-1° / -4°C WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015 No 7 (73) www.astanatimes.com Hungarian Prime Minister’s Visit, Three Official Business Forum Solidify Ties Election Candidates By Malika Orazgaliyeva ASTANA – Kazakh President Announce Platforms, Nursultan Nazarbayev met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban during the latter’s April 1 official visit to the country. Begin Campaigns “We view Hungary as a true a striking example of this, with its By Malika Orazgaliyeva friend. Our countries have com- lucrative violence and depravity. mon historical roots and similar The campaign also opposes West- ASTANA – The three official ways of development. For us, ern literature and fast food, with candidates for Kazakhstan’s April Hungary is an important support in Syzdykov saying, “In general, the 26 presidential election have an- Europe,” said Nazarbayev. entire West suffers from obesity, nounced their campaign platforms The head of state noted the on- high blood sugar, cardiovascular and begun campaigning, opening going dynamics of cooperation be- diseases and problems with vi- headquarters around the country tween the two nations. sion, hearing and the musculo- and addressing audiences in north- “It is not our first meeting. skeletal system,” at the launch of ern, southern, western and central These contacts indicate our desire his Astana office. Kazakhstan. The three candidates’ to strengthen trade and economic “Morality becomes a matter of campaigns highlight social equal- relations. We appreciate that Hun- legal technology. That is why the ity and reclaiming values, promot- gary was the first country in the Western belief in the universality ing environmental and industrial European Union (EU) to sign a of local culture suffers from three safety, and economic development strategic partnership agreement flaws: it is wrong, it is immoral and institutional reform. with Kazakhstan. We will make and it is dangerous,” Syzdykov every effort to make your visit stressed. fruitful,” he said. Syzdykov Visits North Mazhilis Deputy Aikyn Konurov In turn, Orban thanked Naz- is heading Syzdykov’s national arbayev for the invitation and said Kazakhstan, election headquarters, and intro- that Kazakhstan has a reliable duced campaign plans at a March friend in the EU in Hungary, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (l) meets Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in Astana on April 1. Concentrates 26 briefing. During the opening, well as saying one of the streets in will be a financial basis for coop- there is huge potential for coop- the business forum. Following the on Countering Syzdykov remarked upon the im- Budapest is named Astana. eration between companies of the eration, because Central Europe is event, there were plans to sign a portance of his campaign, saying, Orban noted that Nazarbayev’s two countries. There are also plans becoming the driving force in Eu- number of agreements in areas “Dangerous” Western “We are taking part in the election participation in the upcoming to create a joint strategic council rope and Kazakhstan is the most such as the oil and banking sectors process not for the first time. For presidential election is a pledge of between the two governments,” dynamically-developing country and light and food industries. Values us, it is not new: we want to use stability in Kazakhstan and wished said Szijjártó. in the Central Asian region,” Szi- Szijjártó met the same day with Turgun Syzdykov, official can- this opportunity to once again in- the candidate success on behalf of “If you want to invest in Hun- jjártó stressed. Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Id- didate of the Communist People’s troduce our goals and objectives his country. gary, we can offer friendly invest- Hungary intends to increase the rissov, where the sides discussed Party of Kazakhstan (CPPK), to the people,” this newspaper re- The same day, Astana also host- ment packets, grants, subsidies for number of its small and medium- a wide range of issues of bilateral opened his campaign headquar- ported. ed the Kazakh-Hungarian business education and creation of work sized enterprises (SMEs) willing cooperation and the international ters in Astana on March 26 and The CPPK has begun organis- forum, where Hungarian Minister places. I have already instructed to invest in Eastern markets, said agenda. Szijjártó paid an official presented his election campaign ing campaign events, beginning of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Eximbank to open credit lines for Szijjártó. Presently, there are about visit to Astana Feb. 19–20, when platform on March 31. He aims in Astana on March 28, when Trade Péter Szijjártó announced companies wishing to cooperate. 