Disarmament, OSCE’s Regional Role Highlighted by Visit to Asghabat
(Kazakh FM talks to Turkmen President, addresses disarmament conference)
Astana Ready for High-Level Conference on Tolerance & Non-discrimination
(Kazakhstan’s unique experience exposed in promoting tolerance domestically, internationally)
CICA Work Highlighted by Experts Meeting in Leading US Think Tank
(Kazakh, Turkish embassies co-organize a conference on CICA’s role in Asia)
Almaty, Story of Ever-Changing Metropolis
(Former capital remains the nation’s largest city, commercial and intellectual hub)
Alypsok, New Kazakh Martial Art Finds More Followers
(An enthusiast seeks to revive the close fighting tradition of Eurasian nomads)
Disarmament, OSCE’s Regional Role Highlighted by Visit to Asghabat
Turkmenistan’s interaction with the OSCE, as well as a number of issues on its bilateral agenda with Kazakhstan, were in the spotlight as the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Kazakhstan’s Secretary of State and Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev paid an official visit to Ashgabat on June 23-24. The Kazakh diplomat also addressed a representative international conference on issues of disarmament in Central Asia and the Caspian region, stressing the need for enhancing instruments and practices for control over weapons, as this was too clearly demonstrated by the latest violence in Kyrgyzstan.
While in Ashgabat, Saudabayev held talks with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, and Chairwoman of the Medjlis (Parliament) Akdja Nurberdiyeva.
At these meetings the sides discussed the situation in Kyrgyzstan, environmental security, engagement with Afghanistan and ways to work together in all three dimensions of security, the politico-military aspects, the economic and environmental and the human aspects.
Following the meetings Saudabayev said: “The Kazakh OSCE Chairmanship is committed to preventing escalation of tensions in Kyrgyzstan, and is ready to help the country with post-conflict rehabilitation. The OSCE is working together with the international community to help Kyrgyzstan.”
Energy security is an issue which concerns all Central Asian countries and Turkmenistan has taken on an important role in advancing the OSCE dialogue on energy security, hosting a conference on this subject in Ashgabat in May 2010.
Engagement with Afghanistan and a stronger OSCE role in stabilizing this country is an initiative of Kazakhstan’s Chairmanship. “I welcome Turkmenistan’s support and constructive co-operation between Turkmenistan and the OSCE to improve border security between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan and foster cross-border co-operation,” said Saudabayev.
Saudabayev thanked Turkmenistan for their support for Kazakhstan’s priorities during its Chairmanship, especially holding an OSCE Summit this year. He also thanked them for fruitful co-operation with the OSCE Centre and offered to work together on new proposals for expanding this co-operation.
On a bilateral level, Saudabayev mentioned the high dynamics of the Kazakh-Turkmen relations in all spheres and called for expanding the economic and trade relations to achieve the trade turnover of US$ 500 million in the next few years.
Since Kazakhstan is interested in deepening the cooperation in the transport sector, the construction of the “Uzen - Gyzylgaya - Bereket - Etrek – Gorgan” railway line is an important tripartite project between Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran.
Saudabayevnotedwithsatisfaction the pace of construction of the Turkmen part of the railway and reminded Kazakhstan started the construction of its segment in September 2009 and would finish it on time, by the country’s 20th anniversary of independence.
Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan were established on October 5, 1992.
The trade turnover in 2009 amounted to US$ 170.3 million (export – 108.9 mln and import – 61.4 million). The main staples of Kazakhstan’s exports include plant products, metal products, calcium phosphate, natural gas, wood and articles of wood, metal and powder, flour and confectionery products. Main import staples include mineral, chemical and textile products. Promising areas of cooperation are energy, transport and communication sectors.
On the second day of his Turkmen visit, Saudabayev delivered a welcoming address at the International Conference on Disarmament in Central Asia and the Caspian region. He emphasized this year is a landmark for the disarmament process.A unified position of the world leaders at the Global Nuclear Security Summit, an encouraging outcome of the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Treaty on START-3 signed between Russia and the U.S. have all formed the basis for qualitatively new relations in the military and strategic fields.
Since Kazakhstan is a strong supporter of the idea of disarmament and non-proliferation, the Central Asian country offers a number of steps for overcoming the current state of the nuclear disarmament process.
