Authoritarian leadership could be over in Kazakhstan, an exiled former prime minister has told Newsweek, after strongman leader Nursultan Nazarbayev's grip finally loosened.
Akezhan Kazhegeldin, Kazakh PM from 1994 until 1997, said he was optimistic of a change of guard despite new president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev taking a hardline with protesters, many of whom largely directed their anger at Nazarbayev.
On Friday, Tokayev called 20,000 demonstrators "armed bandits," and authorised his forces to shoot to kill without warning. He has so far rejected foreign calls for negotiations and authorized a Russian-led security collective to deploy in the country.
Read more at:
Exiled Ex-PM of Kazakhstan Hopes Unrest Is 'Signal for Real Change'
Showing posts with label Kazakhstan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kazakhstan. Show all posts
1/11/22
1/6/22
Kazakhstan: Russian paratroopers arrive in Kazakhstan as unrest continues
Russian paratroopers have arrived in Kazakhstan as part of a “peacekeeping” mission by a Moscow-led military alliance to help the president regain control of the country, according to Russian news agencies.
Kazakhstan’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, asked for the intervention from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) – an alliance made up of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – late on Wednesday and it was swiftly approved.
It comes as violent clashes continue between protesters and the police and army in Kazakhstan.
Read more at: Russian paratroopers arrive in Kazakhstan as unrest continues | Kazakhstan | The Guardian
Kazakhstan’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, asked for the intervention from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) – an alliance made up of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – late on Wednesday and it was swiftly approved.
It comes as violent clashes continue between protesters and the police and army in Kazakhstan.
Read more at: Russian paratroopers arrive in Kazakhstan as unrest continues | Kazakhstan | The Guardian
12/9/17
Eurasian Economic Union: Many Problems, Few Solutions
The squabble between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan was relatively petty, but
the cracks that their dispute exposed in the Eurasian Economic Union, a
trading bloc to which they both belong, are proving harder than ever to
paper over.
In mid-October, days after the outgoing Kyrgyz president lashed out at his counterpart in Kazakhstan with a barrage of insults, a low-intensity trade row erupted. For a period of around six weeks, Kazakhstani border officials intensified checks on cross-border traffic, causing massive delays in the process. Fruits and vegetables piled high in idle vehicles on the Kyrgyz side of the border rotted, leading to significant losses for exporters. At one point, Astana also banned the import of a range of dairy goods from Kyrgyzstan.
While such disputes are not unprecedented in Central Asia, there was something especially awkward about this crisis, given that both countries involved are Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) members. Russia, Belarus and Armenia are the other members of the EEU.
Former Kyrgyz president Almazbek Atambayev, who in November concluded a six-year term as head of state, was livid that the EEU as an organization failed to get invol
For all Atambayev’s irritation, however, the reality is that the EEU in its current form, which has uneasily joined its five mismatched members in 2015, has few efficient mechanisms for tackling such situations. While the job should fall to the bloc’s permanent institutions, in practice members look to figures like Russian President Vladimir Putin to act as a power broker.
“The Eurasian [Economic] Commission has no power to settle disputes. If the problem gets too big, it will go to the level of the Supreme Council for resolution, which means Putin (alongside the other heads of state),” Sean Roberts, an associate professor at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, told EurasiaNet.org in an email.
The primary shortcomings of the EEU were engineered unwittingly — or perhaps inescapably — into the bloc at its very inception. The most glaring issues are grossly unequal economies, the highly personalized style of semi-authoritarian leadership typical in the post-Soviet space and the reluctance by any members to yield any significant say over internal policy decisions to supra-national institutions. This combination, said political analyst Denis Berdyakov, will indefinitely hamper the development of the EEU.
“Initially, all the elites wanted to feel the benefits of integration, but they didn’t want to relinquish a share of political sovereignty,” Berdyakov said. “Other global blocs are quickly growing strong and the EEU is just not keeping up with them.”
