astana and the Al Farabi Kazakh National University.
On the official side, the conference speakers included Chairman of Kazakhstan’s Senate Committee for International Affairs, Defence and Security Kuanysh Sultanov, Ambassador at large, Foreign Ministry’s Director of OSCE Department Serzhan Abdykarimov, Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana Jeannette Kloetzer, and representatives of the Diplomatic Corps, accredited in Kazakhstan.
According to Sultanov and Abdykarimov, since the first days of its chairmanship in OSCE, Kazakhstan has been making significant efforts, contributing into the activity of this authoritative international organization. Before assuming the chairmanship, the Kazakh government had elaborated an ambitious agenda, which is being currently implemented. Having taken such a responsibility, the country set itself a mission to bring innovation and new ideas into the organization’s activity. Much work has been done in the first five months in all OSCE dimensions, comprising military-political, economic-environmental, and humanitarian, which has already brought some results. One of the key elements of Kazakh chairmanship is that the Central Asian state has already provided a fresh impetus to the Organization’s work, while strictly adhering to the main principles of succession, harmony and impartiality.
Addressing the conference, Kuanysh Sultanov said: “President Nursultan Nazarbayev defined Kazakhstan’s chairmanship as a key strategic national project that has a great significance for the country’s present and future. At the same time, this mission of Kazakhstan is also important for the OSCE as well”.
In the Senator’s words, Kazakhstan’s experience in strengthening regional security and stability, social-economic development, advancement of tolerance and interethnic accord is enriching the views of the Europeans regarding diversity of the modern world and various ways of building an open and democratic society. Thus, a new impulse has been given to the OSCE’s strive for ability to adequately face the existing and emerging threats and challenges.
Kazakhstan’s initiatives on strengthening peace and security have also received some positive assessment. These involve the initiative on nuclear non-proliferation, creation of favourable conditions for promoting interethnic accord and interconfessional dialogue, active cooperation in resolving the problems of energy and transportation, as well as the stabilization of situation in Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan.
“During Kazakhstan’s chairmanship, OSCE is again showing itself to be a powerful platform for dialogue, able and willing to ensure joint, comprehensive and indivisible security of its member-states in Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian areas of responsibility. At the same time it is important that Kazakhstan guarantees close interaction of all institutions of the Organization and their cooperation with the interested parties”, Jeannette Kloetzer is quoted to have said by the Kazakh press.
The participants analyzed the efforts of the Chairman-in-Office, discussed upcoming international events, dedicated to the issues of tolerance, gender equality and human trafficking. Particular attention was paid to the problems of the rule of law, observance of the fundamental rights and freedoms, including the rights of national and religious minorities, and migrants.
Nursultan Nazarbayev’s initiative on convening an OSCE Summit in Astana was also welcome by many of the conference’s attendees, as such a high-level meeting would give a chance to work out some adequate answers to modern threats and challenges in the OSCE’s zone of responsibility and adapt its activity to the new reality. According to some experts, successful organization of the summit may become a symbol of revival of the “the spirit of Helsinki” in new historical conditions.
The participants also highlighted the long-term character of the organization’s renewal process, promoted by Kazakhstan this year.
Staying on his subject, Bulat Sultanov, director of the Kazakh Institute for Strategic Studies, also broached an interesting idea to reflect the encompassing nature of security in both Europe and Eurasia and the diverse nature of participants of the OSCE which includes five countries in Central Asia. His proposal is to rename the OSCE the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Eurasia which would allow keeping the same acronym.
Kazakh Officials, Media Attend OSCE Central Asian Media Conference
Officials and civil society activists of the six Central Asian countries, including Afghanistan, discussed the problems of access to information in the context of rapid development of Internet in Dushanbe last week. The consensus among participants was that the legislative regulation of these matters, conforming to international standards, can balance the interests of citizens, society, and state.
Opening the conference the head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan Ivar Vikki stated that journalist’s right to obtain and disseminate information is a fundamental commitment for the Organization. Without this democratic principle it is impossible to ensure transparency and stability of society.
“New technologies offer quicker access to information, which enables citizens to make informed choices. This is the basis for democratic development,” said Ambassador Ivar Vikki. “In Tajikistan, which is building up its capacity for new technologies, the OSCE Office has helped increase newspaper print runs by approximately 10 percent,” he said.
The relevance of conference was highlighted by the participation of Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.
