-20° / -28°C WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 No 24 (162) www.astanatimes.com President points to improved quality Socioeconomic development of life at Independence Day gala yields positive results, says prime minister include a 21.6-percent increase in By Dilshat Zhussupova foreign trade and 28.2-percent hike in exports due to greater supplies ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s min- of petroleum, agricultural prod- isters reviewed the country’s so- ucts, gases, aluminum and cop- cioeconomic development for the per ores. Approximately 468,600 past year at a Dec. 11 government people gained employment and meeting, receiving positive as- the average monthly salary grew sessment from Prime Minister to 159,500 tenge (US$431.61), a Bakytzhan Sagintayev. 2.2-percent increase in real terms. Gross domestic product (GDP) The 5.3-percent annual inflation growth has remained steady at 4.1 rate is at its lowest since 2015, percent for the last three months, noted Kazakh National Bank said Minister of National Econo- Chairperson Daniyar Akishev. It my Timur Suleimenov. is projected to be at 5-7 percent by “The main factors for eco- year’s end. nomic growth were high investor This year’s industrial production and consumer demand, as well as volume was 104.5 percent, includ- production activity in the basic ing 104.7 percent in the mining sectors of the economy,” he said. industry and 104.9 percent in the “Investment in fixed assets contin- processing industry, said Minister ues to play a key role in economic for Investment and Development growth.” Zhenis Kassymbek. Additional growth indicators Continued on Page A2 Turkestan’s infrastructure

Dec. 14 gala dedicated to the tion to more than 18 million people holiday. and an increase in life expectancy capable to provide facilities on  It has been 27 years since Su- to 72.5 years. preme Council adopted the Law “It is important for us to always on Independence and State Sover- remember that the foundation of eignty of the Republic of Kazakh- all achievements is unity and har- 368 hectares, says city akim stan on Dec. 16, 1991. mony in society,” the President Currently, 26 multi-storey residen- “We are witnesses and active par- stressed. “The Kazakhstan model By Saltanat Boteu tial buildings are under construction ticipants in the birth and formation of of interethnic and interfaith devel- on the territory. Approximately 20 a new Kazakhstan,” said the President, opment has become an internation- ASTANA – Turkestan is mak- houses (1,200 out of 1,536 apart- according to the Akorda press service. al brand of the country.” ing progress on the three main ele- ments) are for rent, and the remaining The young nation has been Kazakhstan’s location and its ments of its Turkestan Major Plan, six houses (336 apartments) are avail- growing and developing stead- decision to invest in transport City Akim (Mayor) Alipbek User- able for purchase. Among 20 rental ily, and is often referred to as “the and logistics infrastructure has bayev told a delegation of govern- houses, 11 will be put in commission leading Central Asian country.” helped it become a main transit ment officials visiting the region in April 2019, the rest will be ready Today, Kazakhstan is an active link between continents, he noted. Dec. 21, reported the Turkestan by November 2019. The houses for member of the international com- Large-scale market reforms have region Akimat’s (regional admin- purchase will be ready in June. munity and is striving to join the engaged one million citizens in en- istration) press centre. These residential houses built ranks of developed countries. trepreneurship. The plan’s primary elements are under the 7-20-25 governmental The welfare of the population “The systemic industrialisation the city’s historical centre, spiritu- programme are for welfare recipi- has significantly improved in the of the economy has led to a sig- al and cultural centre and adminis- ents, people in a queue for housing decades since independence. For nificant increase in the share of trative and business centre. and public servants. example, the number of people the manufacturing industry,” said In relation to 270-hectare admin- According to the region’s Akim paid lower than the subsistence Nazarbayev. Kazakhstan’s manu- istrative and business centre, User- (Governor) Zhanseit Tuimebayev, By Aidana Yergaliyeva gratulated his fellow citizens minimum has dropped by 15 times facturing industry now produces bayev said the construction of the the construction of 88 multi-sto- on their Independence Day and and real wages have quadrupled. 9.5 trillion tenge (US$25.62 bil- regional akimat, the house of gov- rey residential houses with 2,756 ASTANA – Kazakh President summed up Kazakhstan’s pro- Other notable indicators include lion) worth of goods, he added. ernance and departments, the five- apartments will start in a neigh- Nursultan Nazarbayev con- gress as a sovereign state at a an increase in the absolute popula- Continued on Page A2 star Rixos Hotel and large districts bouring district next year. with residential housing is ongoing. Continued on Page A2 Air Astana adds new generation fuel-efficient aircraft to fleet

By Yerbolat Uatkhanov braer Commercial Aviation President & CEO John Slattery said during the ASTANA – Air Astana recently recent announcement of the delivery added the Embraer E-Jet E2, one of the first of five new planes. of the world’s most fuel-efficient “We have the nose of the aircraft planes, to its fleet. The aircraft also painted in the likeness of the snow features an image on its nose of a leopard and that is because Air Asta- snow leopard, which is an elusive na is very proud to be a supporter of animal that lives in the mountains of Wildlife without Borders which is Kazakhstan and is considered a Ka- part of Institute of Zoology of the zakh symbol. Ministry of Education and Science “Today is more special than our of Kazakhstan and we are financial- normal deliveries to Astana, because ly supporting Wildlife without Bor- today we are delivering 190-E2. This ders specifically in its efforts and its is the very first E2 to be delivered in initiative to preserve the habitat and Central Asia and we couldn’t think grow the population, the indigenous of the better partner than Air Astana. population of this snow leopard in I am looking forward to seeing the the wild in Kazakhstan,” Air Astana snow leopard on the nose flying over President & CEO Peter Foster said. the mountains in Kazakhstan,” Em- Continued on Page A2

INSIDE NATION ECONOMY&BUSINESS EDITORIAL OPINIONS NATION&CAPITAL Kazakhstan exports to 110 countries, continues KTZ places Eurobonds worth 170 million Kazakhstan seeks peace, international GAUR: Ruhani Zhangyru: Nazarbayev’s Female Kazakh driver to race in W Series developing manufacturing industry A2 Swiss francs A4 prosperity in year of turmoil A6 Model A7 2019 Qualifiers, promote female F1 driversB1 Construction launched on Saryarka gas Seven agreements worth $480 million inked MASHAN: Model UN programme provides Kazakh ‘#Explorestan’ tourism branding seeks pipeline A2 at Almaty Invest Forum A5 unique opportunity for personal development to take sting out of ‘Stan’B6 of Kazakh students A7

US$ 1 = 371.68 KZT € 1 = 423.49 KZT 1 = 5.43 KZT A2 NATION

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018

NATIONAL Kazakhstan exports to 110 countries, NEWS IN BRIEF Kazakhstan BAB Investment Group will invest 185 billion tenge (US$500 million) to build a recy- continues developing manufacturing industry cling plant in Aktobe, the region’s manufacturing sector has increased strategy2050.kz. In the engineer- “It is a very important produc- “[Eighty-five tonnes of gold per press service reported Dec. 7. The By Saltanat Boteu more than three times,” he said. ing and construction industries, he tion not only for us, but for the year] is a huge indicator. The bulk agreement was one of nine, worth a The head of state emphasised initiated rail wheel, transformer whole world. Recycling of gar- of the gold will be used domesti- total of 300 billion tenge (US$809 ASTANA – Kazakhstan ex- that according to 2017 results, pro- and cement facilities that previ- bage today is a very profitable cally. The cathode copper of the million), signed at the recent sixth ports products to 110 countries, duction volume was nearly 9.5 tril- ously did not exist in Kazakhstan. business in which we are not yet Karaganda plant will be exported,” International Investment Forum. said President Nursultan Naz- lion tenge (US$25.65 billion). In the alternative energy field, engaged,” he said. “It is good that said the President. “Belarusian investors will build an arbayev during a Dec. 11 nation- “This is the successful result of the nation opened the largest solar it started in Almaty, the largest city In the agricultural sector, Karat agricultural machinery production al teleconference in the capital. our work. The share of the manu- power station among the Com- and a metropolis that produces the Poultry Farm, with an automated plant. A Bashkir enterprise will He spoke with 28 enterprises facturing sector in the industrial monwealth of Independent States largest amount of waste. This ex- mill in the Atyrau region with a invest in a plant for production of from different fields and regions structure increased from 36 per- (CIS). Samruk Kazyna United perience needs to spread to Astana capacity of 50,000 tonnes of meat block-modular and block-frame and launched production units in cent to 42 percent and the export Green has commissioned the Bur- and other cities.” per year, and the Torgai Et meat- oil and gas field equipment. The alternative energy, agriculture of the manufacturing industry noe solar power plant, a joint Ka- Beginning next year, domestic processing complex in the Arkalyk major projects include the modern- and metallurgy. raised from 28 percent to 32 per- zakh-British project in the Zhamb- plants will be processing more city were commissioned. isation of the existing enrichment “Our key markets are China, cent in total exports. One-fourth of yl region with a capacity of 100 gold, with Kazakhstan aiming to- Nazarbayev believes agricul- plant, the copper-zinc ore deposit Russia, Central Asian countries all foreign investments go to the megawatts. wards an annual production of 85 tural products will always be in at Avangard Aktyubinsk Copper and the European Union. In recent manufacturing industry; that is, The President also launched tonnes. The mining and process- demand. Mareven Food Holdings company and the construction of years, we began to produce more more than $5 billion [in 2018]. The the 550,000 tonne Green Recy- ing complex is capable of produc- built a complex in the Almaty re- a copper-smelting plant and devel- than 500 types of products that benefits from these attract foreign cle waste recycling complex in ing up to 10 tonnes of non-ferrous gion to process flour and produce opment of the Benkala deposit,” have never been produced in Ka- businesses,” he added. Almaty and Raduga metal-plastic metals per year. For the next nine food and in the Turkestan region, the press service added. zakhstan before. We export about During the teleconference, Naz- products plant in Petropavlovsk. years, plans show open method Golden Camel Group will pro-  50 new types of goods. Since 2009, arbayev also launched dozens of He noted recycling is an important mining for gold-bearing ore using cess camel and horse milk for A new train connecting Almaty the volume of production in the new high-tech industries, reported area that still needs attention. new technologies. export. and Turkestan will be operating from Jan. 3, according to Ka- zinform. The train itself consists of 23 cars, including 19 tourist class cars, a bar, a restaurant and two technical cars. The Almaty- President points to Air Astana adds new generation Turkestan route will take 13 hours, 23 minutes; the return is slightly faster at 13 hours, six minutes. The route includes stops at the improved quality of life at fuel-efficient aircraft to fleet Shu, Taraz, Shymkent and Arys-2 Continued from Page A1 Air Astana has purchase orders in came the first 4-Star airline in East- stations. The train departs on odd place for Boeing 787, Airbus A320N- ern Europe and the Commonwealth days from Almaty and arrives on Featuring a snow leopard is intended EO and Embraer 190 aircraft. These of Independent States (CIS). It also even days to Turkestan. Independence Day gala to draw global attention to the threat of will expand the fleet to 43 aircraft by was awarded as the Best Airline in extinction faced by this large wild cat. 2020. the Central Asian region and India in The Denis Ten Academy of Continued from Page A1 and a roof over their heads,” Snow leopards are native to the moun- Recently, Air Astana also an- 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Figure Skating will open next said Nazarbayev. tain ranges of southern Kazakhstan as nounced that it is going to launch and 2018. year, Vlast.kz reports. The con- This year, Kazakhstan has In the next five years, the gov- well as neighbouring Kyrgyzstan. a low-cost airline, Fly Arystan, in Air Astana is the member of Inter- cept of the school was discussed launched a number of initiatives ernment plans to build more than Embraer E-190-E-2 is a re-mo- the first half of 2019.It will operate national Air Transport Association with Russian figure skating coach aimed at boosting the economy 70 million square metres of hous- torised and upgraded narrow-body a fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft con- (IATA), Association of Asia Pacific Tatyana Tarasova during her visit further, among them the Astana ing that will accommodate almost medium-range aircraft manufactured figured to an all-economy class of Airlines (AAPA), IATA Clearing to Almaty. The academy will be International Financial Centre 2 million citizens. by Embraer from Brazil. 180 seats. It will operate similarly House and Flight Safety Foundation. based at the Khalyk Arena. “The (AIFC), the Astana Hub interna- The head of state believes that According to Air Astana, the new to other low-cost airline such as The company was established in academy was one of his main sport tional techno park of IT start-ups the modern generation, born in aircraft has a large lengthening wing Easy Jet, Indigo, Cebu Pacific and 2001 and corresponds to European goals. It was his dream. He want- and the International Centre for independent Kazakhstan, will with improves aerodynamics, new Air Asia. Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) ed to name it the Global Skating Green Technologies and Invest- confidently meet the challeng- on-board equipment and improved The new airline will offer airfares requirements. In May 2015, Air Asta- Academy. We are currently work- ment Projects. es of their times and ensure the engines. approximately half of what Air Asta- na successfully completed the Inter- ing on this project,” said Oksana “All these important victories well-being and prosperity of their Today, Air Astana operates a fleet na offers today on mostly domestic national Air Transport Association’s Ten, the deceased skater’s mother. and triumphant results convinc- fellow citizens. of 33 aircraft with an average age of routes. It is expected to expand into Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) for Denis Ten, Kazakhstan’s 25-year- ingly testify to the correctness of Astana, “a symbol of prosper- 8.43 years. It operates more than 60 regional international routes in the the fifth time. In October 2015, Air old Olympic figure skating cham- the course we have chosen,” said ous Kazakhstan,” had its 20th domestic and international routes. mid-term. Astana completed the (EASA) Third pion, died July 19 when he was the head of state. anniversary this year. In the new The company has more than 4,700 Air Astana has a Four-Star Airline Country Operators (TCO) certifica- stabbed after having caught two The state is currently focused capital, events to celebrate inde- employees. Rating by Skytrax Research and be- tion audit with zero findings. men trying to steal the side mirrors on further improving the qual- pendence began Dec. 6 and some of his car. The first hearing in their ity of life, public security and exhibitions will continue until the case is scheduled for Dec. 25. well-being of the population, he end of December at the Palace of stressed. Independence. Almaty’s city administration re- “An important direction for The days between Dec. 10 and ports that 80 percent of its bus fleet us is the comprehensive mod- Dec. 18 were especially rich with Turkestan’s infrastructure capable to provide will have been renewed by the end ernisation of the social sphere. exhibitions, lectures, film screen- of the year. New parking areas and For all the years of independ- ings, festivals, fairs, concerts and an electric bus production plant ence, about one million Ka- traditional fireworks dedicated to were built to improve the local en- zakhs have found their hearth the national holiday. facilities on 368 hectares, says city akim vironment, and the country’s first high-speed public transport (BRT) Continued from Page A1 supply. The pipeline will help sup- on restoration works of 18 objects line was launched in the city. Some ply natural gas to 20,000 city cus- of the historical centre and the con- 110 kilometers of bus lanes and For developing the city’s infra- tomers. struction of 17 prioritised objects one-way traffic were introduced on structure, as a part of a public- Changes are also planned for the of the spiritual and cultural and ad- 10 central streets. An automated dis- Socioeconomic private partnership, a kindergarten historical part of the city. The del- ministrative and business centres,” patching control system with a GPS for 280 students started its work in egation was also acquainted with said Deputy Prime Minister Askar system and video cameras on buses the Otyrar district. In the next aca- the sketch of historical architec- Mamin, who led the delegation. were introduced. Camera traps were demic year, a new school for 900 tural projects, which will be im- The spiritual and cultural centre set up to catch traffic violations in development yields students is planned to open. plemented near the Khoja Akhmet is planned to be built on the terri- the city, with 709 lanes now moni- The recent activation of the Yassawi Mausoleum, a UNESCO tory of 92 hectares around the Az- tored. Two metro stations are under Turkestan Compressor Plant in- World Heritage site. The new ret Sultan State Historical and Cul- construction to connect the city cen- creased the turnover of Beineu – works have reportedly been agreed tural Reserve. The territory of the tre with districts and further territo- positive results, Bozoi – Shymkent gas pipeline, upon with UNESCO. Kultobe ancient town will be given ries. “Recently, a car sharing service doubling the territory of its gas “It is necessary to take measures for an open-air museum. system was presented. The system allows per-minute car rentals to be booked through an application. The says prime minister number of registered users exceeds 10,000 people. In total, more than Continued from Page A1 zumbayev emphasised the posi- 100 cars are registered. Next year, tive growth trend in the energy Construction launched on Saryarka pipeline this figure will reach 500 cars. The “In the manufacturing industry, industry. Oil production vol- The Saryarka pipeline route will increase the throughput capacity of system will be launched in March in there is a production increase of ume was 82.4 million tonnes, a By Zhanna Shayakhmetova carry gas to Kyzylorda, Zhezkazgan, the pipeline to 3 billion cubic metres the capital and at the end of 2019 in 15.7 percent in engineering, 8.1 4.9-percent increase compared Karaganda, Temirtau, Astana and per year. Shymkent,” says the report. percent in leather, 7.2 percent in to last year. Oil production in ASTANA – Kazakh President Kokshetau-Petropavlovsk. The gas will be supplied from Ka- chemicals, 5.1 percent in leather, the Karachaganak, Kashagan Nursultan Nazarbayev launched “Currently we are working only on zakhstan’s western groups of fields The first pressure sensor plant 2.9 percent in rubber and plastic and Tengiz fields was 49 mil- construction on the Saryarka gas the first stage, along the Kyzylorda- – Karachaganak, Kashagan, Tengiz, was opened in Atyrau Dec. 15, and 2.4 percent in furniture,” he lion tonnes and oil exports were pipeline during Astana’s Industriali- Zhezkazgan-Karaganda-Temirtau- Zhanazhol and Urikhtau – by con- reported Forbes.kz. The plant said. 66 million tonnes, 3.8 percent sation Day, Dec. 11. Astana route, with a length of 1,061.3 necting to the existing Beineu-Bo- produces devices that measure Minister of Finance Alikhan greater than last year. “It is an ambitious and large pro- kilometres and a cost of 267.3 billion zoi-Shymkent main gas pipeline in pressure in various industrial and climatic conditions. Initially, the Smailov reported the state budg- To prevent fuel price hikes and ject, but we are able to implement tenge [US$717 million],” said head the Kyzylorda region. plant will assemble sensors from et revenue, excluding transfers, minimise the risk of a fuel short- it in a short period of time. I believe of AstanaGaz KMG Capital Con- The project will develop infra- components supplied by its for- was 102.6 percent. Revenue was age, the ministry is working on that the gas pipeline will reach our struction Department Asan Serma- structure along the main route, cre- eign partner, but local content will 7.38 trillion tenge (US$19.97 a temporary ban on petroleum capital and other regions next year. It gulov at a Central Communications ate new production facilities and gradually increase to 60 percent. billion), 232 billion tenge product exports, which will not will boost industry and provide fuel Service briefing. improve the environment. More than The estimated volume of output is (US$627.79 million) more than violate Eurasian Economic Un- to the population,” Nazarbayev said. In the second stage, a pipeline will 800 workplaces will be created dur- up to 2,000 units per year. “Kazakh the previous year. ion norms. Earlier that day, Vice Minister of be built along the Astana-Kokshetau ing the construction period and 225 President Nursultan Nazarbayev “By the year’s end, the state First Vice Minister of Agri- Energy Magzum Mirzagaliyev said route at a cost of 48.2 billion tenge during the operation period, accord- instructed the government, cen- budget revenue will be realised culture Arman Yevniev noted the ministry in cooperation with in- (US$129 million) and a length of 276 ing to the feasibility study. tral executive authorities, national at 103 percent and expenditures agricultural output increased terested state bodies and organisa- kilometres. It will cover the Akmola Kazakhstan’s Unified Accumu- companies, to use our goods as raw at 99.6 percent,” he said. 2.9 percent, underpinned by tions will work to accelerate the pro- region, including Kokshetau and the lation Pension Fund will invest 85 materials, process them and pro- Budget fund use is constantly 3.9-percent growth in the live- ject’s implementation. Shchuchinsk-Borovoye resort area. billion tenge (US$228 million) in duce goods with high added value. monitored, he added. This year, stock industry and a 2.3-percent “KazTransGas, the national opera- The Kokshetau-Petropavlovsk AstanaGaz KMG bonds. The coun- Issues related to product quality 2,887 audits were completed increase in crop production. tor in the field of gas and gas supply, pipeline, worth 18.9 billion tenge try’s Samruk Kazyna Sovereign and increasing the productivity of on the use of 1.5 trillion tenge This year’s harvest yielded developed a feasibility study and (US$50 million), will run 177 kilo- Wealth Fund and Baiterek National a metre manufacturing plant are (US$4.06 billion). Financial ir- 22.8 million tonnes of grain and design and estimate documentation. metres to the northern region of the Company will allocate 80.3 billion under control. We believe that regularities of 155 billion tenge production increased 4.3 percent The construction of the gas pipeline country. The construction of Zhez- tenge (US$215 million). The Eura- the goods will meet international (US$419.43 million) were for meat, 3.3 percent for milk will cost 370 billion tenge [US$993 kazgan and Temirtau compressor sian Development Bank and the De- standards due to the experience of found, 60 percent lower than and 10.6 percent for eggs. Over- million],” he said. stations worth 35.5 billion tenge velopment Bank of Kazakhstan will our specialists,” said Atyrau Akim 2017. all, food production increased Some 47.38 percent of the country (US$95 million) is planned for the provide loans in the amount of 102 (Governor) Nurlan Nogayev at the Minister of Energy Kanat Bo- 1.7 percent, he added. had access to natural gas as of Jan. 1. fourth stage of the project. They will billion tenge (US$273 million). opening ceremony. A3 EURASIA&WORLD