Read moreL Eurasian Economic Union: Many Problems, Few Solutions | EurasiaNet.org
In mid-October, days after the outgoing Kyrgyz president lashed out at his counterpart in Kazakhstan with a barrage of insults, a low-intensity trade row erupted. For a period of around six weeks, Kazakhstani border officials intensified checks on cross-border traffic, causing massive delays in the process. Fruits and vegetables piled high in idle vehicles on the Kyrgyz side of the border rotted, leading to significant losses for exporters. At one point, Astana also banned the import of a range of dairy goods from Kyrgyzstan.
While such disputes are not unprecedented in Central Asia, there was something especially awkward about this crisis, given that both countries involved are Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) members. Russia, Belarus and Armenia are the other members of the EEU.
Former Kyrgyz president Almazbek Atambayev, who in November concluded a six-year term as head of state, was livid that the EEU as an organization failed to get invol
For all Atambayev’s irritation, however, the reality is that the EEU in its current form, which has uneasily joined its five mismatched members in 2015, has few efficient mechanisms for tackling such situations. While the job should fall to the bloc’s permanent institutions, in practice members look to figures like Russian President Vladimir Putin to act as a power broker.
“The Eurasian [Economic] Commission has no power to settle disputes. If the problem gets too big, it will go to the level of the Supreme Council for resolution, which means Putin (alongside the other heads of state),” Sean Roberts, an associate professor at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, told EurasiaNet.org in an email.
The primary shortcomings of the EEU were engineered unwittingly — or perhaps inescapably — into the bloc at its very inception. The most glaring issues are grossly unequal economies, the highly personalized style of semi-authoritarian leadership typical in the post-Soviet space and the reluctance by any members to yield any significant say over internal policy decisions to supra-national institutions. This combination, said political analyst Denis Berdyakov, will indefinitely hamper the development of the EEU.
“Initially, all the elites wanted to feel the benefits of integration, but they didn’t want to relinquish a share of political sovereignty,” Berdyakov said. “Other global blocs are quickly growing strong and the EEU is just not keeping up with them.”
Read moreL Eurasian Economic Union: Many Problems, Few Solutions | EurasiaNet.org
10/7/17
EU Commission: Kazakhstan proves good relations with both EU and Russia are possible
A Commission official said on Wednesday (4 October) that Kazakhstan
was “the living proof” for Central Asia and the EU’s neighborhood that
it should be possible for those countries to have good relations both
with Brussels and Moscow.
Luc Devigne, deputy managing director for Europe and Central Asia in the European External Action Service (EEAS), spoke at a conference dedicated to EU-Kazakhstan relations, organised by the Berlin Eurasian Club, a dialogue platform initiated in 2012 by the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and the former long-serving German Foreign Minister Hans Dietrich Genscher.
De Vigne said that the EU’s relationship with Central Asia in general and Kazakhstan in particular “has never been any stronger or any better”. He said that the EU and Kazakhstan shared many common objectives, starting with regional peace and stability, fighting terrorism, fostering the rule of law and increasing prosperity and trade.
As the conference focused on the “Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement” between Kazakhstan and the EU (EPCA), De Vigne, who has led the EU’s effort to conclude this 150-page agreement, said that both sides could be proud of the results.
This new agreement, the provisional application of which started on 1 May 2016, is the first of its kind signed by the EU with one of its Central Asian partners. It is described as WTO-Plus, as in essence, its chapter on government procurement mirrors the equivalent WTO chapter (GPA).
Read more: Commission: Kazakhstan proves good relations with both EU and Russia are possible – EURACTIV.com
Luc Devigne, deputy managing director for Europe and Central Asia in the European External Action Service (EEAS), spoke at a conference dedicated to EU-Kazakhstan relations, organised by the Berlin Eurasian Club, a dialogue platform initiated in 2012 by the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and the former long-serving German Foreign Minister Hans Dietrich Genscher.