“Governments are not compiling data just for the sake of keeping it. They do it for the benefit of the public, which elected them as their representatives. The culture of confidentiality is outdated, especially with the widespread use of the Internet,” Mijatovic said. “What we need now is a new culture of transparency that takes full advantage of the easy distribution methods new media can offer. Such an approach will increase trust between the authorities, civil society and citizens," she stated at the forum.
The Kazakh delegation, which included Vice-Minister of Communications and Information Nuray Urazov and representatives of various NGOs (Mirbulat Kunbaev, Tamara Kaleyeva, Olga Volkova, Vyacheslav Abramov, and Almas Kusherbayev), took active part in the discussions and drafting the recommendations of the conference.
Urazov briefed the participants on plans of his newly arranged government agency. He said the ministry was paying serious attention to technical and substantive aspects of information services. Developing digital standard broadcasting, especially in terms of creating a variety of communication channels and, correspondingly, new flows of information, opens up huge opportunities for the country and citizens, the official said.
He also informed the forum participants that next year’s work plan includes the draft law on information and sources of information, which his Ministry would like to elaborate, and invited representatives of non-governmental sector to actively participate in the discussion of the document.
According to director of the Media Law and Policy Institute, Professor at the School of journalism of the Lomonosov Moscow State University Andrei Richter, documents of the Council of Europe, namely Convention on Access to official documents, could be used as a model for elaborating such a law. Although the document has certain constraints imposed by the need to protect the rights and interests of others and society, in those cases when it comes to protecting important social interests, the law requires disclosing even official documents, even if they are secret ones, the Russian professor said.
Quite informative was the report of chairman of the Lithuanian Journalist Union Dainius Radzevicius who spoke about the advantages of electronic technologies and public registers. In many OSCE countries, including Kazakhstan, civil servants must declare their incomes and expenses, since they receive their salary from a state budget. In his opinion, the more civil servants give information to journalists, the fewer questions arise from the public.
Apart from issues related to timing of supplying information, the participants raised the issue of compliance with ethical principles and self-regulation in journalism, pros and cons concerning the role of the Internet in modern life.
Conference participants adopted a declaration on access to information and new technologies in Central Asia, which will be available soon in English and Russian at www.osce.org/fom. Sweden, the United States and Lithuania financed the conference.
Children of Kazakhstan Enjoy Attention across the Nation
Kazakhstan is celebrating International Children’s Day, the world’s most peaceful and warm-hearted holiday on June 1. The holiday has been celebrated annually by the global community since 1925, after the World Conference for the Well-being of Children in Geneva proclaimed June 1 the International Children’s Day.
According to some reports, the date was chosen after a Chinese consul-general in San Francisco gathered a number of Chinese orphans to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in 1925, which happened to be on June 1 that year, and also coincided with the conference in Geneva.
Today, it is celebrated to honour children and minors and is usually marked with reviewing issues with children’s wellbeing, and arranging entertainment for children such as special TV programs, parties, various actions involving or dedicated to children, families going out and other similar events.
In Kazakhstan, celebrations for children are arranged on this day so as to enhance their skills and make them active. Activities include children’s competitions, fashion shows, free bus rides, zoo visits zoo or movies for children. Special sports, cultural activities and other competitions are arranged in schools, parks, and squares throughout the country.
Today, there are about 5 million children in Kazakhstan. Around 148,000 of them are the physically-challenged and 46,000 are orphans and children left without parental care. Unfortunately, as in any other society, there are children who are neglected, homeless, and disadvantaged in other ways, as well as those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse. The youngest members of our community are in particular need of care and support from the society, for childhood is one of the most meaningful parts of a human life, and is an important launch pad before the adulthood.
Since early days of its independence, Kazakhstan has been consistently providing this support through the efforts of Government, non-governmental organizations and a wide range of various international agencies. International organizations such as UNICEF and ILO-IPEC successfully operate in the country, as well as the institute of Ombudsmen on human rights and other NGOs trying to solve the existing children-related problems.
Over the last few years, some positive progress has been made to ensure the safety and secure the rights of mother and child. The Kazakh government has adopted a number of state programs in the sphere of health care service, poverty reduction, migration policy, demographic development and rehabilitation of the disabled children. The work on tackling problems related to the well-being of children is implemented through various agencies but foremost by the Committee on Protecting Children’s Rights within the Ministry of Education and Science.
In 2007, Kazakhstan has approved a four-year “Children of Kazakhstan” State Program, seeking to protect rights and interests of all categories of children, and secure the realization of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The main goal of the project is to improve the children’s standards of living through providing social and legal guarantees.