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018

EXTERNAL NEWS IN BRIEF Eurasian Economic Union leaders discuss Sergei Dvortsevoy’s “Ayka” was revealed to be on the short list for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar when the Academy of Mo- trade, digital economy in St. Petersburg tion Picture Arts and Sciences an- nounced the contenders for nine By Elya Altynsarina categories of the 91st Academy Awards, scheduled for Feb. 25. ASTANA – Kazakh President “Ayka” is a drama about a young Nursultan Nazarbayev participat- Kyrgyz woman, living and work- ed in the Dec. 6 Supreme Eurasian ing illegally in Moscow, who is Economic Council (EEC) and the forced to abandon her newborn informal summit of the leaders of child. Kazakh actress Samal Yesly- the Commonwealth of Independ- amova starred as the young female ent States (CIS) in St. Petersburg, protagonist of “Ayka” and won Russia. Cannes’s Best Actress award this The group discussed Russia’s year. The other eight features on 2018 chairmanship of the Eura- the short list include “Birds of Pas- sian Economic Union (EAEU) and sage” (Columbia), “The Guilty” increasing cooperation in trade, (Denmark), “Never Look Away” energy, the digital economy and (Germany), “Shoplifters” (Japan), organisational matters. “Capernaum” (Lebanon), “Roma” They also agreed on programmes (Mexico), “Cold War” (Poland) and to form common oil and gas mar- “Burning” (South Korea). kets and discussed cooperation in space exploration. Stockholm hosted a seven-day Nazarbayev said 2018 has been exhibition, “At Nomads’ Home,” important for the EAEU, because displaying Kazakh culture and tra- “despite the prevailing external ditions. The Kazakh Youth Asso- conditions and risks associated Nazarbayev also noted that the In the meantime, the Kazakh movement of goods, services, cap- since the signing of the EAEU ciation in Sweden, which organised with the volatility of the global EAEU customs code came into delegation suggested establishing ital and labour. At the same time, Treaty. In this regard, Kazakh- the event, sought to familiarise the economy, the union managed to force this year. Nazarbayev said the so-called “anchor” projects in key we need to make additional efforts stan offered to host an annual Swedish people with Kazakhstan. maintain a growth trend.” code incorporated the modern ap- economic areas and welcomed the to ensure a full-scale functioning meeting of member states each Visitors had a chance to see nation- “In the first half of 2018, the proaches to customs administration, commission and the governments of the union,” he said. year in May in Astana. Armenia al clothing, traditional house items total GDP of the members of the including the automation of busi- to determine the list of these pro- Meeting participants also noted will chair the EAEU in 2019. and musical instruments, try Ka- union increased by two percent. ness processes and the introduction jects. the need to work on documents for Following the EEC meeting, the zakh national cuisine and also tour The growth of industrial produc- of the “one stop-shop” principle. The Kazakh President also the so-called four freedoms and leaders of Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, a photo exhibition. Some exhibits tion continues,” Russian President The gathering also noted that called for an analysis of the eco- the agreement on the provision of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan par- were handmade by members of the Vladimir Putin told the gathering. Kazakhstan and Russia completed nomic feasibility of each new pensions for the EAEU citizens. ticipated in the informal CIS heads association and most were given by He noted intra-union trade has a pilot satellite monitoring of tran- direction both by Eurasian Eco- Nazarbayev first voiced the of state summit – a dinner where members of the Kazakh diaspora increased 12 percent, reaching $44 sit cargo between the two nations’ nomic Commission and the mem- idea of Eurasian integration the parties could raise any issue. living in Westeros, some 100 kilo- billion and the union improved its customs services. It was also noted ber states. based on principles of equal- The high-level participants then metres from Stockholm and home position on Doing Business report that work will continue to elimi- “We are making confident steps ity and voluntariness in 1994 at went to Mariinsky Theatre in Saint to nearly 300 Kazakhs who relo- from 40th to 31st place out of 190 nate trade barriers and implement towards achieving the main goals Moscow State University and Petersburg to see the Nutcracker cated to Sweden from Turkey in the economies in 2017. the digital agenda until 2025. of the EAEU – creation of the free next year marks the fifth year ballet and meet the performers. 1970s. “They treat Kazakh culture with much care; it is from them that we took traditional handmade blan- kets, national gowns and many oth- er items,” said Kazakh Youth Asso- ciation head Aidana Bekbergenova. Kazakhstan offers Astana as central location to The Astana Opera is touring Italy and Spain during the New Year holi- days, presenting Pyotr Tchaikovs- address challenges during OSCE meeting in Milan ky’s masterpieces “The Nutcracker” The minister noted the Eurasian and “Swan Lake.” The European By Malika Orazgaliyeva Economic Union, first proposed tour started Dec. 20 at Genoa’s old by Kazakhstan, as an example of opera house, Teatro Carlo Felice, ASTANA – Kazakhstan pre- effective connectivity between and will run through Jan. 13 with sented its proposals to strengthen states. a final performance at the Genoa the Organisation for Security and To increase connectivity within Opera House. The troupe will also Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) the OSCE, the foreign minister perform at Valencia’s Queen Sofia and to increase its role in address- proposed converting the OSCE Palace of the Arts (Palau de Les ing international challenges during Programme Office in Astana Arts Reina Sofía) at the invitation the organisation’s Dec. 6 Council into a Thematic Centre. Abdra- of world renowned opera singer of Foreign Ministers meeting in khmanov said the OSCE’s mission Plácido Domingo. Astana Opera art Milan. in Kazakhstan has always been in director Altynai Assylmuratova not- Kazakh Minister of Foreign Af- tandem with the country’s devel- ed the growing interest in Kazakh fairs Kairat Abdrakhmanov briefed opment and that “the current pro- ballet around the world. “Of course, the meeting on President Nursultan an Union, Russia, the United States high-level OSCE meeting on Af- niversary of the Helsinki Final Act gress of Kazakhstan in economic we are all anxious and worried. We Nazarbayev’s proposal to hold a and China, as proposed by Naz- ghanistan in 2019. The meeting to continue that discussion. and political development requires have a big task so that the audience joint meeting of the secretariats of arbayev at the Asia-Europe summit will be intended to develop re- Kazakhstan also organised a ses- new approaches.” will enjoy and get an emotional re- the OSCE, the Conference on In- meeting in Brussels last October. gional partnerships and discuss the sion at the Milan gathering titled He urged the OSCE to play a role charge. We will do our best,” said teraction and Confidence Building Abdrakhmanov reiterated Ka- intersection of security and devel- “Promoting economic connectiv- in developing consensus on eco- Assylmuratova. Measures in Asia (CICA) and the zakhstan’s commitment to as- opment. ity in the OSCE space.” nomic and environmental issues, ASEAN (Association of Southeast sisting the OSCE address global The minister also reminded the “Connectivity has many dimen- offering Astana as a meeting place. Berlin hosted the 25th anniver- Asian Nations) Regional Security challenges within and beyond the group that during the OSCE sum- sions consisting of transport con- Abdrakhmanov also met on the sary meeting of the Berlin Eura- Forum. The meetings would seek organisation’s participating states. mit in Astana in 2010, the organisa- junctions, economic and energy sidelines of the meeting with the sian Club (BEC) with the theme to facilitate better cooperation be- He said the Astana Process peace tion agreed on a common vision for networks, digital and human interac- heads of the delegations of Austria, “Legal and Economic Status of the tween organisations in meeting talks in the Kazakh capital demon- a “free, democratic and indivisible tions. It can strengthen the effective- Bulgaria, Estonia, Italy, the Neth- Caspian Sea: Prospects of Coop- challenges in Eurasia. strate Kazakhstan’s commitment Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian secu- ness of existing connections and cre- erlands, Slovakia, Serbia, Monaco, eration of Europe with the Region.” He also suggested Astana could to international peacemaking. rity community,” but not how to ate new ones. The OSCE could play Romania and other countries, as The meeting gathered a Kazakh be a place for discussions to resolve The foreign minister also noted achieve it. He proposed a high-level a more essential role in promoting well as with the OSCE High Com- delegation; Executive Director of disagreements between the Europe- Kazakhstan’s intention to host a conference devoted to the 45th an- connectivity,” Abdrakhmanov said. missioner on National Minorities. the German Committee on East- ern European Economic Relations Michael Harms; Kazakh-German Business Council for Strategic Cooperation Chair Peter Tils and more than 100 representatives of EU sees direct dependency on Central Asian German businesses. The gather- ing explored investment, logistics and energy cooperation among the Caspian littoral states in the context security, initiates more projects to stabilise region of the convention adopted at the Fifth Caspian Summit in August The region borders Afghanistan a reliable partner for Central Asia among the ongoing contributing pro- strengthening regional education in Aktau and noted the strategic By Aidana Yergaliyeva to the south, which he noted is the in these efforts,” said Burian. jects. He noted the programme was and research capacity through role of the Caspian Sea due to its epicentre of “many challenges [for The EU has also been partially initiated “to harvest the rich cultural its Central Asia Education Plat- location and natural resources. The ASTANA – The European Un- the region,] starting from illicit involved in various initiatives in heritage of Afghanistan, Central Asia form (CAEP), Central Asian Re- next BEC meeting is scheduled in ion (EU), which adopted its Cen- drug trafficking and irregular mi- countering cross-border threats and Iran for sustainable tourism, job search and Education Network Astana in April 2019 and will focus tral Asian strategy in 2007, will be gration and ending with threats of discussed in the Enhanced Partner- creation and social cohesion.” (CAREN), Tempus and Erasmus+ on the Astana International Finan- redefining the document early next violent extremism and terrorism.” ship and Cooperation Agreement “For the region to remain stable programmes and other initiatives. cial Centre. year. Peter Burian, EU Special “When facing these threats, we (EPCA) with Kazakhstan signed in and fully benefit from its strategic In the last few years, the EU has Representative for Central Asia, are in one boat,” he added. “Cen- 2015 as well as at the International location and potential, it needs to also been actively running several South Korea and Kazakhstan spoke about the main outlined tral Asia is an even closer neigh- Conference on Countering Ter- address existing challenges with- projects to reform criminal justice will reach the end of 2018 with a changes in an exclusive interview bour for the EU than it seems. It is rorism and Prevention of Violent out delay; it needs to continue re- in Kazakhstan. By the end of 2018, record trade turnover of nearly $3 with The Astana Times. obvious, that in case of any major Extremism in Dushanbe in May. It forming and modernising, creating all the results and achievements billion. Last year, trade between the A report with proposals for the security crisis in the region, the EU also supported the United Nations’ better conditions for all citizens to should be finalised. The projects two countries came to $1.7 billion. new strategy was summarized will be one of the first to face con- Counter-Terrorism Strategy re- exercise their rights, improving the “have contributed positively to de- “We expect the figure is final. We Dec. 5 at the fifth annual Eura- sequences.” gional joint action plan initiatives. business environment and building velopment of national justice sys- are preparing for next year. We be- sian Council on Foreign Affairs Currently, the EU is directly in- Another priority area is strength- a rules-based space attractive for tem reform,” noted Burian. lieve it will be equally successful. (ECFA) meeting. The recommen- volved in preventing drug traffick- ening economic development and investors,” he added. Although the major projects I would say expectations are even dations focused on developing ing through its Border Manage- stability within the region. Follow- The EU has continued dialogue will end, the EU still intends to higher, as we expect the official vis- regional security and soft power ment Programme in Central Asia ing the midterm review of the strat- with Central Asian countries on continue its support in strengthen- it of President Moon Jae-in to Ka- mechanisms, the latter including (BOMCA) and Central Asia Drug egy for 2014-2020, the EU plans to human rights. ing the rule of law. zakhstan,” said Kazakh Ambassa- healthcare, criminal justice and Action Programme (CADAP). allocate one billion euro (US$1.14 “We have expressed concern “It is important to continue the ef- dor to Korea Bakyt Dyusenbayev. anti-corruption measures. “The EU strongly believes that billion) to Central Asian states “for about some negative trends we see forts in strengthening justice and the The meeting of the Kazakh-Korean “Our main interest is to maintain only through a comprehensive ap- development cooperation… with a in the region, including the shrink- rule of law, that has its impact also in business council and intergovern- the security and stability of the re- proach, aiming for closer regional stronger focus on growth, invest- ing space for civil society, and we building a more resilient and sustain- mental commission on economic gion to be able to achieve sustain- cooperation and synergies, is there ment, private sector development intend to step up cooperation on able community, and the EU is ready cooperation is scheduled for the be- able development and prosperity,” a way to tackle these threats more and job creation,” said Burian. these issues,” he said. to remain a good partner for Kazakh- ginning of next year, he added. said Burian. effectively, and the EU will remain The Silk Road Heritage Corridor is The EU provides support in stan in this endeavour,” he added. A4 ECONOMY

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018

ECONOMY KTZ places Eurobonds worth Kazakhstan incorporates NEWS IN BRIEF The number of small enterprises in Kazakhstan increased by 2 per- cent in one month and by 15 per- 170 million Swiss francs UNDP recommendations cent over the year, reports finprom. kz. At the end of November, the number of operating enterprises reached 279,200. Small enterprises to protect agriculture comprise 96.9 percent of the total gies and practices and improving number of businesses in the coun- By Dilshat Zhussupova agro-meteorological information. try. The largest number of active The outcomes of the 2012-2016 enterprises – 36,900 – are focused ASTANA – The United Na- project include better weather on trade, and that area of business tions Development Programme’s forecasting, innovative agricul- grew 17.4 percent compared to last (UNDP) new report “Climate tural techniques and technol- year. Following are construction Change Adaptation in Europe and ogy transfers for improving crop and education, in which 15,800 Central Asia: Adapting to a Chang- yields, food security and income and 15,000 small businesses op- ing Climate for Resilient Develop- growth. Six hundred farmers, who erate, respectively. The largest in- ment,” which draws on lessons received up-to-date forecasts from crease in the number of enterprises learned from Kazakhstan’s wheat Kazhydromet, the national hydro- was in construction (26 percent), farming project, was presented at meteorology service, reported 20 information and communication the Dec. 2-14 Katowice Climate percent higher yields on average (24.9 percent), and administrative Change conference in Poland. and the pilot plots’ wheat produc- and support services (23.4 per- “With impressive development tivity increased from the average cent). The cities with the largest progress over the past two dec- yield of 1.4 tonnes per hectare to number of enterprises are Almaty ades, the countries of the Europe 2.7 tonnes in Kostanai, Petropav- with 36,000, Astana with 25,000 and Central Asia region are primed lovsk and Shortandy, a town near and Karagandy with 11,000. Chairman of the Board for Finance Kazakhstan Temir Zholy is a for significant environmental, Astana. By Yerbolat Uatkhanov Zhaslan Madiyev said. vertically integrated transport and economic and social growth,” but Project recommendations were BI Group Holding announced The placement of Eurobonds for logistics holding with 100 percent climate change-driven hazards ultimately incorporated into Ka- the simplification of the housing ASTANA – Kazakhstan Temir more than 100 million Swiss francs state participation. The company threaten to reverse this progress zakhstan’s Concept for the Transi- loan registration process with the Zholy recently placed five-year Eu- is a significant one for the Swiss has transformed from a railway in agriculture, energy and public tion to a Green Economy, in which launch of the BI Finance Mortgage robonds worth 170 million Swiss market. About 30 investors invested company to a transport and logistics health, the report begins. $7 million has been committed Centre, tengrinews.kz reports. francs on the Swiss Stock Exchange in the bonds of the Kazakh national holding with the task of developing The publication explores cli- annually to wheat production for The Mortgage Centre will allow and the Astana International Finan- company. Kazakhstan’s transit capacity and mate change adaptation efforts 2015-2020. The anticipated out- clients to submit all documents cial Centre’s (AIFC) Exchange. “Despite the strong volatility at ensuring its global infrastructure during the past decade in Albania, come is to diversify the economy, for the purchase of an apartment The Eurobonds were placed with the international capital markets, integration. These responsibilities Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, increase the gross domestic prod- at a single office, at one time. BI yield to maturity and coupon of 3.25 Kazakhstan Temir Zholy was able to cover rail, maritime, logistics cen- Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, uct (GDP) by 3 percent and create Group has partnered with House percent per annum, the press service successfully strengthen its presence tres and road infrastructure develop- Hungary, Kazakhstan, Moldova, more than 500,000 new jobs. Construction Savings Bank, Ka- of the company reports. in the Swiss corporate bond market. ment. Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, The takeaway in reviewing simi- zakhstan Mortgage Company, “Placing Eurobonds in Swiss francs Both large institutional investors in The company works on numer- Ukraine and Uzbekistan and high- lar UNDP projects in Europe and Sberbank and Bank Centre Credit corresponds to foreign exchange Switzerland and private banks’ cli- ous infrastructure projects under the lights adaptation success stories to Central Asia centre on acting on in the venture. Last year, the apart- earnings from the transit of freight ents took part in the issue,” the press Nurly Zhol state programme, par- set recommendations. climate change now, combining ment’s registration of the holding traffic. This will reduce currency risks service of the company reports. ticipating in the implementation of Kazakhstan’s wheat production public and private finance, engag- through the mortgage composed and balance the debt repayment pro- The new issue of Eurobonds of the 100 Concrete Steps Plan of the is Central Asia’s main source of ing diverse groups of stakeholders 5.9 percent. This year, it reached file, reducing the burden on servicing the company received a BBB credit Nation and modernisation of transit food security, with wheat provid- and adopting a holistic, inclusive 10 to 15 percent. In 2019, accord- short-term liabilities of the company. ratings, which is a sufficient level assets, including the dry-cargo and ing more than 60 percent of daily and country-driven approach to ing to the company’s plans, it will Kazakhstan Temir Zholy continues to of credit worthiness according to ferry fleet. It also participates in the calories, said UNDP Project Man- solutions. reach 25 to 30 percent. reduce currency risks and debt load,” Fitch, and an equivalent Baa3 from institutional development of interna- ager Yerlan Zhumabayev in his UNDP, the UN’s global de- Kazakhstan Temir Zholy’s Deputy Moody’s. tional transport passages. presentation. According to the Ka- velopment network, works with Kazakh companies exported zakh Ministry of Energy, the coun- governments, local stakeholders, 212,000 tonnes of leguminous try’s average temperature increase businesses and donors in attain- plants worth $60 million in the is twice as fast as the world aver- ing countries’ goals on resilient first nine months of 2018, which age due to its geography and cli- development, environmental sus- is a significant increase in com- mate. Climate change thus threat- tainability, peace and prosperity. parison to previous years, kapital. ens its security with frequent and Its adaptation projects and rec- ADB forecasts 4 percent kz notes. In 2016, the country ex- severe droughts and is projected to ommendations align with its new decrease spring wheat production four-year strategic plan launched ported 77,000 tonnes of pulses; in 25-70 percent after 2030. this year and the goals outlined in 2017, it was 138,000 tonnes. Ex- growth for Kazakhstan The country’s UNDP-supported the 2030 Agenda, Sendai Frame- ported products commonly include wheat farming climate resilience work and Paris Agreement. peas, beans, chickpeas and lentils. developing Asia remain unchanged at projection, from 3.9 percent in the Remaining a loyal costumer of By Dilshat Zhussupova 6 percent for 2018 and 5.8 percent for Update to 3.8 percent in the supple- was achieved by advancing the ap- The report is available at www. plication of water-saving technolo- undp.org. Kazakh agricultural products, Af- 2019, as envisaged in September in the ment, for Kazakhstan’s 2019 outlook. ghanistan bought more than 21,000 ASTANA – The Asian Develop- ADO 2018 Update,” the report begins. Central Asia’s gross domestic prod- tonnes of pulses for approximately ment Bank (ADB) set a 4 percent “East Asia and the Pacific are on track uct (GDP) growth is up from 4.2 per- $6 million. Iran purchased 7,000 cent to 4.3 percent and inflation is pro- growth projection for Kazakhstan to meet growth projections. Unexpect- tonnes of leguminous plants, pri- in its Asian Development Outlook edly strong expansion in Central Asia jected at 8 percent, lower than the initial marily lentils, for $2 million this (ADO) 2018 Supplement report, re- offsets small downward revisions for 8.4 percent forecast. The former re- year. Uzbekistan purchased 10,000 leased Dec. 11. South and Southeast Asia in 2019.” flects Kazakhstan’s GDP growth from tonnes of products, mainly dried ADO is an annual print and online Indeed, Central Asia’s projected 3.7 percent to 4 percent, and the latter is peas, for $1.8 million. The biggest publication offering socioeconomic growth for 2018 increased from 4.1 indicative of the report’s downward re- buyer of Kazakh lentils, Turkey, analyses and forecasts on Central percent in the update to 4.2 percent in visions for Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and purchased 123,000 tonnes of len- Asia, East Asia, South Asia, South- the supplement, largely reflecting Ka- Kyrgyzstan. Kazakh National Bank’s tils for $39 million. Spain is a new east Asia and the Pacific in March or zakhstan’s improved outlook from 3.7 commitment to its inflation target con- April, with a September update and percent to 4 percent projected growth. tributed to the country’s lower inflation major customer, buying 42,500 July and December supplement. The In the first nine months of 2018, projection from 7 percent to 6.3 per- tonnes of Kazakh agricultural supplement report is authored by the the country surpassed expectations cent, the report notes. products. ADB Regional Economic Outlook by reaching a 4.1 percent growth rate, ADB is a regional development Task Force and revises outlooks pub- with higher-than-anticipated 4.4 per- bank established in 1966 and com- Kazakh producers provided lished Sept. 26 in the ADO 2018 Up- cent growth in construction and 3.9 mitted to achieving an inclusive, more than 88 percent of the de- date report. percent growth in services. Moderate prosperous and sustainable Asia and mand for gasoline, 99.9 percent of which was sold in the domes-

“Despite challenges brought about oil price projections next year trans- the Pacific. Its ADO report is avail- Kazakhstan. UNDP Photo credit: by trade conflict, growth forecasts for lated into a marginally lower growth able at www.adb.org. Staff of Zhongar-Alatau Park weeding the fruit tree nursery in Kazakhstan. tic market, reports energyprom. kz. Over 10 months of this year, Kazakhstan produced 3.3 million tonnes of gasoline (including for aviation), which is 27.3 percent more than in the previous year. Digitising construction, housing will reduce CO2 Due to the growth of production and an import substitution policy, gasoline imports decreased by al- most 52 percent to 374,500 tonnes. emissions and heating costs, says minister Exports increased by 34.2 percent According to ministry data, in- ports of residential buildings and service contracts, new financing, governmental agencies can also to reach 2,900 tonnes. By Saltanat Boteu stalling heat-metering devices more than 4,000 metering devices. connecting mechanisms for meter- connect to the system. without an automatic heat sup- Full connection is expected by ing devices and common technical “The portal covers all stages of The Kazakh Medical Social In- ASTANA – Implementing smart ply station reduces costs for a 2022,” he added. requirements for metering devices construction – from the excavation surance Fund (MSIF) paid 77.1 heat metering devices in houses 60-square metre, two-room apart- Plans are underway to introduce are planned for next year. Reduc- to the construction’s completion. billion tenge (US$207.78 mil- across the country, a project asso- ment by 36 percent, or 2,720 tenge new technologies to improve heat ing electricity tariffs should not af- All works will not only end with lion) to state and private medical ciated with Kazakhstan’s digitisa- (US$7.34). The savings can reach supply. In conjunction with Asta- fect the natural monopolies’ work. acts (finishing documents), but services providers of the capital, tion, will reduce citizens’ expens- 32.5 billion tenge (US$87.67 mil- na-Teplotranzit, German company Housing and public utility en- also be stored in photo and video kapital.kz reports. This is approxi- es, said Minister for Investment lion) per year nationwide. Merus started a pilot project Nov. ergy consumption is expected to formats,” he said. mately 87 percent of the total sum and Development Zhenis Kassym- “For the full-scale installation 30 to apply anti-corrosion technol- reduce by 17 percent due to the up- Video from the site will be of contracts, which reached 88.8 bek during a Dec. 4 government of heat metering devices and auto- ogies to a 24-kilometre steel pipe to-9-percent decrease in heat net- broadcast to ensure quality control billion tenge (US$239.31 million). meeting in the capital. matic heat points, we are preparing in the capital. Using similar tech- works’ losses, a 52.7 billion tenge at all stages of construction, in- The most was spent on hospital The devices were announced the documents on attracting invest- nologies in Almaty developed by (US$142.17 million) reduction per cluding the commissioning proce- and hospital-replacing care at 25.6 in conjunction with a change in ments and funds from banks,” said Japanese company Mitsui is also year. The savings by primary re- dure for the facility. Each partici- billion tenge or US$68.99 million. paperwork required for construc- Kassymbek. under consideration. sources can reduce CO2 emissions pant will be able to electronically Following that were expenditures tion. The new anti-corrosion tech- In addition, the e-Shanyraq uni- “Due to the anti-corrosion tech- to 5.8 million tonnes annually. sign the appropriate declaration, on high-tech medical services nologies for heating pipelines fied information system for hous- nologies’ implementation, it is Regarding digitising the con- quality statement and statement on (20.7 billion tenge or US$55.78 prolongs their life, while digitis- ing funds and housing and public possible to reduce the upgrading struction industry, Kassymbek not- the compliance of the work per- million) and outpatient care (10.4 ing documentation and video and utilities has also been created in costs of 100 kilometres of heat ed documents are being transferred formed, after which the customer billion tenge or US$28.02 million). photo monitoring speeds the con- pilot mode. The system allows network from 16 billion tenge from paper to electronic format. A will sign the facility acceptance Eighty-five medical organisations struction process. Changes in both residents to participate in manag- (US$43.16 million) to 2.4 billion united digital portal has been creat- certificate and send it online to the provided the services, 36 of them fields increase transparency and ing their houses online, monitoring tenge (US$6.47 million) on aver- ed and will be tested in pilot mode state registration agency. public and 49 private. The MSIF improve services. the funds’ movement and its use. age and extend its life cycle to 30 at construction sites in the capital. The video and photo equipment provides funding for Kazakhstan’s To date, approximately 50,000 Residents are able to verify correct years,” said Kassymbek. The contracting organisation and used during construction will be guaranteed free medical care and heat metering devices have been billing based on metering devices’ A complete inventory of residen- technical and designer supervision transferred to the citywide video compulsory social medical insur- installed in 45 percent of the coun- data and tariffs. tial buildings, connecting all natu- departments, the main participants surveillance system after its com- ance and purchases services for the try’s houses. An additional 62,000 “We plan to connect the system ral monopolies to a unified infor- in the process, have access to the pletion. The portal is expected to population within the limits set by units are scheduled to be connected. to more than 2,000 technical pass- mation system, developing energy specified portal and all interested be commissioned in 2019. the government. A5 BUSINESS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018

BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF Seven agreements worth Chinese investor Askar Mamin resigned from his position as chair of national logis- tics company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), and Christian Kuhn $480 million inked buys major Kazakh was elected to the post, reports Ka- pital.kz. In addition to Kuhn, the board of directors now includes Almasadam Satkaliyev, Andrey at Almaty Invest Forum automaker Kravchenko, Nurzhan Baidauletov, Mamin negotiated the investment Sauat Mynbayev, Serik Svyatov, By Zhanna Shayakhmetova Tito Syzdykov and Yernar Zhanadil. By Yerbolat Uatkhanov agreement and attended its sign- Mynbayev was appointed KTZ ing. Chinese Ambassador to Ka- ASTANA – Seven agreements board chair Nov. 20, having been ASTANA – China National Ma- zakhstan Zhang Xiao and Kazakh worth $480 million were signed KazMunayGas chair since 2013. chinery, a transnational Chinese Minister for Investment and Devel- as part of the sixth Almaty Invest Astana-based KTZ develops, oper- state company, has bought 51 per- opment Zhenis Kassymbek also at- Fоrum. A favourable investment ates and maintains railway trans- cent of shares of SaryarkaAvto- tended the signing ceremony. climate, highly developed human portation within Kazakhstan and Prom, a major Kazakh automaker. capital and tourism make the city internationally. One hundred per- The joint venture plans to produce The total investment attractive for investors. up to 100,000 vehicles per year and cent of its shares are owned by the Trade and services contributed increase the localisation level up to Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth 86 percent and small and medi- in the project will be Fund. The shareholder’s decision to um-sized enterprises 40 percent 50 percent at the company’s plant approximately $1.1 change the board’s composition was to Almaty’s economy, said Akim in Kostanai region. made Dec. 14. (Mayor) Baurzhan Baibek during First Deputy Prime Minister of billion. From 2019 the Nov. 29 event. Kazakhstan Askar Mamin high- Kazakh telecommunications op- “The economy of the city has lighted that the joint automotive en- to 2021, it is planned erator Kazakhtelecom will buy a grown 100 times over the years terprise is a strategic project for Ka- that JAC, Ankai, 75 percent stake in mobile opera- of independence. The city forms a zakhstan’s domestic car industry, tor Kcell from Sweden’s Telia and fifth of the GDP and a quarter of and that it is intended to increase the Howo and Hanteng Turkcell, the company reported the nation’s taxes. International pace of development and the export brand vehicles will Dec. 12. Telia and Fintur Holdings, companies invest in the city. We potential of Kazakh products. The jointly owned by Telia and Turkcell, attracted $22.2 billion, including large international organisations hypermarket in cooperation with project is an important component be produced. will sell their share in Kcell for $615 $3.5 billion in foreign investments are based here. A new United Na- OBI. Leroy Merlin Kazakhstan of the Belt and Road Initiative and million, said Kazakhtelecom Chief in 10 years. This year investments tions regional branch was recently will launch a large international a linchpin of Kazakh-Chinese co- Executive Officer Kuanyshbek Yes- SaryarkaAvtoProm has the only increased 21 percent, including 24 opened in the city,” said Baibek. supermarket and Universal Tea operation in industrialisation and plant in Kazakhstan that fulfills the ekeyev when the announcement was percent of foreign ones,” he said. “It is profitable to build business will expand the production capac- investment. requirements of industrial assem- made. The Kazakh anti-monopoly Human capital is one of the in terms of capital and operating ity of its tea-packing factory. China National Machinery is a bly of vehicles, including welding, authority approved the transaction, main opportunities for business costs. The city is developed on the “We are currently implement- member of the China General Tech- painting and body assembly op- which will be carried out this month. development. ing 12 projects. Some 26 projects principles of a transit-oriented ap- nology Group (Genertec). Gener- erations. The product line includes In 2015, Telia announced its retreat proach. Land with transport and are under consideration. We offer tec Chairman Lu Yimin said that JAC, Peugeot, Iveco, Ankai, Hyun- from Central Asian markets. Fol- engineering infrastructure are pro- them to our Kazakh partners and lowing this deal, the company will the joint project will significantly dai, Ravon and Chevrolet. Dealer Kazakh Invest has 188 vided on favourable terms,” he foreign investors,” said Kazakh deepen the localisation of produc- have only its business in Moldova added. Invest deputy chairperson of the centres operate in all regions of tion, expand the brand portfolio and left to sell before its exit is complete. projects in various More than 40 projects worth board Birzhan Kaneshev. Kazakhstan. introduce the latest technologies in sectors worth $50 $600 million are being imple- Kazakh Invest has 188 projects China General Technology Producers will be obliged to col- mented in the Innovative Technol- in various sectors worth $50 bil- Kazakhstan. Component suppliers Group is a Chinese state-owned our code fat, salt and sugar concen- billion. Implementing ogies Park Economic Zone. A new lion. Implementing them will cre- will be selected from Kazakhstan conglomerate covering engineer- tration levels on packaged prod- pharmaceutical plant will also be ate 56,000 jobs. and the Eurasian Economic Union. ing, pharmaceuticals, construction ucts in Kazakhstan, said Kazakh them will create built in the city. More than 500 business peo- The development of car assem- and real estate, as well as technical Ministry of Healthcare’s Public 56,000 jobs. The agreements include build- ple, politicians, financial corpo- bly production in the northern city consulting. The annual turnover of Health Protection Committee Chair ing the Down Town Almaty finan- ration leaders, bankers and the of Kostanai will create new jobs. the company is $31 billion, and its Zhandarbek Bekshin at Almaty’s cial and social business centre, a top managers of international The total investment in the project export investment portfolio is $180 Food Safety and Marking forum “One-third of the largest taxpay- pre-fab house factory and logistics organisations attended the event. will be approximately $1.1 billion. billion. China National Machinery earlier this month. Marking products er companies, more than 30 mul- centre between the Almaty Indus- Throughout the years, more than From 2019 to 2021, it is planned is a major international designer, either green, red or yellow to indi- tinational companies, 90 percent trial Zone and DHL Logistics. The 40 memoranda worth $1 billion that JAC, Ankai, Howo and Han- contractor for project management cate the amount of fat, salt and sugar of the head offices of banks and city administration will construct have been signed and 12 projects teng brand vehicles will be pro- services and service provider in the in them will help inform customers 43 percent of joint ventures and a building and finishing materials executed at the forum. duced. automotive industry. about the products they are con- suming. Bekshin indicated 35 to 40 grams of sugar is the norm for most products. Colour labelling has been introduced in France, the United Kingdom and the United States, and Karaganda region would mostly apply to beverage, confectionery, dairy, flour, meat and canned food production. opens first major Air Astana’s first Embraer E190- E2 was delivered at a Dec. 19 cer- emony in its Aviation Technical Centre, reports the airline’s press distribution and service. The aircraft is the first of five ordered from AerCap in 2017, with the remaining delivery from Brazil scheduled for 2019. It is also the first logistics centre E2 to be delivered to an airline in “We worked on the implemen- the Commonwealth of Independent By Zhanna Shayakhmetova tation of the Business Road Map States. The carrier’s older Embraer and the productive employment E190s have operated since 2011 and ASTANA – The inaugu- and mass entrepreneurship devel- will be replaced by the newer gen- ral stage of Alfarukh, the first opment initiative. Some 170 bil- eration. The new generation features wholesale distribution and logis- a snow leopard motif painted on the lion tenge (US$458 million) was cockpit to draw attention to the wild tics centre, has been completed invested in the economy and one cat native to southern Kazakhstan in the Karaganda region as part tenge of subsidies accounts for 20 and threatened with extinction. The of the Plan of the Nation, said tenge of private investment,” he company has donated $10,000 to Akim (Governor) Yerlan Kosh- said. the Kazakh Zoology Association for anov at a Nov. 29 press confer- More than 20,000 jobs were this cause. ence in the capital. created and 71,500 saved due to “It is a completely different ap- state support. The first direct flight from Asta- proach to trade and logistics. The “Next year, the financing of na to Tajikistan’s Dushanbe was cluster will be located on an area the Business Road Map will be launched Dec. 14, a journey taking of 60 hectares with warehouses doubled and it is an opportu- 1.5 hours and costing 44,000 tenge for 100,000 tonnes of products. nity to support up to 400 new (US$118.59) or more, reports SCAT It has its own customs, wholesale projects annually. Beginning Airlines. Flights between the capital and retail facilities and cross- entrepreneurs, especially in sin- cities will run twice a week on Fri- docks will receive 160 trucks si- gle-industry towns, face some days and Sundays. Currently, flight multaneously,” he said. challenges with loans. We cre- capacity is 50 seats, but the use of The centre will meet the sea- ated the Atameken-Karaganda a Boeing 737 will allow for a 120 sonal food needs and smooth out regional microfinance organisa- to 140 seat capacity during sum- price drops. It will unite all the tion in cooperation with the Na- mer flights. Convenient connecting transport flows from the northern tional Chamber of Entrepreneurs flights with Kazakhstan’s cities will and southern regions and allow and local companies to support feature Almaty, Aktau, Shymkent products to be sold without inter- them. It allows additional lend- and Ust-Kamenogorsk. This year, mediaries. ing of up to 200 projects annu- the carrier additionally launched “About 33 investment projects ally at 4.5 percent per annum up eight new flights as part of its con- worth more than one trillion tenge to five years mainly in remote tribution to the development of Ka- (US$2 billion) are being imple- regions,” he added. zakh tourism. mented in the region and half of Regional entrepreneurs are in them are foreign-financed. This the process of implementing 174 Kazakhstan ranks 44th in the year, the economic growth is 21.2 projects to construct service econ- world for this year’s online gaming percent compared with last year’s omy facilities. The IT sector and revenue, according to Newzoo’s 12 percent. Seven of these pro- e-commerce are growing signifi- 2018 Global Games Market Report. jects will be launched this year,” cantly. The country’s annual game revenue he added. “We work to create a favourable is $183 million; it ranked 46th in One-third of the population is business climate. We solved the 2017. The ranking is topped by Chi- engaged in small and medium- issue with technical conditions. na with $34.5 billion in revenue, the sized enterprise (SME) produc- Now, they can be obtained based United States with $31.5 billion and tion, which reached one trillion on the one window principle Japan with $17.7 billion. This year, tenge (US$2 billion). As a result through the business service cen- the global games market value has of the analysis, Koshanov noted tre. An electronic map of free land grown by more than 10 percent, bol- the need to maintain a production and premises was created and 355 stered by the greater use of mobile growth rate not lower than 20 per- entrepreneurs have already regis- devices. cent for their annual growth. tered land plots,” he said. A6 EDITORIAL&OPINIONS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 Kazakhstan seeks peace, international Astana Hub to make prosperity in year of turmoil smart city technologies he last 12 months have been an- is how these conflicts have drawn in other Code of Conduct Towards Achieving a World other disappointing year for all who countries, leading to increased divisions and Free of Terrorism. want to see peace, prosperity and suspicions.The result is that instead of the Astana, too, has continued to host talks to try co-operation in our world. We must cooperation we need to see on the international to find the basis for a solution to the Syrian cri- country’s calling card, Thope future historians, when they look back at stage to tackle shared challenges, we are wit- sis. It is a difficult and challenging process but 2018, can see the beginning of positive trends. nessing rivalry and distrust. it has also underlined Kazakhstan’s commit- But without the benefit of this hindsight, there These same factors have had a damaging ment to playing its full part in ending conflict seems little to cheer on the global stage as we says Astana Hub CEO impact on the global economy. Trade wars, whenever it can. enter the final days of the year. protectionist tendencies and the imposition At the same time, Kazakhstan has taken the There have, of course, been areas of pro- of economic sanctions for political reasons regional lead both in deepening links across gress. Tensions over North Korea’s nuclear have all acted as brakes on global growth and Central Asia and the Turkic world and in demon- weapons programme, which had loomed so prosperity in 2018. strating the positive benefits of cooperation. The large earlier in the year, have been reduced Given this worrying background, it would country’s involvement in the Eurasian Economic thanks to face-to-face talks. But on too many be easy for countries, such as Kazakhstan, to Union and the Belt and Road Initiative are now other international issues, we are seeing posi- retreat from their faith in the rules-based inter- helping drive increased trade and growth. tions entrenched. There seems to have been lit- national order and the need for international The launch of the Astana International tle appetite to overcome obstacles to progress. cooperation. But a look back at what has hap- Financial Centre is beginning to pull in addi- Syria’s tragedy, with terrible consequences pened in 2018 shows Kazakhstan has stayed tional investment into the region. Major strides for its people, is approaching its ninth year. true to the principles which have underpinned have also been taken with neighbouring coun- The conflict in Yemen may have been shorter its foreign policy since independence. tries to put in place the legal framework for the but the United Nations warns it has already Through its position as a member of the UN sustainable development and protection of the sparked a humanitarian catastrophe. Fighting Security Council, it has worked tirelessly to Caspian Sea and to step up efforts to tackle the continues, too, in Libya as it does, sadly, in promote peace and dialogue. The main focus Aral Sea’s environmental disaster. Afghanistan. of Kazakhstan’s efforts, especially during its These efforts have been spearheaded by These conflicts are having an impact one month presidency January, as promised, President Nazarbayev himself on a series of well beyond their borders. As we have said has been on the steps needed to remove the high-profile visits. Over the course of the year, before, they are encouraging violent ex- threat of nuclear weapons from our world. Pri- he has travelled to the United States, China, tremism which has again been responsible ority was also given to increasing international Russia, Turkey and Brussels as well as widely for terrorist attacks this year in cities many support for Afghanistan, which is so important across the region while also welcoming dozens Joseph Ziegler to the stability of Central Asia. hundreds of miles away as we sadly saw in of fellow leaders to Astana. He remains a has a financial technologies pro- Strasbourg again this month. They have also The 6th Congress of Leaders of World and respected voice on the international stage and a By Saltanat Boteu gramme. That’s great; we are go- forced millions to flee the fighting and lack Traditional Religions showed a continued strong advocate of peace and cooperation. ing to work with them and help to of opportunities bringing both difficulties to commitment to increasing understanding It is these goals which, as we approach ASTANA – Astana Hub is a grow that,” he noted. the families concerned and the pressures on between the great faiths and preventing their 2019, we must all hope move to the top of the concept designed to create a sys- The second step is to find Ka- those communities and countries where they abuse by extremists. Well over 70 countries international agenda. They remain, wherever tem for start-up development, zakhstan’s niche in the interna- seek refuge. have already backed Kazakh President Nur- we live, our best hope of the happier and more including interaction with local tional market based on its peculi- sultan Nazarbayev’s initiative by signing the hopeful new year we all want for our families. What also continues to be a major concern businesses and government. It arities and characteristics. seeks to find and create Kazakh “We have to find things that experts in specific areas to offer we do better than anybody else. their know-how internationally, When you think of financial tech- such as in the field of smart city nologies, London and Hong Kong Agriculture ripe for international technologies. come to your mind. Media com- “Originally we were going to be panies remind you of New York. a tech park, but our mandate in- Israel is very good at defence and creased to nationwide influencer cybersecurity. Really big ecosys- investment, says official for innovation, so we are hoping tems have something that they to grow all of Kazakhstan’s start- are very good at. Your best bet to “Kazakhstan’s competitive ad- meaning there is incredible po- that the thriving agribusiness sec- up ecosystem,” said Astana Hub survive is to have access to global By Yerbolat Uatkhanov vantages include its unique cli- tential for investors willing to tor now employs around one-fifth Chief Executive Director Joseph customers. For that, you have to mate for crop and agricultural think big,” said Kazakh Invest of Kazakhstan’s working popula- Ziegler. “Astana Hub is not just a have something to offer to global ASTANA – The international production. It is one of only a Deputy CEO Marat Birimzhan in tion,” he said. building – it is a concept to con- customers,” said Ziegler. food and agriculture sector is handful of countries globally with an interview for this story. He indicated the field has nect and to build a bigger system.” “Astana is an amazing city. valued at approximately $7.8 exactly the right conditions for International investors have tri- changed in recent years due to As part of the Digital Kazakh- Building the city in 20 years takes trillion. With the growth of the growing wheat and grain without pled their activity in agricultural major government investments stan initiative, Astana Hub is skill. Actually, building the city world’s population and its living the need for artificial irrigation. business since 2004 and accord- and changes in production tech- aimed at broadening the country’s of future Kazakhstan is doing standards, Kazakhstan’s agricul- What is more, Kazakhstan’s ara- ing to the latest sectoral McKin- nologies. Experts believe Chi- economy and creating new career very well. I propose we turn that tural success and strategic loca- ble land represents an area larger sey report, the business is a prof- nese consumers are prepared to opportunities for its citizens. into innovation. We take these tion in the heart of Eurasia can than the entire United Kingdom, itable one for shareholders. pay 40 percent more for branded, “We are responsible to help skills and specialise in them; for help the nation to meet people’s As the ninth largest country in organic and pasture-fed beef. diversify the economy. If we example, the e-government ini- everyday needs. the world, Kazakhstan has plenty “At Kazakh Invest, the national can work in innovation, then the tiative. Right now, 60 percent of Similar in size to the whole of of room for agricultural growth company for attracting inward in- economy can be more stable in government services are online Western Europe, Kazakhstan is and investment, noted Birimzhan. vestment to Kazakhstan, we have in Kazakhstan. This is a huge ac- strategically located at the centre The country has the largest made agribusiness one of the pri- times of change. Kazakhstan is complishment. Next year, it is of a regional marketplace of more amount of permanent pasture per ority sectors to attract high-quali- an extremely young country in supposed to be 80 percent. So, than 500 million consumers. The animal in the world. ty global investment. We provide population and if we work in in- why don’t we take these skills country’s rapidly developing in- “Our beef and dairy herds graze end-to-end support to global in- novation, we can create really in- frastructure and investment in a freely on a largely grass-fed diet vestors, using a tailored package teresting jobs and careers. If you and build an innovation system modern transport network makes year-round. This means that not of services for the entire life cy- are a problem solver, engineer, around e-government,” he added. it even easier for local produce to only is much of Kazakhstan’s cle of their investment journey,” programmer, marketing… if any Difficulties can turn into ad- reach Europe and Asia – with its produce organic, but it is of high he said. area and traditional business is vantages. The capital’s extreme combined market of 4.4 billion quality and can be sold at a pre- “Investors in Kazakhstan are not exciting for you, media and weather conditions can be used to tech companies may attract you in improve technologies and build a consumers – in a matter of days. Marat Birimzhan mium. It is perhaps no surprise also a major beneficiary of the ex- pansive development of the New building a meaningful career,” he city infrastructure resistant to ex- Silk Road. It has led to improve- added. treme temperatures. ments in the country’s transport To reach these goals, Astana “The train going to the airport is infrastructure which have provid- Hub teaches entrepreneurship going to work in negative 40 and ed the potential to deliver high- skills including marketing and plus 40 degrees (Celsius). The quality food produce to western finding investments. The centre buildings are insulated and they China’s growing middle classes also seeks to educate individu- have to handle extreme weather in a matter of days. This is also als, governmental institutions and separation. This is perfect for cli- true of Europe, where goods can corporate businesses on ways to mate change planning,” he said. be transported to Germany in just interact and work with start-ups. Astana Hub welcomes anyone 14 days – three times faster than “First, we have to build an en- to attend a start-up school to ex- via traditional sea routes,” he trepreneurial framework. We want pand his or her knowledge in the added. to create an idea economy. Cur- field and gain all necessary in- Having the right product, how- rently, we have more of a tradi- formation. People can also use ever, does not guarantee invest- tional economy. An idea economy its co-working space. All events ment. basically means you get someone and programmes are available on “Many countries around the who likes to solve problems and astanahub.com and its social me- globe have untapped potential but turn that into a career or business. dia pages. present a poor choice for interna- That means people have to know Ziegler has worked in the start- tional investors. Above all, inves- how to be an entrepreneur; then, up arena since 1995. He has 5 tors need to know that the right start-ups need lots of feeding exits from start-ups including economic and regulatory condi- and caring. That means we have IPOs on the stock exchange and tions are in place to keep their in- to teach businesses how to talk selling companies to Google. He vestments secure,” he said. to start-ups; then, people have to has been involved in the invest- “Kazakhstan’s government has know how to invest in a start-up. ment field and governmental and taken bold and decisive steps The government also needs to start-up accelerator programmes. to ensure the necessary market know how to interface with start- He also has extended experience conditions are in place to protect ups,” said Ziegler. working in Asian countries such businesses and investors. Be- He believes Kazakhstan has as China, Singapore and South cause of this, Kazakhstan now already started activity in these Korea. ranks number one globally for fields, which needs to be systema- “I’ve been given a big respon- protection of minority sharehold- tised to be effective on a country- sibility. This is money from the ers rights and is first globally in wide scale. government that can be used the field of corporate governance, “The banks are starting to en- on many different things. I was according to the World Bank,” he gage, because Astana Interna- brought in to push, try to go very added. tional Financial Centre (AIFC) big and add skills,” he said.

