AZAKH PREMIER IN TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN. RFE/RL correspondents quote press service of the Kazakh Cabinet as reporting that Kazakh Premier Nurlan Balhgymbayev left Almaty for Tashkent today. The main issue discussed between the Kazakh and Uzbek top officials is about natural gas delivery and Kazakh-Uzbek borders demarcation. Kazakh Foreign Minister Qasymzhomart Toqayev told RFE/RL correspondents earlier last week, that the issue of the Kazakh-Uzbek border demarcation was one of the most complicated matters in relations between Astana and Tashkent.
RUSSIA TO CUT QUOTAS FOR THE KAZAKH OIL. RFE/RL correspondents quote Kazakh and Russian sources as reporting that Russia is going to cut quotas for the Kazakh oil being transported to the West through the Russian pipelines. Last December Yevgeniy Primakov - then Russia�s Premier and his Kazakh counterpart Nurlan Balghymbayev signed an agreement according to which the volume of the Kazakh oil transported through the Russian pipelines was decided to be increased to 7 million tones. Due to the decrease of the oil prices on the international markets, Russia made a decision to annul the agreement of the last December. Kazakh Premier Nurlan Balghymbayev is reportedly scheduled to leave for Moscow to start talks on the matter in the nearest future.
A BANKER WITH BIG AMOUNT OF CASH ARRESTED AT ALMATY AIRPORT YESTERDAY MORNING. Asqar Nasenov - Chairman of one of Almaty Banks was arrested at Almaty airport yesterday morning with $60 thousand cash in his bag. He is accused of trying to smuggle hard currency to Russia. Mr. Nasenov denies accusations saying that the cash was put to his bag by some unknown people after he passed the customs control. One of the Customs officers confirmed that some unknown persons put something to Mr. Nasenov�s bag. Investigations are underway.
NEW KAZAKH AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE APPOINTED. Astana, Kazakh President issued a Decree according to which the former Governor of Atyrau Oblast - Ravil Shyrdabayev was appointed as Kazakhstan�s new Ambassador to Ukraine.
US OFFICIAL EXPECTED TO ASTANA TONIGHT. RFE/RL correspondents quote U.S. Embassy�s Consulate in Astana as reporting that U.S. State Department�s Special Envoy Stephen Sestanovich is expected to arrive to the Kazakh Capital tonight. On his arrival a special round table discussion devoted to the situation around press freedom in Kazakhstan, namely the Kazakh Law on Press adopted recently by the Kazakh Parliament will be held. U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan Richard Jones and Chief of USIS in Kazakhstan William Walker are expected to take part in the round table. Also representatives of all the independent newspapers and journals are reportedly invited to participate ion the discussion. Tomorrow, May 26, Mr. Sestanovich is scheduled to meet with the Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and other Kazakh officials.
HUMAN RIGHTS BUREAU CRITICIZES KAZAKH GOVERNMENT. RFE/RL correspondents report from Almaty, that Zhemis Turmaghambetova, a representative of the Kazakh Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law harshly criticized the Kazakh officials for its having returned three illegal immigrants (three ethnic Uyghurs) to China. The three Uyghurs attempted to ask for political asylum in Kazakhstan, but were expelled back to China and reportedly shot there. According to Ms Turmaghambetova, such sort of cases have to be discussed and researched by courts very thoroughly and the appropriate decision must be adopted then. Kazakhstan had returned the three Uyghurs without any trials. Currently 5 more ethnic Uyghurs known as illegal immigrants from China, are expecting their return to China. Ms Turmaghambetova said at press conference held yesterday in Almaty that in the last couple of years Kazakhstan had lost its reputation of �democratically oriented nation�, which had caused the decrease of foreign investments volumes into the Kazakh economy.
U.S STATE DEPARTMENT�S SPECIAL ENVOY IN ASTANA. Stephen Sestanovic - U.S. State Department�s Special Envoy arrived to Astana last night and held talks with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Foreign Minister Qasymzhomart Toqayev, Defense Minister Mukhtar Altynbayev and other officials. Mr. Sestanovic told RFE/RL correspondents that many issues had been discussed during his talks with the Kazakh President. He added that the United States were very concerned about independence, sovereignty and democratic reforms in Kazakhstan, as well as other Central Asian states. According to one of the documents signed by the U.S. and Kazakh officials American technology and equipment will be brought to the Kazakh borders in order to strengthen border guarding Also Kazakh and American citizens will not need special invitations to obtain entering visas to the both countries any more. President Nazarbayev told Mr. Sestanovic that he was committed to the idea of amending of the Kazakh laws on election by the Parliamentary elections, scheduled for the end of this year.
FORMER PRIME MINISTER AKEZHAN KAZHEGELDIN FACES ACCUSATIONS. According to information provided by RFE/RL correspondents in Almaty, Akezhan Kazhegeldin, formerly Kazakh Premier, now Chairman of the Kazakh People�s Republican Party is obliged to face up at Almaty City Court on June 1. RFE/RL correspondents report that Vitaliy Voronov - Lawyer of Akezhan Kazhegeldin had been given a letter inviting the former Kazakh Prime Minister to the court on the first day of June. Chairman of the Kazakh National Security Committee Nurtay Abyqayev told Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper that two criminal cases had been started against Akezhan Kazhegeldin: one is about Mr. Kazhegeldin�s tax paying shortfalls, another one around origin of Mr. Kazhegeldin�s enormous belongings abroad. Almaty TV-channel called 31 KANAL reported that a special investigating team was created by officers of the Kazakh National Security Committee and Interior Ministry, the main task of which to investigate Mr. Kazhegeldin�s case.