The government has also introduced alternative forms of child upbringing, including foster care and guardianship to resolve the institutionalization of children. The Ministry of Education and Science is trying to integrate children with special needs into the society. There are psychologists and social pedagogues in schools across the country. There are social centers supporting children and families at risk with the support of international organizations.
Among the numerous positive changes is the system of budget planning operating since the end of 2007, designed to achieve specific results. Due to this system, Kazakhstan has managed to enhance its expenditures for the social sector and increased the special child care allowances by almost 1.6 times last year, while the maternity benefits were doubled.
Not only have the financial aspects determined the level of governmental support for the children, however. In 2008, Kazakhstan ratified the Protocol on the amendments to the Agreement between the Government and the SOS-Kinderdorf International organization, aiming to provide social support to orphans and children left without parents and brought up in the SOS Children’s Villages scattered across the country. According to the document, the Kazakh Government now takes care of all maintenance expenditures of these villages.
All of this raises the issue of juvenile delinquency prevention. To achive that the Government adopted a specific plan of action for 2008-2009 with relevant documents being approved in all regions of the country.
Largely due to these actions, the children’s and youth organizations of Kazakhstan have intensified their activity. Today, there are more than 250 organizations addressing the needs of children, uniting nearly 700,000 students from different parts of the country.
Nevertheless, the problems of ensuring rights and interests of children indicate there is a need for continued work and coordinated activities aimed at improving the mechanisms of their protection.
Alsointhenews:
·President Nursultan Nazarbayev met Chinese Minister of Defence Lyan Guanle on May 29 in the Akorda palace, where the parties discussed major aspects of bilateral cooperation and further enhancement of partnership between the militaries of the two nations. Two days later Lyan Guanle met Kazakh Defence Minister Adilbek Zhaksybekov. During the negotiations, the parties noted a high level of understanding and strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and China. After the meeting, Zhaksybekov and Lyan visited the first Kazakh Defence Exhibition KADEX 2010.
·Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Karim Massimov met the International Monetary Fund’s delegation headed by IMF Deputy Director for Middle East and Central Asia David Owen on May 31. The sides focused on the current economic policy of Kazakhstan and discussed a number of issues regarding socio-economic development of the republic.
·Karim Massimov chaired a regular meeting of Organizing Committee on preparation and holding of 7th Asian Winter Games 2011 in Astana last Friday. The participants discussed the progress of construction and restoration of major facilities for the games, other essential facilities and infrastructure, and reviewed the issues of public security, along with TV and radio broadcasts of sports and official events during the sports festival. Summarizing the discussions, Massimov tasked the responsible ministries and state agencies to ensure early solution of all topical issues over the upcoming winter games.
·On 7 June, 2010, Kazakhstan starts using new bank account numbers and bank identification codes, based on the international standards of ISO 13616: IBAN (International Bank Account Number) and ISO 9362: BIC (Bank Identifier Codes). These requisites are essential for filling-out the payment documents; therefore all individuals and legal entities should update their banking account numbers and inform all the interested parties on the latest changes.
·A new “Aktobe” tanker of the “Kazmortransflot” National Marine Shipping Company arrived at the Aktau port on May 28. The tanker was built in a record-breaking time by “Krasnoye Sormovo”, one of the oldest Russian shipbuilding yards in Nizhniy Novgorod, and according to an established tradition was named after one of Kazakh cities. Later in the day, after the festive celebrations, the tanker shipped Kazakh oil and floated off to follow the Aktau-Makhachkala route. The new tanker is equipped with the latest tank heating system, computerized cargo and disembarkation system, as well as with radio navigation facilities.
·Kazakhstan joins global efforts to mark 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity, declared by the United Nations. This was announced at an official opening ceremony in Astana last Friday. Kazakhstan’s Minister of Environmental Protection Nurgali Ashimov, Deputy Permanent Representative of the UNDP in Kazakhstan Steliana Nedera, and representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development attended the event. The International Year of Biodiversity in Kazakhstan will allow focusing greater attention on the problem of biodiversity recession in the country, and raising people’s awareness of its fundamental role in maintenance of life on Earth.
·The Vienna headquarters of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe currently hosts an exhibition of drawings by Kazakh schoolchildren on the theme “A world without violence through the eyes of a child”. The pictures on show are the results of a nationwide children’s drawing competition, which was organized as part of Kazakhstan’s Chairmanship of the OSCE. A collection of 30 children’s work was selected to go on display in Vienna. The exhibition has been organized by the Kazakh Ministry of Education and Science and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the OSCE in cooperation with the OSCE Secretariat. The event is timed to coincide with International Children’s Day and will run until 3 June.
