ETHNIC KURDS OF KAZAKHSTAN EXPRESSED THEIR ATTITUDE TO OCALAN�S VERDICT.
RFE/RL correspondents report from Almaty that ethnic Kurds of Almaty gathered at Kurdish Culture House yesterday, June 30, in order to express their opinions on the death penalty verdict announced by the Turkish Court against leader of the Kurdish separatists Abdullah Ocalan earlier this week. Leader of ethnic Kurds in Kazakhstan, Kazakh Academician Nadir Nadirov told journalists at the Kurdish Culture house yesterday, that all the ethnic Kurds of Almaty, South Kazakhstan and Zhambyl Oblasts (main areas in Kazakhstan, where Kurdish minority is concentrated) were advised by their leaders not to stage any sort of demonstrations or actions of protest. �We are not going to organize any terrorist actions in Kazakhstan, � - said Nadir Nadirov to journalists, adding that Turkey �had to solve the Kurdish problem and stop the Kurdish rebels activities by peaceful means only and that Abdullah Ocalan had to be released�. Almaty Police forces surrounded the building of the Kurdish Culture House, checking documents of any visitor for the whole day. All the Kurds living in Shymkent and Zhambyl Oblasts of Kazakhstan were prohibited to enter the former Kazakh capital. There are about 50 thousand ethnic Kurds living in Kazakhstan, and Kazakhstan was the only Central Asian Republic where ethnic Kurds organized numerous demonstrations and actions of protest the days following Abdullah Ocalan�s arrest by the Turkish Security forces earlier this year.
OTAN PARTY INITIATED GATHERING OF 7 POLITICAL PARTIES.
According to information provided by RFE/RL correspondents in Almaty, leaders of OTAN party organized a gathering of 7 political parties of Kazakhstan on June 30. Among the gathered politicians there were leaders of such parties as AZAMAT, Cooperative Party, Reconstruction Party, Agrarians Party, Republican Party and others. Sovetqazy Aqatayev - leader of Republican Party complained that his party had no money for fee required by the Kazakh laws to have parties fully registered as candidates in the Parliamentary elections, scheduled for this fall.
Today, July 1, Alimzhan Alpeyisov - Chief of OTAN Party�s branch in Astana distributed the OTAN party membership certificates among members of the Kazakh Parliament. Mr. Alpeyisov told RFE/RL correspondents today that 9 members of Senate - the Kazakh Parliament�s Upper House, and 20 members of Mazhilis - Lower House, had been admitted to the OTAN Party as new members recently. He also said that in all, OTAN party had about 170 thousand members in Kazakhstan, of whom 2 thousand were citizens of Astana.
AGREEMENT ON COOPERATION BETWEEN KAZAKHSTAN AND EUROPEAN UNION CAME INTO FORCE TODAY, JULY 1, 1999.
Agreement on Cooperation between Kazakhstan and European Union signed by the Kazakh President in 1993 and leaders of European Union came into force today , July 1. Representatives of EU in Kazakhstan, Ambassadors of Germany and Holland and Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Erlan Idrisov held press conference a on the event yesterday, June 30 in the Kazakh Capital - Astana. They stressed the importance of the agreement both for Kazakhstan and European Union, adding that the European Union had done a lot for strengthening ties with Kazakhstan in the last several years.
CENTRAL MOSQUE IN ALMATY TO START FUNCTIONING NEXT MONDAY.
RFE/RL correspondents report that new Central Mosque in Almaty City will start functioning next Monday. President Nursultan Nazarbayev is expected to take part in the ceremony of the Mosque�s opening. The Mosque has been being constructed for 8 years.
NEW BOOK ON MUSTAFA SHOQAY�S HERITAGE ISSUED IN ALMATY.
According to information provided by RFE/RL correspondents in Almaty a new two volume book on biography of Mustafa Shoqay and his political activities was issued by QAYNAR Publishing House in Almaty this week. Mustafa Shoqay was a prominent Kazakh _migr_ in Europe in 1920-ies and 1940-ies. A graduate of Saint-Petersburg University, he was the first Prime Minister of the first Central Asian Autonomy called Kokand Mukhtariyati. After Bolsheviks� having started oppressions against political opponents, he had to leave his homeland for Europe, where he lived for many years. His was Editor-in-Chief of Yash Turkistan magazine published in Paris, France between 1929 and 1939. Mustafa Shoqay also led so-called Big Turkistan Army consisting of ethnic Kazakhs, Karakalpaks, Kyrgyzes, Tajiks, Turkmens and Uzbeks captured by German troops during the WW2. He died in December 1941 and was buried in Berlin.
PENSIONERS OF SEMEY CITY STAGED ACTION OF PROTEST.
Elderly citizens of Semey (Semipalatinsk) City, Eastern Kazakhstan Oblast, staged a wide scaled action of protest yesterday, June 30. The pensioners of the city demanded their overdue pensions to be paid off and their right to use public traffic facilities for free to be returned.
ONE MORE NEWS FROM SEMEY....
RFE/RL correspondents in Eastern Kazakhstan and Almaty report that yesterday, at 4:00 AM, body of Tsentrkredit-Bank�s Director was found in one of Semey City�s districts. The banker�s body was knifed and thrown from one of the apartment blocks� roof. Investigations are underway.
PS. All the news are based on the reports sent by RFE/RL correspondents Sultankhan Aqquly-Uly and Aselim Qalken from Astana, Sayasat Beyisbay and Saltanat Baghashar from Almaty.
July 1 (Radio �Liberty�)
Gulbanu ABENOVA
ASTANA, July 1
(THE GLOBE)
At a joint meeting of the Houses of the Parliament of the RK, deputies approved the prolongation of the 4th session of the Parliament of RK by one month.
The closing ceremony of Parliament was supposed to occur on July 1. However, on June 29 the President of RK Nursultan Nazarbaev in his special message determined that five bills were priorities and another 21 bills needed to be urgently considered.
According to Marat Ospanov, the Mazhilis speaker, 4 out of 5 urgent bills have been approved. A number of bills, which were called urgent, have also undergone the procedures in the committees and Houses.
�Nevertheless, as the consideration of these bills will take time, there was a question as to whether we will be able to take a decision about the prolongation of our work,� the speaker stated.
Mr. Ospanov emphasised that the Constitution provides that if the President announces a bill as urgent, the Parliament is to consider this bill within a month and to take a decision on this bill. If the Parliament is unable to do this in time, the President can approve this law by his decree.
The Mazhilis speaker sent an inquiry to the Constitutional Council and its chairman replied that according to point 3 of article 59 of the Constitution of RK, the Parliament might prolong the work of the session by its decree.
Thus, the deputies have prolonged the session having reduced their vacations by one month. Marat Ospanov announced to THE GLOBE that deputies might consider the above-mentioned bills within two weeks.
�As the period of our authority has not ended, our main work is to discuss and approve the laws, to work in the Parliament. Of course, deputies should decide themselves and everyone will manoeuvre. But I am not going to introduce disorder into the work of our Parliament before the end of our authority,� he stated.
Banu MARAT
ASTANA, July 1 (THE GLOBE)
�It is true that �INOGATE� program has widened its borders and besides the CIS countries, it is possible, that East European countries such as Romania, Albania and Bulgaria will join the program,� the head of the European delegation announced to THE GLOBE on June 30 in Astana.
The ambassador Michael Humphreys consider the construction of new oil pipelines intended for transportation of Kazakhstan oil via Albania or other countries to Europe possible, but he emphasised that the information about this theme available for him was not sufficient.
Among programs mentioned in the Agreement on partnership and co-operation between Kazakhstan and European Council there are two programs: �INOGATE� and �TRASEKA�.
According to Mr. Humphreys, �INIGATE� program is rendering a significant support to the countries of Caspian basin in connection to utilisation of oil and gas reserves and development of the export markets through transport routes. �TRASEKA� program consists of a number of investment projects on rendering technical aid. These projects are financed by European Council and are supposed to develop the transport corridor between Europe and Central Asia through the Black and Caspian Seas. According to Yerlan Idrisov, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of RK, �INOGATE� program is not based on any concrete agreements on construction of the oil pipeline via any concrete territory, but only stipulates frames and principles which will be applicable to the system of pipelines in Europe and Asia. As far as the concrete directions and routes are concerned, of course, it is business of the governments of concerned countries and interested companies, Mr. Idrisov stated.
�TRASEKA� also determines the route, but according to the agreement between the governments. �The program stipulates the frames for the construction of maximum pipelines (there are variants via Albania, via Romania, etc.). Everything depends on numerous aspects: political, economic, financial and commercial,� the Vice-Minister emphasised.
According to Mr. Idrisov, �TRASEKA� program is the program of development of the �East-West� transport corridors and is initiated by the European community according to the TASIS program. On the whole, this program is to promote the economic development of Caucasian countries and Central Asia, to provide communications between Europe and Asia.