“We believe all nuclear powers, including the unrecognized ones, should follow the lead of Moscow and Washington and proportionately reduce their stockpiles of strategic offensive arms,” Saudabayev urged.
He also noted that it is necessary to speed up the process of negotiations at the Conference on Disarmament to adopt a treaty banning production of fissile materials for military purposes.
The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office stressed that “the next essential step towards nuclear disarmament should be a speedy entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
“President Nursultan Nazarbayev has initiated a discussion on the adoption of the Universal Declaration on a nuclear weapon free world.This would be a first step towards adopting a legally binding Convention on general and complete prohibition of nuclear weapons,” the Kazakh Foreign Minister added.
The Central Asian region, according to Saudabayev, is one of the most important areas of the present-day worldpolicy where “the most pressing” issues of our time are concentrated, in particular, the rehabilitation of Afghanistan, Iran's nuclear program, and the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. And disarmament, in his opinion, is a key aspect of the settlement of the issues.
“In these circumstances it is no exaggeration to say that stability on a global scale depends on the stability in our vast region”.
“The recent bloodshed in the KyrgyzRepublic is a clear evidence to the devastating effects of the lack of arms control,” Saudabayev stressed. “These events once again require taking effective measures to reduce the stockpiles of weapons, prevent new attempts of arms build-up, and reduce the potential threats and tensions in the region.
In this respect, Saudabayev has urged the countries of Central Asia and the Caspian region to unify the system of customs and border controls to reduce the smuggling of weapons: “It is high time to harmonize the national export control systems across the region as long as our goal is to create an effective barrier to uncontrolled movement of arms, munitions, and other sensitive materials”.
Concluding his speech, Saudabayev noted that holding the OSCE Summit in 2010 would offer a unique opportunity for open and interested discussion of disarmament and nonproliferation issues.
On the fringes of the Conference, Saudabayev held a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, during which they discussed the construction of the Caspian railway (Kazakhstan - Turkmenistan - Iran) and the prospects of economic cooperation. In particular, the recent opening of a grain terminal (in the port of Amirabad) is an important step in the cooperation in this field. They also discussed the international situation over the Iranian nuclear programme.
While in Ashgabat, Saudabayev also met with OSCE Secretary General Marc Perren de Brichambaut as well as the head of the UN Centre for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia Miroslav Jenca.
Astana Ready for High-Level Conference on Tolerance & Non-discrimination
Promoting the values of tolerance, non-discrimination and intercultural dialogue has been a key priority for Kazakhstan as it chairs the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2010. In this respect, on June 29-30, Astana will bring together senior government officials, politicians and public figures from 56 OSCE participating states for a high-level OSCE Conference on tolerance and non-discrimination to contribute to further strengthening of interaction between different cultures and civilizations, as well as to implement related OSCE commitments and values.
According to the OSCE press release, the focus of the conference will be on ways to combat intolerance and discrimination on religious and ethnic grounds.
The official opening will take place on 29 June at the Palace of Peace and Harmony with a keynote speech by Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Experts on tolerance and non-discrimination from the OSCE participating states will share their experiences in setting up mechanisms for inter-ethnic and inter-religious dialogue. The three Special Representatives of the Chairperson-in-Office on tolerance and non-discrimination (concerning Christians, Muslims, and Jews) will also be actively involved in the work of the conference. Non-governmental organizations will participate in a preparatory meeting in Astana on June 28, as well as in the conference itself.
Apart from the official part, the conference’s first day will also feature an award ceremony for the winners of the OSCE Photo Contest on tolerance and non-discrimination. This was held by the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna in spring. Photos by the contest finalists will be featured in an exhibition in the Pyramid during the conference, while the five winners are awarded with a trip to Astana to present their pictures in person.
Recognizing tolerance and non-discrimination as important elements in promoting human rights and democratic values, Kazakhstan had initiated holding this High-Level Conference on Tolerance and Non-discrimination, which gained support of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OSCE member states in December 2009 inAthens.
In this respect, it is worth to emphasize that the principles of tolerance are of special importance for Kazakhstan - a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country, which is home to 130 ethnic groups practicing 40 different religions.