De Vigne said that the EU’s relationship with Central Asia in general and Kazakhstan in particular “has never been any stronger or any better”. He said that the EU and Kazakhstan shared many common objectives, starting with regional peace and stability, fighting terrorism, fostering the rule of law and increasing prosperity and trade.
As the conference focused on the “Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement” between Kazakhstan and the EU (EPCA), De Vigne, who has led the EU’s effort to conclude this 150-page agreement, said that both sides could be proud of the results.
This new agreement, the provisional application of which started on 1 May 2016, is the first of its kind signed by the EU with one of its Central Asian partners. It is described as WTO-Plus, as in essence, its chapter on government procurement mirrors the equivalent WTO chapter (GPA).
Read more: Commission: Kazakhstan proves good relations with both EU and Russia are possible – EURACTIV.com
8/19/17
Kazakhstan: EXPO-2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan, is worth a visit
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| Kazakhsta Capital Astana is a modern and friendly city |
It might feel excessively corporate and you’ll probably come out of the EXPO-2017 site none-the-wiser on what exactly its Orwellian-tinged ‘Future Energy’ means, but don’t dwell on this — it’s not the real point of the exposition.
In reality it is putting Kazakhsta on the map for many people and they will be very positively surprised.
EXPO-2017 is a source of national pride and a must-do event for most ordinary Kazakhs this summer, at least for the ones who live in and around Astana.
And this pride and sense of fun is evident throughout EXPO-2017. The dozens and dozens of uniformed guides are courteous, speak excellent English and are genuinely helpful. The student volunteers beam with joy and are relishing the internationalism of the whole event.
As for the visitors, at the beginning of the expo it must have been 95% Kazakh. These were groups of families and friends touring the pavilion, drinking in each country’s take on EXPO-2017. This ranges from Britain’s glowing yurt to Iran’s focus on promoting its carpets.
The visiting Kazakhs, armed with selfie sticks and aging smartphones, weren’t the super rich who travel effortlessly around the world, these were Kazakhs who may never have left Central Asia, or been on a solitary trip to Europe. EXPO-2017 feels as if it has returned the international exposition series to its original mid-19th century Victorian era roots of bringing the world to a particular city.
And make sure you don’t miss out on the Caribbean pavilion, the least scripted section. The women from Belize, Haiti and Dominica will tell you how they are coping with four months in Kazakhstan, a country they hadn’t heard of until earlier this year.
| Many Airlines are flying into Kazakhstan with some special fares of less than euro 100.00 rt.. including: |
|---|
| Lufthansa flights | Ukraine International flights | Pegasus Airlines flights | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aeroflot flights | Etihad Airways flights | Turkmenistan Airlines flights | ||||
| Air France flights | Air India flights | Hainan Airlines flights | ||||
| S7 Airlines flights | Atlasglobal flights | Uzbekistan Airways flights |
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON ON KAZAKHSTAN CLICK HERE
EU-Digest
12/30/16
Middle East: New Syria cease-fire set to begin at midnight
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the truce will include
62,000 opposition fighters across Syria, and that the Russian military
has established a hotline with its Turkish counterpart to monitor
compliance.
The deal will be guaranteed by Russia and Turkey. It's set to be followed by peace talks between Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and opposition leaders. The Syrian parties would meet in Kazakhstan for the talks, though no date has been set.
Read more:New Syria cease-fire set to begin at midnight | Fox News
The deal will be guaranteed by Russia and Turkey. It's set to be followed by peace talks between Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and opposition leaders. The Syrian parties would meet in Kazakhstan for the talks, though no date has been set.