CHAIRWOMAN OF THE KAZAKH CENTRAL ELECTIONS COMMITTEE MEETS LEADERS OF POLITICAL PARTIES. Zaghipa Baliyeva - Chairwoman of the Kazakh Central Election Committee met with representatives of the Kazakh political parties and movements in Almaty yesterday, May 25. RFE/RL correspondents report that Mrs. Baliyeva introduced the politicians with the peculiarities of the Kazakh laws on elections. She said that 43 types of punishments for minor rules and laws breaking might prevent a candidate from participation in any election of Kazakhstan.
GOVERNOR OF ZHAMBYL OBLAST DISTRIBUTED MONEY AMONG HUNGER STRIKERS. Serik Umbetov - Governor of Zhambyl Oblast, Southern Kazakhstan, reportedly distributed about 50 thousand Tenges ($450) among hunger strikers of the Phosphorus Producing Plant in Taraz City. The hunger strikers had been on hunger strike for almost three weeks. They had been demanding their overdue salaries and social allowances. Mr. Umbetov promised to solve the problems around the salaries payment shortfalls by June 10. The hunger strikers agreed to stop the hunger strike temporarily till June 10. Meanwhile 42 hunger strikers of a similar industrial facility in Shymkent City, demanding their salaries and allowances were dismissed by local police last week.
ALMATY POWER CONSOLIDATED TO RAISE UTILITIES COSTS. Kazakh Belgian Joint Company called Almaty Power Consolidated is going to raise costs for cold and hot water, electricity and heating starting June 1. RFE/RL correspondents quote local mass media as reporting that administration of the Almaty Power Consolidated has already sent a letter to Almaty City�s antimonopoly Committee, asking its permission to start the costs raising. Almaty Power Consolidated is known as an affiliate of the Belgian Tractabel Company and controls heating and electricity supply system of Almaty Oblast.
(RFE/RL)
Askar DARIMBET
ALMATY
May 25
(THE GLOBE)
�The Youth Pre-election Block (YPB) has achieved understanding regarding the youth policy by the State authorities and deputies,� the leader of YPB announced on May 25 in Almaty.
Zhanna Nauryzbaeva stated that settling the youths� current problems will require the wide participation of the community, including political parties and movements. A round table was organised to realize this goal.
�The youth in Kazakhstan are still politically passive and that is why it is important to raise the issue about the strengthening of its social function,� the leader of the Civil Party of Kazakhstan said.
Azat Peruashev believes that one of the reasons for the unsuccessful youth policy is the fact that this policy requires a lot of investments, and a quick return is impossible. However, in Pesuashev�s opinion, investments in the future are the most reliable and profitable.
The leader of the CPK added that despite the propaganda of small and middle-size business as panacea from unemployment, it is not true. Big business, including enterprises that succeed today may both create the basis for the small business and settle the problem of unemployment.
�The Parliament cannot approve the law without the government. Thus the Parliaments can do nothing as far as the law on youth is concerned,� a representative of the Republican People�s Party of Kazakhstan (RPPK) said.
According to the representative, the approval of the corresponding laws will not settle all the problems. The representative emphasised the importance of working out the agenda of youth�s meetings and to hold them.
�If youth does not itself strive to settle its own problems, nobody will settle these problems,� the representative of RPPK emphasised.
A representative of the Communist Party announced that the renewed Komsomol organisation, subordinate to the Party, and unregistered for the time being, would nominate its candidates to the Maslikhats and to the Parliament.
Michail SERGEEV
ALMATY, May 26 (THE GLOBE)
�We expect the recommendations worked out at the conference will be supported by the government,� the President of the International Business Academy announced at a press-conference devoted to the opening ceremony of the conference �Development of management and business-education: world trends and Kazakhstan�s potential�.
The main objective of the conference is to determine the main ways to develop management and business education in Kazakhstan taking into consideration the requirements of the economy and business. It is important to integrate the efforts of the government, business-educational associations, business circles and concerned international organisations, as well world�s development trends.
Twenty-five spokesmen, 150 local and foreign experts in different management fields are supposed to take part at the conference that will be held May 27 to 28 in Almaty.
The conference was organised by the Kazakhstan government, the Agency on Matters of State Service, and by the International Business Academy.
ALMATY, May 27 (THE GLOBE)
�We have agreed with the heads of �Tengizchevroil� that this company will fix the price of tenge at the same rate that it was before the devaluation,� the Minister of Energy, Industry and Trade announced during his recent tour to the southwest Kazakhstan.
According to Mr. Ablyazov, this means that the MNPC will receive gas at a stable price. In his opinion, this event should promote the development of the industry in this region.
It is especially important for the Mangistau region, as a year ago water was supplied to the local population according to the schedule, and there was no hot water at all. Thanks to the concluded agreement, the region will be regularly provided with hot and cold water. The Minister expected that as the production of water, electricity and heat became cheaper, the retail tariffs for the population would be kept at the same level.
�It is a concrete step by the governmental policy to prevent the prices of power resources, and hence, of the retail prices of electric power, from growing,� he stated.
All Over the Globe is published by IPA House.
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