Apart from having a substantial experience in building a society based on ethnic and religious harmony, Kazakhstan has long been active in promoting the intercultural dialogue at regional and global levels, serving regularly as a platform for hosting international events promoting mutual respect and understanding between people with notable differences, but with common desire of peace and harmony.
Among them, is the triennial Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions that took place in 2003, 2006 and 2009, and made a contribution to building a tolerant world, based onmutual respect and cooperation. A high level of participants of the Congress confirmed the success of Kazakhstan’s initiative of holding an interfaith forum which for the first time brought together the leaders of different world and traditional religions.
The Congress made a significant contribution to the global process of inter-civilizational and intercultural dialogue, and once again demonstrated that the idea of cooperation for the sake of future, peaceful and worthy life of people of different religions and nationalities has no alternative.The success of this platform has also enhanced Kazakhstan’s image in the international arena as a nation committed to peace.The congresses have also demonstrated the effectiveness and acceptability of the Kazakhstan model of interfaith and interethnic harmony.
Another Kazakh platform for advancing interreligious and intercultural dialogue wasthe Ministerial Conference “Common World: Progress through Diversity” which took place in October 2008 and gathered foreign ministers and representatives of 65 countries and international organizations from the nations of the West and the Islamic world. Initiating this kind of dialogue meant that the voices of spiritual leaders have not gone unnoticed by top political leaders of Kazakhstan and other states that have supported the idea of creating a forum at the level of top-level diplomats of the Western and Islamic world.
During open debates, the ways of deepening understanding between the Muslim world and the West were addressed; hotbeds of instability in modern world (Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.) and possibility of establishing lasting peace and stability; sources of Islamophobia, xenophobia, and 'Westernophobia', enhancing tolerance, issues of media activity
The Conference was concluded with adoption of Astana Declaration, calling to unite on the basis of diversity. In particular, the Declaration underscored the importance of diversity at global and national levels, within civilizations and cultures, religions as well as multiple identities of individuals. Also any forms of tension, based on religious, confessional, cultural and civilization differences, and their use for fuelling hatred, xenophobia and confrontation were rejected
Speakers highly appreciated the importance of Kazakhstan in the field of promotion of interreligious and inter-civilizational dialogue, and unanimously claimed the Central Asian country, due to its unique geographical location, ethnic and religious composition, as well as internal stability, is the most suitable for the role of locomotive of intercultural dialogue.
Relying on its rich experience of promoting tolerance domestically and internationally, Kazakhstan looks forward to turning the High-level OSCE conference on Tolerance and Non-discrimination on June 29-30 into a platform for elaborating practical recommendations that would benefit people across Eurasia.
CICA Work Highlighted by Experts Meeting in Leading US Think Tank
The Center for Strategic and International Studies, one of America’s leading think tanks, hosted a conference on June 17 named “Supporting a dialogue on security in Asia: the role of the CICA”.
CICA is an acronym for the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, an inter-governmental forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia.
The event in Washington was attended by representatives of the Congress, the US State Department and Department of Defense, business and academic circles, and news media.
Giving a welcoming address to the conference, Ambassadors Erlan Idrissov of Kazakhstan and Namik Tan of Turkey noted the specifics of the CICA evolution since Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced the initiative to convene it at the 47th Session of the UN General Assembly in October 1992.
The Turkish Ambassador, whose country this year took over the CICA presidency from Kazakhstan in the first such occurence in the forum’s history, emphasized the efforts of Kazakhstan’s earlier leadership, which, in his opinion, provided a solid foundation for further strengthening of cooperation and trust in Asia, as the CICA has become an effective complement to the global effort in promoting peace and stability, development and prosperity.
Ambassador Idrissov, in his turn, acquainted the audience with the key points of the speech of President Nazarbayev at the recent 3rd CICA Summit in Istanbul, noting that “the conference is visibly gaining features which enable it to transform into a full-fledged organization for security and cooperation in Asia”.
The Kazakh diplomat voiced the initiative of President Nazarbayev to establish a common OSCE-CICA Forum, emphasizing that “the cooperation and interaction of these two associations should open way to a continental security platform”.
