Kazakhstan, Japan Focus on Economic Ties During Abe's Visit To

+6 / -2°C WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015 No 21 (87) www.astanatimes.com Kazakhstan, Japan Focus on Economic Country Leaps 12 Places to Ties During Abe’s Visit to Astana 41st in World Bank Doing Business Report start-up and growth and avoid By Michelle Witte creating distortions in the mar- ketplace,” the report begins. “Do- ASTANA – Kazakhstan was ing Business focuses on the rules among the top 10 economies and regulations that can help the showing the most improvement private sector thrive. … Doing in the World Bank’s 2016 Doing Business measures the presence Business report released Oct. 27. of rules that establish and clarify The country leaped 12 places on property rights, minimise the cost the list since 2015 to 41st place in of resolving disputes, increase the the Ease of Doing Business rank- predictability of economic interac- ing among 189 economies. tions and provide contractual part- The other economies among ners with core protections against the 10 most improved were Costa abuse.” The data highlight the im- Rica, Uganda, Kenya, Cyprus, portant role of governments and Mauritania, Uzbekistan, Jamaica, government policies in the life of Senegal and Benin. Kazakhstan domestic small and medium-sized was also among only 12 econo- firms, and the report aims to en- mies to enact four or more reforms courage regulations that are de- making it easier to do business. signed to be efficient, accessible Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe (L) and President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev meet in the Akorda. “Economic activity requires and simple, it said. sensible rules that encourage firm Continued on Page A2 By Aiman Turebekova visit to Kazakhstan will give a have a lot in common. We are al- it reached $600 million. Over the powerful impetus to the strategic lies in nuclear disarmament, non- past 10 years, Japanese investment ASTANA – President of Ka- partnership between Astana and proliferation and the peaceful use in the economy of Kazakhstan zakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev Tokyo and bring it to a qualita- of nuclear energy. A symbol of amounted to about $5 billion, ac- met with Japanese Prime Minister tively new level. friendship between our countries cording to official Kazakh statis- Expats Say Enjoy Hospitality, “Despite Kazakhstan and Ja- is our capital, Astana, which was Shinzo Abe during the latter’s of- tics. pan being distant neighbours, we designed by outstanding Japanese ficial visit to the Central Asian na- “A number of major Japanese are very close friends. The com- architect Kisho Kurokawa,” Naz- companies are actively working tion on Oct. 27. prehensive development of rela- arbayev said at the start of the talks Expanding Choices in in Kazakhstan. Fifty joint ven- Nazarbayev congratulated tions with your country is one of in the Akorda. tures are functioning, six joint Abe on his recent reelection and the most important priorities of The parties discussed economic projects worth more than $700 wished him continued success, our foreign policy since the early cooperation between the two coun- million have been accomplished, Kazakhstan, List Language, especially in light of the current days of our independence. Over tries. During the years 2013-2014, and another 10 projects are under- complicated economic situation all these years, Astana and Tokyo trade turnover between the coun- way. in the world. He also expressed have been reliable partners. We tries amounted to about $2 bil- Prices as Challenges confidence that Abe’s first official always support each other; we lion, and in the first half of 2015 Continued on Page A8 infrastructure in the country is still By Kamila Zhumabayeva developing, so it is not simple or reasonable as far as price is con- ASTANA – Kazakhstan was cerned to travel around the coun- recently ranked 59th out of 64 try or to visit places of interest,” “New Dubai” on Kazakh-Chinese Border countries for expat destinations Claire McCarthy, who teaches at this year, one place ahead of Rus- Nazarbayev University, told The sia and one behind Italy, according Astana Times. “Within the main cit- to the Expat Insider 2015 rating on ies, there are often not a great deal Set to Change Trans-Eurasian Trade InterNations, an online expat com- of leisure opportunities or selection munity. Ecuador, Mexico and Mal- handler hired by Kazakhstan Temir simple real-life example to show China into Kazakhstan directly by of shops and places to eat as in other ta were the top three countries on By Altair Nurbekov Zholy (KTZ) national railway how shipping across Eurasia, not train would take only five days and countries. Most people only speak the list, while Nigeria, Greece and Russian and Kazakh, so this can company to help it develop the around it, is fast becoming much surely be more cost effective. Kuwait were the