-16° / -18°C WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017 No 1 (139) www.astanatimes.com President’s annual address seeks to digitise Economy minister: Kazakhstan, strengthen social protection inflation rate won’t By Almasbek Zhumadilov ASTANA – Kazakhstan President exceed 7 percent this year Nursultan Nazarbayev announced Ministry of National Economy and Jan. 9 the state-of-the-nation-ad- By Yerbolat Uatkhanov the Ministry of Agriculture are ac- dress “New opportunities under tively engaged in expanding the the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of supply of fruits and vegetables. In which was published Jan.10 in full. National Economy Timur Sulei- particular, a great deal of work is The new address is based on menov said the inflation rate will underway to increase inventories, such fundamental documents as stay within the projected corridor the number of warehouses and the Kazakhstan 2050 Develop- of 5-7 percent this year. He dis- wholesale centres and wholesale ment Strategy, the 100 Concrete cussed the preventive measures to distribution and trade in all major Steps Plan of the Nation, the Third curb inflation which the govern- cities and towns. Modernisation, the Industrialisa- ment will take by the end of 2018. The Ministry of National Econ- tion Programme, the Digital Ka- Suleimenov noted the inflation omy has also proposed reducing zakhstan, as well as the Strategic rate was 7.1 percent in 2017, when intermediary links, although Sulei- Development Plan up to 2025. it was supposed to stay within the menov emphasised there is no The head of state outlined that 6-8 percent corridor. He answered need to categorically dispose of all the world faces technological, eco- journalists’ questions about high mediators. nomic and social changes in the prices for some types of fruits and “Trade intermediation is abso- era of the Fourth Industrial Revo- vegetables in winter, saying Ka- lutely a normal economic activity, lution. The new technologies enter service press Akorda Photo credit: zakhstan still has a problem with because not every farmer, not eve- our lives significantly changing the cess during the EXPO 2017 inter- tor of industry. “We should clearly In this regard Kazakhstan in- seasonal supply and demand. ry peasant farm is able to deliver way we work, exercising our civil national specialised exhibition, the realise that Kazakhstan’s achieve- tends to broadly implement the “We can’t provide the same and produce its products on the rights and raising children. GDP’s 4 percent growth, industrial ments are a reliable foundation, Fourth Industrial Revolution volume of offers for vegetables shelves of bazaars and shopping President Nazarbayev highlight- production’s 7 percent raise, pover- but not a guarantee of tomorrow’s elements, concentrated on the and fruits in December, January, centres at a distance of 100-200 ed Kazakhstan’s non-permanent ty’s 13-fold decline and unemploy- success. The era of ‘oil abundance’ following objectives. Following February and March as in July, kilometres. Mediation is just right membership in the UN Security ment’s decrease to 4.9 percent. is almost coming to an end. The is the gist of the presidential ad- August and September. Therefore, for this,” he said. Council in 2017-2018 and the Janu- The emphasis was put on 40 per- country needs a new quality of de- dress. this particular seasonal surge has The main thing, he noted, is that ary presidency in this body, the suc- cent growth of the processing sec- velopment,” said the head of state. Continued on Page A7 been observed in our country at all it does not become a dependent times,” he said. situation. At the same time, he noted the Continued on Page A4 Full agenda, presidential appearance mark Kazakhstan’s UNSC presidency Afghan student said the council “had a responsibil- eventually to denuclearisation. Am- pia, Equatorial Guinea and Cote Special to the Astana Times ity to act early and decisively when bassador Olof Skoog of Sweden, d’Ivoire, told how the situation in appeals to Nazarbayev by George Alan Baumgarten, fundamental freedoms were under who (with Poland) had requested Darfur was showing significant pro- United Nations Correspondent threat.” the update on Korea, said “it is im- gress. Ivoirian Ambassador Bernard Other members disagreed, how- portant that the Security Council Tanoh-Boutchoue, in particular, said NEW YORK – In what would ever, or were unsure if any action remains active and united in its ef- “Peace must include national recon- ahead of U.S. visit be called a “double first,” Kazakh should be taken. Kazakh Ambas- forts to resolve the conflict.” ciliation, a permanent cessation of to convey my words to him and Ambassador to the United Nations sador Umarov, speaking in his na- On the same day as the briefing on hostilities and political