In this regard, the Kazakh ambassador called on the US side, which has observer status in the CICA, to raise their participation in the Asian processes and comprehensively base on the conference as on important platform for enhancing the mutual understanding between the US and Asia.
The experts attending the event in Washington voiced their positive opinions of the work carried out within the CICA. They acknowledged the uniqueness of the mechanisms for establishing trust between the countries under the CICA Catalogue of confidence-building measures, underlining the important role and significant potential of the Conference - an effective framework for regional cooperation.
CICA is based on the recognition that there is close link between peace, security and stability in Asia and in the rest of the world. The member states, while affirming their commitment to the UN Charter, believe peace and security in Asia can be achieved through dialogue and cooperation leading to a common indivisible area of security in Asia where all states co-exist peacefully and their peoples live in peace, freedom and prosperity.
Almaty, Story of Ever-Changing Metropolis
While Astana is emerging as the main political and diplomatic center of Kazakhstan and Central Asia, the former capital, Almaty, in the relatively mild climate of southeastern Kazakhstan, remains the country’s intellectual and commercial hub. A string of large new business and financial complexes under construction along Al-Farabi Avenue, just outside the city center, should give Almaty the wherewithal to develop into the region’s entrepreneurial heart.
Almaty also remains home to Al-FarabiKazakhNationalUniversity; the NationalTechnicalUniversity named after Kanysh Satpayev (a locally renowned Kazakh geologist from Soviet times); and numerous smaller state and private academies. Overall, Almaty looks to its own well-being – as its numerous sports centers, wining and dining establishments, and nightclubs testify. For tourists traveling along the ancient Silk Route, Almaty is an important hub between the monumental cities of Uzbekistan and the trail’s eastern extension into China.
Judging by archaeological finds, Almaty’s present-day location was already occupied by human settlers as early as the first century B.C. Just outside the city have been found standing stones resembling smaller versions of those at Stonehenge, but which are of an even earlier date. The early inhabitants are thought to have been Scythians who at that time moved into Central Asia from the north.
Turkic tribes arrived from Siberia starting in the sixth century. Known as the Uysyn, ancestors of the present-day Kazakhs, they established a stronghold and trade post along the thriving Silk Route. This township was known as Almatu, meaning Apple Place. Like most towns and cities along the Silk Route, in the 13th century it was razed to the ground by the Mongols, who continued to rule the region for centuries.
Almaty was put back on the map by the Russians in the 19th century. In 1853, a Cossack regiment under Lieutenant Glakhyrin negotiated the establishment of a front line against the Khanate of Kokand with the Kazakh Senior Horde, which controlled the region. The next year, the fortress of Verniy (originally called Zailiiskoye) was constructed, remains of which can still be seen in the northeast of Almaty. The Russians did not confine themselves to military facilities, but also built palaces, mansions, marketplaces, schools, cathedrals and workshops — especially after the surrender of Kokand to the empire 10 years later.
Peace and stability led to the incorporation of the Land of Seven Streams (Semirechye, or Zhetysu, as the area is still called) into the empire, with the status of oblast under its first governor, General Gerasim Kolpakovsky. The best-known name from those days, however, is that of Pavel Zenkov, who in 1877 was elected the first mayor of Verniy. He designed a master plan for the city center, with broad avenues, squares and parks.
The plan provided for trees to be planted along the streets and in the parks in lavish quantities. Anyone caught logging a tree was given a heavy fine, while recidivists were flogged. The development of Almaty was twice disrupted by strong earthquakes, which all but leveled it. Each time, the authorities and the population worked together to rebuild it.
By the time the October Revolution took place, the number of inhabitants in Verniy already exceeded 100,000. Five months after the Bolsheviks’ takeover in Petrograd, Verniy fell under their control without a shot being fired. This was mainly thanks to the workers’ committees, which had been active underground until 1917 and then had come into the open. The city and its surrounding lands were spared the horrors of the Civil War that raged in the north of Kazakhstan until 1924. In 1936, the Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan was proclaimed, with Almaty, as Verniy had been renamed, as its capital. After the Soviet Union entered World War II, the city harbored tens of thousands of the exiles and refugees who were swarming into Central Asia.
