Lastest news
France/Kazakhstan - Relations deepen 11/03/2008Following the Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marat Tazhin’s visit to Paris last week, it has been announced that the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, will make a state visit to France in June 2008. “We have agreed that President Nazarbayev will come to France” said Mr Tazhin after meeting with his French counterpart, Bernard Kouchner. “We will be welcoming Mr Kouchner to Kazakhstan in the next two months” added Mr Tazhin. (more) Kazakhstan takes part in Islamic Summit Conference 13/03/2008Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister, Mr Marat Tazhin, heads a Kazakh delegation attending the 11th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference (OIC) taking place in Dakar, the capital of Senegal this week under the theme ‘Islam in the 21st Century’.
Topics to be discussed include the current situation in the Middle East, Sudan, Chad and Somalia, poverty alleviation, sci/tech knowledge-sharing among Islamic countries, revision of the OIC Charter, the Special Development Program for Africa and raising intra-OIC trade among member states from 13% to 20% by 2015. Also high on the agenda will be Islamophobia - the first report on the subject will be published this week by the OIC Islamophobia Observatory. (more) President Nazarbayev outlines goals 07/02/2008Kazakhstan’s president Nursultan Nazarbayev delivered his annual state of the nation address yesterday. “The growth of citizens’ welfare is our principle goal” said the President. “Social welfare provisions are a priority – particularly in the healthcare and education sector. Plans to attract private capital as a part of a corporate social responsibility programme will help meet targets.” This objective is in line with the President’s previous addresses and accords with the country’s plan to join the ranks of the world’s 50 most competitive nations by the year 2030. (more)
Kazakh President calls for Pentagonal Cooperation on Caspian
16/10/2007At the 2nd Summit of the Caspian Littoral States in Tehran, President Nazarbayev called on Kazakhstan’s neighbors to limit naval activities in the Caspian Sea to border control operations. “Kazakhstan wants to see the Caspian basin as a demilitarized zone. I am fully aware than not all our neighbors share this viewpoint. The Kazakh idea of establishing a pentagonal mechanism to control arms in the basin would be a reliable tool to prevent conflicts” he said.
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Kazakhstan On Course for 2030 12/10/2007At the opening of the international conference to mark the 10th anniversary of ‘Strategy Kazakhstan 2030’, President Nursultan Nazarbayev delivered a speech that sketched the progress made by Kazakhstan since 1997.
“For 10 years, ‘Strategy Kazakhstan 2030’ has proved to be effective and viable.
We have ensured a breakthrough in the nation’s development and managed to accomplish tasks that normally take several decades. ‘Strategy 2030’ has irrevocably changed the paradigm of our development from survival model to robust growth model”.
Economic indicators show that Kazakhstan's economy indeed grows at full speed and therefore attracts foreign investors. “International reserves, including the National Oil Fund’s money, exceed USD 40 billion. If we recall that we started with an empty public treasury, the achievements are not scant” said the President.
“Kazakhstan’s foreign trade turnover has grown more than 6 times over the last ten years; this year the figure will reach USD 80 billion. We can boldly assert that Kazakhstan has successfully completed its transit period and is ready and capable of ensuring new quality growth in the years to come. In the future,” continued Mr Nazarbayev, “the state needs to shape ‘smart’ economy which would follow global changes and trends.” |
Government & Politics
Government- President: Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev (elected president on 1 December 1991 following the break-up of the USSR) Read bio.
- Prime Minister: Mr Karim Massimov (since January 2007) Read bio.
- Chairman of the Senate (upper chamber of parliament): Mr Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (elected January 2007)
- Chairman of the Majilis (lower chamber of parliament): Mr Aslan Mussin (since September 2007)
- Secretary of State (social, inter-ethnic, cultural affairs, civic development, gender policy): Mr Kanat Saudabayev (more)
- Foreign Minister: Mr Marat Tazhin (since January 2007) Read bio.
Other government ministers- Vice Prime Minister: Mr Umirzak Shukeev Read bio.
- Minister of Internal Affairs: Mr Baurzhan Mukhamedjanov
- Minister of Healthcare: Mr Anatoly Dernovoi
- Minister of Industry and Trade: Mr Galym Orazbakov
- Minister of Culture and Information: Mr Mukhtar Kul-Muhammed
- Minister of Defense: Mr Danial Akhmetov
- Minister of Education and Science: Mr Zhanseit Tuimebayev
- Minister of Environment Protection: Mr Nurlan Iskakov
- Minister of Agriculture: Mr Akylbek Kurishbayev
- Minister of Transport and Communications: Mr Serik Akhmetov
- Minister of Labour and Social Protection: Mr Berdibek Saparbayev
- Minister of Tourism and Sport: Mr Temirkhan Dosmukhambetov
- Minister of Finance: Mr Bolat B. Zhamishev Read bio.
