-6° / -2°C FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 No 6 (72) www.astanatimes.com Nazarbayev, Putin and Lukashenko Three Official Candidates for Discuss Eurasian Economic Union Presidential Election Cooperation, Ukraine in Astana Remain; Most Self-Nominated “The union is not only a decla- ration of intents. We have passed Candidates Drop Out a lot of documents and formalised By Michelle Witte been nominated by political par- the union by signing a number of ties, while 25 self-nominated can- agreements. We must respond to ASTANA – Abelgazy Kus- didates threw their hats in the ring these challenges within the frame- sainov, Turgun Syzdykov and before the March 15 cut-off, the work of our union,” Lukashenko incumbent President Nursultan country’s Central Election Com- said. Nazarbayev remain the three of- mission reported. The three official “We have agreed to increase ficial candidates in Kazakhstan’s candidates have passed the Kazakh cooperation in almost all areas. early presidential election, which language exam, collected the req- We have outlined specific steps has been called for April 26, and uisite 93,012 signatures supporting to establish additional conditions hundreds of international observ- their campaign, provided tax infor- for the development of trade and ers are preparing to register to take mation and paid the $5,700 elec- economic cooperation, taking into part in monitoring the contest. tion deposit, the Central Election account new realities affecting Nazarbayev and Syzdykov are Commission confirmed. both our economies and the entire the only two candidates to have Continued on Page A2 world,” added the president of Be- larus. The heads of state exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine, which has had an impact on other Incumbent President countries. They have also touched on the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Great Victory. (L-R) President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan and President “It is clear that in the run-up to Accepts Party Nomination, Vladimir Putin of Russia meet in the Akorda on March 20. the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory, we should stay together. By Malika Rustem tion. We have already instructed to almost $60 billion,” Russia’s There are too many challenges; Presents Policy Priorities our governments to take measures President said. there have been attempts to rewrite “Thank you all for your appreciation ASTANA – Presidents Nursul- in order to renew growth in mutual He also noted the necessity for our common history. Therefore, in By Danna Bupezhanova of my work for the benefit of Kazakh- tan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, trade,” Nazarbayev said at a joint strengthening the relations of the the run-up to the 70th anniversary stan and its people. There is no greater Vladimir Putin of Russia and Al- press briefing in the Akorda fol- three countries in industry and of the Great Victory, we should ASTANA – Incumbent Kazakh reward than to have this confidence of exander Lukashenko of Belarus lowing the talks. technology, as well as in the fields demonstrate political and econom- President Nursultan Nazarbayev the people. I sincerely thank all those met in Astana on March 20 to dis- Putin noted that they have dis- of machinery, space and energy. ic unity,” the president of Belarus on March 11 accepted the Nur Otan who said that today and addressed kind cuss prospects for closer coopera- cussed all aspects of their relation- “The time has come to start said. party’s nomination to be the party’s words to me. I declare my consent to tion within the Eurasian Economic ships. thinking about forming a currency Lukashenko also announced at candidate in the April 26 early pres- run for the President from the Nur Union (EAEU) as well as the situ- “Our countries share close trade union,” Putin also said at the brief- the press briefing that the three idential election and laid out his Otan party in the upcoming elections. ation in Ukraine. and investment ties. The overall ing, providing no further details presidents will next meet in Mos- policy priorities for another term. Continued on Page A2 During the meeting in Akorda gross domestic product of the three about such a proposal. There was cow on May 8 prior to the May presidential residence, the Presi- countries is equal to 85 percent of no immediate reaction from either Victory Day parade. dent of Kazakhstan said that all the gross product of the CIS (Com- Nazarbayev or Lukashenko at the At the end of the meeting, Naz- three countries of the EAEU are monwealth of Independent States). briefing, while earlier Kazakh of- arbayev emphasised the impor- facing serious economic challeng- We constitute a large market with ficials had noted that discussions tance of active and regular meet- es stemming from the fall in global huge industrial and scientific po- about such a union, under the cur- ings to compare positions and Three Kazakhstan Citizens oil prices this year. tential. Russia is ranked first in the