 Kazakhstan
A giant at the heart of the Central Asia |
There are two very differentiating features in
Kazakhstan: it is the world's ninth largest country
and the politically and economically most stable
country in Central Asia and in the CIS.
"Kazakhstan has a very big territory and a
very dispersed population, which means that we need
additional markets in order to arrange entrepreneurship
and production in the country. This is the reason
why Kazakhstan is very active in establishing integration
and cooperation with neighbouring countries. So,
at the same time Kazakhstan is very famous in the
world in the first place for its huge oil and gas
deposits, but also for its initiatives in the field
of security and peace," State
Secretary - Minister of foreign affaires of Kazakhstan,
Mr. Tokayev
Under the Constitution of Kazakhstan, approved
by national referendum on August 30, 1995, the
Republic of Kazakhstan has established itself
as a democratic, secular and legal state. The
basic principles of the republic are public harmony,
political stability and economic development for
the welfare of the nation.
Kazakhstan in geographic terms is one of the largest
Asian countries. It is a vast country covering
more than 2.7 million sq km. The territory of
Kazakhstan is greater than that of the twelve
countries of the European Union. Famous for its
political stability Kazakhstan is a multi-ethnic
country, home to people of over 100 nationalities.
Kazakhstan has a population of 16 Mio, but worldwide
the total number of Kazakhs is only estimated
at about 11 Mio people.
Deputy
Prime Minister and Ex-Minister of finance, Mr. Pavlov
stressed "I would like to emphasize that all
our achievements in the field of economy are determined
by the internal political stability and weighted
external policy. As an evidence of the first part
of my statement I would like to say the following:
more than one hundred nations are represented in
Kazakhstani population. And we have never had any
ethnic, confessional or any other conflicts."
Kazakhstan lies at the crossroads of ancient civilizations,
the intersection of major transportation routes,
cultural, economic, social and ideological links
between Europe and Asia, between the East and the
West.
"In many aspects of its development Kazakhstan
is significantly different from its neighbours
in Central Asia and in CIS, since the speed of
conducted reforms were much higher and the depth
of those changes was much more radical,"
Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister of finance, Mr. Pavlov
said.
Kazakhstan is officially a secular state, but Sunni
Islam is the major religion. The Kazakhs do not
express their religious feelings fervently. Kazakhstan
is on the periphery of the Muslim world and a meeting
point of Russian, Chinese and Central Asian civilizations.
Islam plays a minor role in state policy and there
are no significant Islamic political organizations
in the country. This is the basis of stable and
predictable political and economical situation in
Kazakhstan and also the foundation for trustful
and fruitful collaboration. |
The
official state language is Kazakh, a Turkic language
closely related to Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Turkmen and
Turkish. Russian is the language of inter-ethnic
communication, widely spoken in urban areas. English
is used by international organizations and the
foreign business community in Kazakhstan.
The
official capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan
is Astana city since December 10, 1997. Kazakhstan
is a constitutional republic with strong presidency.
The head of state is the President
Nursultan Nazarbayev was elected in 1999 for
a seven year presidential term.
16
political parties of differing ideological orientation
and 3,500 NGOs are registered in Kazakhstan. Of
1,292 periodicals currently being published, 218
are printed in Kazakh, 540 in Russian, 407 in
both languages and 127 in various other languages
used in Kazakhstan.
Ten
years have already passed since Independence and
Kazakhstan achieved good results. Today, Kazakhstan
takes advantages of its rich mineral reserves.
It is known that almost all the Mendelleyev's
table is represented in Kazakhstan.
The economy of Kazakhstan is based on its extensive
agricultural and mineral resources. The country
has enormous fuel reserves and supplies of other
minerals and metals. Heavy industry is one of
the prior sectors of Kazakh economy developing
for the further processing of mineral reserves.
The
denationalisation and privatisation of state property
have been regarded as key components in the economic
stabilisation programs and socio-economic reform.
During 1991-1992, the majority of state-owned
enterprises were transformed into common or stock
ownership. The main outcomes of privatisation
are huge. From 1991 to 2000 the Committee for
State Property and Privatisation and its regional
branches privatised over 34, 500 items of state
property.
Kazakhstan
has achieved macro-economic stability, drafted
the legislation required for successful business
and implemented structural reforms, which have
created a foundation for quickening the pace of
the country's development from both the short
- and long-term perspectives. A modern infrastructure
is forming in the areas of finance, banking, energy,
transport, and telecommunications. Kazakhstan
does try to create an image of a fair partner,
who thinks and cares about the lives of its people
and partners it cooperate with.
"Our
foreign policy is directed at having stable and
predictable relationships, first of all with Asian
countries, but also with every appropriate and
relevant European country. We believe that the
world community will help and understand us, as
we have been becoming a committed member of the
world community since Kazakhstan as early as in
1993 rejected nuclear weapons and became a member/entity
of the treaty that bans comprehensive nuclear
testing. So, I think that the foreign policy of
Kazakhstan is peaceful and very stable,"
State Secretary and
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Tokayev said.
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