Callingastana

A WEEKLY ONLINE PUBLICATION / WWW.MFA.GOV.KZ ISSUE NO. 369 / FRIDAY, AUGUST 29 2014

President Nazarbayev Calls for Truce and Aid in Ukraine

Kazakh Foreign Minister Launches

Trip to Southeast Asia

Kazakhstan Celebrates Constitution Day Around the Country

Also In The News

Kazakhstan Makes Gains in Nuclear Non-Proliferation Efforts

President Nazarbayev Calls for Truce and Aid in Ukraine

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During an Aug. 26 meeting with the heads of state of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, as well as European Union representatives in Minsk, Belarus, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev called for a truce in the conflict in Ukraine and the delivery of international aid.

“We are urging to immediately resolve the humanitarian catastrophe in the east of Ukraine. The task now is to ensure a large-scale humanitarian aid campaign to assist Ukraine’s people. The efforts should be supported by international organisations, including the Customs Union and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS),” Nazarbayev told the gathering.

“Kazakhstan is ready to render all possible aid, including via the country’s Red Cross and Red Crescent. Among other things, the organisations could act as neutral middlemen when escorting humanitarian freights sent by other nations. There should be an unbiased international control system to ensure the timely [delivery of] supplies of humanitarian aid to Ukraine. I would call on the sides to declare a truce to facilitate a humanitarian aid campaign,” he said.

President Nazarbayev supports peaceful initiatives aimed at the de-escalation of the armed conflict in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and called on all parties involved in the crisis to address the challenges through diplomatic channels.

When speaking on the necessity of a peaceful settlement, Kazakhstan’s President urged the sides to give up on military solutions. “There should be a peaceful respite to save the lives of innocent women and children that have become hostages of the military opposition. We are calling on the sides to cease fire,” he said.

Among other things, President Nazarbayev stated it was important to stop reciprocal sanctions that have an adverse effect on common citizens and may trigger a new wave of the global financial crisis. Nazarbayev urged a return to constructive interaction and a gradual lifting of sanctions.

“Not only in southeast Ukraine, but the entire Ukraine needs large-scale aid efforts from all of the international community. Not only Western countries, but also countries of the East should contribute to the effort. Such intensive efforts have a great importance in preventing an economic collapse in Ukraine. We should come up with an idea for an international fund to bolster the Ukraine’s economy,” he said.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko (left) and President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev

The Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan also stated recently that the country has been working to normalise relations between Russia, Ukraine and the West and to translate those relations into civilised, internationally recognised frameworks. That is why Kazakhstan proposed the Aug. 26 the meeting. President Nazarbayev also mentioned during the gathering that similar meetings will be held in the future and that such a meeting may be held in Kazakhstan at the request of the European Union.

Erlan Karin, a political analyst from Kazakhstan, commented recently to tengrinews.kz on the role of Minsk and Astana in the situation in Ukraine.

“Astana and Minsk are trying to play the role of mediator. … But Minsk is somewhat limited in its ability to maneuver,” said Karin. “In this respect, Astana has greater room to maneuver because it is a reliable partner for Moscow and has contacts with Kiev. Plus, Astana can interact with their European counterparts. Astana has a wider range of tools in this regard.”

President of Ukraine Poroshenko also took the opportunity of the Minsk gathering to hold bilateral meetings on Aug. 26 with President Nazarbayev and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Poroshenko told Nazarbayev during their meeting that Ukrainian-Kazakh relations have great potential in many areas and thanked Nazarbayev for supporting Ukraine.

“I know your strong, principled position. Thank you for your support and decisive action in the protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” said Poroshenko.

Ultimately, Nazarbayev told his counterparts at the conclusion of the Minsk gathering that, “In any case, any negotiations are better than the war.”

Kazakh Foreign Minister Launches Trip to Southeast Asia

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Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Erlan Idrissov launched a tour to Southeast Asia on Aug. 28 that will last until Sept. 6 and include official visits to Singapore, Indonesia and Samoa to promote ties and open new dialogues. The trip was first mentioned during a meeting between Idrissov and ambassadors of the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) accredited in Kazakhstan in which the ambassadors of Vietnam Nguyen Van Hoa, Indonesia Foster Gultom, and Malaysia Hidayat Abdul Hamid were the invited guests.

