+26 / +13°C WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2019 No 15 (177) www.astanatimes.com First Caspian Economic Forum discusses GDP grows 4.2% Jan-July Investment grew 11.3 percent, By Dilshat Zhussupova with investment increasing 61.4 percent for agriculture, 46.3 per- regional economic cooperation, NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s cent for construction, 23 percent for gross domestic product (GDP) trade and 18.9 percent for industry. grew 4.2 percent in January-July, “Given the current trends, cen- said Minister of National Econo- tral and local executive bodies infrastructure development my Ruslan Dalenov at an Aug. 13 need to concentrate on ensuring government meeting. the growth of key economic indi- “(This year’s) GDP growth is cators and control over investment driven by accelerated growth in in- projects, maximising efficiency dustry, construction and services, throughout the construction and as well as steady growth in agri- agricultural season and strength- culture and investment in fixed as- ening inflation control in the third sets,” explained Dalenov. quarter (of 2019),” said Dalenov. Communication services grew 2.6 “Economic growth was achieved percent, industrial production grew in the Atyrau, Karaganda, Kostan- 2.7 percent, agricultural production ai, Kyzylorda, Turkestan and East grew 3.5 percent, oil refinery pro- Kazakhstan Regions (in January- duction grew 5.1 percent, transport July),” said Prime Minister Askar grew 5.4 percent, trade grew 7.5 per- Mamin, who chaired the meeting. cent, construction grew 11.5 percent, “Akims (governors and mayors) light industry production grew 14.3 and heads of state bodies and re- percent, non-ferrous ore production gions will be personally responsi- grew 17.2 percent and pharmaceu- ble for the final outcomes and use tical industry production grew 18 of budget funds.” percent in January-July, all of which contributed to greater GDP growth. Continued on Page A4 EBRD focuses on small L-R: Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Novruz Mammadov, First Vice President of Iran Eshaq Jahangiri, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin. and women’s businesses, the development of the Caspian the Turkmen Ministry of Foreign of deepening cooperation between By Saltanat Boteu region, determining the prospects Affairs. border regions and noted the po- for international cooperation in The meeting of the Caspian litto- tential to expand bilateral coop- investment environment NUR-SULTAN – Participants of the Caspian… Today, the objec- ral countries’ ministers of economy eration in engineering, chemical “We agreed on the five-year the Aug. 12 first Caspian Econom- tive interests of not only coastal, took place at the Berkarar Hotel, industry, metallurgy, agriculture, By Zhanna Shayakhmetova strategy with the government, ic Forum discussed economic ties but also other states are concen- where representatives of Azerbai- tourism, transport and gas, report- and we are going to work on it. among Caspian littoral countries in trated here, due to the fact that the jan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmeni- ed primeminister.kz. NUR-SULTAN – The European We see there’s a need to develop trade and tourism as well as infra- Caspian region is a large natural stan and Russia discussed coopera- Mamin stressed the need to cre- Bank for Reconstruction and De- the private sector and balance structure development around the source of hydrocarbon resources, tion in trade, free trade zones and ate conditions to attract investment velopment (EBRD) has invested state-owned enterprises versus inland sea. a continental-scale transport and the regulatory framework. into the region, including using more than $9.1 billion through the private sector. It is important The forum took place at the transit hub, a promising territory At a similar meeting of the the Astana International Financial 261 projects in the economy of to ensure the business environ- Avaza resort in Turkmenistan and for expanding international trade,” transport ministers, they discussed Centre and existing agreements on Kazakhstan as of July. In 2015, ment for attracting foreign inves- gathered more than 3,000 politi- said President of Turkmenistan developing international freight free trade zones. He made sugges- the bank also launched the Women tors. We focus on manufacturing, cians, diplomats, business people, Gurbanguly Berdimukhamedov in traffic, increasing exports and di- tions to improve transport systems in Business programme, which services, businesses agriculture, environmentalists, scholars and his welcoming speech, as reported versifying transit freight flows to and the efficiency of multimodal empowered women entrepreneurs tourism and energy efficiency in journalists from around the world. by sng.fm. the markets of other regions. transportation and to develop tour- nationwide. many countries, and Kazakhstan It was the first time representatives At the beginning of the forum, The countries’ business com- ism in the Caspian Sea. The EBRD will continue its coop- is no exception. Another key area of Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, participants