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A WEEKLY ONLINE PUBLICATION / WWW.MFA.GOV.KZ ISSUE NO. 360 / FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 2014

President Nazarbayev Visits East Kazakh and Aktobe Regions

Bolashak Scholars Aid Kazakh Development, Image

OSCE Commissioner Discusses Ethnic Rights in Kazakhstan

Also In The News

President Nazarbayev Visits East Kazakh and Aktobe Regions

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President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev paid working visits to the Aktobe and East Kazakhstan regions from June 23-24. The President visited a number of industrial and social facilities and met with members of the public and local entrepreneurs.

In Aktobe, the head of state highlighted the region’s fast-paced development.

“In the past three years, domestic regional product increased by 1.5 times, reaching 1.8 billion tenge (US$9.8 million), and industrial production increased by 1.4 times. Seventy-eight construction sites worth 577 billion tenge (US$3.14 billion) in total were commissioned during the industrialisation programme. Revenue into the budget of the region increased by 1.5 times,” Nazarbayev noted.

The President also stressed that along with economic development, much attention is being paid to social development, which is very important for the population in the area.

“Thirty-one schools were opened [in the region,] along with 144 kindergartens, [so] the region is 85 percent covered by preschool institutions. The state supports healthcare, and over a span of 10 years, life expectancy in the region has increased by six years. This is the main component of all our work,” Nazarbayev said.

“In the past three years, domestic regional product increased by 1.5 times, reaching 1.8 billion tenge (US$9.8 million), and

industrial production increased by 1.4 times. Seventy-eight construction sites worth 577 billion tenge (US$3.14 billion) in total were commissioned during the industrialisation programme. Revenue into the budget of the

region increased by 1.5 times.”– President Nursultan Nazarbayev

The President noted that the new Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) will boost the region’s opportunities. The Aktobe region shares long borders with its large EEU neighbour, Russia.

On the other hand, Nazarbayev also addressed a number of problems in the socio-economic development of the region. In

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev visits the Ust-Kamenogorsk technological equipment plant

particular, he pointed to the lack of dynamic processing industries when compared with mining industry facilities. Several facilities that were built through the industrial programme are idle or running at a reduced capacity.

“Over the past three years, the region imported $800 million worth of food [products.] This year alone, imported meat and dairy products totalled $94 million. It is necessary to develop your own capacity to form food reserves around Aktobe,” Nazarbayev stressed.

Within the working visit, the President also visited Daru Hospital, the Dostyk swimming pool complex and the construction site of the new Nur Aktobe condominium complex and launched the new ferro-alloy plant, KazChrome. The design capacity of the new KazChrome plant amounts to 440,000 tons of high-carbon ferro-chrome per year. It is expected to produce 226,500 tons of the product by the end of this year. The project, worth $843 million, is expected to produce the first metal in its furnace next month. The plant employs over 500 workers.

The President’s next stop was Ust-Kamenogorsk, East Kazakhstan. One of the main purposes of this visit was for President Nazarbayev to get acquainted with the industrial-innovative development of the region; thus, he stopped at a manufacturing equipment plant that produces processing equipment and electric filters designed to purify exhaust gases. The products are used in thermal power plants, construction enterprises and the metallurgical industry. The percentage of particulate abatement and dust filtering of the plant’s products reaches 99.7 percent.

The President stressed that the region’s dynamically developing sector of small and medium-sized businesses is a priority for the whole country.

“The volume of products manufactured by small and medium enterprises has increased by two and a half times. These enterprises provide jobs for a third of all workers. This is important because large enterprises provide the main income for the economy, but they are not able to provide all the jobs needed. Small business is vital in this role,” the President said.

“The average life expectancy in the East Kazakhstan region has reached almost 70 years; the birth rate has increased by 41 percent. This indicates that the standard of living is rising and healthcare is working properly for the people,” he added.

OSCE Commissioner Discusses Ethnic Rights in Kazakhstan

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The High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Astrid Thors paid an official visit to Kazakhstan from June 23-27 to discuss with Kazakh officials the current situation for minorities and minorities’ rights in the country.