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 Ruhani Zhangyru: Nazarbayev’s Model revolution and being able to adopt representing different age groups With this reference, he de- sation: from the beginning to the By Punit Gaur others’ occurrence and learn from and ethnicities that have succeeded scribed that there were some present.” others are the three important ele- during the years of independence. Kazakh tribes and clans even According to President Naz- The recent article by the Presi- ments of open-mindedness. As the President stated, “Kazakh- older than the ethnonym Kazakh arbayev, the museum of ancient dent of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev also noted some stan has a unique historic chance and that’s why the Eurocentric art and technology of the Great Nazarbayev, titled “The Seven specific projects intended to imple- to build a better future through perspective wasn’t able to give Steppe, development of tourism Facets of the Great Steppe”, which ment these doctrines related to the modernisation and new ideas and I the actual fact. The President and the national club of histori- is in the continuation of his earlier modernisation of national identity, am sure the people of Kazakhstan, gave an example that the Sa- cal reconstruction would be some article “Ruhani Zhangyru (Mod- such as the transition the Kazakh especially the young generation, kas, the Huns, the Proto-Turkic of the significant aspects in terms ernisation of Kazakhstan’s Iden- language from Cyrillic to Latin al- understand the importance of the ethnic groups were also part of of modernisation of the Kazakh tity): Future Course” published phabet. The transition allows more proposed modernisation.” the ethno-genesis of Kazakh na- identity. The President also talked last year, deliberates upon civilisa- affinity with other Latin-writing So, with the first article, the tion. The President deliberates about the modernisation of the tion’s aspects of the great steppe ing only some of its characteristics Turkic languages, such as Uzbek, President established the character on the common history, which thousand years of steppe folklore within the framework of history is significant and a number of ar- Azeri and Turkish, and influences as well as the structural measures related to many ethnic groups in and music and its acquaintances and its origin. chaic habits should be left behind the learning of English. Seventy of Ruhani Zhangyru programme Kazakhstan. He notes there is a with the modern audiences. To In the first article, Nazarbayev for successful implementation of percent of the world is using the where the new article deliberates need to have a multidimensional achieve this purpose, he notes the outlined the significant steps for spiritual revival. Latin alphabet. upon its practicality. In this new approach to understanding the need to create some projects with the modernisation of social cus- In the first article, President Naz- The President also called for article, the President mentioned history of Kazakhstan in this con- domestic and foreign professionals toms and precedence. In Naz- arbayev also noted that education new humanitarian knowledge with as an example Indian, Roman and text. The President described the to restore this art within the mod- arbayev’s opinion, traditional ways should be the number one priority the 100 best textbooks of the world Italian history and the perception seven facets of the Great Steppe: ern context. The President also should be in the core of moderni- and key value for the nation. The to be translated into the Kazakh of their related civilisations. He culture of horsemanship, ancient mentioned that films and televi- sation of Kazakhstan. He proposed cult of education should be uni- language enabling youth to learn bestowed the example of ancient metallurgy of the great steppe, sion would play a significant role a number of directions to modern- versal and technological revolu- according to the best world values. India, especially in the context of animal style, Golden Man, cradle in terms of the civilisational his- ise the approach of the nation and tion would play an important role The other project, which is im- opulent poly-ethnic culture, and of the Turkic world, the Great Silk tory of Kazakhstan. The President its people, especially in the context in the future. He further elucidated portant in this context, is to trans- precisely stated that modern Indian Road and the land of apples and rightly mentioned that pride in the of spiritual revival. First, he talked that Kazakhstan has faced positive form the earlier “homeland” pro- people are observed as one unique tulips. past, a practical assessment of the about the competitiveness which and negative impacts of revolu- gramme into a wider framework of civilisation and still developing In this article, the President also present and constructive outlook should be based on knowledge, tions on its territory in the 20th “home country,” which would help especially within the framework described extensively the modern- into the future are the significant intellectual products and quality of century and those impacts led the to improve the business, educa- of its historical inheritances. Ac- isation of historical identity where aspects for the success of Kazakh- human resources and the same are people of Kazakhstan to be evo- tional and cultural environments of cording to the President, this is the he mentioned the seven-year pro- stan. presented as the important chores lutionary, rather than revolution- Kazakhstan’s regions. It includes accurate approach to understand gramme called “Archive-2025,” In fact, both articles addressed for the people of Kazakhstan in the ary as he himself stated: “We must conducting a serious study of lo- one’s national history especially which will include fundamental re- an inclusive perspective on the 21st century. Computer literacy, clearly understand the lessons of cal lore in the sphere of education, with all its insight and intricacies. search of domestic as well as for- modernisation of national iden- foreign language proficiency and history. The time of revolutions ecology and site improvement, the The President suggested that Ka- eign archives. The President also tity. As discussed, the first article cultural openness would be the is not over. And while they have study of regional history and res- zakh history should be viewed ho- focused on “Uly Dala Tulgalary,” exhibited the structural perspec- pedestal to achieve competitive- changed greatly in their form and toration of cultural and historical listically rather than in small sec- which means the outstanding per- tive where the latest one indicated ness. content, our whole recent history monuments and cultural sites of tions. In this context, he described sonalities of the Great Steppe like the functional measures to achieve The President also discussed says directly and unambiguously: local significance. the contribution and achievements Al-Farabi, Yassawi, Kul-Tegin, the objectives of modernisation of pragmatism as one of the ap- only evolutionary development The President also talked about of Kazakh cultural predecessors, Beibars, Tauke, Abylai, Kenes- national identity. With above refer- proaches and urged intellectuals, gives nations a chance for prosper- the “Modern Kazakh culture in which not only shaped but was sary, Abai and many more. He also ences both articles would serve as professional and the people of Ka- ity. Otherwise, we will once again the global world” project, which also born on the territory of Ka- said that it is needed to generate a an example of Nazarbayev’s model zakhstan to evaluate existing theo- find ourselves in a historic trap.” would recognise the greatest ex- zakhstan and then spread in all di- contemporary gallery of images of of spiritual revival not only in the ries or beliefs in terms of the suc- According to the President, amples of modern Kazakh culture, rections. He also illuminated that great thinkers from different fields context of people of Kazakhstan cess of their practical application. open-mindedness is also one of the translate them into the six languag- the recent finding proves the en- of the Great Steppe. The President but also for the global community. He also expounded that to preserve directions in this context. Under- es of the United Nation and com- during association of the ancestors talked about the genesis of the the national identity, the nation has standing contemporary situations municate them to the world and with the most advanced techno- Turkic world and mentioned that, The author is the Associ- to use its best traditions as prereq- in the world and in the region, “100 new faces of Kazakhstan” logical innovation and this leads to being an ancestral homeland of the ate Professor of Lev Gumilyov uisites. Preserving the inner core preparing for transformations, project that will share the stories of taking new dimensions of the great Turkic world, Kazakhstan needs to Eurasian National University in of national identity while chang- especially through technological 100 people from different regions, steppe’s place in global history. launch the project “Turkic civili- Astana. Model UN programme provides unique opportunity for personal development of Kazakh students other, I did not expect them to do nese delegation was lucky enough By Tomiris Mashan everything just before the dead- to win and present the resolution. line! Earlier, I used to think of However, it also meant that they On the eve of the 27th anni- procrastination as a feature of uni- had to contribute significantly to versary of our independence, Ka- versity students only, but I noted the resolution and translate it into zakh children tried themselves in that nowadays children also need Kazakh and Russian, because the diplomatic shoes. Two months to learn time management. Within official MUN language is English, ago, the Ministry of Foreign Af- the framework of the project, we but not all the guests would under- fairs launched the Jas Diplomat had two official conferences, on stand it. project. It intended to introduce Dec. 8 and 13. Can you imagine Within the next few days we the children of Astana schools to that “my” children started work- worked hard to produce a decent Model United Nations (MUN) and ing on the paper the night before resolution which was then ed- the process of creating diplomatic the conference? I was impressed ited by the co-chair and master- relationships with other UN mem- by their courage and confidence, fully translated by the children bers. To embody the latter, project too. themselves. In the main session, organizers invited embassies of Both conferences were held in attended by Foreign Minister seven countries to work with the the building of the Ministry of Kairat Abdrakhmanov, diplomats children. Those included the em- Foreign Affairs. The idea of hav- and mass media, everything went bassies of Brazil, Georgia, Ger- ing the first session was to test the smooth. Every delegation had its many, Japan, Poland, South Korea process and decide on a draft reso- order to speak and the speeches and Turkey. So, since October, the lution. Despite being the young- were not as spontaneous as before. children had been working with est, my children were among the As a spectator, I noticed a couple the ambassadors of the assigned most prepared delegations. Some of slips during the session itself, countries, learning about their of the delegations, unfortunately, when children forgot to take the culture and, most importantly, re- were completely unprepared, but initiative to speak. At that moment sources, because the project topic after a while they joined the dis- I regretted again that I was not a was renewable energy. cussions. As for me, the most dif- delegate myself, but the chairs As a Nazarbayev University stu- ficult part was to hold myself back managed the situation. After the dent, I learned about the project in the month. I briefly told her about deserve being praised, don’t they? I was the first to speak. It turned when I had an interesting point to closing ceremony and awarding, November via email. The project my experience and we discussed On Dec. 5, I met with the del- out, the delegates have just one tack on the discussion, but I could we had a chance to talk with the organizers were looking for vol- my view of the conference. I then egates from school No. 48. After minute to speak and while I was not add it because I was not the embassy representatives. For me, unteers who would help with the picked a school to work with – ly- the meeting, I asked them to write thanking the honourable chairs delegate. As I noticed, the par- the feedback from the Japanese embodiment of the main project ceum No. 48. Fun fact: the project a position paper, the main docu- and fellow delegates, my time ex- ticipants got excited about MUN diplomats was an important meas- goal, the MUN conference. MUN participant schools were all sup- ment MUN participants rely on. pired. Therefore, rule number one during the process itself, but as ure of success and fortunately, is a simulation of real United Na- posed to be gymnasiums, because, It comprises everything, from the for “my” children was a concise children, they were more excited they were satisfied with the speech tions sessions. Participants need I guess, gymnasiums are thought background information about and precise position. The second about the coffeebreak. Before we my children gave, noting that they to represent a certain country and, to have a social science/humani- the represented country to treaties rule was – it actually did not mat- left for lunch, the children, togeth- stated all the right points about Ja- based on the country information, ties bias, in contrast to lyceums signed with the UN. Most crucial- pan. should have a strong position on with a mathematical bias. The ly, a position paper contains a pro- Jas Diplomat provided me with an inspiring Overall, Jas Diplomat provided a particular topic. Basically, the school I was consulting, thus, was posed direction for development me with an inspiring experience: I delegates advocate their country’s the only lyceum. Another fun fact with solutions leading directly to experience: I decided to continue my decided to continue my participa- interests and together with other was that “my” children were the it and of the whole paper, the posi- participation in university MUN sessions. It tion in university MUN sessions. participants come to a consensus. youngest there – among all the tion and solutions part is the only It was a pleasure to work with the In this case, the consensus is a high school students; they were one to be read at the conference. was a pleasure to work with the children and children and be part of the very resolution, a paper which includes the only 8th and 9th graders. I The remaining information is, as I be part of the very first MUN conference for first MUN conference for school all the discussed points in the of- then learned that they were repre- explained to the children, for del- children in Kazakhstan. MUN is ficial UN format. Honestly, I was senting Japan and it was a signifi- egates to have a word to add dur- school children in Kazakhstan. widely practiced among middle- extremely lucky to have obtained cant advantage, since Japan is on ing the discussions. schoolers around the world and my first MUN experience just a its way to adopting green energy I was guiding the children based I am glad it has now been intro- ter. They are just school children couple of days before I got the technologies. My only concern on my own MUN experience. In er with the chairs, chose the top- duced in Kazakhstan, too. My fi- and when I was their age, I did email! Therefore, I did not hesitate was the language of communica- my first and, for now, only confer- ics to be raised in the main session nal suggestion is to engage other to offer my help to the project and tion with the children – I was wor- ence, I was representing Canada. not even know about MUN, not five days later. regions of Kazakhstan as well, I started my journey. ried because they study in Kazakh, Relying on my position paper, I to mention participating in it. And What I like about children is because I believe that all children I would call my role in Jas while I graduated from a Russian- thought I was ready for the open- of course, I was helping them to their ingeniousness! In the course should have equal opportunities Diplomat a pro bono consultant language school and my Kazakh ing speech, but I failed it! The write the position paper. of the discussion, two delegations, for growth and self-development, on MUN details. Having joined would be too poor to explain conference chairs (those who lead My impressions from writing of Brazil and Japan, had an argu- especially in such an exciting way. the project in the second half of what MUN is. However, my wor- the discussions and give the right a paper with them are twofold. ment over who would be present- November, I had my first meet- ries were needless; the children I to speak) went by alphabetic or- From the one side, I was amazed ing the resolution. How do you The author is a second ing with the project coordinator, worked with are multilingual and der to listen to opening speeches by their language abilities and think they resolved the argument? year student in sociology at Aisha Mukasheva, at the end of talented in three languages. They and as the delegate of Canada, high motivation; but from the Rock-paper-scissors! The Japa- Nazarbayev University. A8 CENTRAL ASIA

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 Think tank presents recommendations for EU strategy for region nomic Co-operation and Develop- the European institutions,” he said. Instead of competing with the the changes in political leadership eign Affairs Roman Vassilenko By Aigerim Seisembayeva ment (OECD) and several universi- While the current state of EU- Eurasian Economic Union and in Uzbekistan, that have been tak- noted the approaches voiced at the ties. Central Asia relations is good, there China’s Belt and Road Initiative, ing place in Central Asian regional press conference are remarkably LONDON – Closer dialogue, Former Italian Foreign Minister are still many goals to achieve, he the EU should enhance coopera- relations over the past two years similar to those proposed by Ka- focus on concrete results, a real- and Chamber President of the Ital- added. tion. This should become another and that have already produced no- zakhstan. istic, pragmatic and state-by-state ian Council of State Franco Frattini The main goals in the region to- goal of the new strategy, Frattini table differences in both bilateral “I would like to commend the Eu- approach and “soft power” initia- presented the report, outlining the day should be about working for said. relations and regional dynamics in ropean Union for the very elaborate tives were among the key recom- key recommendations addressed concrete results and applying a Concluding his presentation, he trade and politics. and inclusive review process of the mendations included in the Eura- to the European External Action pragmatic approach. This implies noted the EU should focus its work The future strategy will focus, new EU Strategy for Central Asia. sian Council on Foreign Affairs’ Service aimed at helping make the a shift from a conference and dia- in the Central Asian region in cer- Burian added, on two key priorities All of the countries were invited (ECFA) report outlining proposals strategy more effective. logue-based relationship to a more tain key areas including security, – security and sustainable develop- to submit their proposals, which for the European Union’s (EU) up- He noted the strategy must first practical and operational approach education, sustainable develop- ment. He agreed that rather than we duly did, and many events in- coming Strategy for Central Asia. of all use the lessons learned from with specific projects aimed at ment, including water manage- trying to pursue the “Eurocentric” volving various stakeholders took The report was officially presented the past experience of negotiating achieving tangible results, the Ital- ment, and investment. approach by pushing certain solu- place in the region and beyond. Dec. 5 at a press conference at Cli- and implementing the current strat- ian politician noted. Speaking at the event, EU Spe- tions, the EU wants to base them on So, I think the result of this process veden House, a stately manor out- egy for Central Asia, first devised The report also recommends the cial Representative for Central Asia the national development strategies should be very coherent,” he said. side of London where ECFA held in 2007 under the German EU EU adopt a state-by-state approach Peter Burian confirmed the EU is of the countries in the region. He elaborated on the proposals its fifth annual meeting. presidency. These include increas- in relations with Central Asian currently finalising consultations Because the key for economic Kazakhstan submitted to the EU, with its partners on the new strat- diversification and economic sta- “Our analysis suggests that the ing the EU’s visibility in the re- countries. The previous strategy highlighting cooperation areas such European Union should direct its gion, narrowing down the projects applied a blanket approach that egy. The purpose is to get feedback bility is small and medium-sized as the rule of law, education, private focus in a realistic and practical and areas of cooperation with the didn’t consider regional differenc- from EU partners in the region, in- enterprises, the EU wants to pay entrepreneurship, with a strong fo- way that plays to the strengths of aim of enhancing their efficiency es, Frattini said. ternational organisations and finan- more attention to private sector de- cus on women entrepreneurship, the EU. And we think that it has to and considering the opinions of the The report deliberates on the cial institutions. velopment. and regional development. be streamlined and focused espe- regional states, while avoiding un- “soft power” initiatives where the “Within this very large consulta- The recent EU strategy on con- cially on ‘soft power’ areas,” said necessary competition with major new strategy should focus, not- tion process, we have heard many nectivity with Asia, which includes In terms of the mechanisms pro- former EU Commissioner for Ex- regional actors such as China and ing they would include improving of those suggestions and proposals infrastructure, digital, energy and posed by Kazakhstan, Vassilenko ternal Relations and current ECFA Russia and enhancing coordination health services, justice and law en- and we probably need to go down people-to-people connectivity, suggested creating a single online Advisory Council Chair Dr. Be- among European countries. forcement, as well as fighting cor- to earth and narrow down the num- will also be taken into account in portal that would combine all of nita Ferrero-Waldner to open the “We also have to have in mind ruption. ber of priorities to increase their the new strategy. He suggested it the strategy’s information and its press conference attended by other that our interlocutors sometimes The new strategy should also results [which], I think, will be re- should be viewed not as connectiv- supporting documents. The portal members of the council including felt the ‘Eurocentric’ approach aim to continue supporting foreign flected in our strategy,” he said. ity through Central Asia, but rather would make the strategy, its vari- the former presidents of the Czech from European institutions – what direct investment in the Central Burian noted the main differ- as connectivity in Central Asia. ous platforms and projects as well Republic, Poland, Slovenia, and some used to define as the ‘teach Asian region while accounting for ence between the current strategy Burian noted the dramatic as the opportunities this creates, Serbia. and preach’ approach, where Euro- significant shifts in the regional and the new one is the completely change in the region regarding Af- more visible and understandable The report includes expert con- pean institutions tried to dictate to economy, including the move to- different atmosphere in the region, ghanistan – countries that used to for businesses and individuals in tributions from 16 international our interlocutors what they should wards digitisation and creating and a better understanding of the see Afghanistan mostly as a threat, both Europe and Central Asia. institutions including the United or shouldn’t do. This is another ele- the Astana International Financial value of regional cooperation for now see it as an opportunity, which The EU’s new strategy for Cen- Nations, European Bank for Re- ment that in some cases made our Centre (AIFC), an important new addressing challenges the states are provides an additional platform for tral Asia for 2020-2027 is to be construction and Development interlocutors quite reluctant to fully hub operating under English com- facing together. He was referring cooperation. adopted in the first half of 2019 and (EBRD), Organisation for Eco- engage in open cooperation with mon law, notes the report. to the positive trends, prompted by Kazakh Deputy Minister of For- will replace the current strategy. Modernisation in Central Asia should consider political, economic and social context, say Almaty Club experts Central Asian countries. Individu- permanently in the political lan- Kushkumbayev also said aspects “Looking at the Sustainable hak programme (is implemented), By Saltanat Boteu al country reports were presented guage because modernisation was of modernisation in Kazakhstan Development Goals, on a global which also gave results by bring- by members from Kyrgyzstan, Ta- required in political, economic and are developing step-by-step. scale, the first priorities are given ing people with new views and ASTANA – Kazakhstan is tak- jikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakh- social spheres. The government, “The key specificity of moderni- to the social and ecological needs perspectives to the country. These ing the lead in Central Asia on stan. The conference was open to which became a key actor in the sation in Kazakhstan was that the of humanity,” she noted. all are in the stage of technological comprehensive modernisation, the public and broadcasted online field, initiated all modernisation modernisation ideas were gener- Regionally, the modernisation and economic modernisation,” he said regional experts at a recent on Facebook. projects. It was Strategy 2030 in ated by Kazakh President Nursul- narrative is changing with time. said. gathering in Astana to discuss the “The analysis of political elites’ 1997. After the 1990s economic tan Nazarbayev and his adminis- In the first years of independence, According to Almaty Club ex- latest findings by members of the modernisation strategies shows crisis, the government focused tration. The thesis ‘first economy, Central Asian countries were per- pert from Tajikistan Khodzhama- Almaty Club research group. that modernisation is understood on the actions that would give re- then politics’ played an important ceived to be young countries im- had Omarov, the alternative narra- The Almaty Club is a group of narrowly in the region which in- sults… In 2012, Strategy 2050 was role in creating economic foun- plementing political and economic tive of modernisation differs from journalists and researchers in the cludes transit to market economy, presented. It opened new opportu- dation. Then after the economic modernisation, such as developing the official one in its source, which social sciences and humanities computerisation and development nities, because the Strategy 2030 modernisation, political and social democracy. Currently, the ideas of can be political parties that are not from around Central Asia. Each of technologies… The only attempt was completed ahead of time. The modernisation should be imple- “ruh” (spirit, mentality) is in the ruling the government, society and member is tasked with researching to modernise social paradigms, the third stage started with Modernisa- mented. This was reflected in the focus of modernisation in Kyr- international actors. These actors a common topic relative to their Ruhani Zhangyru programme, is tion 3.0 in 2017,” he said. President’s state-of-the-nation ad- gyzstan and Kazakhstan, she said. bring their own approach, which home countries. They present their taken in Kazakhstan, which is quite The other issue raised by Sali- dress in 2017. Ruhani Zhangyru According to Kushkumbayev, creates an alternative narrative of findings several times a year at recent,” said Almaty Club expert mov was a top-down approach programme is about social mod- the specificities of the Kazakh modernisation, he said. Almaty Club meetings in Almaty. from Uzbekistan Sardor Salimov. reflected in the role of the govern- ernisation… The main modernisa- modernisation model lay in eco- According to Friedrich Ebert The club’s goal is to stimulate dis- According to Almaty Club ex- ment initiating and implementing tion ideas will not work without nomic and technological changes Foundation regional director for cussion about Central Asia in the pert from Kazakhstan Sanat Kush- modernisation. people’s consciousness about it. in the first years of independence. Central Asia Henriette Kiefer, in region’s countries. kumbayev, the modernisation pro- “In the analysis of Central Asian Technological modernisation is “The changes in Central Asian 2015 the foundation invited two Almaty Club members recently cess is permanent and continuous. countries’ modernisation strate- only one aspect. It is natural pro- countries did not happen at the experts from five Central Asian met in Astana to present their find- For Kazakhstan, modernisation gies, we indicated the exclusive cess,” he said. same time. Each country chose its countries to write on topics that ings related to the topic, “Modern- can be divided to three stages, role of political elites and bureau- The other perspective to be con- own model. In some countries, the are common for the countries. isation Models in Central Asia. In each of which has been focusing cracy in initiation and implemen- sidered is the scale of modernisa- high level of government owner- Except for Turkmenistan, experts a Search for Future.” The confer- on economic, political and social tation of modernisation projects… tion. According to Almaty Club ship was kept, while Kazakhstan from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ta- ence, organised by Friedrich Ebert contexts of modernisation. All reforms are top down that expert from Kyrgyzstan Elmira carried out privatisation in 1990s. jikistan and Uzbekistan joined in a Foundation, included panels ad- “For Kazakhstan, it was im- sometimes do not consider the Nogoibayeva, modernisation at The role of private sector is high. group of the authors of the “Mod- dressing commonalities and differ- portant from the independence. socio-cultural context of society,” global, regional and country levels The banking sector is open. In ernisation Models in Central Asia. ences of modernisation models in We used the modernisation term he noted. can imply different meanings. the education sphere, the Bolas- In a Search for Future.” Domestic violence prevention laws should be more detailed, stress regional experts By Saltanat Boteu bodily blows and minor health tice, there are various response violence itself, because violence is “Some say it’s good, others say for the protection of women from injuries… Although the law dis- systems such as crisis centres and associated with power and control. it’s bad. On the one hand it’s bad, violence Dana Taigozhina. ASTANA – The laws on domes- tinguishes psychological violence, the Centre for Working with Ag- It should be structurally influenced because administrative responsi- “When you explain that an ad- tic violence prevention in Kazakh- violence with the use of children gressors, but such forms of sup- by new initiatives and transforma- bility is lighter. On the other hand ministrative penalty will be im- stan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and financial violence, the mecha- port are not considered in the tive strategies,” she said. it’s good, because in the criminal posed on your spouse, they ask need to be developed and complet- nisms of further work with them is law,” said human rights expert Similarly, Turakhanova noted code the victim had to carry out all [you] to cancel their statement, be- ed with more detailed prevention not covered,” said Kazakh lawyer Dilbar Turakhanova. gender stereotypes and society’s processes [regarding the police] cause this penalty is taken from the and protection mechanisms, ac- Aiman Umarova. The experts concluded the laws perception about violence need to oneself, which is unreal. Being a family budget. We have district po- cording to experts from the coun- In Kyrgyzstan, the 2003 Law should be developed and improved be transformed to influence the is- victim, a person also had to prove lice inspectors. They receive from tries. They emphasised domestic on Guardianship and Protection by adding details to the prevention sue. that. In the administrative code, 30-50 statements related to domes- violence cannot be tolerated and from Family Violence also needs mechanisms in particular cases “It is very important to work on one can apply to the police and rel- tic violence and only a few ask for should not be a social norm. criteria to determine court cases, and according to the types of vio- reducing general gender inequali- evant organisations proceed with action against offenders,” she said. The experts, speaking at a recent according to Kyrgyz gender expert lence. ties, combating gender stereotypes it. This is a positive side,” said To solve the issue and make po- event, singled out several issues and independent researcher Anara “Of course, the laws have gaps, and developing zero tolerance for Umarova. lice work more effective, the experts concerning the domestic violence Moldosheva. but [the reason] we didn’t work domestic violence to make it an She added articles on bodily offered to keep domestic violence prevention laws in each nation. “We do not have procedures on it for 10 years is not to say that unacceptable behaviour… In Ta- blows and minor health injuries in the criminal code or remove the According to the Kazakh Law that conform during the work on it’s not needed. As these laws ex- jikistan, 97 percent of males and were transferred from the criminal first notice and administrative pen- on Domestic Violence Preven- cases. There is no instrument of ist, people can report to police. 73 percent of females agreed that to the administrative code, while alty from the law, keeping a prison tion adopted in 2009, domestic valuation, which makes the cases Now, they need to be developed to women should tolerate violence. the article on moderate health in- sentence as the main instrument to violence can be physical, psycho- incomprehensible for all parties,” become effective and directed at When I ask whether they experi- juries remained in the criminal prevent further violence and pro- logical, sexual and economic. In she said. protection and prevention mecha- enced violence, they answer no, code, which is an important point tect the family. The other possible practice, however, the applicable Tajikistan’s 2013 Law on Pre- nisms and services,” said Turakh- because it’s a life norm… People in proving the severity level of ac- measure is to put the responsibility distinguishing and prevention vention of Domestic Violence in a anova. are not conscious that they experi- tions. on the person who submitted the mechanisms are not present in the Family has similar issues. Moldosheva feels domestic vio- enced violence,” she said. In practice, the administrative statement, said Moldosheva. law. “There are no clear mecha- lence issue is structural and should The other issue concerning the measures taken by police when The Dec. 10 event was held in “Physical violence is clear [to nisms for responding to domestic be addressed at that level. Kazakh law is the transfer of do- domestic violence is reported is in- a Paper Lab discussion platform in distinguish]. There are two articles violence. There are also no redi- “Those provisions that are adopt- mestic violence articles from the effective in most cases, according partnership with Soros Foundation that are always present in physi- rection mechanisms or case man- ed in the law are important, but they Kazakh criminal code to the ad- to Kazakh Police Senior Lieuten- Kazakhstan and Kyrgyz Institute cal domestic violence, which are agement as mentioned. In prac- do not affect the structure of the ministrative code. ant and Saryarka District inspector for War and Peace Reporting. B Nation&Capital

