Seminar Examines History of Nuclear Disarmament Efforts in Kazakhstan
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+23 / +11°C WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015 No 11 (77) www.astanatimes.com Nazarbayev Announces Astana Int’l Financial Kazakhstan Unveils Centre, Addresses Economic Challenges at AEF 100 Concrete Steps to Implement Institutional Reforms “We have now published the 100 By Malika Rustem steps for the world to see,” Naz- arbayev said in his remarks at the ASTANA – Kazakhstan is em- plenary session of the Astana Eco- barking on some of the most am- nomic Forum on May 22. “Now bitious reforms in its independent the world will be able to track our history as President Nursultan progress or lack thereof on all of Nazarbayev moves to implement them.” his election campaign platform of “One hundred concrete steps are five institutional reforms. a response to global and local chal- On May 20, three weeks after lenges and, at the same time, it is a Nazarbayev announced in his in- plan for the nation to join the top augural speech that a “Plan of the 30 most-developed countries in Nation” would be developed to the new historical conditions. One radically change the country, two hundred concrete steps will give leading Kazakh daily newspapers Kazakhstan a margin of safety published the government’s con- that will help the country through crete approaches to implementing a difficult period, implement the those reforms. Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy and The approaches, outlined in the strengthen Kazakh statehood. The “100 Concrete Steps to Implement plan lays out radical changes in so- Five Institutional Reforms” docu- ciety and the state, the main goal ment, have been published to not of which is treatment of systemic only give the country a clear sense diseases, not just smoothing their of the direction in which the newly exterior symptoms,” outlines the reelected leader wants to take it, preamble to the document. but also to be used as a checklist by the international community. Continued on Page A2 President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan (far left) addresses the plenary session of the Astana Economic Forum on May 22. By Yelden Sarybay arbayev commented that the cri- all in the currency and trading to future prosperity. First is the sis which brought about the need ASTANA – President of Ka- markets.” fragmentation of the global order. New Projects for the AEF in 2008 is not over, zakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev The President also said that these “We are witnessing the disintegra- and while experts now speak of a hidden, latent roots of the crisis are made a few bold announcements tion of the old checks and balances gradual recovery, signs of growth moving from the financial sphere throughout the world, the loss of to the delegates of the Astana Eco- into currency wars and economic nomic Forum (AEF) at the forum’s are scattered. “Many countries trust between the leaders of the Reflect Progress in still can not get out of stagnation,” wars in the form of sanctions shak- main plenary session on May 22, ing many countries. “This is what great powers and the corrosion of said Nazarbayev. “Other econo- including the announcement of a generates an increase in confron- international law.” plan to create an Astana Interna- mists believe that the global crisis tation between East and West, the Second are the elemental chal- tional Financial Centre (AIFC). of 2008 was systemic, cyclic, and EBRD-Kazakh Ties U.S. and NATO against Russia and lenges such as climate change and Speaking first among panellists will end only when the key reason China,” said the President. pandemics. “Climate change is By Michelle Witte including top-level economists, for it is eliminated: the profound, Nazarbayev also spoke of three mindset as well as in reality on the happening faster than expected. ground.” financiers and politicians, Naz- accumulated imbalances, first of global challenges that are a threat Continued on Page A4 ASTANA – The European Bank The four new projects encom- for Reconstruction and Develop- pass two 10 million euro loans to ment (EBRD) signed four more modernise water systems in Shym- deals to cooperate on projects in kent and Aktobe, a 70 million euro public services and transport on loan to the first commercial-scale Seminar Examines History of Nuclear June 3, during EBRD President Sir solar plant in Kazakhstan and a Suma Chakrabarti’s trip to the Ka- 42.5 million euro loan to upgrade zakh capital. These are all projects the infrastructure of Astana’s air- that involve reform, Chakrabarti port as well as the country’s air Disarmament Efforts in Kazakhstan commented, and really symbolise sector tariff system. Put together, the nature of EBRD and Kazakh- these will bring the EBRD’s in- By Michelle Witte war to the post-cold war era and the stan’s cooperation. vestment in Kazakhstan this year simultaneous strengthening of the “These projects are good in to some $420 million. Chakrabarti ASTANA – An international sem- global non-proliferation regime.” inar on the oral history of the Nunn- their own right,” the EBRD presi- said he’d like to see investment in Lugar weapons of mass reduc- dent said in an interview with this Kazakhstan reach $1 billion this tion decommissioning programme Nuclear Disarmament in newspaper June 4, “but they’re year. “I think the target’s in sight,” launched in Astana on June 1 with quite symbolic of, I think, reform he commented. statements from Russian, American 1990s as Prologue to Today’s and change and modernisation, in Continued on Page A5 and Kazakh diplomats and partici- pants in Nunn-Lugar supported op- Global Stance According to Tokayev, among erations, then continued in a closed Kazakhstan’s contributions to mak- format over the next three days. ing the world safer from nuclear “We are here because Kazakh- weapons and nuclear weapons ma- UNDP Seeks stan’s decisions and the vision of President [Nursultan] Nazarbayev terial are its closure of the Semipa- truly set the world on a path toward Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (c) delivers latinsk nuclear test site, accession peace,” said Laura Holgate, sen- keynote remarks at the launch of the international seminar on the Nunn-Lugar to the Treaty on the Non-Prolifer- programme on June 1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov and Minister ation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Stronger Kazakh ior director for Weapons of Mass of Energy Vladimir Shkolnik are to his left and right. Destruction Terrorism and Threat the rejection of what was then the fourth largest nuclear arsenal in the Reduction at the U.S. National Se- projects, including decommission- Jomart Tokayev, himself a long-time world, the signing of the Compre- curity Council, a keynote speaker ing particular reactors and securing foreign minister of Kazakhstan and hensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Partnership at the plenary session. “Consider nuclear material through Project a former Deputy Secretary General (CTBT), the creation of the Central how KazAID might develop,” said the alternative – the creation of one Sapphire (which saw nearly 600 of the United Nations, said in his Asian Nuclear Weapons Free Zone By Michelle Witte Clark, who had come to Kazakh- and possibly three nuclear powers, kilogrammes of highly enriched ura- keynote remarks at the seminar that (CANWFZ) and the UN General stan to attend the Astana Economic the possibility of armed conflicts in nium securely taken out of Kazakh- “Rejection of the nuclear legacy be- ASTANA – The UN Develop- connection with retrieving the weap- Assembly resolution adopted at Forum on May 21-22 as well as to stan in 1994), as well as on current came the only correct strategic deci- ment Programme is pursuing a ons by force, destabilisation in the the initiative of Kazakhstan pro- visit some of the UNDPs ongoing nuclear cooperation, particularly sion because it ensured the country a stronger partnership with Kazakh- region and overall a very different claiming Aug, 29, which was the projects across the country. with the International Atomic Ener- worthy place in the world commu- stan, believing that the country and more dangerous world. Instead, closure date of the Semipalatinsk The UNDP has operated projects gy Agency. The task of the seminar, nity, created the preconditions for can be a strong player in south- we’ve had two decades of peace and test site, as the International Day in Kazakhstan for years now, but explained Minister of Foreign Af- successful economic reforms with prosperity in the region, and the en- against Nuclear Tests. Kazakhstan south cooperation and an impor- with the country reaching upper fairs of Kazakhstan Erlan Idrissov the assistance of more than $190 bil- tire world is better for it.” also convened the Conference on tant proponent of the organisa- middle-income status, the nature The seminar focused on the history in his opening remarks, is to “extract lion of investment and, ultimately, Interaction and Confidence Build- tion’s Sustainable Development of the partnership is ready for a of the Cooperative Threat Reduction from the concrete and visible exam- ensured its safety. He also added that ing Measures in Asia, worked to Goals (SDGs), UNDP Administra- change. “Traditionally, the UNDP (CTR) programme, better known as ple of cooperation in this sensitive the decision gave Kazakhstan “the strengthen integration processes in tor Helen Clark told The Astana had developed country partners the Nunn-Lugar programme, named area important lessons for the for- moral and political right to demand the Eurasian space and has promot- Times on May 24. which funded it, and it had de- after U.S. Senators Sam Nunn and mation of future policies based on decisive action from other countries ed dialogue between civilisations “What I’ve raised here is our in- veloping country partners that it Richard Lugar who initiated the the principles of non-proliferation to achieve universal nuclear disar- and religions.