worst places, the KHORGOS, ALMATY RE- make life more difficult for foreign hub, used again and again during quicker and more profitable. It is exactly this kind of container survey found. GION – Some might say this bar- the Oct. 19 presentation arranged According to Gheysen, a Japanese traffic that the Kazakh officials and workers, and Almaty and Astana are “To be honest, I think that is a relativity expensive places to live.” ren spot on the border between on the spot for visiting foreign am- car manufacturer producing cars in managers at KTZ are aiming to at- pretty good assessment of Kazakh- China and Kazakhstan is in the bassadors and reporters. Japan chose to import cars into Ka- tract with the development of the stan as an expat destination. The Continued on Page В2 middle of nowhere. And they “The story of Khorgos today is zakhstan. To ship them, the manu- city as the critical milestone along would be forgiven, for there were the story of Dubai some twenty facturer loaded them on a ship in the newly-revived Great Silk Road. only a handful of people and cars years ago: back then, it was a small Japan which then sailed all the way Their feelings are mirrored by the spotted along the 300-km, five- fishing port which then grew into under India, through the Suez Canal, Chinese, as all the developments hour train ride from Almaty to the what it is today because of the through the Mediterranean, through are being done through the agree- nearby Altynkol station (that is, In Astana, Kerry Promotes development of the shipping in- Gibraltar, around Western Europe, ments between the two countries. once you get out of the heavily- dustry,” Gheysen told the visitors. past England and into the North Sea Both Astana and Beijing view populated 40-50 km radius around “This is what is already happening followed by the Baltic Sea. Once in the city as a key transit hub for Almaty beyond Zhetygen). here at Khorgos.” Finland, the cars were taken ashore, handling cargo between China Stronger Ties in Economy, Others, like Belgian-born Karl Speaking to a packed hall of loaded onto trains and shipped to and Europe under China’s New Gheysen, director general of KTZE– approximately 50 ambassadors Moscow. There they were handled, Silk Road strategy, which aims to Khorgos Gateway, the company and senior diplomats from Rus- checked through customs, etc., be- rebuild trade links across Eurasia. Security charged with developing the place sia, Poland, Germany, Spain, Lat- fore being loaded onto trains to be It fits perfectly well with Kazakh- into a modern transport and logistics via, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, shipped to Kazakhstan. He declined stan’s own Nurly Zhol infrastruc- hub, call it “the new Dubai.” Georgia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, South to give numbers as to how much ture development programme an- It is the term Gheysen, who Africa and other nations, as well such a lengthy trip costs in terms of nounced a year ago by President comes from Dubai Port World, as about 50 foreign and local re- money and time, but he was keen to Nursultan Nazarbayev. the world’s third-largest container porters, Gheysen brought up a stress that shipping the cargo across Continued on Page A5 Kazakh Blogosphere Presents New Type of Media for its Audience at Yvision. He is responsible for work. As soon as employment by more than 10,000 people and By Zhazira Dyussembekova developing content and communi- with decent wages increases, the friended by more than 4,000 us- cating with the authors, selecting number of bloggers will subside,” ers, Rashev is known for his some- ASTANA – As the number of the best publications and creating he said. times-provocative posts about Ka- Internet users rises, online publica- new projects and discourses. The editor added the success of tions are becoming more and more zakhs and the country’s life and “Now there are about 300,000 any blog lies in the degree of so- popular. In the age of new tech- society, which result in long dis- nologies, any kind of information accounts, but steady growth in the ciality of the author and shared his cussions in the comment section. By Malika Orazgaliyeva and The symbolism also included is available with one click. In Ka- number of new users is not our opinion whether blogging could be “I wouldn’t say that I am a niche Altair Nurbekov the fact that U.S. Secretary of zakhstan, bloggers are becoming measure of success. The traffic a full-fledged profession. blogger, writing only on certain State John Kerry visited Astana an additional source of news and increase is much more important. “I do not know any successful topics. But then, of course, I live in ASTANA – It was a visit full to reconfirm his country’s com- informed opinion in a developing There are about one million unique blogger who is a recluse or an in- Kazakhstan and am surrounded by of symbolism.

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