After the war, the city continued to grow, mainly thanks to manufacturing and economic activity. In order to house the increasing population, residential areas were constructed. Theaters, schools, academies and universities grew in number. After the breakup of the Soviet Union and the proclamation of the independent Republic of Kazakhstan, it was decided to move the capital to Astana in the north. To this day, however, Almaty remains the country’s largest city. It is the financial center and main trade point as well as the heart of Kazakhstan’s intellectual, cultural and spiritual life.
Alypsok, New Kazakh Martial Art Finds More Followers
Nurbota Orazbekov, a karate instructor from Astana, left his mark in the history of Kazakh sport as the founder of a new national martial art named alypsok, which has already become one of the most sought-after combat activities in Kazakhstan and is becoming increasingly popular, conquering thousands of followers in all parts of the country. Creativity and enthusiastic work enabled Orazbekov to establish the Federation of Alypsok in the Kazakh capital, achieving his life-long dream and making a significant contribution to the development of national martial arts.
Alypsok is a rather aggressive type of martial art which foresees a number of respective fighting techniques. It combines the elements of boxing, karate, judo, sambo and kazaksha kures (the Kazakh wrestling). It is further divided into the the sportive alypsok, mainly for children, where only kicks into body and wrestling techniques are allowed, including grappling, and the professional alypsok for the elder youngsters. The rules in the latter are closer to the international standards and allow chokes, kicks into head, and painful holds during the mat wrestling.
“Alypsok helps us bring up the true warriors, strong and courageous men and dignified persons. Lots of children come to the section to learn how to protect themselves and their friends or relatives. Here they develop the fighting spirit. Moreover our martial art instills in children respect to their roots and parents,” Nurbota Orazbekov stresses.
Looking back at the time of initiating the idea, Orazbekov recalls he had long ago made up his mind to go down in history as the originator of a new national type of wrestling. The first success came two years ago when alypsok was officially registered as a national kind of sport by the Ministry of Tourism and Sport. Since then, the alypsok sections for children started appearing in the majority of cities and regional centers of Kazakhstan.
“Of course you may take interest in judo, fighting on the tatami and calling your teacher a sensei and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. We have another option, however, which is to revive the tradition of close fighting of our ancestors – nomads, call a teacher “ustaz” (in Kazakh) and dress the referees in a chapan (a coat usually worn by men over clothes in Central Asia)”, Nurbota Orazbekov says.
The Kazakh instructor had been nurturing the idea for over ten years continuing to impart his knowledge of Karate-Do Kyokushinkai to children and students from across Kazakhstan. Finally, after the idea transformed into a strong concept, he decided to start realizing his dreams by putting up the posters with the advertisement, following which hundreds of people came to his training courses. Thus, Nurbota Orazbekov got a vast number of followers and even fostered new instructors.
“Today, we are organizing seminars and master classes for those who want to teach alypsok to children. And these are predominantly former karate instructors”, Orazbekov notes.
Today, there are six alypsok centres in Astana, and several branches in different regions of Kazakhstan. A number of national alypsok championships have been held over the recent years.
Also in the News:
Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev inspected the pace of work over arranging a so called “greenbelt” around the city of Astana on June 22. Despite the results of a large-scale ecological project with forests about Astana reaching 71,000 hectares, this time the President set even more challenging task. According to his idea, the capital’s woodlands should connect with the green array of Schuchinsk-Burabay resort area. In addition, due to the nation-wide “Zhasyl Yel” programme more than 50 hectares of forests appear annually in all around the republiccountry. The President also called on the people of Kazakhstan to contribute by helping turn more of the dry steppe into a blooming orchards, stressing the importance of active participation of each citizen in this activity.
The Kazakh Parliament approved the draft law “On ratifying an agreement between the Governments of Kazakhstan and the USA on providing special commercial railway transit through the territory of Kazakhstan in line with US efforts in stabilizing and rehabilitating the situation in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan”. In compliance with legal proceedings, the draft law has been passed over for further consideration by the Senate of Parliament. According to the Kazakh Vice Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kairat Omarov, the special transit line is designated for transporting wheeled armor-clad equipment without weaponry and is aimed at assisting US efforts to stabilize Afghanistan, which will, in turn, bring some positive impact on the security of Central Asia in general.