2.5-3 million SMEs competing in the 2015–2016 work plan between to create social equality through Syzdykov presented his campaign that Kazakhstan and Hungary will The credit line is $50 million,” he foreign markets and the country the Foreign Ministries of the two communist socio-economic struc- to students at Eurasian National create a joint financial fund with added. intends to increase the number by countries was signed. The impor- tures, Syzdykov said. University and to employees of $40 million in capital. “Despite the fact that two-way 12,000. tance of the successful work of the He will hone in on the nega- the Astana Thermoelectric Power “This fund will have $20 million trade exceeds $200 million, it is More than 300 entrepreneurs Kazakh-Hungarian strategic coun- tive impact of Western culture Company on March 30. from both sides. The mutual fund still quite low. In other words, from the two countries attended cil was also noted at the meeting. and values. Consumer social Syzdykov travelled to Petropav- structures in Europe are respon- losk the next day to address em- sible for cultural decline, he said, ployees of the Munai Mash pub- saying consumption as a social lic-private company, and spoke to of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ar- phenomenon is based on a sys- menia and Kyrgyzstan, simply that employees of the industrial enter- tem of values that reduce life to prise Kokshetauminvoda and uni- the union should be open and non- a process of satisfying material Washington Events Address politicised. versity students in Kokshetau on interests. Western culture has be- the same trip. At the Johns Hopkins CACI fo- come a business, according to the rum, speakers Karimzhan Shakirov, campaign, and Western cinema is Continued on Page A2 dean of International Relations at Al- Revised US Policy on Central Asia Farabi Kazakh National University, By Michelle Witte objectives for our engagement with rights and good governance, and ef- and professors Fatima Kukeyeva each of the Central Asian states: forts to bolster each country’s sover- and Kuralai Baizakova of the same ASTANA – Over two days last strengthening partnerships to ad- eignty and independence.” He also school, addressed security issues, week, three events – academic and vance mutual security; forging closer noted that the U.S. does not see Cen- primarily events in Ukraine, the de- Television Station to political – in Washington D.C. ad- economic ties; and advancing and tral Asia as a monolith, a viewpoint velopment of Afghanistan and the dressed geopolitics and strategy in advocating for improved governance Kazakhstan has repeatedly chal- impact of the new EAEU. Kazakhstan and Central Asia, fol- and human rights,” Blinken said. lenged in global strategies dealing “[A]nti-Russian sentiment in Ka- lowing the news that the United The U.S. is supporting efforts with its neighbourhood, most recent- zakhstan has spread very little, de- Broadcast Election States had recently completed an around the region to enhance border ly advising a more country-specific spite the negative assessment of the interagency review of its policy for security and anti-trafficking efforts, EU Strategy for Central Asia. public opinion of the civil war in the region. Blinken said. He highlighted the Both speakers addressed Chinese, Ukraine,” Kukeyeva noted, saying, Both Richard Hoagland, princi- new Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty Iranian and Russian involvement in Day Exit Polling “Kazakhstan is an example of peace- pal deputy assistant secretary of the the U.S. signed with Kazakhstan in the region. Iran was noted as a coun- ful coexistence and cooperation of to three volunteers and one con- Bureau of South and Central Asian February as a security milestone, and try with significant cultural connec- Muslim and the Slavic population By Ardaq Seitimova troller will be working at each of Affairs, speaking at Georgetown praised the country for its nonprolif- tions to the region and also with an in its northern regions of Akmola, the covered 200 stations (overall, University on March 30, and Deputy eration efforts, as well as for funding interest in cooperating on trade, water Pavlodar, Kostanai and Northern Ka- Kazakhstan’s Strategy Social there will be more than 9,700 poll- Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Afghan National Security Forces and other issues. Both officials said zakhstan.” Government support for and Political Studies Centre will ing stations across Kazakhstan). addressing the Brookings Institu- and police and providing scholar- China’s involvement was not viewed ethnic and linguistic diversity sup- conduct public polling leading up Interviewers will be identifiable tion on March 31, reassured listen- ships for 1,000 Afghans to study at “in zero-sum terms,” but on the con- ports this coexistence, she said. The to the early April 26 presidential by their uniform and each group ers of their country’s plans to remain Kazakh universities. trary, as complementary to U.S. ef- main problem Ukraine presents for election and exit polling on the day will carry a box and sheets with a engaged in the region as interna- Economically, he said, the U.S. forts. Hoagland commented that the Central Asian nations is economic, of the vote, according to a report list of questions. After completing tional troops leave Afghanistan and supports Kazakhstan’s efforts to join U.S.