Since its earliest days of independence, Kazakhstan has been Central Asia’s economic powerhouse, said U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Geoffrey Pyatt in a recent speech.

The decision by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to invite major oil companies to develop the country’s vast hydrocarbon resources in the 1990s has put the country on track to produce one of the world’s largest increases in non-OPEC oil supplies over the next 10-15 years.  Kazakhstan has also become the leading destination in the region for U.S. investment.  Over the last twenty years American companies have invested more than $16.5 billion in Kazakhstan.

“Yet for all its progress,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Pyatt, “Central Asia remains one of the least integrated areas of the world.”  Historically by virtue of its geography, the region served as a hub of interlinking trade routes through which goods and people passed from one continent to another.  Today, Kazakhstan’s neighbors and near-neighbors once again include some of the fastest emerging economies in the world.   But stronger regional ties would accelerate economic growth.

That’s why the United States supports the idea of a New Silk Road, an initiative that would encourage a network of economic, transit, energy, and people-to-people connections running throughout Central and South Asia, with Afghanistan at its heart.  Such a network would strengthen regional economic integration by two means:  first, through trade liberalization, which includes the reduction of non-tariff trade barriers; improved regulatory regimes; transparent border clearance procedures; and coordinated policies to accelerate the flow of goods, services, and people throughout the region;  and second, through energy and infrastructure which includes roads, bridges, electrical transmission grids railways, and pipelines to connect goods, services, and people.

In order to maximize foreign investment in the South and Central Asia region, countries must cultivate a climate conducive to private sector interest, including adopting policies that are transparent, predictable, and subject to a strong rule of law.

All of Afghanistan’s neighbors and near-neighbors, including Kazakhstan, stand to benefit from enhanced regional cooperation, which will create jobs and offer an alternative to extremism and instability. One of the greatest vehicles this region has to promote peace and stability is the promise of economic opportunity.

26.04.2012ж.

24 апреля 2012

Подписанием ряда контрактов и протоколов намерений о сотрудничестве в сфере индустрии, а также соглашения о дальнейшем развитии побратимских связей между городами Павлодар и Быдгощ, установленных в 1997 году, завершился визит в Республику Польша делегации Павлодарской области.

Делегация в составе первого заместителя акима региона Дуйсенбая Турганова, акима Павлодара Оразгельды Каиргельдинова и председателя правления АО «НК «СПК «Павлодар» Данияла Мухаметкалиева по приглашению польской стороны начала деловую встречу с очередного этапа переговоров о создании в Павлодаре совместного производства трамваев. Этому предшест­вовал меморандум о совместной деятельности, подписанный в сентябре 2011 года АО «НК «СПК «Павлодар», банком BGK, компаниями PESA Bydgoszcz SA и TINES.

В ходе поездки павлодарская делегация посетила производственную площадку вагоносборочного предприятия PESA Bydgoszcz SA и ознакомилась с технологией обустройства верх­них строений железнодорожных путей компании TINES. Также прошли переговоры с правлением Банка BGK по вопросам финансирования совместных проектов.

С целью привлечения польских инвестиций в казахстанские проекты в Торгово-промышленной палате Республики Польша прошла встреча с деловыми кругами, где были презентованы инвестиционные возможности Павлодарской области. В числе перспективных инвестпроектов, помимо производства трамваев, названы возведение третьего энергоблока Экибастузской ГРЭС-2, завода по изготовлению обожженных анодов, реконструкция ЭГРЭС-1, модернизация АО «Павлодарский нефтехимический завод», строительство Бозшакольского ГОКа и завода по выпуску сэндвич-панелей, металлоконструкций, металлопластиковых и железобетонных изделий.

Сергей ГОРБУНОВ

фото Валерия Бугаева

Kanion Czaryński (Kanion Szaryński) to kanion rzeki Szaryn, położony w południowo-wschodnim Kazachstanie, blisko gór Tienszan. Ma około ok. 150 km długości. Często nazywany jest "młodszym bratem Kanionu Kolorado". Ostańce piaskowcowe oraz zlepieńcowe w Kanionie Czaryńskim przypominają bowiem te w Wielkim Kanionie Kolorado. W przeciwieństwie jednak do niego, Kanion Czaryński nie jest tak tłumnie odwiedzany przez turystów - i to jego ogromna zaleta.

Kanion Czaryński (Kanion Szaryński) to kanion rzeki Szaryn, położony w południowo-wschodnim Kazachstanie, blisko gór Tienszan. Ma około ok. 150 km długości. Często nazywany jest "młodszym bratem Kanionu Kolorado".

Brussels, 2 May 2012

It is a pleasure to welcome Prime Minister Karim Massimov of Kazakhstan to the European Commission.

We just had a very productive and open meeting, where we took stock of our bilateral relations.

Kazakhstan is an important partner for the EU in Central Asia and we want to further our ties. The Prime Minister's visit to Brussels is an additional sign of the interest that we both share in deepening our cooperation.

Indeed, the EU and Kazakhstan have launched negotiations on a new enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. It is the only one that we have now with a Central Asian country. I expressed to the Prime Minister my trust that our commitment to improve our relations should be a catalyst for further political and economic reforms in Kazakhstan.

These reforms are important for Kazakhstan and its people and they are fundamental to improve the chances of success in our renewed PCA negotiations.

Kazakhstan has made impressive progress since its independence. This has been witnessed by us all!

Advancing democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms such as freedom of expression, association and assembly should be a natural step in the development of today's societies. We have discussed this today very openly with the Prime Minister. I also believe this is the best way to guarantee stability. I told the Prime Minister that I am convinced that we can make this journey together.

Trade relations are another important part of our relationship and they are bound to get stronger too. The EU is already a major trading partner and the biggest investor in Kazakhstan. And we want our trade and investment relations to improve.

We fully support Kazakhstan's accession to the World Trade Organization and we are ready to work swiftly and constructively to bring this accession process to a successful conclusion. Kazakhstan can count on our support on this important objective and we also look forward to see good progress on our bilateral protocol.

During our meeting we also discussed the importance of Kazakhstan as an energy partner of the European Union. We have made solid progress in this area over the years and I am convinced that the new PCA (Partnership and Cooperation Agreement) that we are negotiating will bring new opportunities for cooperation also in the field of energy.

To conclude, I would like to thank Prime Minister Massimov for his commitment to EU-Kazakhstan relations. Kazakhstan is a key country in Central Asia and a leading partner for the European Union in our ambition to increase and improve our ties with this important region of the world. In fact, we have been improving very much our bilateral contacts with Kazakhstan. I remember receiving here President Nazarbayev and Commissioner Oettinger was also recently in Kazakhstan, so we are making our best to give an even stronger impetus to this relationship. We look forward to continuing our open and frank dialogue with Kazakhstan, its leaders, and its people, and to build an even stronger relationship.

I thank you for your attention.

wtorek, 01, maj 2012 12:57

Larry Elliott Economics editor

guardian.co.uk, Thursday 26 April 2012