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018

PEOPLE CULTURE SPORTS Green Cat Art Laboratory Astana Opera adds Chopiniana World chess champion debuts encourages self-expression and Scheherazade ballets to its how-to-play book in Kazakh and care for nature B2 repertoire B3 B7 Female Kazakh driver to race in W Series Almaty opens 2019 Qualifiers, promote female F1 drivers nation’s first inclusive cinema hall nity to leave the hall and relax on By Saltanat Boteu soft mats and beanbags in the spe- cial sensory discharge zone. They ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s first can also watch the movie through cinema hall for people with autism the open doors directly from the spectrum disorders opened Dec. special zone. 18 at the ADK Shopping Centre The employees have been in Almaty. The project, organised trained in the basics of interacting by the Bolashak Corporate Fund, with people with autism spectrum Walt Disney Company Common- disorders. This is the most impor- wealth of Independent States (CIS) tant aspect in creating inclusive and Chaplin Cinemas, aims to in- conditions, according to Walt Dis- tegrate them into social life. ney Company CIS Director Ma- The hall and the films are adapt- rina Zhigalova-Ozkan. ed for those with autism spectrum “We have the experience of disorders. Children enjoyed the opening cinemas for children with animated movie “Moana.” autism spectrum disorders in Rus- “In the hall, the sound and bright sia and they work in different cit- colours are muted and the light is ies. The most important thing is the not completely turned off. During training of the entire cinema staff, the session, the doors to the hall as these people require special are open and a special sensory dis- care. [Also, they need] discharge charge zone is organised next to centres, a muffled sound in the hall it,” said Bolashak Corporate Fund and doors to be open. Director Dinara Chaizhunusova. The audience has the opportu- Continued on Page B3

United Kingdom and the United now involve some 60 ambitious Director Dave Ryan and former F1 By Dilshat Zhussupova States. female drivers.… We plan to whit- drivers Coulthard and Alex Wurz. Yelikti ski resort is “We designed W Series specifi- tle those 60 qualifiers down so as She will vie for a spot among 18 ASTANA – Kazakh racer Ly- cally to shine a light on female tal- to determine those who will then women who will ultimately com- ubov Andreyeva will compete ent around the world,” said W Se- go forward to race in the inaugural pete in the championship kicking against 60 women to participate in ries Advisory Board Chair David W Series season…. We’re excited. off May 3. There, drivers will race perfect destination for the single-seater racing champion- Coulthard to Espn.com. Everything about W Series will be one another throughout six stages in ship W Series 2019. The series announced its list not only innovative but also rigor- 2018 Tatuus Formula 3 cars for the Formula 1 (F1) has long been of 55 qualifying drivers Nov. 28 ous,” said W Series Chief Execu- champion title and a $500,000 prize. primarily men’s competition, and recently named six additional tive Officer Catherine Bond Muir, In a 2014 interview with The beginner, expert skiers which W Series aims to address drivers, featuring 22-year-old An- reports Wseries.com. Astana Times, Andreyeva ex- by launching a new all-female dreyeva. Andreyeva is now preparing for pressed her long-term plans to join motor racing series. The qualifi- “After careful appraisal and de- a three-day on-and-off-track trial of F1 and “to do everything to achieve ers’ driver line-up features women liberation, we’re delighted to be psychometric profiling and multi- it.” She began racing at age nine, and snowboarders selected from a pool of more than able to welcome Alessandra, Al- ple fitness and driving skill tests in winning her first title two years later The resort is rarely overcrowded. 100 applicants from 30 countries, exandra, Andreyeva, Francesca, January, which will be overseen by at the Kazakhstan Karting Champi- By Aidana Yergaliyeva Despite the fact Yelikti is just a including China, Germany, India, Gosia and Inès to the W Series Red Bull Technical Director Adrian onship, and trains in Moscow since 30-minute trip from Kokshetau, the Italy, Scandinavian countries, the selection programme, which will Newey, former McLaren Sporting her 2014 Formula Russia debut. ASTANA – The impressions regional centre of the Akmola re- from the vast steppes surrounding gion, its winter sports lovers main- the capital offer little hope for win- ly visit on weekends and holidays. ter sports such as skiing and snow- As a result, the complex offers boarding. That’s why many of its weekday visitors up to a 50-percent residents are often surprised to learn discount on services. Animator and graphic designer about Yelikti (Elekti) ski resort lo- Yelikti is equipped with five T- cated 325 kilometres from Astana bar surface lifts that can pull ski- and a few hours’ drive by car. ers and snowboarders 1,300 metres The complex is named after the uphill. The tracks are divided into creates art with purpose local town and mountain. The lat- categories, with a smooth, wide ter, at 500 metres above sea level, and gentle slope for beginners, as By Assel Satubaldina is its main attraction. well as steep downhills in forest The resort is the perfect start- glades featuring springboards and ASTANA – Kazakh anima- ing place for those new to winter sharp turns for average and profes- tor and graphic designer Erden mountain sports. Experienced in- sional-level sportspeople. As for Zikibay tries to amalgamate cul- structors work on all parts of the free-ride lovers, the resort owners ture, history and politics to create slope and lifts, providing additional suggest trying sliding between the art with purpose. individual snowboarding or skiing trees in the winter forest. An Almaty native, graduate of lessons for both children and adults. Continued on Page B6 George Mason University and for- mer instructor at Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts, Zikibay has vast experience in graphic de- sign and animation. His works, in- cluding static art, animations and 3D short films, explore topics and THINGS TO WATCH & trace certain parallels between Ka- zakh history and the history of mi- PLACES TO GO norities in the United States, as well as pop culture, relaying an impor- tant underlying message. ASTANA OPERA Zikibay’s interest in drawing December 25 at 7 p.m. Chamber and Vocal stems from his childhood. “Since I was little, I really en- Music Concert joyed drawing, but I never thought December 29-31 New Year concert of it as a career choice. When I was a teenager I really enjoyed playing at 5 p.m. computer games, but I was not re- January 5 at 5 p.m. The Barber of Seville, opera ally happy with just playing them. I really wanted to change them. I Erden Zikibay’s illustration of Scythians. January 9 at 7 p.m. La Bohème, opera started going inside the computer “In the 1990s, when I was him discover different aspects of I used to play video games with files and started changing the way growing up with him, I saw that what it means to be an animator him. That event made me aware video game characters looked,” he of reality and that my childhood of ASTANA BALLET recalled in an interview for this he and his whole generation and and incorporate politics, history playing video games all of a sud- December 27, The Nutcracker, ballet story. colleagues were not happy that and pop culture into his works. den became so real. Actually, that His intention to be a producer young people did not read books He noted the influence of his 28 at 7 p.m. is also when I stopped playing vid- and creator rather than a consumer and magazines and newspapers, mentor and professor Gail Scott eo games for good,” he said. eventually ushered in a world of because the culture was more White, as he produced one of his about movies, music and video first projects with his classmate Creating art, he noted, helps him animation. games. I don’t think reading was Mohamed Talaat under her guid- “make sense of some issues he BARYS ARENA “I really started getting inter- experiences and sees around the ested in animation not through very popular in 1990s. In a way, ance. January 8 at 7.30 p.m. HC Barys – HC Amur his passion and him being not “We made this short film called world and society.” drawing, but through computers “A lot of times creating art for Khabarovsk happy that he could not pass his ‘Today’s Game, Tomorrow’s War.’ and computer games. That is also me is really just an attempt to un- ideas to the young generation in- It is about a teenager who trans- January 10 at 7.30 p.m. HC Barys – HC Kunlun Red Star the reason why I wanted to do ani- derstand them, to process them ports himself inside the video mation when I went to college,” he fluenced me to pursue this path and rationalise them. It is very January 13 at 5 p.m. HC Barys – HC Sochi game. The animation was influ- added. of creating digital content, es- therapeutic for me to create art,” January 15 at 7.30 p.m. HC Barys – HC Spartak Moscow enced by my personal life in a He noted the influence of his pecially for young people,” said he said. grandfather, a Kazakh poet and Zikibay. sense, because my best friend also journalist who raised him. His university years also helped joined the army and went to war. Continued on Page B3 B2 NATION&CAPITAL PEOPLE

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 Green Cat Art Laboratory encourages self-expression and care for nature ful. The third time, they sold half appeared in our house. I asked Ser- have staffs in the Astana and Al- By Saltanat Boteu of their products and opened an gey to cut out moulds for my pen- maty city branches who manage Instagram page to promote their dants. I painted the first wooden Green Cat in Kazakhstan. They are ASTANA – Green Cat Art Labo- handmade work. batch and sold them. New prod- also planning to expand their busi- ratory started in 2011 as a hobby “We started with leather pic- ucts were bought on the very first ness. to make handmade products. Sev- tures. We made a large number day. We realised that people liked “My husband and I are devel- en years later, it has turned into a of them. Then, we were offered a them and made more,” she said. “I oping a Green Cat in Novosibirsk business. chance to take part in the first fair, searched the Internet for wooden now. Over the past year, we trained Specialising in wooden pins, but it was a failure. We did not sell products and found pins. The first two persons. Now, Indira does Green Cat also makes pendants, anything. After a while, we tried few products were booked as soon business in Astana and Misha in earrings, postcards, pictures and again and the result was the same. as I posted the photos on Insta- Almaty. Today, they recruit a team knitted toys. The third fair was successful; we gram.” themselves. Each team member is “Green Cat’s history began in sold half of our eco-leather pic- In 2016, both left their jobs and free to choose what time he or she 2011. We waited for the birth of tures and people started to place committed to developing their hob- will work. The main thing is the our son. I thought about what to do orders. The time of the Instagram by into a business. Green Cat has result,” said Petrunina. on maternity leave and, on some [market] had begun,” she said. emerged as an enterprise that both The family is open to new con- creative website, I came across The Petrunins were simulta- reflects their values and helps their cepts from a variety of people. the decoupage technique. I tried to neously testing different busi- clients express themselves. The “We are inspired by illustrators transfer pictures from napkins to ness ventures. Sergey opened a name was not a random choice, as from different countries and crea- dishes. My husband also became stretched ceiling business, and lat- it demonstrates their love for cats, tive people in general including interested. A few months later, er, a carpentry shop with a partner. nature and wood. our subscribers, who always throw we went to a creative studio and Anastasia was working in a start- “Our customers are people who up interesting ideas,” she noted. studied there for several months,” up. They became less active in the value freedom of expression. All She believes art is a rapidly de- founder Anastasia Petrunina re- art arena, but at times still partici- of them are bright personalities veloping field. called in an interview for this story. pated in fairs and exhibitions. from different spheres. Our task “It seems to me that now is the Petrunina and husband Sergey Working in the carpentry shop, is to help them express their indi- creative people’s era. Interest in Petrunin’s inaugural venture was he made wooden bases for her viduality through Green Cat prod- art and handmade artists is grow- leather pictures, which they tried handmade products. ucts,” she added. ing every year. New platforms are to sell at local handmade fairs in “My husband closed his busi- The Petrunins offer freedom to opening in support of masters and the capital. Unfortunately, the first ness and opened a carpentry shop their employees. They currently artists. For example, our beloved two attempts were not success- Anastasia Petrunina with his partner, so wooden things live in Novosibirsk, Russia, and Astana Arbat,” she said.