Read more:New Syria cease-fire set to begin at midnight | Fox News
11/13/12
Belarus: Belarusian, Kazakhstan businessmen sign cooperation agreements
Representatives of the business communities of Belarus and Kazakhstan have signed cooperation agreements during the visit of the Belarusian delegation to Kazakhstan. The Belarusian delegation was led by Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mr Mikhail Myatlikov. The delegation included representatives of 43 companies and organizations, BelTA learnt from the press service of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
At the business match-making session Brest Electro-Mechanical Plant and Motor-Detal discussed supplies of Belarusian products to Kazakhstan; Bellakt and SPAVEX ASIA agreed about the export of Belarusian dairy foods to Kazakhstan. Representatives of Seismotekhnika held talks with the company Akor about joint manufacture of oil production equipment. Esgit and Alma-Ata Kraski discussed joint projects, too. Lida Meat-Packing Plant and Kobrin Meat-Packing Plant expressed interest in establishing links with KazMeat, Nash Torg and Merei.
The business community of Belarus took part in the 9th session of the Belarus-Kazakhstan intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation during which the parties reviewed the joint efforts to implement the economic cooperation program. They also outlined promising cooperation avenues for 2013. They discussed cooperation in the manufacturing industry, agriculture and power engineering, transport and logistics.
The Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry met with his Kazakhstan counterpart Sabr Yesimbekov. “The chiefs of the chambers discussed a possibility to introduce a single certificate of origin in the Customs Union and the Single Economic Space, as well as Kazakhstan’s accession to the WTO, the use of ATA carnets in the Customs Union, cooperation between the chambers of commerce and industry next year, including interregional cooperation,” the press service of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said.
Read more: Belarusian, Kazakhstan businessmen sign cooperation agreements - Economy / News / Belarus News | Belarusian news | Belarus today | news in Belarus | Minsk news | BELTA - Belarus News | Belarusian news | Belarus today | news in Belarus | Minsk news | BELTA
At the business match-making session Brest Electro-Mechanical Plant and Motor-Detal discussed supplies of Belarusian products to Kazakhstan; Bellakt and SPAVEX ASIA agreed about the export of Belarusian dairy foods to Kazakhstan. Representatives of Seismotekhnika held talks with the company Akor about joint manufacture of oil production equipment. Esgit and Alma-Ata Kraski discussed joint projects, too. Lida Meat-Packing Plant and Kobrin Meat-Packing Plant expressed interest in establishing links with KazMeat, Nash Torg and Merei.
The business community of Belarus took part in the 9th session of the Belarus-Kazakhstan intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation during which the parties reviewed the joint efforts to implement the economic cooperation program. They also outlined promising cooperation avenues for 2013. They discussed cooperation in the manufacturing industry, agriculture and power engineering, transport and logistics.
The Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry met with his Kazakhstan counterpart Sabr Yesimbekov. “The chiefs of the chambers discussed a possibility to introduce a single certificate of origin in the Customs Union and the Single Economic Space, as well as Kazakhstan’s accession to the WTO, the use of ATA carnets in the Customs Union, cooperation between the chambers of commerce and industry next year, including interregional cooperation,” the press service of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said.
Read more: Belarusian, Kazakhstan businessmen sign cooperation agreements - Economy / News / Belarus News | Belarusian news | Belarus today | news in Belarus | Minsk news | BELTA - Belarus News | Belarusian news | Belarus today | news in Belarus | Minsk news | BELTA
10/9/12
Islamic Development Bank to invest $1 billion in Kazakhstan during 2012-2014
The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) will invest $ 1 billion into the Kazakhstan’s economy in 2012-2014. Respective partnership strategy was signed October 2, 2012 in Astana, KazTag Agency reports.
“The new strategy enables to (…) channel sizable investments into transport, power industry infrastructure, agriculture, science, regional cooperation projects”, the country’s Minister of Industry and New Technology Asset Issekeshev said before the signing ceremony.
According to the ministry’s press-release, as of the beginning of October the Bank invested into the Kazakh economy a total of $987 million. Cooperation with the Bank dates back to November 30, 1995.
“Further cooperation with the Bank is of great interest to Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan was the first CIS nation to develop a partnership program with the Bank. The current industrial programs in Kazakhstan offer wide opportunities for bilateral cooperation”, President Nazarbayev said following his talks with the Bank’s President Ahmad Mohamed Ali Al-Madani.