dialogue.” By Assel Satubaldina begin peaceful negotiations in Ka- Kairat Umarov has taken over the tional capacity, said these develop- the Korea situation, the council held As the last speaker, Kazakhstan’s zakhstan,” he said. presidency of the United Nations ments were a domestic issue for a formal meeting for the purpose of Umarov welcomed the extension of ASTANA – Hafizullah Qaderi, Qaderi is a senior at Seifullin Security Council, for the month of Iran. Russian Ambassador Vasily keeping up to date with the situa- the recent ceasefire to March 2018, an Afghan student studying in Ka- Kazakh Agrotechnical University January. It was both Kazakhstan’s Nebenzia said the U.S. was “abus- tion in Colombia. The South Ameri- and hoped it would lead to an inclu- zakhstan, recently posted a video majoring in engineering. He has first such presidency and the first ing the platform of the Security can country had recently signed an sive peace process. on his Facebook page asking Ka- been living in the capital for nearly for any Central Asian republic since Council,” in attempting to take any agreement with the former FARC Sudan’s Ambassador Omer Dahab zakh President Nursultan Naz- five years. the collapse of the Soviet Union such action. And Iran’s representa- (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias Fadl Mohamed said that UN reports arbayev and U.S. President Donald “I really like Kazakhstan and more than 25 years ago. tive, Kholamali Khoshroo, said the de Colombia) rebels, and the coun- should cover a longer period than 80 Trump to step up efforts to find a I have learned a lot here, where Ambassador Umarov began his U.S. was “abusing its power as a cil has received periodic updates days. The only remaining issues, he solution to peace and stability in people of different nations live in term of office with the customary permanent member,” by even bring- on the situation there. Jean Arnault, said, were ones of development, and his homeland. peace together and respect each Programme of Work briefing, in ing the matter before the council. In who heads the verification mission that Sudan was in the process of im- “My address aims solely at peace other,” he said in an interview with which he outlined the worldwide is- the end, this entire debate produced there, told of a recent “upsurge in plementing development projects. in Afghanistan. I do not want war. The Astana Times. sues, problems and crises to be con- no result. violence,” and of the need to deploy On Jan. 11, the Security Council Our people became victims of Qaderi is among 1,000 Afghan sidered. Several African ongoing On Jan. 9, the council held its some 600 security forces, especially held the final meeting of the first full war,” he said in the message. students studying in Kazakh uni- peacekeeping missions were to be scheduled debate on the Democratic in vulnerable rural areas. week of the Kazakhstan presidency, Qaderi believes the war in Af- versities as part of Kazakhstan’s discussed – with detailed briefings Republic of the Congo. The D.R.C., Most of the members of the Se- on the subject of security in West Af- ghanistan means war in other $50 million project launched in on each. The seemingly-intractable which is one of Africa’s largest curity Council made statements rica and the Sahel. It heard a briefing Asian countries, stressing terror- 2010 which seeks to educate as Israel-Palestine conflict was sched- countries, has been bedevilled by on the subject, all appearing to ex- from UN Special Representative for ism has no faith or religion. many as 1,000 Afghan students uled for its monthly discussion on conflicts large and small, almost hibit the attitude of “hopeful, but the Region Mohamed Ibn Chambas “If the war in Afghanistan is not in its higher education institutes the 25th of the month. And a previ- continuously since its independence wary.”Exercising his right as presi- of Ghana. Ibn Chambas noted that stopped, then the Asian nations through 2020. As of September ously unscheduled and unexpected in 1960. In recent years, these con- dent to speak last, Umarov said there while there had been a decline in might suffer as well. Terrorism 2017, 564 students have gradu- review of the protests in Iran was flicts have centred on control of vast was “still a long way ahead,” and attacks by the Muslim insurgency will get closer to neighbouring ated from Kazakh universities and held Jan. 5. mineral deposits, especially in the that the recovery process was still Boko Haram in the first half of 2017, countries and will spur smuggling technical and vocational education But the highlight of the monthly provinces of North and South Kivu, evolving. recently there had been an “uptick” in those countries,” he said. institutes, while more than 400 are programme were expected to be in the country’s Northeast.