visited the Interna- munity representatives discussed Mamin also said more work is eration with the Kazakh government for us is the competitiveness of the Iran and Turkmenistan had met in tional Caspian exhibition of inno- import and export possibilities and needed to preserve the Caspian and the private sector on investment small-business sector as well as the the five-sided format after signing vative technologies and the Turk- exchanged experience in oil and Sea’s ecosystem, including intro- projects, reforms and improvement private sector. We help small busi- a convention on the legal status of men Sahra 2019 exhibition, where gas resources processing. ducing clean technologies through of the investment environment, ness get the support it needs. It’s a the Caspian Sea Aug. 12, 2018, in they were able to familiarise them- As a part of the forum, Kazakh the International Centre for Green EBRD Vice President for Risk and key thing for the bank as a whole, Aktau, Kazakhstan. selves with the achievements of Prime Minister Askar Mamin met Technologies and Investment Pro- Compliance and Chief Risk Officer and it’s a key theme in many of our “We are all like-minded people, modern technologies and the au- with Berdimukhamedov to discuss jects, established in Kazakhstan Betsy Nelson said in an exclusive countries,” Nelson said. united by the importance of a mul- tomotive industry at the Turkmen- trade and economic cooperation. on the premises of former EXPO interview for this story. Continued on Page A5 tifaceted and systemic dialogue on bashi international seaport, noted They emphasised the importance 2017. ATOM Project’s Honorary Ambassador National Council of Public Trust to hold first meeting to make an impression of imposing remembers Hiroshima and Nagasaki victims By Saltanat Boteu anything on our part. It is neces- viet Union. Kazakhstan signed and sary to listen to the proposals of all By Dilshat Zhussupova ratified the Treaty on the Prohibi- NUR-SULTAN – The first participants,” he said. tion of Nuclear Weapons March meeting of the Kazakh National The council’s structure includes NUR-SULTAN – The ATOM 2, 2018 and July 3, 2019, respec- Council of Public Trust has been the council’s chair, President Project and its Honorary Ambas- tively, and assumed the 2019-2020 tentatively scheduled for Aug. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, deputy sador Karipbek Kuyukov called chairmanship of the 48-member 28. Participants will establish the chair and Presidential Administra- for renewed efforts to bring about multilateral export control regime council’s activities and form work- tion Head Krymbek Kusherbayev, a nuclear weapon-free world on Nuclear Suppliers Group. ing groups, National Council sec- the council’s secretary Karin and the 74th anniversary of the atomic Leading by example, The ATOM retary and advisor to the Kazakh more than 40 activists and experts bombings of the Japanese cities of Project Honorary Ambassador and President Yerlan Karin announced from across various sectors. Among Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Kazakhstan show that building recently. them are human rights activist The Atomic Age arrived upon a nuclear weapon-free world is The council is an advisory body Aigul Orynbek, information tech- the United States’ bombing of Hi- within our power, “with political called for and approved by Kazakh roshima and Nagasaki Aug. 6 and will and the united voice of citi- President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev nologies specialist Baghdat Musin, 9, 1945, respectively, that killed zens around the world,” despite in July. The council will make journalist Mikhail Dorofeyev and between 129,000 and 226,000 setbacks such as the Aug. 2 with- policy recommendations based economist Oraz Zhandosov. people. The bombings have been drawal of the United States from on input from the public, political “The President’s decree in June the only use of nuclear weapons the Treaty on the Elimination of parties and civil society. said that within a month the rep- in armed conflict, and The ATOM Intermediate-Range and Shorter- “At present, there are a number resentatives of the Presidential Ad- Project aims to keep it that way. Karipbek Kuyukov Range Missiles. of questions regarding the oper- ministration should consult with “We must never forget that day “The city of Hiroshima opened ating principles of the National representatives of political parties or the lives lost in Hiroshima,” world still lives with the threat of activist and painter, whose works one of humanity’s most deadly and Council. It is necessary to decide and civil society. We did this… We said Kuyukov. “Many lives have nuclear weapons use. Many in the capture the suffering of the victims dangerous chapters. One way we which working groups will be asked them what they see in the fu- been lost to or destroyed by nucle- international community, however, of nuclear weapon testing. can honour the lives lost is to make created, who will be part of the ture as suggestions for the work of ar weapons, including days later including Kuyukov, have pledged He delivered a powerful plea to sure Nagasaki closed that chapter, group.