The Vice-Minister announced that several corridors were being worked out, including the Southern and Northern ones, which crosses the Kazakhstan territory. One of the main aspects of the program �TRASEKA� is consideration of the fact that Kazakhstan as a Central Asian country is absolutely continental state. To promote the economic growth, the program �TRASEKA� is to develop such things as the trade outlet to the world�s markets, inflow of new technologies, improvement and modification of legislation regarding the tariff policy and regulation of transit streams, unification of legislation of the countries-participants of these programs (this will allow to create common standards, which are to be comfortable transparent and very effective for the transit system), the Foreign Vice-Minister stated.
Mr. Idrisov said that according to the programs the common standards in the tariff policy regarding construction of gas and oil pipelines are to be worked out, to exclude the possibility for some countries to dictate their own conditions unprofitable for the countries-producers of hydrocarbons, for the transit countries not to be able to create unfavourable economic conditions, in particular the tariff policy. This tariff policy is being realised according to the economic charter providing the principles of co-operation in the development of power resources in this territory.
�For us the participation in this program is absolutely important. We consider this program of great importance. Now �INOGATE� program is agreed on the whole and on July 20 it is supposed to be signed at the very high level in Kiev. It is expected that the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan will take part in the signing,� Yerlan Idrisov emphasised.
Banu MARAT
ASTANA, June 30
(THE GLOBE)
�The fact that the Agreement will come into force is the new and important step in the interrelations with Europe having a political aspect. We have found the most important partner,� Yerlan Idrisov, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs announced.
On July 1, 1999 the Agreement on partnership and co-operation between European Council and Kazakhstan comes into force. The meeting of the EC delegation with the Mazhilis speaker Marat Ospanov held on June 30 in Astana was devoted to this event.
We remind you that the Agreement on partnership and co-operation was signed on January 23, 1995 in Brussels by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the President of the Board of the European Council, representatives of the states-members of EC and the President of European Commission.
Yerlan Idrisov emphasised the role of the Agreement in the development of political dialogue between Kazakhstan and EC, such prerogatives of the economic partnership as access to the world�s market, most favourable regime, prohibition of quantitative restrictions. Mr. Idrisov stated that this Agreement contents important provisions, which create a favourable and stable investment climate.
�The Agreement on partnership and co-operation was signed because of the desire to establish close relations between European Council and Kazakhstan based on the common values accepted by the parties,� the head of the representative office of the European Commission, the ambassador Michael Humphreys announced.
Marat Ospanov said that the importance of the Agreement for Kazakhstan was not questionable and the joint political actions would be more effective. The Mazhilis speaker thanked the participants of �the three� for the keen interest of EC to the processes in Kazakhstan and for the high evaluation of the last changes to the law on elections. �The reduction of vacations does not mean reduction of our authority. We will continue our work to democratise the society,� Mr. Ospanov assured the delegation.
According to the German ambassador, Doctor Michael Libal, the Agreement on Partnership and Co-operation is an important advancement. This Agreement replaces the Agreement on Trade, Commercial and Economic Co-operation which European community and the Soviet Union signed in 1989. From the moment of signing of the Agreement there were some fundamental political and economic changes, the ambassador emphasised.
Askar DARIMBET
ALMATY, June 30
(THE GLOBE)
�A valuable search service which allows one to increase the rate and possibilities of a search by several times has been installed in the Kazakhstan Internet,� the director business development of �Actis Systems Asia� announced in Almaty on June 30.
According to Yuryi Latin, the new service unites the resources of �Actis Systems Asia� and Alexander Lyahov, a famous web-publisher.
The search system will also allow businessmen to connect their web-server, including corporate site to this system.
The merger of �Actis Systems Asia� with another company that occurred a year ago was the first step in creating the first Kazakhstan informational portal, the system giving the whole range of both informational services with subscription to the required information and host (free e-mail address, free place for web-sites, etc.).
�In the result of our merge as well as the planned creation of web-portal, the first project for advertisement of Kazakhstan Internet in the global network has been prepared. One of the elements of this project will be the banner advertisement system which will allow its participants to exchange the advertisement information,� Yuryi Latin emphasised.
According to Mr. Latin, the mass media may take part in the realisation of the project on designing of the portal. The informational sources, for which special rubrics and sections will be created, will be an integral part of the system. Information of the mass media will be placed free of charge, as the designers are interested that more people will learn about Kazakhstan.
�The service charges for the companies which will take a decision to have a site in the new system, will vary depending on purposes from free (brief information according to the project �Business-Kazakhstan�) to very expensive (Internet-shop, marketing), Yuryi Latin added.
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