Kazakhstan News Bulletin Released by the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Poland 02-954 Warsaw Krolowej Marysienki str. 14, Tel.: (022)6425388 Fax: (022)6423427 E-mail:kazdipmis@hot.pl, Web-site: www.kazakhstan.pl

Special Issue, 2 December, 2009

Kazakhstan to Spend Unprecedented $50 Million Educating Afghans

Kazakhstan will spend 50 million dollars during the next five years to educate 1,000 Afghans under an agreement between the two countries signed November 22 in Kabul.

Kanat Saudabayev, Kazakhstan’s Secretary of State - Minister of Foreign Affairs visited the Islamic State of Afghanistan within November 21-22 2009, and signed the Agreement with Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Spanta.

When in Kabul, Saudabayev met President Hamid Karzai and presented a letter from President Nursultan Nazarbayev. In his letter the Kazakh leader congratulated Mr. Hamid Karzai with his inauguration and confirmed Kazakhstan’s intention to strengthen bilateral relations, continue assisting aimed at stabilization and peaceful development of that war-torn nation.

During the meetings in Kabul, officials discussed prospects of cooperation in political, trade and economic, and cultural and humanitarian fields, and exchanged views on a range of topical issues of international and regional security. Over the past several years, Kazakhstan has transferred 2.4 million dollars towards reconstruction in Afghanistan, including those for schools, hospitals and roads, as well as 2,000 tons of wheat in form of humanitarian aid. This year, under the Program of assistance to Afghanistan for 2009-2011, 1.5 million dollars are to be allocated.

Within the meeting with President Karzai, Minister Saudabayev stressed the importance for Kazakhstan to participate in concrete projects to develop natural resources and infrastructure in Afghanistan, as well as the task of increasing Kazakhstan’s grain exports to Afghanistan. This can be done both on a bilateral basis and through the UN and other international organizations, which, according to Minister Saudabayev, would be mutually beneficial and effective.

Under the Agreement on Cooperation in Education with the Islamic State of Afghanistan, within the next five years, Kazakhstan will allocate 50 million dollars to educate 1,000 Afghan students at Kazakhstan’s vocational colleges and universities. Beginning next year, Kazakhstan will annually receive 200 students from Afghanistan for training in various specialties, ranging from doctors and teachers to experts in the field of law enforcement and border protection, from engineers and agronomists to journalists.

As explained by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Education and Science Zhanseit Tuimebayev, out of 1,000 Afghans 700 will receive higher education, and 300 students will get college degrees. Two hundred students will be taught to be doctors and nurses, 135 students will study agriculture engineering, another 100 students will learn engineering and 100 other students will be trained to become teachers, and 75 students will be taught to do the police work. Border security and journalism will be taught to 45 students in each area. All in all, education under this program will continue until 2018.

“This program was organized at the initiative of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who believes it is absolutely important for international efforts to stabilize Afghanistan to include such constructive measures and the engagement of that country into social, economic and humanitarian interaction. Our assistance to Afghanistan is also a contribution to ensuring the stability and development of our entire region,” Minister Saudabayev said at a joint press conference with Minister Spanta.

Such a program is an unprecedented step for Kazakhstan, which itself has been independent for only 18 years. The allocation of 50 million dollars is especially significant in time of global economic crisis. As Kazakhstan prepares to assume the chairmanship of the OSCE next year, where it plans to put Afghanistan front and centre among its top priorities, the visit to Kabul sent a clear message that Astana is committed for effective and hard work.

While in Kabul, Minister Saudabayev emphasized this point. “Our two nations are tied by deep historical and cultural roots which creates additional opportunities for further development of bilateral relations. We stand for Afghanistan’s active engagement in integration processes in the region, and the strengthening of mutually beneficial economic and humanitarian cooperation. As Chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) next year, we intend to do everything possible to use the potential of this organization in order to assist Afghanistan,” he noted.

Kanat Saudabayev also met UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Kai Eide. They discussed concrete ways for Kazakhstan’s cooperation with the UN in the stabilization of Afghanistan, as well as prospects for interaction between the UN and OSCE during Kazakhstan’s Chairmanship next year.

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