teers, who for the first two months their lives, many people become will update the information on the members of the restricted mobility maps. People are also encouraged group. Local foundation expands public access to complete applications for gov- “In construction and architecture ernmental institutions to improve rules and laws, the term ‘people with accessibility. limited mobility’ is used instead of “In our laws, the checkups and people with disabilities. This is a for people with limited mobility fines are made only from the ap- wider term that includes more than of facilities and services and pro- environment… They should be sible and partially accessible ob- plications (complains) from the 40 percent of the population. Ac- By Saltanat Boteu viding advocacy, information cam- working in their region on this is- jects on the map, so that the map citizens. Before 2015, when the cessibility is created for them, not paigns and roundtables. sue. They will be trained, but they can help people to engage in social object was put into operation, the only for people with disabilities. ASTANA – Beginning in Janu- “[In each region, we] need to should have basic knowledge,” she life,” said Bobkova. committee with members with The people within limited mobility ary, the Tandau Foundation’s have one person (employee) who said. The project also aims to collect disabilities came and checked it group consists of people with disa- Dostupnyi (Accessible) Pavlodar will be trained and will train vol- The project is currently shown reliable and precise data about ac- for accessibility… Beginning in bilities, temporarily injured people, project aimed at making pub- unteers. A person will advocate for on Pavlodar’s online map using cessible areas for social needs and 2015, these committees were dis- parents with small children in baby lic spaces accessible for those accessibility in the region, which four different icons to indicate research purposes. solved… If the object is not ac- strollers, old people and pregnant with limited mobility will expand means to hold meetings with the cessible, the governmental insti- women,” she noted. throughout the country as a part akimat (regional administration) tutions are not able to know that; Accessible environments influ- of Inclusive Kazakhstan project. and trainings for the facilities’ thus, people should write com- ence other areas of people’s lives, The project is aimed at protecting owners. We will explain to the plains,” said Bobkova. such as education, healthcare, en- and enforcing the rights of persons employee how to make it efficient, The application can appear com- tertainment and quality of services. with disabilities to free movement not spending funds on [certain plicated the first time and the foun- “The right to access is intertwined and equal access to facilities and things], because we found many dation encourages users to ask for with other human rights. For exam- services according to international free spaces [for holding events] help and recommendations. The ple, if you want a higher education standards. It allows individuals to in Pavlodar… It works across Ka- online form automatically lists the but the university is not accessi- engage in social life and gain access zakhstan. Akimats are able to of- necessary information in the cor- ble, you cannot study… Distance to medicine and education, noted fer free spaces and transportation,” rect order. learning or working are possible, foundation head Irina Bobkova. said Bobkova. “We made an automatic tem- but there should be a choice… it The pilot project, started in The project covers regional cen- plate of this application. We also is about socialisation,” she added. 2015, was implemented in coop- tres, the capital, Almaty and Shy- recommended governmental insti- “We went to a hospital in Almaty. eration with Eurasia Foundation of mkent cities, but the map is not tutions to make changes on e-gov. They started to improve accessibil- Central Asia (EFCA) and funded limited to them. kz, because there was no opportu- ity for people with hearing impair- by the United States Agency for “In fact, the map can be filled nity to file a complaint with spe- ments. The hospital employee said International Development (US- out anywhere, but resource centres cialised state bodies that receive that before they implemented the AID). (partner organisations), which can complaints about inaccessible ob- equipment, seven people came to The project “Inclusive Kazakh- give a final statement about ad- jects, as there were no such body the hospital; currently, [there have stan” will be implemented by aptation of the objects, will be in the accessibility of public facili- “The whole project is not only identified on the list of state bod- been] approximately 50 and this is EFCA in partnership with Tandau these 17 cities only,” she noted. ties and services for those with re- about the map. The map is an in- ies that could be addressed. People in half a year.” Foundation and Erekshe Tandau The Tandau Foundation and the stricted mobility. The international strument of monitoring. The gov- had to bring the hard copy or send To improve accessibility, those Shelek Foundation and will in- EFCA can attract other sponsors to traffic light system marks a spot’s ernment can give statistics (in- it by post… After our recommen- who are interested should work in volve 19 organisations in 17 cities, develop the maps in the villages accessibility in red (not accessi- formation) about the objects that dations, these institutions have cooperation to elevate their chal- with the majority of funding for and regions not included in the ex- ble), yellow (partially accessible), have passports. It is when a social been available on e-gov.kz since lenges and recommendations to 2019-2020 provided by the Euro- pansion. Partner organisations in green (accessible) and blue (acces- protection specialist made certi- August,” she noted. the discussion level. pean Union (EU). The project’s each region will compete for selec- sible for people with hearing im- fications listing all accessible ob- After completing the applica- “Although there is criticism, budget is $357,544; the EU will tion based on the resource centre’s pairments and visual disabilities). jects. Currently, there are 30,000 tion and attaching a photo, it can the Kazakh Labour and Social contribute $339,701 and the re- experience in the area. The map helps people to move and objects with passports… But there be downloaded as a .pdf document Protection Ministry is working gions will be provided with $3,367 “We will announce competition orient themselves in public spaces. are no statistics on non-accessible and sent through e-gov.kz. hard to change the situation. It is per organisation. for non-governmental organisa- Anyone can augment the map on objects. The map will show the The phrase “people with limited also important that the initiative  Regional groups will work tions and initiative groups… But the project’s website (dospav.kz) conditions across Kazakhstan,” mobility” is key for understand- and understanding of the changes with volunteers and active citi- we need the organisations that al- using the “add an object” button. she added. ing the importance of accessibility, come from the bottom up, from zens, monitoring the availability ready know the field of accessible “We mostly try to fill in acces- The project has attracted volun- said Bobkova. At certain times in citizens,” said Bobkova. Poet Saule Doszhan introduces Kazakh life stories as a piece of literature, then litera- sustains our living, but it rules our fling trap of a Kazakh tradition, years, devoting almost all of her By Aidana Yergaliyeva ture will be read by more people,” whole life,” she added referring to especially for women, and the time to novels and poems. she said in an interview with The the surgeon and the patient. universal need for love. It is a “Prose lives with me, while po- ASTANA – Writer and poet Astana Times. The book also incorporates as- tragedy, yes, but a tragedy laced etry is a guest that visits me from Saule Doszhan, named an Hon- Doszhan worked for ten years pects of religion. The topic was an through with hope,” wrote Brit- time to time,” she said. oured Art Worker of Kazakhstan in for the Ministry of Healthcare and important one to address, because ish writer John Farndon on ama- The sources of her inspirations 2015, is the author of books based understood the importance of leav- in Islam, a human must be buried zon.com. are often people and their ideas. on touching true stories that raise ing the event’s mark on history. with all of his or her body parts. Both stories were nominated in She constantly searches for new social issues. Her works have been She started researching the subject “It is a lucky book. It is like my October for the 2019 Man Booker knowledge, reading everything translated into world languages extensively. ‘passport’ among other works,” International Prize. Her works from classics by Fyodor Dos- and her growing international rec- “The heart is the most fascinat- she said. were translated by Gusman To- toyevsky to contemporary best- ognition has inspired her to con- ing human organ, the engine that The work has been translated legul into Russian and Yelden Sa- sellers like Cecilia Ahern. tinue writing. runs the whole body,” she noted. into English, German and Russian rybai into English. Doszhan is currently working on Doszhan’s novel “My own Along with the complexity of and will soon be released in Japa- “I’ve read it [the translated ver- a book about nuclear testing fields strange heart” was among the the surgery, she tried to describe nese and Spanish. sion] myself. My children, friends, in Semey. more than 200 pieces gifted to the the psychological states of the Doszhan is also the author of professionals all stated that he “It is about a Kazakh woman Centre of Kazakh Culture and Lit- main characters. “The Tragedy of a Bastard,” a sto- translated it as if I wrote it myself. who went through a lot in her life erature, which opened Nov. 17 at “I found out that every sin- ry about surrogacy that discusses I was very grateful,” said Doszhan, seeing the consequences of nuclear the Berlin State Library. The book gle experience leaves marks on a “Zheti ata” (Seven generations) referring to the Russian translation. testing,” she noted. narrates a historical moment for Saule Doszhanova heart. People say you should think and the purity of blood. Doszhan has been keen on writ- She is preparing to present two Kazakh surgeons, who on Aug. with your head. No. It all reflects “Acclaimed Kazakh author ing in her leisure time since age books with her selected works next 8, 2012 completed the first heart thought that this is the achieve- through a heart. When Ospanov Saule Doszhan’s ‘The Tragedy 14, meshing her literary side with year for her 60th birthday. In 2017, transplant in the country’s history. ment of Kazakh medicine and will takes Vorotnikova’s heart he saw of a Bastard’ is a little gem of a her 25 years of service with the she won third place in the litera- The account has received high be introduced to the world. But it in his dreams her past life, the book. Poignant and poetic… it is Kazakh Parliament and ten years ture category at the sixth Open praise from critics. will be left as mere information scenes of memories from abroad. a tale simply told with the power at the Ministry of Healthcare. She Eurasian Book Forum and Litera- “During the operation, we in newspapers. But if we write it A heart is not just an organ that of a parable as it explores the sti- has worked intensively the last two ture festival. B3 NATION&CAPITAL CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 Astana Opera adds Kazakhstan to form non-joint stock company Chopiniana and to raise funds for film production, promotion ence is expected to result from the duce socially significant films will development of information and Staff Report creation of a government fund in be obliged to contribute 20 percent advertising work and re-checking the form of a non-profit joint stock of their total income to the Cinema films with historical facts, as well Scheherazade ballets ASTANA – The Kazakh Sen- company, he said. Support Fund. as matching the appearance of he- ate adopted a law “On Cinema- “The activities of this organi- “All returnable funds will be roes,” he said. tography” Dec. 6 . It supports the sation will be aimed primarily at directed by the fund to produce Kustavletov noted the law production of national films, their the accumulation and distribution new projects… A specific refund should regulate and restrict major to its repertoire wider distribution and entry into of budgetary and extrabudgetary algorithm will be approved by the new trends such as inviting foreign the international film industry. funds allocated for film production, law,” said Mukhamediuly. actors for leading roles and “ideas The law should significantly rental, screening and further pro- Senator Daulet Kustavletov sug- unacceptable in Kazakh society,” change the existing mechanisms motion of national films,” he added. gested the law needed to be more he said. Considering these small for developing Kazakh national The law introduces a new model wide ranging. details could provide impetus in cinema, said Minister of Culture for the way the state finances na- “The law does not regulate pri- developing the domestic film in- and Sports Arystanbek Muhamedi- tional cinema and the conditions of ority areas for the creation of na- dustry and solve problems within uly while presenting the draft law repayment. Film makers who re- tional films, state minimum so- spiritual and moral values of Ka- to the senators. The main differ- ceive government support to pro- cial standards, film production, zakh society, he added. Animator and graphic designer creates art with purpose Continued from Page B1 the Wonder Woman superhero “Once I have an idea, I try to movie, who was an Amazon. sketch it out. I do some rough History, however, plays a big There is a theory there were his- sketch of what I want to see. It role throughout his art. torical Amazon warrior women takes a lot of research to really mura and Anastasiya Zaklinskaya “It helps me understand why from Central Asia who inspired start producing the work. I read By Yerbolat Uatkhanov performed the prelude. some things are the way they are, the mythical Amazons,” he added. articles, sometimes whole books, The main plot theme of Scheh- but also how I can change them. Human rights can also be traced watch videos, do interviews, meet ASTANA – Astana Opera made a erazade is the relationship between It can be really overwhelming to in Zikibay’s works, some of which people. I try to gain as much gift to capital residents and guests, Sultan Shahryar and his beloved think of yourself, of how small we are currently on display in a hu- knowledge as possible,” he added. are, how seemingly insignificant presenting the premiere of the wife Zobeide. The Sultan’s young- man rights exhibition at the Ata- Ideas come fast, but they can we are. History puts things in per- one-act ballets Chopiniana (Les er brother Shakhezman, convinced maken Gallery in Almaty that runs also die down fast. spective; you realise that things Sylphides) and Scheherazade by of female infidelity, advises him to through Dec. 26. “If I do not produce something have a beginning and an end,” he choreographic art reformer Michel go hunting. In his absence, every- “I do believe all humans are cre- really quick, I have to sort of re- added. ated equal, no matter where we ignite my curiosity, my inspiration Fokine. thing in the harem is given to love, Kazakhstan History Timeline were born. It is just a chance that again. That takes more energy, ef- The premiere, staged Nov. 30 but the sultan suddenly returns in is among his latest projects. For somebody is born in one place and fort. The best is when you put a lot and Dec. 1, was devoted to the Day the midst of the festivities. He or- seven years, Zikibay has been a somebody in another place. What of thought [into it], research a lot of the First President and the capi- ders all of his concubines, eunuchs volunteer at summer camps in the is important is to give everybody and you are not taking it too long tal’s 20th anniversary celebration and slaves to be executed and United States that gather Kazakh equal treatment and equal oppor- to do it,” he said. and supported by the Ministry of Zobeide stabs herself with a dag- kids adopted by American fami- Erden Zikibay tunities to succeed in this life. I am Time, however, is also a chal- Culture and Sports. ger. Shahryar cries over the dead lies. trying to really convey those ideas lenge. Chopiniana is characterised by body of the unfaithful, but much “It is essentially a board game and I hated it. When I started to and spread around, so that there is “In my mind, I think about rare musicality, great artistic har- beloved woman. for children. One of the things I learn it later as an adult, I realised no hate, ignorance,” he said. something and I misjudge how mony and rich dance pattern. The have been doing there is design- how interesting it can be,” he said. Zikibay does not follow a par- much time I need to complete romantic ballet turned 110 this ing history games, because I also  Zikibay’s works also reflect ticular style, believing content and something. I am often intimidated year, but due to its unique chore- Chopiniana is teach a history class there. The pop culture trends and figures, ideas are what matter most. He by the project; I think it will be ography remains evergreen even characterised by point of the game is to put six dif- such as Wonder Woman and Black makes commercial projects and very easy and fast, because I am today. According to Fokine, he ferent historical periods [of Ka- Panther. With a rapidly growing personal works, both requiring inspired and enthusiastic, but in sought to “return the formal ballet rare musicality, zakhstan] and children need to influence of pop culture on people significant research. reality, it takes much more time,” dance to the moment of its highest place these cards in the correct around the globe, it has become “With personal, it is easier, be- said Zikibay. flourishing.” great artistic timeline. So, they need to know a powerful tool to convey your cause it comes from you. Ideas “There is a big difference be- Ballet Master Altynai Asylmura- harmony and rich what comes after each period and ideas and message through mech- come to me out of the blue. I can tween static art, like illustration tova accurately conveyed Fokine’s the teacher gives them either a his- anisms and things that are familiar be just walking down the street or design, and animation, which exclusive style. The Astana Op- dance pattern. The torical figure, an event or an arte- to everybody. and I can have an idea. Somebody takes much more time, because era’s dancers demonstrated excel- fact,” he said. “It is so powerful because we can say something and just one you also have to think of how lent musicality and synchronism romantic ballet turned Incorporating such games all watch the same movies, lis- word can spark this whole project things move and what they will of movements. Orest Allegri and 110 this year. makes the learning process more ten to the same music around the in my head. It is random. Some- look like while moving, which Alexandre Benois were responsi- engaging and interactive. world and with simple things like times, I have to really think when you do not have with static art,” “My dream is to make history a hashtag, you can reach out to I need to come up with an idea, he added. ble for costume design and Victor All the dancers performed Carare created the sets. Arassel really cool and fun. When I started people in other countries,” he said. but mostly it is spontaneous,” he Zikibay’s works can be found their roles masterfully. Zhanibek history at school, it was boring “I made this illustration about noted. online at zikibay.com. Dosmuratova fashioned all the Imankulov and Rakhmetulla dresses in white, with delicate pink Nauanov presented the role of wreaths completing the ballerinas’ Shahryar. Anastasiya Zaklinskaya costumes. and Honoured Worker of Kazakh- Yerkin Rakhmatullayev and stan Gaukhar Usina performed Olzhas Tarlanov alternated in per- Zobeide. Léon Bakst’s colourful Almaty opens... forming the difficult part of the set and costume design was care- Young Man. Honoured Workers fully restored by Anna Nezhnaya Continued from Page B1 Chaplin Cinemas is also inter- “We think that this is our next in nine Kazakh cities and, to date, of Kazakhstan Madina Basbayeva and Anatoly Nezhny, who devel- ested in expanding its audience step towards an inclusive society has trained 800 health and education and Aigerim Beketayeva presented oped the ballet’s Oriental theme. All of these happen differently and creating conditions for inclu- through presenting films to a wider professionals. This year, the fund the bright, masterly Seventh Waltz The Astana Opera viewers didn’t in a typical cinema hall. Besides, it sive society. The chain plans to audience,” said company general held four adaptive cinema sessions. equally well. Moldir Shakimova let the dancers leave the stage is inclusive. Any person can come open an inclusive cinema hall next director Bakhytzhan Mussatayev. The Walt Disney Company CIS and Adelina Tulepova danced the without thunderous applause and to these sessions,” she said, ac- year in the capital’s Mega Shop- The Bolashak Corporate Fund has has been supporting similar pro- Eleventh Waltz and Mariko Kita- shouts of “Bravo.” cording to bnews.kz. ping Centre. opened 20 inclusion support offices jects in the region since 2015. Ministry of Culture and Sport presents Notre Dame de Paris in Kazakh capital

By Yerbolat Uatkhanov

ASTANA – Twenty years ago, the world saw the legendary No- tre Dame de Paris musical for the very first time. As part of the commemoration of the 20th an- niversary of Astana, the legendary Notre Dame de Paris musical was performed in Kazakhstan on the stage of the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, supported by the country’s Ministry of Culture and Sport.  The musical became iconic – more than three million people watched it during the first year, and more than seven million soundtrack albums have been sold ful, deep and unforgettable. Notre the last second. That is the reason stan’s vocalists, dancers, and International phenomenon of The musical has taken its right- all around the world. Even famous Dame de Paris shows audience why Esmeralda, Quasimodo, and acrobats, the audition was led the Notre Dame de Paris is not ful place in the history of Kazakh singer Celine Dion has included its emotional love story, psycho- Claude Frollo are so close to the by original musical’s creators only the most ambitious event in performances through the joint ef- musical compositions in her reper- logical drama and breath-taking hearts of viewers even today. Nicolas Talar, Luc Plamondon, Astana’s cultural life – it has also fort of Qazaq Concert State Con- toire. action – everything that touches The stage featured a spec- Riccardo Cocciante and Martino revealed many talented artists all cert Organisation and the Minis- The main characters are colour- the soul and keeps in tension till tacular ensemble of Kazakh- Müller. over Kazakhstan. try of Culture and Sport. B4 NATION&CAPITAL COUNTRY

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 Latest armoured military vehicle stands up to country’s harsh winter weather At the testing grounds, Chief of given its flat bottom hull. Accord- By Dilshat Zhussupova the General Staff of the Kazakh ingly, “all obstacles at the site were Armed Forces Murat Maikeyev, passed effortlessly,” he said. ASTANA – Kazakhstan Para- KPE engineers and military ex- Maikeyev emphasised that vehi- mount Engineering’s (KPE) lat- perts observed the vehicle demon- cles commissioned by the Kazakh est armoured wheeled vehicle, the stration. Armed Forces must be distin- Barys 6×6, recently showed it can “Our Barys 6×6 is truly a high- guished by their convenience, ef- stand up to even the harshest Ka- speed fortress on wheels,” said ficiency, reliability and ease of use. zakh winter conditions. its test driver Murat Isenov to “We have always prioritised Barys, meaning snow leopard, is Caravan.kz. “I drove it across the preserving the life of personnel, the Kazakh name for the Mbombe steppe at more than 100 kilometres our army’s main asset. The manu- military vehicle designed and de- per hour – it was a breeze.” facturer’s introduction of features veloped by the Paramount Group. Barys 6×6 meets all modern such as the use of mine-resistant It was recently tested in winter con- technical requirements and com- ambush-protected (MRAP) tech- ditions in the Karaganda region. pares favourably with vehicles of nology, is a great direction to move In addition to the “nimble and its class, said test drive leader As- toward,” he said, noting the vehi- speedy” Barys 6×6, the “larger and san Zhakiyanov. The vehicle car- cle’s STANAG 4569 mine protec- more powerful” Barys 8×8 model ries up to 11 people, three of which tion level of three and ability to also passed its 2017 and 2018 field kpe.com.kz. Photo credit: are crew members, and its weight withstand 7.62 calibre bullets. tests in Kazakhstan with flying Barys 6×6. is 22 tonnes with combat gear. Its Kazakhstan’s military intro- colours. design protects against landmines, duced its first Arlans, another in- “The most severe winter condi- improvised explosive devices and demand KPE vehicle, in August tions prevailed during testing, sim- while conquering up to 750 mil- ca-based global defence and aero- 6×6 and Barys 8×8, in the country. side blasts. It allows for continu- 2016 and ordered another batch ilar to conditions found in Siberia. limetres of soft snow,” said Direc- space company, operates in coun- KPE’s Astana factory has become ous operation in -50 degrees Cel- in May 2018. In November, KPE During this period, the tempera- tor of Astana’s KPE factory Johan tries in the Middle East, South one of the world’s most advanced sius and a maximum speed of 110 delivered Arlans to the Kazakh ture dropped to -45 degrees Cel- Delport on the day and night trials, America and Africa. Its joint ven- military equipment factories, with kilometres per hour. Effective con- Special Forces and will addition- sius with a chill factor of -60 de- reports Paramount Group’s official ture KPE produces advanced ar- a capacity of more than 200 units cealment from adversary forces is ally supply Kazakhstan’s Barys grees Celsius, resulting in serious website. moured wheeled vehicles, such as per year, and is part of Paramount’s as simple as reducing the vehicle’s 6×6 and 8×8 vehicle order in the challenges to man and machine Paramount Group, a South Afri- the Arlan 4×4, Nomad 4×4, Barys global supply chain. silhouette to less than 2.4 metres, near future. Country launches Kazakhstan Highway Research Institute first PPP transport develops new road survey system existing international digital tech- save financial costs. The infor- highways. After the collapse of the Staff Report nologies in Kazakhstan, because mation is stored in the road asset Soviet Union, the institute became we have different climatic and ge- management system electronic a national company. It is accred- digitisation project ASTANA – The Kazakhstan ographical conditions and funding database. ited by the Ministry of Education The programme is being used at all Highway Research Institute (Ka- is different. We want to develop The system module predicts and Science for scientific and By Yerbolat Uatkhanov the nation’s international airports. zNorDII) has developed a road our own system and the forecast- road conditions and determines scientific-technical activities, has When the PPP contract expires, asset management system. Be- ing method will be different for the budget needed for repairs. The its own testing laboratory and in- ASTANA – E-freight, Kazakh- ownership of the information sys- ginning with the East Kazakh- each region, because we also have technology can provide a five-ten cludes a standardisation technical stan’s first public-private partner- tem will be transferred to the state stan region, the database will use our own differences everywhere,” year forecast, noted Zhaisanbayev. committee. ship (PPP) to digitise transport, free of charge, machines and up-to-date digital said institute vice president Aza- The institute will also be devel- In 2006, the institute became a was launched as an online trial E-freight will convert approxi- technology to examine cracks and mat Zhaisanbayev. oping a mobile app where citizens member of the World Road As- Dec. 11 in the capital. Formally mately 20 paper documents into other road surface damage and as- KazNorDII studies road qual- can send photos or messages re- sociation (PIARC). Since 2012, it known as Implementation and electronic format. On average, the sess overall condition, reported ity using special equipment to lated to road quality. has been an associate member of Adaptation of the Paperless Docu- system will reduce the time to pro- YK-news.kz. detect pavement wear and meas- KazNorDII was established in the International Society on Soil ment Management Information cess cargo air flow and handle car- “Such systems are used in many ure cracks. Such technology can 1959 to solve design problems and Mechanics and Geotechnical En- System in the Field of Air Freight, go from one day to one hour. The European countries. We cannot use complete accurate surveys and construct and operate the country’s gineering (ISSMGE). the project will improve paper- project should also attract air cargo work efficiency for air cargo trans- and transit through the country, the portation, attracting more transit Civil Aviation Committee of the through the country. Ministry for Investments and De- “The new service will increase velopment wrote on its Facebook the attractiveness of the airspace of account. Mangystau region has Government takes Kazakhstan for transit cargo traf- E-freight, the 67th of the Plan of fic, increase the competitiveness the Nation’s 100 Concrete Steps, is of Kazakhstan’s air carriers and one of the primary projects of the reduce the time and cost of cargo country’s digitisation programme. steady growth, will measures to reduce clearance,” said TransInfoTech It is being implemented under in- Chairperson Sanzhar Rakhmetzh- struction from President Nursul- anov. tan Nazarbayev and was one of The 3.3-billion tenge (US$8.9 the new enterprises and projects develop manufacturing utility costs million) project is being executed presented to him during the recent naygaz oil company has started a tions were conducted and 15 through private investments, with Industrialisation Day national tel- By Aidana Yergaliyeva project with Russian manufactur- By Zhanna Shayakhmetova inspections are scheduled,” he no state budget funds expended. econference. ers to produce oil pumps. They added. ASTANA – The Mangystau will use 500 million tenge ASTANA – Utility costs will be Water supply and wastewater region’s gross regional product (US$1.35 million) in investments reduced in all regions beginning service savings will be more than 2 increased from 98.6 percent to to build the Aktau Tengiz Porty Jan. 1, said Vice Minister of Na- billion tenge (US$5 million). Price 103.4 percent compared to the factory in the Aktau seaport spe- tional Economy Serik Zhumanga- reductions in gas supply are fore- previous year, announced Akim cial economic zone. rin at a Dec. 20 press conference in cast to improve from 3.3 to 17.5 KTZ will notify (Governor) Yeraly Tugzhanov at Tugzhanov noted support for the capital. percent and savings for gas supply a recent press conference. regional manufacturing indus- The action comes in response to services will be approximately five “It is not superfluous to say tries will be the main develop- a task set by President Nursultan billion tenge (US$13 million). that this is a very good indicator, ment direction in coming years. Nazarbayev at the Security Coun- The ministry also completed passengers about because for many years the indi- cil meeting to reduce costs and en- work to reduce electricity trans- In 2018, the volume of invest- cator was at the level of 96 per- ments in the region’s fixed assets hance tariff setting transparency. mission tariffs. KEGOC, the na- cent,” he noted. increased from 81.7 percent to Heat service costs have already tion’s electricity grid company, The volume of industrial pro- 107.2 percent to reach 417 billion been reduced by 36.8 percent in intended to increase costs by 12 train delays duction reached 101.1 percent, 11 the Akmola region, 2.8 percent in percent through interregional tenge (US$45.92 million). Its in- The railroad promises additional percent of the country’s total. vestment portfolio currently in- the East Kazakhstan region and level networks as part of the five- Staff Report cars to popular destinations during Located in southwest Kazakh- cludes 81 projects worth 266 bil- 1.1 percent in the North Kazakh- year maximum tariff approved the New Year holiday. stan, the Mangystau region bor- lion tenge (US$718.45 million). stan region. in 2015. The regulation of natu- ASTANA – Beginning Jan. 1, This year, KTZ opened 24- ders more than half of the coun- In general, the region has seen Costs will be cut by 15.3 percent ral monopolies and protection of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) hour call centres which received try’s Caspian shoreline. Soviet in the Turkestan region and 2.2 competition committee decided to good socio-economic growth in will notify passengers about train approximately 2,500 passenger engineers discovered oil reserves percent in the Karaganda region, keep the figure at the current level recent years. Construction grew delays of more than three hours, complaints about the condition of in the area and the region has resulting in an approximately six of 2.4 tenge (US$.01) per kilowatt 103.1 percent to 164 billion tenge said Asset Asavbayev, chair of the trains and behaviour of conduc- mainly been developed around billion tenge (US$16 million) pub- per hour. (US$442.96 million), close to Ministry for Investments and De- tors. The company made attempts the oil industry. lic fund savings for heat supply “The Ministry of Energy pub- the target plan of 106.7 percent velopment transport committee, to address each problem. In No- Oil reserves are growing scarce, services. lished information on price reduc- at a Dec. 6 press conference in the vember, Air Astana personnel however, prompting Tugzhanov or 205 billion tenge (US$553.69 “We expect cost reductions in tions at the stations the day before. capital. provided special customer service to suggest manufacturing as an million) by the end of the year. water supply, water disposal, pow- Now, it became possible to reduce Passengers will receive an SMS training for 1,500 KTZ conductors alternative for the region’s sus- Authorities also reported er supply, heat supply and gas sup- prices for power supply services. notification (text) free of charge, and cashiers. tainable growth. Its share in the the 945,000-square metre an- ply,” said Zhumangarin. The share of stations in retail elec- and Asavbayev stressed the impor- The ministry examined 101 total industrial output increased nual housing construction plan Work has been coordinated in tricity prices has reached 60 per- tance of indicating one’s cell num- trains this year and found 800 vio- from 4 percent to 8 percent. was met on time, resulting in a the regions since Nov. 12 to es- cent,” said Zhumangarin. ber when purchasing tickets. lations. Inspectors also discovered “One way to increase the vol- 139.7-percent increase. One mil- tablish feedback from citizens, Retail electricity prices for enti- “I would like passengers to indi- more than 1,000 incidents of stow- ume of the manufacturing sector lion square metres are planned by resulting in 102 meetings on prob- ties in eight regions are expected cate their telephone numbers when away passengers in 830 passenger is to develop local content. The the end of the year. lematic housing and utilities issues to decline from 1.7 to 18 percent. buying tickets both on the website trains. The railway administra- main reserve is the procurement As part of the 7-20-25 hous- attended by 2,791 residents. The Savings for electricity services and at the ticket office so that if a tors were fined 55 million tenge by oil companies in the region,” ing lending programme, 22 pri- Atameken National Chamber of will be more than 14.5 billion train is late, they will receive infor- (US$148,343.). he said. vate construction companies are Entrepreneurs, reporters, local ex- tenge (US$39 million). mation,” he said. In ten years, the company In 2017, regional oil companies building 15 residential complexes ecutive bodies, the Nur Otan party “The price reduction will even- KTZ recently enhanced its web- promises to replace more than spent 500 billion tenge (US$1.35 with 2,300 apartments. Second- and public associations also took tually lead to a decrease in the av- site, bilet.railways.kz, with a wait- 1,000 old rail cars produced from billion) to purchase non-domestic tier banks reviewed 371 appli- part in the events. Hotlines were erage bill for utility payments per ing list function. If a train running 1970-1980. KTZ will introduce a goods, 30 percent of the total 1.7 cations, approving 235 for 1.9 organised for consumers who did month,” he added. at a particular time and date is full, new standard for equipping trains trillion tenge (US$4.59 billion), billion tenge (US$5.13 million). not have the opportunity to attend According to the decision ap- the new service will e-mail pro- with bedding and soft remov- he noted. Authorities expect 500 apart- the public events. proved by the Ministry of Energy, spective passengers if a ticket is able equipment in the first half of As the first step towards de- ments to be commissioned by the “Based on appeals and com- the electricity price ceiling will not returned. 2019. veloping local content, Ozenmu- end of the year. plaints, 55 unscheduled inspec- change until 2025. B5 NATION&CAPITAL SOCIETY