·More than 800 children from all over the world demonstrated their talents in the “Boztorgai” (Skylark) International competition held from May 29 to June 1 in Almaty. The 12th international children’s arts competition is taking place on the Almaty Central Park’s open stage. Little dancers, singers and designers from Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus are participating in the contest.
·A two-day training course to help journalists working in the Kazakh language to improve their knowledge of the Internet and new media tools was held on May 28-29, 2010. Twenty-five journalists, who were selected through a competition, learned about different aspects of the Internet, including how to create blogs, set up social networks and use mobile Internet in their work. The event was organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana in co-operation with the Public Foundation “Minber”, the Soros Foundation Kazakhstan and Kazakhstan’s Institute of Management, Economics and Strategic Research.
·Eight women boxers of Kazakhstan earned first place at the Asian Women’s Championship held in Astana on May 23-31. Kazakhstan’s Zhaina Shekerbekova (54kg) defeated Korean Hye Song Kim on a close 2:2 score-line. Saida Khassenova (64kg), Dariga Shakimova (75kg) and Marina Volnova (+81kg) were all up against Chinese women boxers, winning 6:3 against Qinqin Yang, 8:2 against Jieli Tang and 10:8 against Yunfei Li. Nazgul Boranbayeva, Aigerim Askarova, Yelena Koltsova and Yulduz Mamatkulova won silver and three bronze medals respectively.
·Yaroslava Shvedova, a tennis player from Kazakhstan, came through to the French Open (Roland Garros) quarter-final, having won the two sets of her match against Jarmila Groth from Australia. In the quarter-final of one of the four prestigious Grand Slam tournaments Shvedova will meet Jelena Jankovic of Serbia.
Things to watch:
·President Nazarbayev will meet Foreign Investors Council on June 4. Before that, he will address a major “Kazakhstan Investment Summit” arranged by the International Herald Tribune in Almaty on June 3. The Summit’s agenda includes the broadest range of issues starting from Kazakhstan’s industrial and innovational development, financial sector, market stability and prospects for international investment, regional cooperation and economic integration, to the 2011 Asian Winter Games in Almaty and tourism potential. Heads of Kazakh state agencies and leading companies, along with a great number of leading figures from international business will partake in the summit.
·Moldavian Prime Minister Vlad Filat will pay an official visit to Kazakhstan on June 2. During his negotiations with the Kazakh leadership, issues of cooperation in political and economic spheres, interaction within regional organizations and Kazakh OSCE Chairmanship’s support to peaceful settlement of Transniestrian conflict will be discussed.
·Kazakhstan will host the “Saudi Arabia Culture Days” on June 1-7 in Astana and Almaty, with an official opening ceremony taking place in the Palace of Peace and Harmony in Astana on June 1, 2010. Saudi Arabia is also holding a photo exhibition dedicated to the Holy Kaaba, display various translations of the holy Koran and other Islamic values. In addition, an exhibition dedicated to the Soviet Union’s first Ambassador to the Saudi Arabia Nazir Torekulov, considered to be the first modern Kazakh diplomat, will be held.
·Kazakhstan’s national day at the «Expo Shanghai-2010» will be June 5. Kazakhstan has built the first ever grandiose showroom named “Astana – the Heart of Eurasia” with the total area of 1.5 thousand square meters providing the information on Kazakhstan. For more information, please see a story in Astana Calling issue #57.
·On the eve of the third Summit of Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (or CICA) a regular meeting of the CICA Senior Officials Committee will be held under the chairmanship of Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Nurlan Yermekbayev on June 5-6. The meeting will address the draft Declaration of the third CICA Summit, Action Plan for the illicit drug trafficking, and Secretariat’s activity during the upcoming high-level meeting.
·The high-speed passenger train “Tulpar” will open a new line route between Astana and Kokshetau, a centre of Akmola oblast in North Kazakhstan, on June 5. The train consists of 18 «TalgoPatentesS.A» wagons and will run only on weekends. Now travelers from the capital will be able to reach Burabai, one of the most picturesque resorts of Kazakhstan located nearby Kokshetau only in an hour and a half.
·Direct aviation route will be opened between Tehran and Almaty on June 16. Following the negotiations between Kazakh officials and Iran’s Mahan Air company the parties reached an agreement on opening new route from Tehran to Almaty and back. The new aviation route will intensify bilateral ties in the political, trade-economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, and will serve as a basis for further strengthening brotherly relations between the two nations.
ASTANA CALLING is a bi-weekly online publication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Please send your requests and questions to pressa@mid.kz