During Idrissov’s Aug. 28-29 visit to Singapore, the head of the foreign ministry met with the Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong and had negotiations with his counterpart Foreign Minister and Minister of Justice of Singapore Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam. The two sides discussed the main directions of development of Kazakh-Singaporean bilateral relations and prospects for further expansion of trade, economic and investment cooperation, exchanged views on topical issues on the regional agenda and discussed aspects of cooperation in the framework of international organisations.

Singapore’s socio-economical development has been actively adopted in Kazakhstan. For instance, the national Samruk Kazyna Welfare Fund was created on the pillars of the holding company Temasek in Singapore.

Singapore, as a member of the major arrangements for nuclear safety, such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), strongly supports global efforts on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, where Kazakhstan plays one of the key roles.

Economic trade volume in 2013 amounted to $350 million (Kazakhstan exported $55.5 million and imported $293.8 million). The basis of Kazakhstan’s exports consist of ferrous metals, plastics, rubber, leather, boilers, machinery and mechanical devices, inorganic chemicals and metals. Imports from Singapore are products of animal and vegetable origin, food, chemicals, plastics as well as leather, textiles, jewelry, wood products, paper products, electrical and mechanical equipment, vehicles, electronic and optical devices.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan

Idrissov also lectured at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy on the process of Eurasian integration and gave an interview to the Singaporean media.

On Aug. 29-30, the head of the Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan travelled to Indonesia to meet with the Foreign Minister Dr. Marty Natalegawa. Idrissov said that Indonesia is one of Kazakhstan’s main partners in ASEAN. He stressed that trajectories of bilateral trade and investments could be power generation, mining, oil and gas, metallurgy, aerospace, telecommunication, engineering, tourism and cooperation in the financial and banking sector.

Currently, the trade volume between the two countries is relatively small, however, that is soon to be changed in view of the numerous memorandums of understanding signed at the past Astana Economic Forum, mainly in the oil and gas, pharmaceutical and medicine sectors, among others. The market share of Indonesian products is only 0.1 percent of the total trade of Kazakhstan while Indonesia’s export share to Kazakhstan reached 0.13 percent.

The next stop for Idrissov will be a trip to the Independent State of Samoa where he is to meet with the Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi and the Foreign Minister of Australia Julie Bishop.

During these meetings, the Kazakh delegation will be open to starting a dialogue towards cooperation in student exchange programmes, in particular, among other topics. As it is widely known, the preferred destinations for continuing education for Samoan students are New Zealand, Australia, the United States and China. The Kazakh side will promote Kazakhstan as another candidate in this field.

The Kazakh side will also seek support from Samoan peoples in Kazakhstan’s bid to receive a UN Security Council Seat in 2017-18.

Kazakhstan Celebrates Constitution Day Around the Country

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Constitution Day is celebrated Aug. 30 as one of Kazakhstan’s official state holidays. It was on Aug. 30, 1995 when the nationwide referendum took place and the people of Kazakhstan approved the draft of the new Constitution of Kazakhstan.

This event became one of the decisive moments on the way to building Kazakhstan as an independent, sovereign, economically liberal, fledgling democracy. All internationally recognised rights and freedoms are enshrined in the constitution, thus making it a modern and progressive basis for a sustainable movement toward a full-fledged democratic system and rule of law.

Kazakhstan obtained its independence in 1991, but it was not until 1995 that the basic law of the country was finally approved. This holiday is one of the most important state holidays since it reflects the people of Kazakhstan’s will and their aspiration to approve the country as a democratic, secular, constitutional and social state (Article 1 of the constitution).

The fundamental law of the country, the constitution, reflects the will of the people and the desire for approval of the country “as a democratic, secular, legal and social state in which the highest values are an individual, his life, rights and freedoms,” Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev stated.

As acknowledged by Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan’s constitution is the foundation of freedom. Thus, the constitution gave the people of Kazakhstan the most important thing – the right of choice.