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 Targeted state support is key to engaging youth in employment, education, says expert According to the 2016 Global cation or training) phenomenon, countries, the NEET category is said the researcher on the impor- the Village! Project, 210 youth re- By Dilshat Zhussupova Youth Development Index, the na- which she explored as a 2018 actively used as an indicator of tance of maintaining Kazakh- sources centres and various youth tion ranks 61st among 183 coun- Central Asia Programme fellow at youth marginalisation and disen- stan’s positive performance on research centres. Comprehensive ASTANA – The Kazakh youth tries. With the national Year of the George Washington University’s gagement. This is because a high the indicator. data collection and analysis, which population aged 16 to 24 will in- Youth drawing closer, the coun- Elliott School of International Af- NEET rate may have a number Areas of improvement include is currently lacking, may show crease 30 percent by 2030 and will try’s youth policy will prioritise fairs. of negative short-term, as well as engaging young Kazakhs in high- “the extent to which NEETs have require more targeted state support addressing its 3.9 percent youth Two indicators, the employment long-term, consequences for soci- er-quality, higher-paid and lower- entered the education or employ- in entering and remaining in em- unemployment rate, along with and unemployment rate, dominate ety.” risk jobs, which are accessible ment system under the framework ployment, education and training, fostering the young generation’s youth labour market descriptions “Kazakhstan has a lower NEET beyond the informal economy of these or other initiatives,” she said an education expert in an in- socialisation, all-rounded develop- yet fail to capture the youth popu- rate than its neighbours and OECD currently employing many youth, said. terview with The Astana Times. ment and participation in decision- lation’s vulnerability. countries,” she added, noting the and allocating greater resources Alimkhanova’s policy recom- One in five Kazakh citizens be- making processes. “The NEET rate is used [inter- 2016 rates of 9.5 percent in Ka- to the country’s southern regions, mendations include conduct- long to the younger generation, Dinara Alimkhanova is a Naz- nationally] to give a more com- zakhstan, 14 percent in OECD where NEET rates are highest. ing large-scale NEET research, with 2.3 million living in cit- arbayev University Graduate prehensive view of the segment countries, 14.1 percent in the Unit- Alimkhanova attributes the lat- facilitating a work-life balance ies and 1.7 million in rural areas. School of Education graduate, of the youth population that has ed States and Russia and 20.4 per- ter to factors such as the regions’ for women, assessing state pro- Equipping them with the necessary having previously worked at the given up looking for work or is cent in Kyrgyzstan. gender gap among NEET youth, grammes’ effectiveness, raising knowledge and skills for compet- European Training Foundation, unwilling to join the labour mar- Youth struggling to gain em- urban migration, ethnic repatria- awareness on employment, educa- ing in the global economy is a pol- the United Nations Educational, ket,” she said on the rate, which ployment are likelier to face tion, shadow economy and access tion and training opportunities via icy priority for Kazakh President Scientific and Cultural Organisa- consists of the population’s per- poverty and poor health and liv- to education. social media and encouraging non- Nursultan Nazarbayev, as outlined tion and a think tank under the centage of 15 to 29 year olds who ing conditions. These groups are Youth-oriented government ini- governmental organisation support in his Oct. 5 state-of-the-nation ad- Kazakh Ministry of Education are not employed or involved in “more likely to engage in crimi- tiatives include the Bolashak In- for NEETs’ hard and soft skill de- dress “Growing welfare of Kazakh and Science. She explained her education or training. “In the Or- nal activity… [and] have lower ternational Scholarship, Yenbek velopment. citizens: increase in income and research findings on Kazakhstan’s ganisation for Economic Cooper- levels of trust in socio-political programme, Serpin project, Green The policy paper is available at quality of life.” NEET (not in employment, edu- ation and Development (OECD) institutions and the government,” Country project, With a Degree to www.centralasiaprogram.org. First private employment East Kazakhstan region agency opens in Akmola region students win WorldSkills “The unique project has a social interregional direction. Kásip-kz By Zhanna Shayakhmetova function. The head of state focused will also have the ability to recruit on the welfare of Kazakh people foreign workers if the international ASTANA – The Akmola region and improvement of living stand- agreements are available. Kazakhstan Championship Chamber of Entrepreneurs has ards in his state-of-the-nation ad- “Today, local enterprises are annually, reaching more than 6 bil- “Blue-collar jobs are in demand launched Kásip-kz, the first pri- dress. Potential employees will be in need of approximately 10,000 By Zhanna Shayakhmetova lion tenge (US$16 million). in Kazakhstan… The youth com- vate employment agency, reported given a wide range of workplaces workers. The regional chamber Next year, the region plans to re- prehend new trends in a positive the regional city administration and the employer will be provided of entrepreneurs conducted the ASTANA – The East Kazakh- form the technical and vocational light. We now see that new spe- Dec. 6. The agency, in coopera- with a wide choice of different monitoring of 250 companies stan region took first place in the education system, as 40 percent cialists are needed in industry. The tion with its strategic partners, specialists. Labour migration will in November. These enterprises fourth WorldSkills Kazakhstan of young people are attending col- industrial and agricultural enter- will hold a job fair in January in affect the efficiency of business have about 2,000 vacant jobs. Championship Dec. 3-7 in the cap- lege. prises and transport and logistics Shymkent. development and increase tax rev- The employment agency da- ital. The 27 participants who won The special technical and voca- complexes provide more opportu- The regional administration enues. The agency will closely tabase will consolidate all the seven gold medals will participate tional education programme for nities. This competition provides signed memoranda of cooperation cooperate with training centres,” necessary information about job in the 45th international champi- 2019-2021 was also developed. It an incentive for those who have with the regional Chambers of En- said Kásip-kz head Timur Nakh- vacancies and applicants. The onship Aug. 22-27 in Kazan, Rus- is designed to create an effective not decided on their future profes- trepreneurs of Shymkent and the ipbekov. agency will also give consulta- sia. and flexible education system that sion,” he added. North Kazakhstan region and the The agency’s activities will tions related to labour legislation Beginning next year, busi- meets the needs of the economy The four-day national champi- employment centres. cover intraregional, interregional and provide information about ness representatives will collabo- and new standards of industrial onship attracted 350 college and The project’s mission is to rec- and international employment. It employment opportunities and rate with WorldSkills Kazakh- production. university students throughout the ommend personnel to local enter- will attract labour resources from services for labour mediation. In stan to train qualified personnel, prises, assist in employing unem- densely populated regions of the this regard, the services will be said Prime Minister Bakytzhan ployed and self-employed citizens country – Almaty, Kyzylorda, available through a single win- Sagintayev. and organise their social and pro- Turkestan and Zhambyl regions dow at the Centre for Entrepre- The championship’s main mis- fessional orientation and retraining. and Shymkent – as part of the neurs Service. We will launch an sion is to enable young workers online database that will allow to gain the practical skills and applicants to submit applications qualifications in demand in the la- remotely in the future,” reported bour market. Continuous learning the press service. and new skills are necessary due The agency will use the profes- to technological upgrades in the sional selection and promotion workplace. The government coop- system for in-demand industrial erates with employers and foreign and agricultural specialists. experts to improve the vocational Last year, Atameken National education programme and increase Chamber of Entrepreneurs initiat- the competitiveness of domestic ed amendments to legislative acts staff. on the transfer of certain services “This event is of special im- of employment centres to private portance because young people agencies. At present, the country’s participate in it. These college registered private employment students are our future specialists agencies are typically located in who will work in various sectors big cities. of the country’s economy. Their qualification is growing. The role of vocational education is growing every day,” said Kasipkor Deputy The competence centres will regions studying 30 specialties. Chairperson of the Board Asima train personnel for the mining and The event was organised by the Bimendina. metallurgical industry based on Ministry of Education and Science Kazakhstan to introduce The venue was divided into 30 the needs of leading enterprises, in cooperation with Kasipkor. areas with the necessary condi- Kazminerals and Kazzinc. Plans WorldSkills, a non-profit move- tions to demonstrate skills. The ex- are underway to allocate 7 billion ment with the mission of promot- perts gave participants a competi- tenge (US$18 million) to equip ing blue-collar jobs, is held every regulations to combat tive task in each competence. colleges. two years in different parts of Currently, 86 colleges in the East Secondary profession and tech- the world. Kazakhstan joined the Kazakhstan region offer courses in nical skills are important in terms movement in 2014. Last year, Ka- 115 specialties and 231 qualifica- of the new industrial revolution, zakh students participated in the overpricing of medications tions. Investments in vocational- said First Vice Minister for Invest- contest in Abu Dhabi and last fall, prescribe medications and those oriented education from the local ment and Development Roman the local team took 10th place at By Yelizaveta Abramovskaya who release medicines subject budget are increased 10 percent Sklyar. EuroSkills in Budapest. to prescription without an over- ASTANA – The Ministry of the-counter prescription. We will Healthcare will introduce a new introduce the e-medical prescrip- model in January to regulate the price tion by 2020. We will know what and circulation of medicines and doctor prescribed the medicines medical devices, said , chairperson and which pharmacy released the of the ministry’s Pharmacy Commit- medicines,” said Byurabekova. tee, at a Dec. 6 press conference. The pharmacological supervi- “More than 2,780 message cards sion organisation is constantly about the side effects of medicines working with medical personnel, were registered and 898 inspec- Lyudmila Byurabekova analysing and processing obtained tions of pharmaceutical companies data. Medical safety is the com- were conducted for compliance protect the interests of consum- plex work of manufacturers and with the requirements of pharma- ers,” she added. distributors, regulatory and expert ceutical activity over 11 months of Antibiotics, antiretroviral medi- bodies, doctors and patients. The 2018,” she noted. cines and medicines for cancer major problem results from those The committee takes measures treatment are more prone to have involved in medical circulation not to improve expert and regulatory side effects and self-medication is fully appreciating the importance functions in medicine circulation, an issue. There is a need to go to of monitoring adverse reactions, according to the state-to-the-na- the hospital or pharmacy. When which is key to patient safety. tion address. treatment is not under control, the In cases of acute respiratory dis- “The pharmacy committee con- result can be antibiotic resistance. eases, pharyngitis and other viral ducted large-scale work to identify “Antibiotic resistance is a glob- infections, children under age five overpricing of medicines. The new al problem. We want to increase can receive a prescription for free model for price regulation will the responsibility of those who medication. B6 NATION&CAPITAL TOURISM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 Kazakh ‘#Explorestan’ tourism branding seeks to take sting out of ‘Stan’ of meanings cities may hold – if a “We are aware that to implement information on travel,” said media By Dilshat Zhussupova given city were to disappear off the a large-scale strategy for promot- project The Steppe founder Zaure face of the world, what kind of loss ing this brand and making progress Rozmat on what her new media ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s tour- would the world undergo?” said on destination marketing, it is nec- project, which will produce Cen- ism brand was presented to the public relations agency Lyulka PR essary to involve all stakeholders tral Asian travel content and con- general public Dec. 7 at Astana’s founder and business magazine – businesses, media and the blogo- nect tour operators with readers, Travel Media Talks international Community editor-in-chief Tatya- sphere… That is why we organised can contribute to nation branding. forum and will soon be submitted na Lyulka on branding in a world this forum, which will become a “We approached Kazakhstan for state approval. of globalisation and digitisation. platform for discussing our brand’s on launching the World Nomad Tourism industry development Kazakhstan’s tourism brand impact on tourism industry devel- Games in 2008-2009 but there ap- is a state policy priority, as indi- will inform local and foreign au- opment,” said Kazakh Tourism peared to be greater enthusiasm for cated by the 100 Concrete Steps diences on its tourism opportuni- Chairman Rashid Kuzembayev. hosting the 2017 Winter Universia- to Implement Five Institutional ties, encourage their discovery and “Having met with heads of major de in Almaty – national games were Reforms initiative, the Strategic revolve around the four E’s – eco, media groups such as the British perceived as a step backward com- Development Plan until 2020 and ethno, events and entertainment. Broadcasting Corporation, I was pared to established franchises… Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy. The This will be achieved by its crea- told that Kazakhstan, in terms of Now, I am proud to say that our

Kazakh Tourism national company tive use of the suffix ‘-stan’. Facebook Page. Kazakh Tourism Photo credit: its tourism image, does not have a event is at the level of unique com- has been institutionally develop- “Currently, many states with the Rashid Kuzembayev clear stance on who we are target- petitions such as bullfighting,” said ing the country’s tourism industry ‘-stan’ suffix have serious image ing and what we offer… Follow- former Kyrgyz Vice Minister of since 2017, and a state law and problems. Some conduct multimil- negative media portrayals by taking take place in three stages,” said Ka- ing this conversation, we came to Culture, Information and Tourism programme are underway. lion-dollar PR campaigns, others ownership of black culture. zakh Tourism Deputy Chairperson the conclusion that while there is and World Nomad Games Organ- Kazakh Tourism, along with a even consider changing the name of The brand name #Explorestan Kairat Sadvakassov, listing logo se- clear and straightforward informa- iser Maksat Chakiyev on the impor- Kazakh agency called Action Me- their country. While the West con- Kazakhstan thus came to be and lection by jury and online voting by tion available on Europe and the tance of authentic nation branding. dia and Canadian agency Media tinues to portray ‘-stan’ in a nega- may be readily used as a social me- February 2019 and presentation at United States, this is lacking for This year, forum organisers Ka- Gurus Inc., strive to promote the tive way, we can break this percep- dia hashtag and interpreted by var- next year’s global tourism conven- Central Asia… and that we should zakh Tourism and the Kazakh Min- country as an attractive travel des- tion by using the seemingly flawed ious sub-brands, such as #Friend- tion ITB Berlin. write in a concise and accessible istry of Culture and Sports’ Tour- tination by showcasing its diversity suffix in our favour. How? We must lystan for a hospitality sub-brand. The brand promotion strategy is way. That is why, in launching the ism Industry Committee invited across ethnicity, religion, culture, possess the ‘-stan’ suffix, creating “Having determined our brand to make use of familiar communi- project (Steppe Asia), we produce media and tourism experts from language, cuisine, nature, climate associations that are correct and name, our next step is its visuali- cation channels that are traditional information in Russian and Eng- Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and historical and sacred places. beneficial for us,” said journalist sation – the logo. We call on local and social media, with a promo- lish and write concisely on topics Russia, Ukraine and the United “Today, a brand is not a slogan and the project’s Creative Produc- and foreign agencies to participate tional video having recently aired like ‘five things to do on a business Kingdom to present to government or logo, it is an aggregated set of er Riz Khan at the event, drawing in our brand logo competition. Fol- on a television channel. Impor- trip in Astana’… for progressive officials, entrepreneurs, tour op- images filled with meaning. We an analogy of African-Americans lowing the logo creation stage is tantly, locals are to be engaged for people, including both foreigners erators, media and bloggers. They should ask ourselves what kinds in the United States overcoming brand legitimisation, which will effective brand promotion. and locals, who seek accessible intend to host the event annually. Morocco seeks Kazakh National Tourism Award to stimulate Kazakh tourists, development of tourism in the country Tourism Chair Rashid Kuzem- promotion of the quality of servic- stage. At the second stage, the By Saltanat Boteu bayev during the press conference es. The participants have a unique short-listed candidates were evalu- to announce the introduction of the opportunity to exchange experi- ated through a Nov. 20-28 open tourism agency ASTANA – The Kazakh Nation- award. ence and knowledge in tourism online voting. al Tourism Award was introduced The aims of the award is to cre- development in the regions and the “Online voting was lively. Each this year to encourage tourism ate a unified information base of country. nominee tried to get the most organisations, travel bloggers and the most interesting tourism pro- The award is established as a votes: some conducted various partnerships jects and products, to connect all sectorial award, based on an open activities on their social media other involved parties to improve sea and the ocean, the desert and their services accordingly in de- stakeholders in the development competition for achievements in pages, went outside with promo- By Zhanna Shayakhmetova the mountains; its ancient history, veloping the tourism sphere of the of tourism in the country and the the development of the tourism tions and mailed on messengers. It well-known gastronomy and hos- country. The award ceremony also industry, including all related tour- contributed to the involvement of ASTANA – Morocco sees the pitality make it a desirable destina- is aimed at creating an information ism industries. the public with the award that we potential for cooperation in the tion. Tourist offerings are varied, and communication platform and Among 150 Among 150 participants, 19 re- sought as a beginning,” said Ka- Kazakh tourism market, said the including surfing, races, hunting, attracting the attention of the soci- participants, 19 ceived the 2018 National Tourism zakh Tourism Events Department country’s first Ambassador to Ka- fishing and golf. It is famous for its ety to the sphere. Award in 17 main and two addi- Director Gaukhar Zhenisbek. zakhstan Abdeljalil Saubry at the authentic culture, diverse excursion “The award is aimed at help- received the 2018 tional nominations. The jury made the final deci- Dec. 5 inaugural Moroccan tour- tours and different types of hotels. ing to identify the most success- The competition consisted of sion announcing the winners Dec. ism day in the capital. Moroccan National Tourist Of- ful tourism projects and products National Tourism two stages. After applying to the 8 that can be seen at the award’s The event gathered approxi- fice for Russia and Commonwealth of inbound and domestic tourism, Award in 17 main award participation Sept. 15 – website tourismawards.kz/2018 mately 50 local tour agencies, five of Independent States (CIS) Direc- their promotion and the formation Nov. 15, an experts’ council made with the links to all winning pro- Moroccan tour operators and repre- tor Samir Soussi noted the tour- of the society’s interest in tourism. and two additional up from tourism associations and jects and products. sentatives of the Moroccan National ism day event was initiated by the It will improve the quality of ser- public funds conducted selection The award is planned to be an Tourist Office and Royal Air Maroc. ambassador to start the country’s vice in the industry,” said Kazakh nominations. of the participants during the first annual event. “We are taking the first major large-scale promotion. step in this promising direction. “The Kazakh market is one of The number of companies pre- the priorities for us. We do not have sented and their reputations dem- a large flow of Kazakh tourists, but onstrate a great interest in Mo- we see how they enjoy staying in rocco today. It demonstrates great Morocco. We have a tourism de- Yelikti ski resort is perfect destination for potential and opportunities that we velopment project in Kazakhstan have and we will develop further. I and we are going to strengthen our believe this is the first stage of our presence,” he said. fruitful cooperation,” he said. The office organised seminars beginner, expert skiers and snowboarders The Moroccan Embassy, opened and workshops in Almaty and an- two years ago, has recorded an in- nually participates in the Kazakh- Continued from Page B1 The complex is among those creasing number of visa applica- stan International Exhibition Tour- participating in Business Road tions. It also issues visas for Kyr- ism and Travel (KITF). This year, “The length of the slopes and a cer- Map 2020. The project, started in gyzstan and Tajikistan. the office also took part in the capi- tain variety will allow you to learn to 2012, has dedicated 450 million “We see that Kazakh tourists are tal exhibition. ride with confidence and even reach tenge (US$1.2 million) to develop- eager to see new countries and to Connecting flights between the the level of ‘dropping heels.’ This ing a variety of enterprises. discover new cultures. They are countries are being developed. is quite enough to not be afraid to Visitors can stay at Yelikti’s new interested in finding new direc- “We will invite our partners to dis- travel to the ‘big mountains,’ saving five-storey hotel. While their- par tions. This inspires us to promote cuss flight projects – charter or regu- money and time for training,” said ents attack the slopes, children can the tourism sector and improve the lar flights. The most important thing visitor Vladimir Sobolev in a review spend their time in a playroom with service,” he added. is that we started the negotiations on his blog vsobolev.com. heated floors, toys, a TV and game Morocco is noted 16 times on and work in this direction,” he said. The resort considers every detail slide under the supervision of a car- the United Nations Educational, Morocco attracted a record num- for its guests’ comfortable stay. Visi- egiver. The hotel’s restaurant can Scientific and Cultural Organiza- ber of 11 million tourists in 2017, tors can buy or rent any necessary serve up to 200 people celebrating tion (UNESCO) World Heritage according to The Arab Weekly. skiing and snowboarding equipment. events such as a corporate evening. list. The country boasts high qual- Tourism is the country’s second Special attention is also paid to There is even a room for prayer. ity tourism services and a plethora largest employer after agriculture safety. The first aid service and a “From the infrastructural point of destinations. Its geographic po- and one of its main sources of for- new snowmobile are constantly on of view, everything is good at the sition as the crossroads of Africa, eign exchange, accounting for 10 duty for quick evacuation to a local Yelikti ski base. Comfort will be Europe and the Arab World, the percent of its wealth. medical centre. provided to you,” added Sobolev.