During a visit to the “Parasat” scientific-technological holding on June 24, Prime Minister Karim Massimov urged Kazakh scientists to strengthen focus on developing technologies for providing the population with clean potable water. In his words, the government plans to pay more attention to the problem as well, by putting it among the priority tasks for the nearest decade, apart from the Programme for Accelerated Industrial and Innovative Development of Kazakhstan.Massimov said the re-adjusted budget plan for 2010 foresees allocation of some considerable resources designated to tackle the issues in the water field, including the second major task of providing water security. JSC “Parasat”, established in 2008, is a 100% state-owned holding embracing 12 scientific companies and organizations conducting fundamental and applied research in the spheres of nanotechnologies, renewable energy systems and others.
Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan, the country’s second largest lender by assets, said on Tuesday it has returned a three-year deposit of 60 billion tenge ($408 million) to the Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund ahead of schedule, Reuters news agency reports. The Kazakh government has allocated about $20 billion since 2007 to bail out banks, finance unfinished construction projects and help other sectors hit by the downturn. Halyk said tThe Kazakh government had placed the deposit was placed in January 2009 as part of a governmentits programme to finance and refinance projects in the real nation’s real sector economy,. Halyk Bank and was thus returns the deposited 18 months ahead of schedule. The bank said the early return of the deposit would not have no any negative effect impact on outstanding loans granted earlier within under the government’s stabilisation programme, the bank stated.
JSC “Kazakhtelecom” President Kuanyshbek Yessekeyev predicts a 12% increase in telecommunication market’s development in Kazakhstan in 2010. Following last year’s results, the nation’s telecom market of the republic accounted for 431 billion KZT, whereas the average rate of growth amounts to 12 % annually. “We expect the 12% growth this year either”, Yessekeyev said stated this at the “Telecom 2010” Forum on Wednesday in Astana.JSC “Kazakhtelecom” is the country’s leading service provider of the republic, whose shareholders are the Kazakh National Welfare Fund “Samruk Kazyna” (45,.9%), the British Virgin Islands’ “Deran Services Limited” (8,.65%) and Netherlands’ Dutch “Bodam B.V.” (15.,18%).
The “Book of words” by the world-famous Kazakh poet , composer and philosopher Abay, translated into the Tajik language, was presented in Dushanbe on June 23. Translating and publishing the Abay’s work was initiated by the Embassy of Kazakhstan to Tajikistan and the Tajik Union of Journalists in cooperation with “Tajikistan-Kazakhstan” Friendship Society. The book titled “Pandnoma” will be handed over to the Tajik National Library and the leading universities and educational centres of the country. Abay’s major work in prose, the “Book of Words” is a philosophic treatise and collection of poems which was at various times translated in the world’s different languages and published around the globe.
Things to Watch:
Astana International Action Film Festival is set to run June 27 - July 1 in Astana, Kazakhstan. Timur Bekmambetov, best known as the director of “Wanted,” is the organizer of the fest, with the idea of bridging Asian and Western film markets and showcaseing a unique lineupline-up of action films. Festival accoutrements like forums and discussions are also planned. The festival is running a screenplay competition, with the winner receiving a cash prize as well as a chance to develop their script with Bekmambetov’s production company, Bazelevs. Famous Hollywood producers Harvey Weinstein (the Academy Award winner for his Shakespeare in Love producer) Hollywood players Harvey Weinstein and Lawrence Bender (producer of many of Quentin Tarantino’s movies), an actor best known for his role in Oscar-nominated “District 9” actor Sharlto Copley, and the classic action star Dolph Lundgren will partake in the festival.
Kazakhstan will celebrate the Journalist Day on June 27, commemorated annually on the last Sunday in June. On the eve of the journalists’ professional holiday, the Senate Speaker of Parliament Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev congratulated news media of Kazakhstan on the occasion and presented them the ceremonial certificates on Thursday.
On June 29-30, the Kazakh OSCE Chairmanship is hosting the High-level Conference on Tolerance and Non-discrimination in the Palace of Peace and Harmony (the Pyramid) in Astana. It will be preceded by a Civil Society Preparatory Meeting on 28 June on the same premises.
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