President Nazarbayev has stated that equality and unity for all citizens of Kazakhstan are the main conditions for successful development and prosperity and the constitution is the guarantee for the growth and well-being of every citizen of the country.

“The constitution consolidated the main values of many centuries – independence, peace and stability. The duty of all state institutions and every [citizen of Kazakhstan] is to guard these values,” the President stressed.

The constitution allowed for accelerated economic reform while maintaining political and social stability. It consolidated the unity of the people and united more than 120 nationalities. Along with changes in the economy, the constitution has opened new opportunities for the process of political modernisation in society.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev giving his official remarks during a previous Constitution Day celebration

The major amendments of the basic law were introduced in 2007. Together, they are aimed toward transitioning to a proportional electoral system and strengthening the status of the Parliament of Kazakhstan by introducing rules on the approval of the prime minister of Kazakhstan’s candidacy by the parliamentary majority and the President’s consultations with party factions regarding the appointment of the prime minister. The Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan was given constitutional status and the right to delegate its representatives to the Mazhilis (lower chamber) and the Senate (upper chamber) of Parliament in accordance with the quota.

In February 2011, the amendments to the constitution were aimed at establishing the constitutional foundations of the appointment and holding of early presidential elections.

“The constitution consolidated the main values of many

centuries – independence, peace and stability.”

-Kazakh President Nursultan NazarbayevBy tradition, Constitution Day festivities include concerts and exhibitions, with parades and games held in all regions and cities of the country, as well as in rural and mountain areas. The main festivities and official events are held in Astana, the country’s capital. Foreign and domestic performers give concerts and solemn events are held in many parks. In the evening, fireworks light up the cities.

Educational institutions and the media also play their part in educating citizens about the constitution and constitutional developments. The Supreme Court of Kazakhstan also spreads awareness about the importance of the judiciary system in the country and brings forward facts about how the Constitution encourages and protects the country’s sovereignty and human rights and the benefits of independence.

This year the residents of Kazakhstan will have a three-day holiday for Constitution Day, from Aug. 30-Sept. 1, in accordance with the law on holidays in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan Makes Gains in Nuclear Non-Proliferation Efforts

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On the eve of the Aug. 29 International Day against Nuclear Tests, special envoy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Barlybay Karimovich Sadykov discussed the initiatives of the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

Sadykov noted that 2014 has seen significant events in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, including the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s accession to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Nuclear Security Summit in March in The Hague.

This year also marks five years since the adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution on the initiative of Kazakhstan on the International Day against Nuclear Tests, Sadykov noted. Since that adoption, Kazakhstan and other countries around the world have conducted conferences, seminars, exhibitions and other events that called for the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

This year, on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the resolution, Kazakhstan will hold a conference on Aug. 27-29 in Astana and Semey titled “International Physicians for a World Without Nuclear Weapons,” as well as a conference dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the anti-nuclear movement “Nevada-Semipalatinsk.” Kazakhstan will also participate in a Sept. 10 special session of the UN General Assembly in New York and a Sept. 15 international conference devoted to the International Day against Nuclear Tests in Washington.

“Although today all the powers of the nuclear club observe a moratorium on testing, de jure global ban on nuclear testing is not currently valid. And for Kazakhstan to achieve the CTBT’s entry into force is one of the most important priorities,” Sadykov said.

The special envoy also noted the work of The ATOM Project, which is two-year-old initiative of President Nazarbayev to achieve global nuclear disarmament. The project promotes the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and allows people around the world to sign an online petition to the leaders and governments of the world to permanently end nuclear tests and to bring the treaty into force.

In addition, on Aug. 29 last year and again this year, the project will dedicate a moment of silence around the world to the victims of nuclear tests.

“We firmly believe that the stronger the public support that will be generated by the ATOM Project through its education and outreach efforts and the international campaign to collect signatures for a petition against the testing of nuclear weapons, the more effective will be the project as a support to the efforts of non-governmental organizations, parliamentarians and activists,” he said.