Chemical elements found in the water are believed to help treat many diseases, contribute to the Almaty’s thermal springs season is heating up normalisation of the body pro- section from Almaty to Qulzha vil- Magmatic intrusions in ar- cesses and stimulate the immune By Saltanat Boteu lage passes through settlements, eas of active volcanism warm up system. Many also believe springs where the speed limit is 60 kilome- water that feeds all hot springs have a physiotherapeutic effect on ASTANA – Although the tres per hour. The second section in Shonzhy. Its thermal mineral joints and muscles. Shonzhy village in the Almaty re- is from Qulzha to Shelek village. springs or hot springs are divided There are more than 10 recrea- gion’s Uyghur district is located far There are large gaps between the to warm (20-37 degrees Celsius), tion areas in Shonzhy that have from the Almaty city, the village is settlements. The third section is hot (37-50 degrees Celsius) and open and closed pools, children’s a popular tourism destination. The from the Shelek to Shonzhy village. very hot (50-100 degrees Celsius). pools and wells with cold water. village has thermal springs, the There are no settlements on the road Thermal springs are believed The costs on average are approxi- season for which begins with au- and speed limit is up to 110 kilome- to be good for relaxation and mately 4,000 (US$10.78) – 6,000 tumn frosts. tres per hour. The last section is from health purposes. Shonzhy thermal tenge (US$16.17) per person per The distance between Almaty Shonzhy to the thermal springs with springs’ chemical composition day. and Shonzhy is 243 kilometres. tourists can see the landscapes are surrounded by the Ile Alatau a 50 kilometres distance. is similar to many of the famous Travel agencies offer taxis and The journey from Almaty to the and significant places of the area, ridges. The weather in Shonzhy is usu- mineral springs across the Com- buses to reach Shonzhy. The av- thermal springs on average takes such as the relict ash tree grove The road to the springs can be ally stable. It is warm in the sum- monwealth of Independent States erage fare per person is 4,000 – four to five hours. On the way, and the Charyn River, which divided into four sections. The first mer, cold and snowy in winter. countries. 5,000 tenge (US$10.78-$13.47). B7 NATION&CAPITAL SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 World chess champion debuts how-to-play book in Kazakh national tournaments. She plans a need to create conditions where country to develop and acquire By Yerbolat Uatkhanov to distribute the publication in young people can learn to solve additional skills. schools and various general edu- logical problems under time pres- Saduakasova is supported ASTANA – World chess cham- cation centres. sure, train their brains, improve by the United Nations Interna- pion Dinara Saduakasova re- The textbook includes strate- memory and increase efficiency tional Children’s Emergency cently presented her debut book, gies for novices, history, rules, in the modern world and be intel- Fund (UNICEF) and is one of “Learning to play chess,” in tactics, tasks, solving etudes, lectually developed. And chess its Goodwill Ambassadors. This the capital. The volume, which answers to tasks and rules of be- will help with this,” she said. year, she has already held a num- shares her experience and skills, haviour during the game. It also ber of tournaments, simultaneous is the first on the topic written in contains a chess alphabet. play sessions and master classes Kazakh. Saduakasova’s goal is to popu- Saduakasova’s goal in the capital, Aktau, Pavlodar “It was not easy for me to write larise chess in Kazakhstan and and the Atyrau region. She will a book, because there was no the Central Asian region. In writ- is to popularise chess be holding a chess academy in such book in Kazakh. Some chess ing a book and holding regular in Kazakhstan and the the capital Dec. 22 and events in expressions were not [available] tournaments and game sessions, Kyzylorda and Turkestan later in Kazakh. Therefore, I turned she compares chess today to a Central Asian region. this month. to philologists for advice when I model for business. Early next year, the athlete created this book,” she said. “The skill to win and lose cor- She noted there is a need to plans to open the Dinara Sadu- The international grandmaster rectly, learning and drawing con- open chess clubs in schools, col- akasova Chess Academy in demonstrates the techniques and clusions, fosters a healthy attitude leges and universities, which Atyrau. The school will provide

experience she gained during ztb.kz. Photo credit: to defeat and a spirit of goal-set- she feels will provide impetus to free classes for children from world championships and inter- Dinara Saduakasova ting in a person. I think there is children and young people in the low-income families. Aktobe FC board Kanat Islam to return to ring in March Islam was scheduled to fight in Kazakhstan and celebrate the By Assel Satubaldina Mexican Fernando Carcamo June country’s Independence Day. 23 in Los Angeles, but the fight Shortage of qualified managers, member calls for ASTANA – Prominent Ka- was cancelled due to Islam’s leg however, inhibits young boxers’ zakh boxer Kanat Islam (25-0, 20 injury. careers. knockouts) will return to ring in “I got over my injury just recent- “Not everyone has an opportuni- March next year. ly. I started training. I am planning ty to work with someone like Bob change in limit on  Islam is an ethnic Kazakh my return to the professional ring Arum. To some extent, I will be a born in Xinjiang, China, where in March,” said Islam at a press promoter for our fellow boxers. I he started his boxing career as an briefing in Astana. know the professional boxing in- foreign players amateur in 1997. Islam also plans to become a side and out,” he said. He won bronze medals at the promoter. Islam does not consider wrap- team! The choice is small. In this Summer Olympics in 2004 and “With the support of a famous ping up his boxing career. By Yerbolat Uatkhanov regard, it turns out that the club 2008, at the Asian Games in Doha philanthropist Baurzhan Ospanov, “I am not planning to do that at tasks and tasks of the national in 2006 and the World Champi- we opened a promotion company the moment. I have a desire and ASTANA – More than 16 years team do not quite coincide on this onship in Chicago in 2007. Islam Qazaq Promotions. It is helping our most importantly strength and have passed since Kazakhstan en- issue. Because of the large limit started his professional career young boxers and has big goals. I ability to continue making my fans tered the Union of European Foot- on foreign players, the members in 2012 after competing for the Kanat Islam plan to use my vast experience for happy with my wins and make my ball Associations (UEFA) family. of the national team have little Astana Arlans professional boxing the good of the country and grow- beautiful Kazakhstan heard at in- In that time, the level of the coun- practice on their teams, because in team of Kazakhstan in the World ing generation. The world knows ternational arena. The important try’s game should have noticeably clubs they lose out in competition Series Boxing. His last fight was in September well about our boxing school and thing is to avoid injuries. I hope progressed, but it hasn’t. Aktobe to foreign players,” he added. He currently lives and trains in last year, when he beat previously its traditions,” said Islam. strongly that in 2019 my numerous Football Club board member and Balancing these directions is the Miami and signed a managerial undefeated Canadian Brandon Qazaq Promotions hosted a pro- fans witness great fights and I am well-known Aktobe football ex- main goal of the Kazakhstan Foot- contract with world’s top promoter Cook with a knock out in ninth fessional boxing evening Dec. 16 able to accomplish my dreams and pert Nikolai Ivanov feels there is a ball Federation and Professional Egis Klimas in February. round. to promote development of boxing make goals a reality,” he said. need to work on the balance of for- Football League. eign players to develop the game “Today, Astana FC is the only in the nation. club that gives a stable result and While Astana Football Club, the earns points. As for the national country’s current champion, has team, we have the result and it is had success in the European Cup, unsatisfactory. Hence, on this ba- Junior hockey Kazakh driver Sultan other domestic teams have not sis, the vector needs to be correct- achieved much at the international ed,” said Ivanov. arena. Many Kazakh experts be- He added there is a need to lieve the limit on players who are prevent setting an artificial limit. team prepares for Ibragimov makes impressive not local football pupils or their A working group of specialists equivalent has become a serious should be formed to look at the barrier to the development and problem from all angles and sug- progress of young Kazakh players. gest the optimal choice. Decisions 2019 World Junior Formula 4 test debut “This is quite a complicated at the club manager level may con- question and it needs to be consid- tain a conflict of interests, -bear ered from two positions. The first ing in mind the different levels of is the position of a club and the funding and absence of restrictions Championship second is the position of our na- on players’ wages. Championships in Ottawa, Can- tional team and its interests. When “Today, it is clear that something By Saltanat Boteu ada, against Latvia, and were it comes to clubs, they usually say needs to be changed here. From knocked down a rank to the that they don’t need a limit at all, that group of young players who ASTANA – The Kazakh jun- first division. Over the next two so the more legionnaires, the bet- passed that limit in due time, Yury ior hockey team will compete years in the first division, the ter. The club declaration is like Logvinenko comes to my memory, in Group B of the 2019 World team ranked fourth. this: ‘Give us high-quality legion- but this is almost an isolated case Junior Championship, to be held In 2011, the International Ice naires, that is, as much as we have when we have the result – and this from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Cana- Hockey Federation divided the the means for, and we will achieve is history. And we need to think da. Kazakhstan is rejoining the first division into a stronger results in European competitions.’ about the future. Here, we need to top 10 national teams partici- Group A and a weaker Group And so on. And there is an ex- think about everything correctly pating in the preliminary round B. The winner of Group A could ample of this – Astana Football and without emotions, because as of the competition for the first rejoin the top division. Kazakh- Club, – which manages to produce soon as (president of FC Kairat a result at the current limit,” said Almaty) Kairat Boranbayev starts time since 2009, reports pros- stan was assigned to Group B. Ivanov, according to Sports.kz. talking about tightening this limit, ports.kz. In the same season, the Sn- By Zhanna Shayakhmetova acclimatise to the hot and humid “On the other hand, today we the pretext for this is that Kairat In the group stage, Kazakh- ezhnye Barsy Junior Profes- tropical conditions. He drove the have candidates for the national can’t become a champion – there- stan will face off against Fin- sional Team was created as part ASTANA – Fourteen-year-old red number 7 MERITUS.GP For- team, roughly speaking 70 football fore he protects his interest and land, the United States, Sweden of the Barys Hockey Club. The Sultan Ibragimov will take part mula 4 car, clocking up over 500 players, and at the same time it is tries to weaken Astana in achiev- and Slovakia. Only two coun- junior team began competing in in the 2019 Formula 4 South East kilometres on the 5.543 kilome- very difficult to solve the prob- ing this goal. In general, some tries from the group stage will the Junior Hockey League. Asia Championship after complet- tre, challenging 15-corner and lems of the national team and its judgments in this matter seem advance to the quarterfinals. The first Junior World Cham- ing the first test on the Sepang In- 6-straight track near Kuala Lum- recruitment. Every third candidate to me not to be football, but near Twenty-four hockey players pionship in Group A for Ka- ternational Circuit Nov. 26-28 in pur,” reads the press release. becomes a member of the national football,” he said. from the Barys Junior Team zakhstan was held in Vienna in Malaysia. He ran with the MERI- He progressed well in the three have joined the expanded cham- the 2015-2016 season, where TUS.GP team during three days of days, learning the track and feel- pionship squad. Kazakh hockey players compet- testing. ing comfortable with the car and “This is a great success, to ed against Latvian, Norwegian, The test races became the first environment. MERITUS.GP’s en- play at this level – not everyone German and Austrian players. stage to prepare for the new sea- gineers are confident he can be a gets such a chance. Therefore, The team took third place, re- son following professional karting front-runner. it should be used to the full. taining its place in the group. competitions. Ibragimov started with kart rac- We should play well, demon- The following season, the Event organisers note Kazakh- ing at age 10 and won several kart- strate our skills and have a good championship was held in the stan is building Future F1 heroes ing competitions. game,” said Snezhnye Barsy German city of Bremerhaven, with Ibragimov’s “impressive in- “When I race at a speed of more Junior Hockey Club defensive where Kazakhstan took fourth augural F4 test” at Sepang. than 100 km/h or overtake rivals player Samat Daniyar. place in the group, but after “I am glad for this experience on the tracks, I feel calm and get “I haven’t fully realised defeating Austria and Norway, to take another step towards my adrenaline and I really like this that I will play there. This is a Kazakhstan retained a place in dream – to participate in Formula condition. I work hard during great event in the career of any Group A and did not descend to 1,” he said after the races. training sessions and follow my hockey player; we will fight for the lower division. Ibragimov impressed the team coach’s advice to achieve excel- the honour of the country. This The 2017-2018 season was the with his determination and ability lent results. I have no doubt that happens once in a lifetime. The last step of Kazakhstan’s return to read and understand racing car motor racing helps me to be more best young hockey players from to the top division. The tour- data and follow instructions from confident in everyday life. I am re- all over the world will gather nament was held in France in his engineers. His time also im- ally proud of my achievements in in Canada, and this will be re- the Courchevel ski resort. The proved to a level that would have my racing career,” Ibragimov told membered for many years,” backbone of the Kazakh team qualified him to start his first race Alsport.kz. added Snezhnye Barsy Junior were the Barys Junior Club and in the middle of the grid during the Launched in 2014, Fédération Hockey Club goalkeeper Denis some Altai Junior Club play- penultimate round of the champi- Internationale de l’Automobile Karatayev. ers. In their final match, against onship. (FIA) Formula 4 offers young On Jan. 5, 2009, the Kazakh France, Kazakhstan won, 5:2, “Sultan Ibragimov set an im- drivers the opportunity to take

Photo credit: sports.kz. Photo credit: junior team last played in a top and clinched their return to the pressive time during his inaugu- the first step from karting into the Aktobe football expert Nikolai Ivanov. division match at the World top. ral FIA F4 test, despite having to world of single-seater racing. B8 NATION&CAPITAL CAPITAL

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018

sponsors individuals and hospitals to buy special equipment for diag- nostics and treatment. Ambassadors Spouses Association raises, “This year, the ASA bought equipment for Children’s De- partment of Oncology Centre in Almaty. These are the chairs on distributes $100,000 for charity which children receive chemother- “We are engaged in the reha- She invented knitted pants for apy, hemodialysis. Also, the ASA By Saltanat Boteu bilitation of children with autism newborn babies that they can wear helped to buy an enhanced comfort and children with neuropsychiat- from 2 days age for the hip joints wheelchair for a young man who ASTANA – The Ambassadors ric disorders such as Down syn- treatment. lost his legs at 13 years. Now he is Spouses Association (ASA) re- drome, children with hearing and The Mama Pro Public Fund re- 20,” she said. cently distributed the 2018 Christ- visual impairments. We have a ceived $1,053 for furniture and The process of choosing benefi- mas Charity Bazaar’s fund among centre for the rehabilitation for quartz for rooms sterilisation. ciaries is not easy, said Baltayeva. 40 charity organisations, several more than 200 children. We re- “We teach moms business and Every year the ASA gets many ap- individuals and bought equipment ceive funding from the ASA the computer literacy. Our office is plications from different organisa- for a clinic in Almaty. The fund second year to equip our centre. like co-working space. While tions and individuals. In her opin- collected $102,636 this year. This year we expanded our office. moms are studying, children play ion, the local partner organisations’ The ASA made agreements with Therefore, we need to buy sports in the children’s room. Recently, duty is also to give diverse infor- most of the beneficiaries. Out of 70 equipment, furniture, developing we had a presentation, and we mational support to indicate most applications, 40 were chosen to re- equipment,” said ORDA Public invited ambassadors’ wives and important spheres for funding. ceive funding. Association Representative Sal- showed them our office and how “We chose clinics that work “Today we are making agree- tanat Yesmaganbetova. we work. They met our mothers. with seriously ill people where the ments with the organisations and According to Yesmaganbetova, The ASA sponsored children’s clinic’s budget is not sufficient. We people that we have decided to 85 percent of their children have room furniture and quartz. We have a good experience of work- help until now. Then we will con- improvement and start to speak got 390,000 tenge (US$1,053) ing with the National Children tinue our work in January again. and adapt to society. and we are very happy that we Rehabilitation Centre in Astana, The number of beneficiaries is The other beneficiary, Karabe- got attention, because there are which annually helps to, 200 chil- close to 40, but we will have some kov Public Fund gets funding for many applications,” said Mama dren across Kazakhstan that in- more,” said Charity Committee with illnesses and physical and zakhstan. We want to make three of production of special pants for Pro Public Fund president Gul- clude medical, psychological help, Chair and the Finnish Ambassa- mental disabilities. them with the association’s support newborn babies for the treatment sum Semenova. swimming, work therapy, develop- dor’s spouse Maria Kivikoski. For the Spina Bifida Public As- and promote its production in the of hip joints for $1,350. “When we started to select the sociation, the ASA is going to country. Our medical specialists can “Our fund helps low-income, “The ASA sponsored children’s room furniture projects to support, we started from purchase articulated links for the do this, but spare parts are very ex- large families and families with basic needs, such as food, clothes exoskeleton that helps people to pensive. Parents who purchase this children with disabilities to get to and quartz. We got 390,000 tenge (US$1,053) and basic household appliances. verticalise and walk. apparatus in Russia usually spend the reception of a paediatric ortho- We made it our first priority help- “We have children with disor- about 700,000 tenge to one million paedist. The reception might be and we are very happy that we got attention, ing low-income families. Then ders of the human musculoskeletal tenge (US$1,890 -$2,700),” said expensive. The orthopaedist helps because there are many applications.” (funds are also directed to provid- system. And we appealed to the Spina Bifida Public Association to diagnose the issue in a timely ing) special equipment for children association to fund the purchase of President Arailym Kumarzhanova. manner, so that the children re- with disabilities, such as rehabilita- articulated links for an apparatus For the ORDA Public Associa- ceive ultrasound diagnostics and According to the ASA partner ment of social skills for adaptation tion bicycles,” added Kivikoski. that gives children the opportunity tion of the Parents of the Children timely treatment of the hip joints,” in the organisation of the bazaar in society,” she said. The beneficiaries of the funds to verticalise and walk. It’s like an with Autism, the ASA helps to said Astana Medical University and information support, Chair of The organisations listed are open are non-governmental charity or- exoskeleton, but not a robotic plas- equip the rehabilitation centre’s Professor and Karabekov Public the National Council of Women and encourage people to commu- ganisations that are helping people tic version. It is not produced in Ka- space for $1,890.67. Fund founder Roza Karabekova. Khanzada Baltayeva, the ASA also nicate and ask for help from them. New bridge to reduce Public space development will enhance living traffic load between standards, civic engagement, say experts right and left banks River’s right bank, the pylon rep- By Saltanat Boteu resents the historical development of the city towards the left bank,” ASTANA – City officials will according to the department. begin the two-year construction in 2019 of an automobile bridge across the Yessil River to reduce The bridge will traffic between the city’s left and right banks. include six lanes and The bridge will be located along pedestrian zones on Tauelsizdik Avenue on the section from the right bank’s No. 46 Street both sides. The central to the left bank’s No. 27 Street. The bridge is expected to reduce element of the bridge traffic 20 percent on Mangilik Yel. will be a forked pylon The number of vehicles on Oryn- bor Street is expected to decrease that is a 75 metres from 25,000 to 20,500 cars per day and from 34,000 to 29,000 per day high tower, which along Turan Avenue, in the area has 14 pairs of metal from Uly Dala Avenue to Orynbor Street, announced the city Trans- cables. port Management and Roads In- urbanforum.kz. Photo credit: frastructure Development Depart- Along with the new bridge, two L-R: Adil Nurmakov, Dina Baitassova, Indira Makhmetova and Darya Fedotova. ment. more automobile bridges are be- The bridge will include six lanes ing built and expected to be com- “The capital has immense po- ing line with pinned clothes… Our such spaces are shared by independ- and pedestrian zones on both sides. pleted in 2019. The first bridge, By Dilshat Zhussupova tential for urban development and route involved shopping centres, ent workers seeking alternatives to The central element of the bridge which passes over Yessil River, is great demand among its residents because they are a common gather- working from home or an office. will be a forked pylon that is a 75 located at the intersection of the ASTANA – Developing public for a variety of public spaces,” he ing place for Astana residents. We “Astana Hub is an enormous metres high tower, which has 14 No. 27 Street with the Yessil riv- indoor space will meaningfully added. wanted to question to what extent space and recently hosted a start- pairs of metal cables. Bridge will erbed. The second passes over the improve citizens’ wellbeing and Building inclusive, functional these centres are truly public spac- up school on a weekend,” he said also be lit up at night to create the Nura-Yessil water canal and is lo- activism in Kazakhstan’s cold and and productive cities means creat- es,” she said on an art interven- on the international start-up tech- illusion of flight. cated at the intersection of No. 27 fast-growing capital, said local and ing a range of public spaces that tion leading up to the exhibition nopark. “There is an anecdote “A bifurcated pylon, tapering Street with the canal’s riverbed. foreign experts at Urban Forum meet a variety of needs. The panel Time&Astana: After Future. about an investor who believed towards the top and connected at The road on both bridges will be Kazakhstan’s Dec. 5 international sessions focused on public spaces Kapar singled out Kazakh artist that businesses worthy of invest- the base, adds lightness and ele- eight lanes. seminar on the topic. for art, books and communities. Askhat Akhmedyarov’s 2018 in- ment were those at which there gance to the design and simultane- Astana has 17 bridges, seven of Adil Nurmakov, the public foun- The session on community spac- stallation of chairs on the Kazakh were cars in parking spaces on ously compensates dynamic loads. which are located in the centre of dation’s co-founder, began by es featured Aigerim Kapar, founder National Academic Library’s stairs weekends. This is the kind of asso- Symbolically located on the Yessil the city. familiarising attendees with the of the creative communications as a thought-provoking artwork in ciation I have with the hub, where I public’s third place, a social en- platform Artcom. She organises a public space. Residents of the saw people walking around, work- vironment separate from the first exhibitions, discussions, lectures, fast-paced city were able to re- ing and interacting on a weekend.” place, home, and the second, the workshops and art interventions, flect on the stationary physicality Following each presentation, the workplace. often working with museums, art required for intellectual activity, audience reflected on ways they “These spaces are visited with- galleries and academic institutions which was the staff’s creative solu- could develop overlooked public out obligation and are free and to foster Kazakhstan’s development tion for engaging citizens with the spaces in their daily lives, such as open access. They don’t assume of contemporary art and culture. public library. barber shops and kindergartens. a strict format and people are free She spoke on the way local artists Business trainer and strategic Urban Forum Kazakhstan has to assign them functions as they have exhibited ownership over their marketing consultant Ildar Valiulov facilitated interaction among resi- please,” he said, underscoring the city through art performances and relayed his experience organising dents, businesses, authorities and importance of churches, schools the social media hashtag #qalabi- and hosting the Spontaneous Stop non-governmental organisations and public libraries for civil soci- zdiki (the city is ours). series of kvartirniks (social home to improve Kazakhstan’s urban en- ety, democracy, civic engagement “EXPO 2017 prompted dis- gatherings) in the capital Aug 4.- vironment since 2018. Its team of and placemaking. course on public spaces in Astana, Nov. 25, which were themed earth, Nastya Goncharova, Aziza Kiree- Due to its climate, the capital’s because that is when people had air, fire and water and gathered in- va, Dilda Kulmagambetova, Olga parks, squares and streets cannot the opportunity to visit spaces that vestors, psychologists, artists and Nikushkina, Assel Yeszhanova and serve as public spaces as they do in were modern and multifunctional curious citizens for informal dis- Nurmakov explore local identities other cities of the world. Since the for the first time… Consequently, cussions and group activities. and values, sustainable and pe- late 1990s, shopping centres have we decided to conduct a study on Similarly, Sabit Naukenov, co- ripheral development, cities’ child predominantly become citizens’ the city and its public spaces, which founder of the co-working space friendliness and grass-root involve- third place, providing valuable involved art interventions… We Tsokol (Basement), voiced the im- ment in the architectural and urban infrastructure for leisure but none traversed from the future, EXPO portance of extending co-working planning decision-making process of the public space characteristics 2017, to the present, the city’s spaces’ benefits beyond the usual by organising events, moderating such as non-private ownership, left bank, to the past, the city’s target group of freelancers and discussions, launching various pro- round-the-clock accessibility and right bank, holding something that start-uppers. Increasingly popular jects and conducting research and multifunctionality. seems familiar in a home, a cloth- but still unfamiliar to non-insiders, educational programmes.