On June 24, Thors met Prosecutor General of Kazakhstan Askhat Daulbayev, who apprised her of the priority directions of the activities of prosecuting authorities and concrete measures undertaken by Kazakhstan to strengthen human rights protections.

During the meeting, there was a substantive discussion on current human rights issues. Issues regarding the fulfilment of language law requirements, the use of languages in law enforcement and judicial proceedings, as well as problems of discrimination, received particular attention.

Thors expressed satisfaction with the conversation, noting that she considered the meeting to be a very important one, and expressed gratitude for the cooperation of the prosecutor general’s office and its active engagement in the protection of human rights.

Daulbayev also confirmed that the prosecutor general’s office of Kazakhstan is open to dialogue and continuing joint work on human rights and minority rights.

On June 25, Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov held a meeting with Thors during which the parties noted that the history of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the OSCE Office of the HCNM has a solid foundation and is backed by many positive examples of collaboration. It was pointed out that Kazakhstan has received high marks at the international level for its policy of inter-ethnic and interreligious harmony and its protection of the rights of various ethnic groups.

More than 120 nationalities and 30 religious denominations are represented in Kazakhstan, Idrissov told Thors. He urged her office to maximise the potential and opportunities of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan, which helps tackle issues of inter-ethnic relations

Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov (left) with OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors

at the highest level. It was noted that Kazakhstan has created favourable conditions for the development of all ethnic groups, the free functioning of ethno-cultural associations and the preservation of the language, traditions and culture of different ethnic groups.

The Kazakh foreign minister stressed that inter-ethnic and interreligious harmony are of strategic importance for Kazakhstan and that the nation believes that only by maintaining an atmosphere of mutual respect among its numerous ethnicities and religions will a prosperous, free society be built and the objectives of the Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy be achieved. Thors agreed, saying inter-ethnic and interfaith harmony had facilitated the country’s socio-economic development.

The sides also discussed the implementation of the HCNM Action Plan of the Central Asian Education Programme adopted this April in Almaty. In this regard, Idrissov stressed that work aimed at the preservation of ethnic groups is of particular interest to Kazakhstan and noted that schools providing education in different ethnic languages are open in areas where members of different nationalities live. He also pointed out that the language policy of Kazakhstan is aimed at restoring the status of the Kazakh language along with the parallel development of other ethnic languages.

The HCNM gets involved in a situation if, in her judgement, there are tensions involving national minorities that could develop into a conflict. Much of the day-to-day work is in identifying and addressing the causes of ethnic tensions and conflicts. The high commissioner addresses both short-term triggers of inter-ethnic tension and long-term structural concerns.

If a participating state is not meeting its political commitments or international norms, the high commissioner will assist by providing analysis and recommendations. Based on experience, the HCNM publishes thematic recommendations and guidelines that give advice on common challenges and best practices. The high commissioner also provides structural support through small collaborative projects that aim to achieve sustainability through increasing local ownership.

Bolashak Scholars Aid Kazakh Development, Image

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The Bolashak Presidential Scholarship Programme, introduced in November 1993, has become a key factor in Kazakhstan’s development as well as an integral part of the country’s image abroad. The 20-year-old programme has provided scholarships for more than 10,000 students and produced nearly 7,000 graduates, said Gani Nygymetov, president of the Centre for International Programmes under the Ministry of Education and Science, which administers the Bolashak programme. It was called the best scholarship programme in the world at the Going Global International Conference in Miami this year, and many international scholarship programmes are using or studying its practices.

The programme helps provide specialists for key economic sectors while providing opportunities for students from less developed parts of the country. “For the majority of scholars, Bolashak offers the only possibility to study in the world’s top universities,” said Nygymetov. In turn, the scholars directly or indirectly promote Kazakhstan abroad. “Bolashak scholars are playing a key role in shaping Kazakhstan’s positive image abroad. They represent the elite of Kazakh youth, scientific and training staff, civil servants, engineering and medical staff,” said Nygymetov.