Sadykov also noted Kazakhstan has made a significant contribution to the establishment of a Central Asian nuclear-weapons free zone. On May 6 in New York, representatives of the nuclear five - Britain, China, Russia, the U.S. and France - signed the protocol to the treaty on the establishment of a Central Asian nuclear-weapons-free zone (CANWFZ). The treaty will require approval by the parliaments of the signatory countries before coming into force.

Sadykov also discussed upcoming efforts and challenges in Kazakhstan’s efforts for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

A delegation from Kazakhstan will participate in October in the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in New York to address the adoption of the next UN General Assembly resolution for the CANWFZ, he said. Kazakhstan will also continue to work on the Universal Declaration on achieving a world free of nuclear weapons.

Officials from Kazakhstan will also assist in preparations for the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit in Washington and participate in a December conference in Vienna on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons tests.

The country also continues work on the creation in Kazakhstan of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International Bank for low-enriched uranium in Kazakhstan. And, Sadykov said, if Kazakhstan is elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2017-2018, the country will promote non-proliferation in that UN body.

Also In The News... • MuseumoftheFirstPresidentofKazakhstanturns10yearsold

“The anniversary is important not only for the personnel and visitors of the museum, but also for all the people of Kazakhstan. The museum is a timekeeper. It reflects the history, thoughts and feelings of a particular period in a timeline and, in this context, the Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan plays a special role, as it is connected with the history of statehood of Kazakhstan,” said Secretary of the Nur Otan Party Farkhad Kuanganov. According to Museum Director Alma Sagyngali, the museum was established on Aug. 28, 2004. “The creation of such a museum on the former Soviet Union territory was a new event in the cultural life of our country. Our task was to create a unique cultural and historical complex, which would include a museum, a personal library and personal archives of the head of state,” she said. The conference was attended by representatives of diplomatic missions, government agencies and the scientific and museum communities from neighboring countries and beyond. It is worth noting that the Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan was established by the decree of the head of state on Aug. 28, 2004. It was opened at the former residence of the President in March 2005. The museum currently has over 126,000 exhibits, which show the stages of sovereign Kazakhstan’s formation and showcase the life and work of the first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. (www.nurotan.kz)

• NewroadmapseekstoboosttieswithJordan,saysambassadorKazakhstan’s Ambassador to Jordan Bulat Sarsenbayev said his country has developed a roadmap to boost cooperation between the two countries. In an interview with the Petra news agency, Sarsenbayev said that the two-year plan aims to boost relations in agriculture, industry, civil, defence and energy. The ambassador added that the new directives came as a result of His Majesty King Abdullah II’s latest visit to Kazakhstan and to cap the country’s 21-year diplomatic relationship with the Kingdom that has turned out to be productive. The roadmap includes hosting joint meetings in Astana before the end of this year, including meetings of the Higher Kazakh-Jordanian Committee, meetings of foreign affairs officials as well as of the Kazakhstan-Jordan Business Council, he explained. The new cooperation in the agricultural sector will benefit from the quality of Kazakh wheat in Jordan and the region as well as establish partnerships in the area of wheat farming that take advantage of the vast swathe of wheat-producing land in Kazakhstan. The directives also include cooperation in the field of energy, especially exploration of uranium in the central parts of the Kingdom, the ambassador added. (www.petra.gov.jo)

• Ambassador of Kazakhstan to UAE meets with Chairman ofSarjahChamberofCommerceandIndustry(SCCI)Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the United Arab Emirates Kairat Lama Sharif met with Chairman of the Sarjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Abdullah bin Sultan Al Owais on Aug. 25. During the meeting, Sultan Al Owais was briefed on the activities of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, its development and government’s support of small and medium-sized businesses. The main aspects of investment policy are aimed at improving the investment climate in the country, according to Kazakh Ambassador Lama Sharif. The ambassador also highlighted the importance of increasing investment cooperation between the two countries and the participation of the Sharjah business community in the development of key sectors of Kazakhstan’s economy. In this context, the chairman reaffirmed the SCCI’s commitment to strengthening investment cooperation between the two countries. He also noted positive growth in the number of small and medium-sized Kazakh companies registered in recent years within the SCCI, which now exceeds 100 companies. (www.mfa.gov.kz)