- Minister of Emergency Situations: Vladimir K. Bozhko Read bio.
- Minister of Economy and Budget Planning: Mr Bakhyt Sultanov
- Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources: Mr Sauat Mynbayev Read bio.
- Minister of Justice: Mrs Zagipa Balieva
Political OverviewOn 16 December 1991 the Republic of Kazakhstan declared its independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1995, democracy was installed in a nationwide referendum. Since then, the country has undertaken ambitious political reforms to improve democracy and to become an advocate of peace and stability in central Asia. Taking into account that democratic institutions are still young, international experts consider Kazakhstan’s progress as remarkable.
International relations: Kazakhstan has stable relationships with all of its neighbours. Since independence in 1991, Kazakhstan has pursued multidimensional foreign policy, seeking good relations with Russia, China, the USA and Europe. The policy has yielded results in the oil and gas sector, where companies from the U.S., Russia, China, and Europe are present at all major fields, and in the multidimensional directions of oil export pipelines out of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan also enjoys strong, and rapidly developing, political and economic ties with Turkey.
Kazakhstan is a member of the United Nations, Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC). It is an active participant in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO) Partnership for Peace programme. Kazakhstan is also a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a permanent intergovernmental organisation promoting peace and security in the region. Since January 2007, Mr Bolat K.Nurgaliev (Kazakhstan) holds the position of Secretary-General of the SCO for a period of three years.
The nations of Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan established the Eurasian Economic Community in 2000 to re-energise efforts at harmonising trade tariffs and the creation of a free trade zones under a customs union.
In an attempt to integrate its economy into the world market Kazakhstan applied for membership at the WTO in 1996. Negotiations are underway and the Chairman of the Working Party on the Accession of Kazakhstan, Vesa Tapani Himanen, stated in June 2005 that “this accession has taken an important step forward”, in reference to the key domestic reforms undertaken by the government of Kazakhstan.
The political system of Kazakhstan can be characterised as a presidential system with a strong position of the president. The President is the head of state, appoints prime minister and cabinet and defines the major guidelines in domestic and foreign policy. In October 1998, the Constitution was amended to provide for a seven-year presidential term. The first presidential election under the amended constitution was held in January 1999 and resulted in the election of President Nazarbayev to his first seven-year term; the second took place in December 2005 (see below).
The parliament consists of two chambers: the 39-seat upper house (Senate) and the 107-seat lower house (Majilis). The Senate is made up of two elected representatives from each of Kazakhstan’s 14 regions, plus the cities of Astana (capital) and Almaty (former capital). Representatives serve terms of two, four or six years. The remaining seven members are appointed directly by the President from a choice of prominent public figures, academics, intellectuals etc. The Majilis is a directly elected body. According to the new election law (amended in June 2007) 98 of the 107 seats in the lower chamber (Majilis) are elected by direct suffrage according to a proportional representation system with one national electoral district. Parties reaching the 7% threshold receive mandates according to their share of votes. The remaining 9 deputies are appointed by the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan (APK) and represent the national minorities.
There are 8 political parties in Kazakhstan, compared to 13 one year ago. 7 parties submitted candidate lists for the 2007 parliamentary elections, only the Communist Party of Kazakhstan renounced. The leading Nur-Otan party resulted from a merger of four parties representing supporters of the current government. Other fusions have also recently taken place, namely the fusion of opposition party Nagyz Ak Zhol and the All National Social Democratic Party (ANSDP) which later merged with Adilet. The democratization process30 August 1995 A new Constitution was approved in a nationwide referendum. Kazakhstan officially becomes a democratic republic.
January 1999 First ever presidential elections with four alternative candidates for the presidency; observed by the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe)
December 1999 First ever parliamentary elections carried out on party basis with 8-9 candidates per seat and 9 parties taking part in elections, observed by the OSCE.
September 2004 New parliamentary elections, held under the revised Election Law of April 2004. Electoral turnout: 56%.
December 2005 New presidential elections with 5 candidates, including 2 major opposition leaders. President Nursultan Nazarbayev is re-elected for a new seven-year (concluding) term in office after campaigning against four other candidates and winning the majority of votes with an electoral turnout of about 80%.
May 2007 Parliament approved amendments to the Constitution, aimed at redistributing the balance of power in favour of the legislature. The reforms include an increase of Majilis members from 77 to 107. The presidential term is also to be reduced from seven to five years – although another change allows the current president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, to be re-elected indefinitely.
20 June 2007 The President dissolves lower house and calls for early Majilis elections to speed up the parliamentary reforms. The Majilis, whose term officially ends in 2009, needs to be re-elected for these reforms to come into force.
18 August 2007 The fourth parliamentary elections since Kazakhstan’s independence take place. Following the count, on 20 August President Nazarbayev's Nur-Otan party received 88% of the vote, and no other party cleared the 7% barrier needed to win a seat in the legislature. |