The programme has changed over the years, recently dropping the bachelor’s degree scholarship and shifting to a development-oriented approach. Now, employers bid for personnel training according to industry-development programmes, Nygymetov explained, and specialists are trained according to the needs of different regions. (After graduating, specialists must work for three to five years in the organisation that got them into the programme.) “Many of the changes … were aimed at covering a shortage of highly-qualified specialists with international educations in light of the changing goals of the country’s economy,” said Nygymetov.

In 2013, the programme’s priority categories were broadened to include the arts and mass media industry. Public servants, academic and medical staff, engineers and technical workers are also priorities. A list of priority majors is generated annually, based on requests from state agencies, universities and scientific organisations, Nygymetov said.

Now, the Bolashak programme will be used to help implement the goals of the Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy, particularly in building a science-intensive economy. “Thus, one of the priorities of the Bolashak scholarship is the support and provision of specialists for the realisation of the second five years of the State Industrial and

Innovative Development Programme [SPAIID],” said Nygymetov. Internship opportunities will increase and professional development programmes will be designed in collaboration with the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs. Attracting more applicants from the regions is also a goal, and an information campaign about that has begun.

Another objective is creating an innovative research professional elite at Kazakhstan’s universities and research centres. This year, a pilot split Ph.D. programme was launched. “The project targets the local staff of Nazarbayev University, including Bolashak programme graduates, to help them obtain doctoral degrees,” Nygymetov explained. Doctoral research will be done both in Kazakhstan – at Nazarbayev University – as well as in partner foreign universities, and students will receive doctoral degrees from the partner foreign university. “If the programme is successful, this mechanism is planned to be applied in other leading universities of the country,” Nygymetov said.

The Bolashak Alumni Relations Office (BARO ) helps graduates find jobs in their fields by meeting with employers and organising job fairs, among other activities. BARO also works to create long-term relationships between alumni. The Ministry of Education and Science also promotes open discussion with alumni, organising informal meetings with the minister where graduates can discuss problems and make suggestions.

The Bolashak graduates do their nation proud, Nygymetov said. “Graduates return to Kazakhstan with a full store of knowledge [and] experience, but, most importantly, with great potential and a desire to work for the sake of the country, to improve the lives of our citizens and contribute to the development of the future.”

“Bolashak scholars are playing a key role in shaping Kazakhstan’s positive image abroad.

They represent the elite of Kazakh youth, scientific and training staff, civil servants,

engineering and medical staff.”– Gani Nygymetov

Gani Nygymetov, president of the JSC Centre for International Programmes, which administers Bolashak scholarships

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• PublicServiceDaycelebratedforthefirsttimePublic Service Day in Kazakhstan was established on June 23 last year by presidential decree and was celebrated for the first time this year. On Dec. 20, 2002, the 57th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a resolution designating June 23 UN Public Service Day and encouraged UN member states to mark this date in their countries. According to the Kazakh Agency for Civil Service, over 90,000 people work in Kazakhstan’s public service, including more than 49,000 women. (nurotan.kz

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• DaysofKazakhstancinemaeventheldinGeorgiaFor the first time, a Days of Kazakhstan Cinema event has been held in Tblisi, Georgia. The event, organised by the Kazakhfilm company, the Ministry of Culture and Protection of National Monuments of Georgia and the Georgian National Film Centre, screened four recent Kazakh feature films from June 17-20. The films included “Zhauzhurek Myn Bala,” “Shal,” “Liquidator” and “Sky of My Childhood,” which tells the story of the life of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. (inform.kz)

• YaroslavaShvedovasneaksintosecondroundofWimbledonKazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova won her first-round match at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships in London on June 24. The 26-year-old Shvedova took just under two hours to defeat Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic in three tight sets, 3:6, 6:4, 8:6. The Kazakh athlete served seven aces and made nine double faults and 44 unforced errors. Shvedova will play next against Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi, who routed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia. (inform.kz)

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