Wednesday, january 17, 2017 inside nation healthcare minister reports on new infrastructure development plan A2
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- Bu səhifədəki naviqasiya:
- By Almasbek Zhumadilov
- Continued on Page A7 Economy minister: inflation rate won’t exceed 7 percent this year By Yerbolat Uatkhanov
- Continued on Page A4 Afghan student appeals to Nazarbayev ahead of U.S. visit By Assel Satubaldina
- Special to the Astana Times by George Alan Baumgarten, United Nations Correspondent
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www.astanatimes.com WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017 INSIDE NATION Healthcare minister reports on new infrastructure development plan A2 Kazakhstan reconstructs 1,300 kilometres of highways in two years A2
New tax code provides simplified regime for SMEs, new principles in administration A4 13 enterprises worth 9.4 billion tenge launched in South Kazakhstan in 2017 A5
Kazakhstan’s UNSC presidency gives voice to modern security, geopolitical realities A6
WILLIAMS: Kazakhstan 2018 A6 THUKRAL: Kazakh President’s vision good for country, investment A7 NATION&CAPITAL We can contribute to modernising Kazakhstan’s identity, says Belarussian ethno cultural centre leader B1 Kazakhstan seeks ways to bolster tourism B6 US$ 1 = 329.41 KZT € 1 = 403.92 KZT 1 = 5.84 KZT President’s annual address seeks to digitise Kazakhstan, strengthen social protection
ASTANA – Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced Jan. 9 the state-of-the-nation-ad- dress “New opportunities under the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” which was published Jan.10 in full. The new address is based on such fundamental documents as the Kazakhstan 2050 Develop- ment Strategy, the 100 Concrete Steps Plan of the Nation, the Third Modernisation, the Industrialisa- tion Programme, the Digital Ka- zakhstan, as well as the Strategic Development Plan up to 2025. The head of state outlined that the world faces technological, eco- nomic and social changes in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revo- lution. The new technologies enter our lives significantly changing the way we work, exercising our civil rights and raising children. President Nazarbayev highlight- ed Kazakhstan’s non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council in 2017-2018 and the Janu- ary presidency in this body, the suc- cess during the EXPO 2017 inter- national specialised exhibition, the GDP’s 4 percent growth, industrial production’s 7 percent raise, pover- ty’s 13-fold decline and unemploy- ment’s decrease to 4.9 percent. The emphasis was put on 40 per- cent growth of the processing sec- tor of industry. “We should clearly realise that Kazakhstan’s achieve- ments are a reliable foundation, but not a guarantee of tomorrow’s success. The era of ‘oil abundance’ is almost coming to an end. The country needs a new quality of de- velopment,” said the head of state. In this regard Kazakhstan in- tends to broadly implement the Fourth Industrial Revolution elements, concentrated on the following objectives. Following is the gist of the presidential ad- dress.
Continued on Page A7 Economy minister: inflation rate won’t exceed 7 percent this year By Yerbolat Uatkhanov ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of National Economy Timur Sulei- menov said the inflation rate will stay within the projected corridor of 5-7 percent this year. He dis- cussed the preventive measures to curb inflation which the govern- ment will take by the end of 2018. Suleimenov noted the inflation rate was 7.1 percent in 2017, when it was supposed to stay within the 6-8 percent corridor. He answered journalists’ questions about high prices for some types of fruits and vegetables in winter, saying Ka- zakhstan still has a problem with seasonal supply and demand. “We can’t provide the same volume of offers for vegetables and fruits in December, January, February and March as in July, August and September. Therefore, this particular seasonal surge has been observed in our country at all times,” he said. At the same time, he noted the Ministry of National Economy and the Ministry of Agriculture are ac- tively engaged in expanding the supply of fruits and vegetables. In particular, a great deal of work is underway to increase inventories, the number of warehouses and wholesale centres and wholesale distribution and trade in all major cities and towns. The Ministry of National Econ- omy has also proposed reducing intermediary links, although Sulei- menov emphasised there is no need to categorically dispose of all mediators. “Trade intermediation is abso- lutely a normal economic activity, because not every farmer, not eve- ry peasant farm is able to deliver and produce its products on the shelves of bazaars and shopping centres at a distance of 100-200 kilometres. Mediation is just right for this,” he said. The main thing, he noted, is that it does not become a dependent situation.