• EmbassyofKazakhstaninTurkmenistannotesimportantdatesOn Aug. 25, the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Turkmenistan held a regular briefing on the occasion of the 19th anniversary of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the UN International Day Against Nuclear Tests in the Turkmen capital Ashgabat. During the briefing, the participants were informed about the major events of the external and internal policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the state and prospects for the development of Kazakh-Turkmen bilateral relations, as well as the initiatives of

Kazakhstan. Particularly noted were the work of The ATOM Project initiated by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and preparations for the international specialised exhibition EXPO 2017, which will be held in Astana. (www.mfa.gov.kz)

• AstanaOperagoesglobalThe Astana Opera will launch a tour in the United States, Canada, France, Belgium and the Netherlands lasting from October through November.The state theatre will start the tour by performing its Voice of Asia concert at Carnegie Hall in New York. From there, the troupe will take the concert to the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, Canada. The concert, to be presented by the Astana Opera orchestra, choir and soloists, will demonstrate a wide range of Kazakh national music. The programme includes Kazakh folk songs and music written by contemporary composers Akhmet Zhubanov, Latif Hamidi, Yerkegali Rakhmadiev and Tolegen Mukhamedzhanov, along with great masterpieces by Giuseppe Verdi, Gioachino Antonio Rossini, Jacques Offenbach, Alexander Borodin, Leonard Bernstein and Tchaikovsky. “The programme features national Kazakh and European classics, Russian music, 20th Century music and American music. For instance, the Astana Opera choir will perform the traditional Elijah Rock spiritual. ... The troupe will present all the main musical trends because Astana Opera can work with all genres and musical styles,” Mukhamedzhanov said. (tengrinews.kz)

• FivenewschoolstoopeninAstanaFive new schools will open in Astana on Sept. 1. Each school will accommodate up to 1,200 pupils. In addition, it is planned to complete the construction of another four schools for 4,700 pupils by October. The implementation of the Balapan programme for 2010-2014, which provides children with a preschool education, continues its growth. Eighty-eight percent of five-to-six-year-old children in Astana are involved in this programme. During the 2014-2015 academic years, the city will operate 111 experimental sites, including 58 on the national level and 53 on the municipal level. All experimental sites are aimed at improving the quality of the educational process and the efficiency of education. (strategy2050.kz)

• ExhibitionofVanGoghpaintingsopensinAlmatyThe interactive exhibition “Van Gogh Alive” opened in early August in the Dostyk Plaza Shopping and Entertainment Centre in the Grande Exhibitions Hall. Paintings by famous artist Vincent Van Gogh are represented with the latest technology and the help of the 40-projector system Sensory 4 to create a multi-screen show. This exhibition presents 3,000 dynamic images related to the life and work of the artist. The artist’s canvases are projected on large screens, which, beside the usual placement on the wall, are located in the most unexpected parts of the exhibition space – the columns, the floor, the ceiling. The composition of the screens is arranged so visitors appear to find themselves inside the pictures. This gives a completely different perception of the artist’s work, emphasising his unique style. The exposition introduces the viewer to the world and work of Van Gogh from 1880 to 1890. The exposition begins with his self-portraits, continuing to the early years in the Netherlands. The paintings of this period are marked by dark shades. “Van Gogh Alive” is being held in honour of city day and will last until Oct. 1. The exhibition was created in 2007 by the Australian company Grande Exhibitions. Since that time it has exhibited in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and America and has been visited by more than 1.5 million people. (www.astanatimes.com)

• NazarbayevIntellectualSchoolstaffsupplementedbyoverseasspecialistsToday, 260 foreign teachers work at the Nazarbayev Intellectual School (NIS) in Astana. In advance of the September start of the academic year, the educational institution recently held an orientation for teachers who have come to the school from the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, China and elsewhere. The multi-day orientation allowed foreign teachers to get acquainted with the peculiarities of work in intellectual schools, the education system of Kazakhstan and daily life in the country. (strategy2050.kz.)

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