Read more: Islamic Development Bank to invest $1 billion to Kazakhstan in 2012-2014. Politics. Tengrinews.kz
“The new strategy enables to (…) channel sizable investments into transport, power industry infrastructure, agriculture, science, regional cooperation projects”, the country’s Minister of Industry and New Technology Asset Issekeshev said before the signing ceremony.
According to the ministry’s press-release, as of the beginning of October the Bank invested into the Kazakh economy a total of $987 million. Cooperation with the Bank dates back to November 30, 1995.
“Further cooperation with the Bank is of great interest to Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan was the first CIS nation to develop a partnership program with the Bank. The current industrial programs in Kazakhstan offer wide opportunities for bilateral cooperation”, President Nazarbayev said following his talks with the Bank’s President Ahmad Mohamed Ali Al-Madani.
Read more: Islamic Development Bank to invest $1 billion to Kazakhstan in 2012-2014. Politics. Tengrinews.kz
4/26/12
Kazakhstan’s Borat-style promise and peril - Sonia Verma
Kazakhstan, the former Soviet republic in Central Asia, has seen the future, and apparently it resembles Canada’s capital.
“Ottawa is our target. You can walk the streets during the whole of the night, “ Kairat Kelimbetov, the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, said with envy. He was in Canada last week to drum up investment for his homeland, and counter persistent myths that his country is a cauldron of eccentricity.
The latter task was made all the more complicated by recent comments from Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan’s long-time leader, who outlined an ambitious but controversial plan to clean up Astana, his country’s own capital. He ordered police to ticket drivers of unwashed vehicles, crack down on gambling dens and discipline anyone found guilty of the most minor of misdemeanours, such as leaving chewing gum at street crossings. The President explained his strategy was meant reduce Astana’s crime rate, which is 1.7 times the national average.
For more: Kazakhstan’s Borat-style promise and peril - The Globe and Mail
“Ottawa is our target. You can walk the streets during the whole of the night, “ Kairat Kelimbetov, the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, said with envy. He was in Canada last week to drum up investment for his homeland, and counter persistent myths that his country is a cauldron of eccentricity.
The latter task was made all the more complicated by recent comments from Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan’s long-time leader, who outlined an ambitious but controversial plan to clean up Astana, his country’s own capital. He ordered police to ticket drivers of unwashed vehicles, crack down on gambling dens and discipline anyone found guilty of the most minor of misdemeanours, such as leaving chewing gum at street crossings. The President explained his strategy was meant reduce Astana’s crime rate, which is 1.7 times the national average.
For more: Kazakhstan’s Borat-style promise and peril - The Globe and Mail
11/24/09
Eng.Gazeta.kz - Presidency in EurAsEC to be passed to Kazakhstan
For the complete report from the Eng.Gazeta.kz click on this link
The presidency in the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) will be passed to Kazakhstan. EurAsEC Secretary General, Tair Mansurov, informed after the meeting with the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, on Monday, the agency Kazakhstan Today reports citing the president's press service. According to the press service, T. Mansurov informed N. Nazarbayev on the work of EurAsEC, preparation for the forthcoming summit of this organization in Minsk, and told about the work on formation of the Customs Union. T. Mansurov informed that the meeting participants on November, 27th in the capital of Belarus at the summit of EurAsEC Interstate Council will discuss the questions of further development of the organization. The Presidents of three countries - Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus will sign the Customs Code.
3/28/07
EUobserver.com: EU launches new Central Asia policy in Kazakhstan
for the complete report from the EUobserver.com click on this link
"EU launches new Central Asia policy in Kazakhstan = by Andrew Rettman
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The EU has said 'the time is right' for new engagement in Central Asia after a high-level meeting in Kazakhstan saw joint agreement to hold more such talks in future, with the German EU presidency hoping the dialogue will lead to political reform but with human rights groups on alert over Europe's real agenda in the energy-rich region.
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