rent agreements, were meant to discuss the future of interstate co- “It is important to develop a joint external trade listings of Belarus take place no earlier than 8–10 operation. action plan to overcome the reces- and Kazakhstan while Kazakhstan years later. In turn, the two presidents ex- Die in Germanwings Crash sion in our economies. That’s the and Belarus rank third on the trade According to the Belarusian pressed their gratitude to Nursul- By Arsen Ormantayev The Kazakh Foreign Ministry primary focus of today’s meeting. balance of the Russian Federation. leader, every year brings new chal- tan Nazarbayev for the invitation has expressed its deepest condo- We have agreed to develop trade, Last year, Russian trade turnover lenges. In his opinion, the EAEU to Astana and the opportunity to ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Min- lences to the relatives of the de- economic and investment coopera- with these two countries amounted was created at the right time. discuss these specific issues. istry of Foreign Affairs confirmed ceased and confirmed its readiness on March 25 that at least three of to provide them with any needed its citizens died in the German- assistance in this tragic situation. wings A320 airliner crash in the The ministry also announced French Alps on March 24. that, according to German au- The citizens were a family of thorities, a woman by the name Concept of Organic Farming Planted, three, including father Yerbol of Yelena Bless was also onboard Imankulov, born in 1965; mother the airliner and might have held Aizhan Issengaliyeva, born in Kazakhstan citizenship as well. 1966; and Adil Imankulov, who The authorities are checking this Growing Slowly in Kazakhstan was born in 1989. information now, the statement policies to stimulate innovation hectares of certified ecologically Yerbol Imankulov was a director from Kazakhstan’s Foreign Min- By Michelle Witte Moving away from and gain experience and offered 12 clean fields. of the Tau-Ken Temir company, a istry said. concrete recommendations. These However, the country’s legacy of subsidiary of the Samruk Kazyna More than 150 people, includ- ASTANA – As Kazakhstan a destructive past included bringing the Ministries of A Nov. 24 roundtable discussion environmental damage can be felt Sovereign Wealth Fund, and man- ing citizens of Germany, Spain pushes to develop its agricultural Agriculture and Energy together organised by the Astana Centre of today. According to the NP.kz re- aged a project to revitalise silicium and Turkey, died as a result of the sector with increased funding for with the roundtable organisers to the Organisation for Security and port, the Agriculture Ministry said production in the Karaganda region. crash of a Germanwings plane that farming even in times of belt- draft regulations based on inter- was flying from Barcelona to Dus- Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) 21.4 million hectares of land were His wife was a director at KazZinc- tightening, organic farming and national experience and increase used for agriculture in 2014, which Aina, another mining company. seldorf. and the ULE Coalition for a Green permaculture experts are hoping awareness of the green economy should be increased to 22.5 million Economy and the Development of the concepts maintain a foothold transition and organic farming in hectares by 2018. However, ac- G-Global brought together gov- in the country. Kazakhstan; creating an online cording to Deputy General director ernment, business and nongovern- Though overlooked in recent exhibition of Kazakhstan’s inno- of the Kazakh Research Institute mental organisation representa- decades, the practices are part of vative, organic products for EXPO of the Agroindustrial Complex Nation Celebrates Nauryz tives to discuss the state’s role in the country’s not-too-distant past, 2017 in Astana; involving Ka- and Rural Development Vladimir supporting organic farming, in- and today, Kazakhstan is working zakhs more deeply in the organic Grigoruk, “according to our calcu- cluding providing incentives, as toward exporting its own ecologi- agriculture category of G-Global’s lations, it is possible today to grow well as specific agricultural tech- cally “clean” products under its annual EXPO 2017 competition on only 11.5 million hectares of ar- nologies. own national brand, Vice Min- and passing a draft law on organic able land, as the rest of the area, al- “The current methods of farming ister of Agriculture Yermek Ko- agriculture. (The draft law sets most half, is polluted by industrial in Kazakhstan are leading to the sherbayev said during a seminar out the provision of state support waste, various chemicals, buried destruction of natural vegetation on supporting the development of for organic agriculture, including animals or radioactive waste.” organic agriculture and institution- that protects the land from ero- setting rules for labelling organic al capacity-building in Kazakhstan sion and accelerate the process of products from Kazakhstan.) in Astana on Feb.