ALMATY, Feb 15
(THE GLOBE}
�Our strategy is to use the internet in the markets where Euromoney and Institutional Investor brand names are very strong� said Padraic Fallon, Chairman of Euromoney Publications PLC.
Euromoney Publications PLC announced that it has taken a majority shareholding in Internet Securities, Inc. (ISI), a leading provider of emerging markets financial, economic and company information via the internet.
In its first significant internet-related acquisition, Euromoney has bought out ISI�s original venture capital investors, as well as injecting $11 million of new money into the company via a new issue of ISI preferred stock. The total consideration is $43 million in cash, inclusive of new funding for an 80 per cent shareholding. ISI�s annualized revenues for the final quarter of 1998 were $9.7 million, against $5.6 million for the same quarter in 1997.
In his opinion, the acquisition of ISI and the partnership with Gary Mueller give the Euromoney group the opportunity to exploit our content, brands, and knowledge of emerging markets.
Gary Mueller, commented, �Our customers, partners, and employees will benefit enormously from Euromoney�s 30 years of experience in financial publishing. From an operational standpoint, Internet Securities� global distribution complements Euromoney�s global footprint nicely. Recognition and quality of the Euromoney brand name provides Internet Securities leverage in the competitive and consolidating world of financial information provision.�
by Jon Boyle
MOSCOW, Feb 15 (AFP)
Hundreds of Afghan war veterans filed through the streets of Moscow on Monday as Russia commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Soviet pullout from Afghanistan, a military defeat that scarred a generation.
Around 500 veterans marched from Pushkin Square in downtown Moscow to the walls of the Kremlin to mark the end of the humiliating 10-year Soviet Afghan adventure, which has been likened to the traumatic US involvement in Vietnam.
Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov and Kremlin chief-of-staff Nikolai Bordyuzha laid wreathes at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier along with a host of government ministers and military top brass.
The ceremonies were called to commemorate February 15, 1989, when General Boris Gromov became the last Soviet soldier to cross the Amu Darya river into Uzbekistan to end Moscow�s ill-fated decision to buttress the Communist regime in Kabul.
Between 1979 and 1989, 14,000 soldiers were killed and 50,000 were wounded on the Soviet side and about one million Afghans died, according to Russian sources.
The war and the humiliating retreat marked the beginning of the end of Soviet muscle and heralded a decade-long decline of Moscow�s military might, firstly in its former satellites and latterly in the ex-Soviet republics which have all gained independence.
�The Afghan tragedy has been followed by tragedies in the former Yugoslavia, in Chechnya and in Africa, and the suffering of the Iraqi people continues,� said former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, Interfax reported.
Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader and head of state at the time of the pull-out, said a plethora of regional conflicts around the globe showed that Russia and the international community had not learnt the lessons of the war.
The anniversary was marked in a series of ceremonies across Russia.
Nazira Esenbayeva
Almaty, Feb15
(THE GLOBE)
�Since the end of the last year the TurkCell company invested $100 ml. for the purposes of development of cellular telecommunication services in Kazakhstan,� said Haluk Ege, the main executive director K�cell (GSM - Kazakhstan).
On February 15 Almaty�s akim Viktor Khrapunov had a meeting with the manager general of the company as well as with a manager general of the Eriksson company. An agreement on the perspectives of work for the company was signed and Mr. Khrapunov reportedly became the 500th owner of the phone GSM.
Gulbanu Abenova
Almaty, Feb15
(THE GLOBE)
We can�t build security doing nothing. Security means intensive work of democratic institutions. This is one of reasons why we opened the center and the representative office of the OSCE in Kazakstan. It is designed to assist in establishing political institutes in the country, the chairwoman of the OSCE office in Almaty said on February 13.
The chairwoman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the ISCE represented by 300 members from 54 countries paid working visit Kazakstan and met president Nursultan Nazarbayev and representatives of the government, parliament and opposition groups.
The country finds itself in the transition period and the organization pays particular attention to the development of both market economy and democracy in the country, she pointed out.
She said that the purpose of her visit to Kazakstan was not only to examine the situation at the place, but also render multi-pole supports in different spheres of country�s activities. She plans to visit other 4 central Asian countries and 11 countries in total to examine their activities regarding the OSCE principles and organization�s work in those countries.
She also said that during the meeting with the president they discussed two principal issues concerning stability and security in Kazakstan and in the region in general.
According to her due to the transition period and development of market economy there are some changes and grounds for economic instability, which is as much dangerous as the peace instability for the country. Kazakstan�s president is considering different ways to avoid this danger.
She pointed out that came to the country to render assistance in forthcoming parliamentary elections. She said that they discussed the issue during the meeting with parliament members. She thinks that the country should pay special attention to amendments to the election laws. Elections are not only the day of vote, but the work before and after this day. To assist in organization of parliamentary elections to take place in December or at any other time the OSCE is ready to co-operate through the Center in Kazakstan and the Parliamentary Assembly and render consulting and technical assistance. As for other aspects, Kazakstan may choose any other model, as it is the choice and the responsibility of the country, she pointed out during the press-conference which took place on February 13. She also informed that next day she was expected to meet with the representatives of opposition groups to get information about their work, and programs and ask them if there is any influence on the part of the government.
The democracy without opposition is impossible. I will not suppose if its representatives will get places in the Parliament. During our meeting both the government and the parliament expressed their intention to have a multi-party system, she said.
The head of the OSCE Center in Almaty said that the organization had already prepared the assessment mission on the presidential elections in Kazakstan, containing 14 recommendations. The document is practically the same as the preliminary statement of the OSCE, made on January 11. (see the Globe # 3 (321) as of 13. 01. 99.
Though the mission expressed its concern regarding some issues we are not within our rights to implement any sanctions. The procedure contains only recommendations and reports and the World Bank and the international community will take them into account, concluded the chairwoman.
Information of The GLOBE:
Helly Dain, chairwoman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE
Since July 1998, an ex-member of the Cabinet of Ministers in Denmark.
She had been a deputy of the Parliament of Denmark over 20 years. Since 1994 up to now � the Chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Denmark. The head of Denmark delegation represented in the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE, the head of Denmark delegation the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Council, the chairwoman of the Committee on Economic Issues and Development. A member of the Financial Committee of the Danish parliament.
The OSCE. An all-European process means a multidimensional activity of 55 states in Europe and Central Asia, as well as of the USA and Canada, that was initiated by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and after signing of the Helsinki Conclusive Act on August 1, 1975.
Kazakstan joined the OSCE in January 1992 at a meeting of Foreign Ministers of the OSCE members, with the aim to ensure the country�s security basing on fundamental principles of the Organization contained in the Helsinki Conclusive Act and other OSCE�s papers.