ASTANA – Hafizullah Qaderi, an Afghan student studying in Ka- zakhstan, recently posted a video on his Facebook page asking Ka- zakh President Nursultan Naz- arbayev and U.S. President Donald Trump to step up efforts to find a solution to peace and stability in his homeland. “My address aims solely at peace in Afghanistan. I do not want war. Our people became victims of war,” he said in the message. Qaderi believes the war in Af- ghanistan means war in other Asian countries, stressing terror- ism has no faith or religion. “If the war in Afghanistan is not stopped, then the Asian nations might suffer as well. Terrorism will get closer to neighbouring countries and will spur smuggling in those countries,” he said. “I survived in the Afghan war. I saw the tears of my closest people. I saw the tears of my father. It is horrible. I am scared to let my sis- ter go to school, because she might never come back,” the 23-year-old Kabul native said in his message. Qaderi noted he does not want revenge, adding he is only seeking stability and peace in Afghanistan. “Here, in Kazakhstan, I am re- ceiving a good education. I learned to live in peace with people of dif- ferent ethnicities,” he said. Qaderi believes his country could learn how to build peace from Kazakhstan’s example. He stressed Nazarbayev’s consistent efforts to serve as a mediator in settling the conflicts, including the Syrian peace talks that have been held in the Kazakh capital since January 2017. While addressing Nazarbayev and Trump in particular, he urged all world leaders to galvanise ef- forts to stabilise the situation in Af- ghanistan. The request was posted in advance of Nazarbayev’s much- anticipated official visit to the U.S., as the two leaders met at the White House Jan. 16. “I learned from the news that you will soon meet Donald Trump and I ask you, Nursultan Abishevich, to convey my words to him and begin peaceful negotiations in Ka- zakhstan,” he said. Qaderi is a senior at Seifullin Kazakh Agrotechnical University majoring in engineering. He has been living in the capital for nearly five years. “I really like Kazakhstan and I have learned a lot here, where people of different nations live in peace together and respect each other,” he said in an interview with The Astana Times. Qaderi is among 1,000 Afghan students studying in Kazakh uni- versities as part of Kazakhstan’s $50 million project launched in 2010 which seeks to educate as many as 1,000 Afghan students in its higher education institutes through 2020. As of September 2017, 564 students have gradu- ated from Kazakh universities and technical and vocational education institutes, while more than 400 are continuing their studies. Upon graduation, Afghan stu- dents are required to return to their native land and apply their expe- rience and knowledge to rebuild their nation. “After graduation, I want to continue my graduate studies. I want to study further. I believe Kazakhstan will teach me how to find peace in Afghanistan. I want to help my family,” he said. In his post, Qaderi called upon young people to support his ad- dress, a plea which fellow engi- neering student Saber Rasuly said they have taken to heart. “My friend made this video to address the President of Kazakh- stan to achieve peace in Afghani- stan. All of us, young people, sup- port him,” he said. Afghan students who come to Kazakhstan after finishing high school in Kabul complete ten months of Russian and Kazakh language training. The classes al- low them to speak and understand local languages freely and im- merse comfortably into the local environment. Once he has completed his stud- ies, Rasuly plans to return home to work and help his family and friends.
Photo cr edit: Akor da pr ess service Full agenda, presidential appearance mark Kazakhstan’s UNSC presidency
NEW YORK – In what would be called a “double first,” Kazakh Ambassador to the United Nations Kairat Umarov has taken over the presidency of the United Nations Security Council, for the month of January. It was both Kazakhstan’s first such presidency and the first for any Central Asian republic since the collapse of the Soviet Union more than 25 years ago. Ambassador Umarov began his term of office with the customary Programme of Work briefing, in which he outlined the worldwide is- sues, problems and crises to be con- sidered. Several African ongoing peacekeeping missions were to be discussed – with detailed briefings on each. The seemingly-intractable Israel-Palestine conflict was sched- uled for its monthly discussion on the 25th of the month. And a previ- ously unscheduled and unexpected review of the protests in Iran was held Jan. 5. But the highlight of the monthly programme were expected to be an appearance, the first in several years, by Kazakh President Nursul- tan Nazarbayev at a special briefing on “Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction: confidence- building measures” on Jan. 18 . This is to be followed the next day by a debate on “Building a Re- gional Partnership in Afghanistan and Central Asia as a Model to Link Security and Development,” to be chaired by Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov, until barely a year ago Kazakhstan’s UN ambassador. On Jan. 5, a previously-un- scheduled attempt was made to come to grips with the rising pro- tests throughout Iran. Taye-Brook Zerihoun, UN assistant secretary- general for political affairs, gave a briefing in which he detailed how the protests had started on Dec. 28, 2017 and escalated quickly. It was becoming difficult to verify many of the reports coming out of Iran. U.S. Ambassador Nikki R. Ha- ley said the world must take note of the protests, calling them a “funda- mental expression of human rights, and a powerful expression of brave people.” Various other ambassadors concurred, suggesting it was a time for some action. Dutch Ambassador Karel Van Oosterom, in particular, said the council “had a responsibil- ity to act early and decisively when fundamental freedoms were under threat.” Other members disagreed, how- ever, or were unsure if any action should be taken. Kazakh Ambas- sador Umarov, speaking in his na- tional capacity, said these develop- ments were a domestic issue for Iran. Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia said the U.S. was “abus- ing the platform of the Security Council,” in attempting to take any such action. And Iran’s representa- tive, Kholamali Khoshroo, said the U.S. was “abusing its power as a permanent member,” by even bring- ing the matter before the council. In the end, this entire debate produced no result. On Jan. 9, the council held its scheduled debate on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The D.R.C., which is one of Africa’s largest countries, has been bedevilled by conflicts large and small, almost continuously since its independence in 1960. In recent years, these con- flicts have centred on control of vast mineral deposits, especially in the provinces of North and South Kivu, in the country’s Northeast. The discussion on the D.R.C. be- gan with a briefing by the U.N.’s new Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, Jean-Pierre Lac- roix. Lacroix noted that former As- sistant Secretary-General Dmitry Titov was investigating an attack in North Kivu that killed 15 Tanza- nian peacekeepers and wounded 44 others. It was just the latest episode said to have been perpetrated by the so-called Allied Democratic Forces. The D.R.C.’s own representa- tive, Ignace Gata Mavita Wa Lu- futa, noted the country’s emphasis had been on preparations for com- ing elections, but that large dem- onstrations had been held, without proper authorisation. He also men- tioned “confidence-building meas- ures,” such as the release of some prisoners. A special meeting was held Jan. 10 to take note of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and talks held between the North and the South during preceding days. Though these talks dealt initially only with the coming Pyeongchang Winter Olympics (to be held Feb. 9-25), it is hoped that the talks can be con- tinued and lead to further progress toward the reduction of tensions in the Korean Peninsula, and perhaps eventually to denuclearisation. Am- bassador Olof Skoog of Sweden, who (with Poland) had requested the update on Korea, said “it is im- portant that the Security Council remains active and united in its ef- forts to resolve the conflict.” On the same day as the briefing on the Korea situation, the council held a formal meeting for the purpose of keeping up to date with the situa- tion in Colombia. The South Ameri- can country had recently signed an agreement with the former FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) rebels, and the coun- cil has received periodic updates on the situation there. Jean Arnault, who heads the verification mission there, told of a recent “upsurge in violence,” and of the need to deploy some 600 security forces, especially in vulnerable rural areas. Most of the members of the Se- curity Council made statements on the subject, all appearing to ex- hibit the attitude of “hopeful, but wary.”Exercising his right as presi- dent to speak last, Umarov said there was “still a long way ahead,” and that the recovery process was still evolving. Oscar Adolfo Naranjo Trujillo, vice-president of Colombia, said that the agreement with the FARC rebels was “…the best news story of the last 50 years for its people and the world.”He also noted that his government had also been busy instituting many reforms and that 2017 had been “the least violent year in Colombia in the last 42 years.” After the briefing on Colombia, the council held two more meet- ings in its first week of work in January, on the protracted war in Sudan’s Darfur region and on the situation in West Africa and the Sahel. The peacekeeping operation in the Sudan is a joint operation between the UN and the African Union, which is known as UNA- MID. It is meant to keep the peace in Darfur, a geographical designa- tion that refers to three provinces in the West-Central part of the coun- try. Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Jean-Pierre Lacroix once again briefed the council on this mission, telling of the current “forceful stage” of a weapons col- lection campaign, which has raised tensions somewhat. He noted, how- ever, that there have not recently been any major clashes. Various council members, in- cluding the African states of Ethio- pia, Equatorial Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire, told how the situation in Darfur was showing significant pro- gress. Ivoirian Ambassador Bernard Tanoh-Boutchoue, in particular, said “Peace must include national recon- ciliation, a permanent cessation of hostilities and political dialogue.” As the last speaker, Kazakhstan’s Umarov welcomed the extension of the recent ceasefire to March 2018, and hoped it would lead to an inclu- sive peace process. Sudan’s Ambassador Omer Dahab Fadl Mohamed said that UN reports should cover a longer period than 80 days. The only remaining issues, he said, were ones of development, and that Sudan was in the process of im- plementing development projects. On Jan. 11, the Security Council held the final meeting of the first full week of the Kazakhstan presidency, on the subject of security in West Af- rica and the Sahel. It heard a briefing from UN Special Representative for the Region Mohamed Ibn Chambas of Ghana. Ibn Chambas noted that while there had been a decline in attacks by the Muslim insurgency Boko Haram in the first half of 2017, recently there had been an “uptick” in such attacks. Despite this, he noted that “the trajectory of demo- cratic elections across West Africa has continued.” He also noted the recent peaceful presidential election result in Liberia, and said that com- ing ones in Sierra Leone and Guinea should bear watching. Ambassadors from several coun- tries, including Cote d’Ivoire, which is from this region, noted the hope- ful but highly precarious situation, and they particularly praised the efforts of the UN’s Office for West Arica (UNOWAS). But Council President Umarov said efforts had become “more challenging” since the closure of UN Missions in Li- beria (UNMIL) and Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI). He expressed particular concern over crises of food insecu- rity and forced displacement. In contrast to this, however, sev- eral council members welcomed the creation of two new UN efforts: the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS). Security Council members have also recently returned from a three- day “lightning visit” to Afghanistan Jan. 12-15 arranged by the Kazakh presidency. This will have been its first such visit to the country in seven years. Yüklə 2,08 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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