Kuanysh ZHUMANGAZINOV
ALMATY, Nov 29
(THE GLOBE)
On November 29th, the Republican AIDS Center, in conjunction with representative offices of UNO, UNESCO and the World Bank, held a press conference devoted to honoring World AIDS Day. Nearly 1,000 people in Kazakhstan are known to be infected with the HIV virus which causes AIDS. More than 70% of them are unemployed young people, ages 15 to 29. Over 80% of the infected are drug addicts who caught the disease while using infected syringes. To date, 73 Kazakhstanis have died of AIDS.
In 1997, two cases of HIV-infection were revealed in Karaganda and Temirtau. During 1998 and 1999, further spreading of the virus was prevented when 14 people who wanted to become voluntary donors were tested and found to be HIV-positive. At present, joint pilot projects of the Republican AIDS Center, the UN Joint program (UNAIDS) and other sponsor organizations are being begun to counter infections spread among drug users in Karaganda, in Southern Kazakhstan oblast and in Almaty. Despite worldwide scientific efforts, neither vaccine nor medicine to cure AIDS has been found. Predictions that such a preparation would be produced by the end of the century have proven unfounded. In Kazakhstan, medicine able to prolong patients� lives and improve their health have remained unavailable due to high prices. For this reason, the first anti-AIDS program developed by the Kazakhstani government, UN agency and other donor organizations focused on Information, Education and Communications (IEC) among the youth and other groups of people with a high risk of AIDS infection. Since early 1999 a national anti-AIDS campaign, �Listen, Learn, Live!�, based on a dialogue with youth has operated across Kazakhstan.
At present, Kazakhstan has all the conditions for an AIDS epidemic. Despite this, speakers at the press conference did not consider the visa requirement that all foreigners submit medical certificates confirming they are HIV-negative a necessity.
Aia MURZABEKOVA
ALMATY, Nov 29
(THE GLOBE)
A lack of ecologically clean production methods is one of the most urgent problems in Kazakhstan, according to Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Murat Musataev, as atmospheric emissions may become the main contributor to pollution in the country. Musatbaev reported this week that enterprises prepare emissions registration plan themselves, and the Ministry does not interfere in the process. However, the Ministry regulates the volume of waste products, thereby following policies for natural preservation.
Analyzing the situation across the country, the Ministry concluded that up to 20 billion tons of solid industrial waste products were emitted in Eastern Kazakhstan by both the lead and zinc factories. The western region around Atyrau is significantly polluted by oil waste products. Central Kazakhstan is polluted by industrial and commercial waste, with negative impacts on soil and water resources. One of the ecologically cleanest regions in Kazakhstan is Kokshetau, Musataev said.
In conclusion, the deputy minister announced that it was necessary to structure legally obligatory insurance for Kazakhstani industries. Only if this is done will companies be responsible for the environment and will have to think about how to minimize emissions.
Kuanysh
ZHUMANGAZINOV
ALMATY, Nov 29
(THE GLOBE)
Archaeologists have deciphered a series of ancient Buddhist inscriptions carved on rock faces beside the Ili river, 30 kilometers downriver from Lake Kapchagai. Mr. Stobdan, director of the Cultural Center of the Indian Embassy, explained the significance of the late 10th century inscriptions at Tamgaly-Tas during a November 26th celebration in the Auezov Memorial House-Museum in Almaty
The inscribed Tibetan text names the different images of the Buddha beside which it is carved. The artistic masterpieces are considered evidence that Central Asian peoples had contact with Tibetan and Mahayana Buddhism. While the Mahayana (Greater) branch of Buddhism primarily spread east from its origins in northern India, sweeping across China to Japan, Silk Road trading routes resulted in the introduction of Buddhism in Central Asia as well. The detailed sculptors� work at the Tamgaly-Tas site suggests a multi-cultural 10th century Kazakhstan, where a historical succession of military invasions and developing trade introduced numerous conflicting cultural values.
The location of the archaeological site is of particular significance. The carvings are in a wall of cliffs twenty meters from the bank of the Ili river, which served as an important branch of the Silk Road. The Ili river flows west over 1400 kilometers from the modern-day Chinese province of Xinjiang to Lake Balkash in Kazakhstan. Pilgrims, travelers, merchants, conquerors and possibly religious leaders had traveled this way for centuries. Possibly, Tamgaly-Tas was juncture for several Silk Road routes; from here, roads would have led west to other Central Asian Buddhist towns, including Samarkand, Bukhara, Kiv and Yarkand, west to the towns of Khotan and Kashgar, and north to Lake Balkhash.
At the November 26th event, entitled �Ili characters � a bridge through centuries�, the departing Indian ambassador to Kazakhstan Mr. Rajiv Sikri was also honored. After four and a half years, Ambassdor Sikri will leave Kazakhstan on December 4th. Speaking briefly, Sikri said that he was on the whole satisfied with the foreign policies of the two countries, but criticized that Kazakhstan tended to consider �East-West� international relations while overlooking the �North-South� vector. In conclusion, Ambassador Sikri and Murat Auezov both expressed hope that at the threshold of the new millenium new cultural ties between Kazakhstan and India would recommence. The cultural celebration was sponsored by the Indian Embassy Cultural Center, the Scientific-Cultural Center �Auezov�s House� and the Mukhtar Auezov International Fund organized the event.
ALMATY, Nov 29
(THE GLOBE)
From October 1 to November 23, a public fund established in memory of Princess Diana gave financial support to 92 individuals, including primarily orphans and elderly widowers, the organization reported on Monday, November 29th. As of November 25, the fund had received donations of 162,000 tenge (US $1,165) of which 140,000 tenge (US $1,000) was spent on direct assistance. An additional 21,000 tenge (US $150) was spent on office rent, communication expenses and municipal charges, whatever those are, while nearly 1,900 tenge (US $13) was spent on stationary and report forms. The leftover balance is 19 tenge (US $0.14).
ALMATY, Nov 26
(THE GLOBE)
�New equipment handed to the Kazakhstani Court Expertise Center will help Kazakhstan to struggle against crimes,� the US Ambassador Richard Jones announced on Friday, November 26th at a ceremony devoted to the completion of a training for court experts.
The five-day training was held by specialists of the Inter-agency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) of the US Department of Justice. Along with certificates distributed to participants of the training, Ambassador Jones transferred computers and equipment worth US$ 31,500.
In addition to an infra-red spectrophotometer given to the Center in June 1999, the Center received a gas chromatograph, a modern device to analyze narcotics to determine their content and methods of preparation.
In connection with the training, the Center also received a set of computers for analyzing documents. With this equipment, the CEC will be able to examine documents for forgery for the first time.
�The training and the donated equipment are one of the latest American-Kazakhstani programs to stop the increasing threat of international crimes,� the Ambassador stated.
All Over the Globe is published by IPA House.
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