Also In The News...
• President Nazarbayev visits EXPO 2017 construction site
President Nursultan Nazarbayev visited the construction site of
the exhibition complex for EXPO 2017 in Astana, where he saw
models of the future complex, including international and themed
pavilions, entertainment and service facilities and the development
of Kazakhstan’s national pavilion. The President also discussed
the progress of construction with developers, in particular the
need to adhere to the construction schedule and the importance
of identifying appropriate post-expo purposes of any buildings.
He suggested post-expo uses including for other exhibitions or
to house international companies, banks or media organisations,
and said all buildings must be commissioned for further use in
autumn 2017. At the end of the meeting, the President gave specific
instructions on further implementation of the project. (kazpravda.
kz)
• Deputy prime minister meets EU ambassadors, delegation to
discuss EAEU
First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Bakytzhan Sagintayev
met with the ambassadors of 18 EU countries and the head of the
EU Delegation to Kazakhstan on April 8 to discuss the Eurasian
Economic Union (EAEU) and prospects for its development,
particularly the formation of common markets for electricity, oil and
oil products, medical products, and the transportation of goods.
The EU is Kazakhstan’s leading trade and investment partner,
making up 44.4 percent of Kazakhstan’s total trade turnover.
During the meeting, Sagintayev noted that the growth of trade and
economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Europe reflects
the commitment of Kazakhstan to strengthening and deepening
cooperation with the EU. (bnews.kz)
• Kazakhstan’s commissioner for human rights meets new regional
director of Penal Reform International in Astana
Commissioner for Human Rights Askar Shakirov met the newly
appointed Regional Director of the Penal Reform International
(PRI) organisation in Central Asia Azamat Shambilov in Astana
to discuss cooperation between Kazakhstan’s national human
rights institution and PRI, particularly the joint work plan on the
protection of individual rights in closed public institutions in 2015.
Shakirov commended the bilateral cooperation, regular trainings
and seminars with international and national experts, experience
swaps and the organisation’s help in launching and establishing
Kazakhstan’s preventive mechanism against torture. Shambilov
expressed full support for further cooperation and announced a
number of new initiatives. The parties also reviewed upcoming joint
activities, including the study of prison conditions, staff training
for closed institutions and improving tools for exposing torture.
(kazpravda.kz)
• More money allocated for spring fieldwork, larger harvest
expected in 2015
A total of 60 billion tenge (US$320.98 million) has been allocated
from the state budget this year for spring fieldwork, 20 billion tenge
(US$107.67 million) more than last year. The gross grain harvest this
year is expected to total no less than 17.2 million tonnes, the amount
harvested last year, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Saparkhan
Omarov announced at a recent Central Communications Services
(CCS) briefing. According to preliminary data, in 2015, the country’s
total crop area totals 21.5 million hectares, and 18.5 million hectares
of crops are expected to be sown this year, Omarov said. Of these,
12.2 million will be wheat, 2.2 million will be oilseeds and feed
crops will take up 3.7 million hectares. According to the Ministry
of Agriculture, the sowing season has already begun in Southern
Kazakhstan and more than 160,000 hectares have been planted.
The wheat crop has been reduced in an effort to increase crop
diversity: wheat planting will shrink by 235,000 hectares compared
to 2014 and rice by 8,500 hectares, making way for more feed grain,
legumes and cereal crops, which will increase by 103,000 hectares
(astanatimes.com)
• Astana Employment Centre reaches out to citizens with
disabilities
The Employment Centre of the Astana Akimat (city administration)
recently hosted a job fair for people with disabilities. This is the
third year the job fair has been held, organisers noted, and every
year interest in the event grows. This year’s fair drew more than 30
organisations, Olzhas Omar, director of the Employment Centre
of the akimat, said. Most are small and medium-sized businesses,
including catering companies and call centres, he noted. The centre
tracks the employment activity of citizens, including where they
work and how faithfully an employer behaves. Statistics show that
about 60 percent of those who receive jobs through the centre are
women. In 2014, 90 people with disabilities found jobs, according to
statistics. (astanatimes.com)
• French cinema festival to be held in Almaty
The sixth French Cinema Today festival will open in Almaty on
April 23. The festival traditionally introduces new French films to
Kazakhstan’s movie lovers. Festival organisers say that the annual
event has become an important part of Kazakhstan’s cinema
year, and that it provides an opportunity to meet French film
professionals and share experience, exchange information and
introduce them to the Kazakhstan’s culture. This year, French
Cinema Today brings Benoоt Jacquot’s “Three Hearts,” Riad
Sattouf’s “Jacky au Royaume des Filles,” “Les Yeux Jaunes des
Crocodiles” by Cecil Telerman, “Dans la Cour” by Pierre Salvadori,
Olivier Assayas’ “Clouds of Sils Maria” and “Elle L’adore” by Jeanne
Herry. French stars Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche play
in four out of six films to be screened at the festival. Attendees will
also see the short film programme, Noch Korotkogo Metra, which
brings 19 shorts. (tengrinews.kz)
• Women’s ice hockey team beats U.K., advances to World
Championship Division I for 2016
The Kazakhstan national women’s ice hockey team ended the
International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Division 2a tournament
in Scotland undefeated and were promoted to the 2016 IIHF Ice
Hockey Women Championship Division I, Group B. In the final
game against host Great Britain, Kazakhstan scored twice, with
Madina Tursynova and Olga Konysheva both getting pucks into
the net. Kazakhstan scored the most goals and allowed the fewest
goals against (30-2), to claim the top spot in Group A of the
second division. They beat South Korea in the opening match,
2:0, then defeated Poland 4: