Development of mutually beneficial and friendly relations with the People's Republic of China is one of the main priorities of Kazakhstan's foreign policy. Speaker of the Majilis (Lower House of the Kazakhstan Parliament) Ural Mukhamedzhanov has said it at the meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Kazakhstan Zhou Li.

'Regular top level meetings give a strong impulse to Kazakh-Chinese relations", the Chairman noted.

He emphasized that Kazakhstan ...

The awarding Monday of the Nobel Prize for Medicine to British researcher Robert Edwards, the pioneer of in- vitro fertilization (IVF), is "completely out of place," the Vatican's top ethics official said.

The president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Monsignor Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, made the remarks in an interview with the ANSA news agency, DPA reported.

He also strongly criticized IVF - when human egg cells are fertilized by sperm outside a woman's womb - re

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Serbian President Boris Tadić will make a state visit to Kazakhstan on October 6-7.

Official Spokesman of the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs Askar Abdrakhmanov has said it at a briefing.

The Kazakh MFA's representative emphasized that this high-level visit is the first one in the history of the Kazakh-Serbian relations.

"It opens a new page in bilateral relations, is called to give impetus to expansion and deepening of political dialog, economic and cultural-humani...

Kazakh tennis player, 41st ranked, Andrei Golubev advanced to the finals of the ATP tournament in Kuala-Lumpur, the press service of the Tennis Federation of Kazakhstan informs.

A. Golubev defeated 11 ranked David Ferrer in the semi-finals on October 2. Kazakh tennis player needed two sets and 1 hour and 46 minutes of playing time to finish with the semi-finals and advance to the finals.

A. Golubev's opponent in the finals will be Mikhail Yuzhny who is ranked 9th in the ATP ranking...

35.063 billion KZT will be allocated from the Republican budget for preparation and carrying out of VII Winter Asian Games 2011, the agency reports citing the Ministry of Finance.

35.063 billion KZT will be allocated from the Republican budget for preparation and carrying out of VII Winter Asian Games 2010 - 2011, in 2010 - 33.515 billion KZT, and in 2011 - 1.548 billion KZT.

Source: Kazakhstan Today

Almaty Mayor Akhmetzhan Esimov held a meeting with German Minister of Economics Ernst Pfister and members of a delegation of businessmen and representatives of a company on innovational and environmental technologies from Baden-Württemberg yesterday, the press service of the Mayor reports.

In June 2009 A.Esimov and Oberburgermeister of Stuttgart (capital city of Baden-Württemberg) Wolfgang Schuster signed joint statement on cooperation between cities outlining the main dir...

Defense Minister of Kazakhstan Adilbek Dzhaksybekov visited Korea within his working trip.

The Minister of Kazakhstan met with Minister of National Defense of Korea Tae Young Kim. The Ministers signed the memorandum of mutual understanding and cooperation between their Ministries in the military sphere. They also discussed the state and prospects of military cooperation, the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan informs.

More than 300 joint ventures are operating i...

Over KZT 1.3 trln will be invested in the electric power industry of Kazakhstan by 2014. Deputy Minister of Industry and New Technologies Duisenbai Turganov has made it public today at the briefing.

According to the press service of the Kazakh Ministry, KZT 1.6 trln will be invested in the construction of generating capacities, KZT 215 bln out of it is funds of the national budget, KZT 994.1 bln - funds of enterprises, KZT 444.52 bln - borrowed funds. KZT 368 bln is planned to be spent fo...

Senate of the Kazakhstan Parliament has adopted the Law "On amendments to the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On the national budget for 2010-2012" at its plenary sitting today.

On the basis of the changed forecast of macroeconomic indicators of socio-economic development for 2010-2014 the national budget for the current year was rectified. The adjusted forecast of the national budget revenues, without considering transfers, was defined as KZT 1.97 trillion with increase...

Delegation of the Republic of Cyprus arrived in Almaty for an official visit. Yesterday Almaty Akim (Mayor) Akhmetzhan Yessimov held talks with Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism of Cyprus Antonis Paschalides; the Almaty Akimat's press service told Kazinform.

The Mayor suggested the Republic of Cyprus investing in projects included in Kazakhstan's Industrialization Map. He noted that the most efficient spheres of cooperation could be tourism, agriculture, construction, trade and ...

Kazakhstan acquires more noticeable role in the work of the United Nations Organization. Dr Noeleen Heyzer, Under-Secretary General of the United Nations has said it at the Palace of Independence in Astana today.

"Through holding of the IV Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific Kazakhstan is increasing its international authority", N. Heyzer said.

"I have come to open this conference, which is the only interstate conference wher...

60 Kazakh specialists will be trained at the Institute for Advanced Training of the Belarusian Emergency Situations Ministry till the end of the year.

It was made public at the 7th sitting of the Kazakh-Belarusian Intergovernmental Commission for Trade-Economic Cooperation, which kicked off on Wednesday in Ust-Kamenogorsk.

According to the press service of the Kazakh Emergencies Ministry, 80 more specialists will be trained in 2011.

The Research Institute for Fire Safety and...

Kazakh-Tajik business forum, organized by National Export & Investment Agency KaznexInvest JSC, was opened in Dushanbe on Tuesday; Kazinform has learnt from the Kazakh Embassy in Tajikistan.

Opening the event Kazakhstan Ambassador to Tajikistan Abutalip Akhmetov noted that the two states had good opportunities to intensify bilateral relations. The Kazakhstan's trade mission represented by 25 big institutions on support of export and exporters will give a new impetus to the development...

Kazakhstan is one of our strategic partners in the sphere of uranium industry especially taking into account its comprehensive scientific and uranium program. Head of 'Rosatom' Sergey Kiriyenko said in Beijing.

"We have bought a controlling stake in Canada's Uranium One, having major assets in Kazakhstan", the Head of "Rosatom" noted.

He emphasized that cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan in terms of construction of large nuclear power stations was not so ...

The Majilis (Lower House of the Kazakh Parliament) has approved a draft law "On ratification of the Nairobi Treaty on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol".

"The treaty is aimed at protecting the Olympic symbol from illegal use for commercial purposes. The symbol of the Olympic Games is composed of five interlocking rings, colored blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white field", Kazakhstan Vice Minister of Justice Amirkhan Amanbayev said introducing the draft law...

The draft Law 'On ratification of the Agreement between the Government of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on status of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea and its organization' was approved at the plenary sitting of the Majilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan.

'The bill was developed for increasing the effectiveness of the work of the Fund and gaining the status of an international organization with all the privileges for successful accomplishmen...

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has surveyed the work of the only Kazakhstan's motor oil plant in Shymkent today. The enterprise HILL Corporation LLC was built within the framework of the program on forced industrial innovative development of Kazakhstan. It produces all types of motor oil. The production capacity is 70 thousand tons per year. "Annually the country needs 700 thousand tons of fuels and lubricants. We can cover 25-30% of the domestic demand", Executive Manager Ba

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Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev within his working visit to Zhambyl region familiarized with the process of the realization of the program on yards improvement in regional centers within the social business partnership. The Head of the State visited one of the yards that was improved within the program 'Zhasyl el'. Speaking of the initiatives of the republican headquarters of 'Zhasyl el' on improvement of the yards the Head of the State mentioned that the country cared about its people

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 'Industrialization is an important and difficult part of our work', the Head of the State noted at the business forum held today in Taraz. N. Nazarbayev expressed his satisfaction with the results of the works he had seen in the region within his working trip. 'The enterprises are to work this year, increase the volume of production and revenues. We should produce the goods that are interested to the investors of the other countries', the President emphasized pointing out that Kaza

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Within the framework of the 65^th session of the UN General Assembly Kazakh Secretary of State - Minister of Foreign Affairs Kanat Saudabayev held a meeting with British Foreign Secretary William Hague; Kazinform refers to the Kazakh MFA's press service. The parties considered the progress of preparation for the OSCE Summit. William Hague emphasized the importance of developing the summit's final documents. He highly appraised Kazakhstan's chairm

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Kazakh Secretary of State and Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev held a number of meetings in the course of the 65^th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. In particular, he held talks with Chairman of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso, who confirmed the EU's readiness to make every effort for successful holding of the OSCE Summit. He also noted that the European Union attached much importance to the forthcoming visit of Kazakh

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Head of the State Nursultan Nazarbayev has received Chairman of the Kazakh Majilis Ural Mukhamedzhanov; the President's press service informs of it. U.Mukhamedzhanov informed the President of the Parliament legislative work, activity of the parliamentary faction of Nur Otan People's Democratic Party, in particular, on amendments to the 2010 budget and work on the draft budget for upcoming three years.

The oncoming international events of the Parliament

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On September 24, U.S. Charge d'affaires a.i. Pamela Spratlen will announce the signing of three grant agreements by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to improve maritime safety and energy security in Kazakhstan.  Also participating in the press event will be Serik Ospanov, First Vice President of the Kazakhstan Electric Grid Operating Company (KEGOC), Talgat Abylgazin, Director of the Aktau International Commercial Seaport, and Kairiden Nu

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Kazakhstan Culture Ministry should contribute to holding of the December OSCE Summit in Astana at a high level. Minister of Culture Mukhtar Kul-Mukhammed has said it at the Ministry's board session today. "Kazakhstan expects 5 -7 thousand delegates. Fir the first time in its history our capital will receive so many top level guests. Our task is to ensure holding of the summit at a high level", Mr. Kul-Mukhammed noted.

He informed abo...

The first international forum 'Week of Latin America in Kazakhstan' will be held in Astana since September 27 to October 1. Director General of the

American-Asian Association of Business Cooperation

Nailya Sultankulova said it at the press conference in the Honorary Consulate of Chile in Astana. 'The event is expected to be very interesting. A large group of politicians, scientists, representatives of culture and art of the countries of Latin America will come to Kazakhstan....

Almaty Mayor Akhmetzhan Yessimov has met with members of a delegation of the United Arab Emirates. The sides discussed the issues of bilateral cooperation in the field of economy at the meeting. Akhmetzhan Yessimov informed the guests of investment opportunities of the city of Almaty which is a financial and economic center of the country. He represented a number of investment projects of the city to the guests and invited them to participate in their implementation.

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13 cultural facilities have been built over the past two years in Kazakhstan. Minister of Culture Mukhtar-Kul-Mukhammed has made it public at the meeting with members of the Senate's Social and Cultural Development Committee in Astana today. 12 facilities were constructed at the expense of the local budget. Last year the amount of funds allocated for the construction was KZT 2.9 billion, and this year - about KZT 328 million. One facility - history museum in Aralsk - is built at the expense o

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Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov has introduced to the Ministry of Education and Science new Minister Bakytzhan Zhumagulov. K. Massimov thanked former Minister Zhanseit Tuimebayev for his work during these years and wished success at his new job. The Premier emphasized that Bakytzhan Zhumagulov was a famous person in our country. He had been a rector in the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University before this appointment and held various senior positions including the position of the First Vi

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The Customs Union Commission of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan discussed the issue on forming Single Economic Space at the sitting in Moscow on Tuesday, the press service of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade informs.

Around 20 agreements are developed within forming the Single Economic Space. The sides discussed the realization of it at the sitting. One of the priorities is the draft Agreement 'On agreed macroeconomic policy'. This Agreement aims at setting directions of macr...

Secretary of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Kanat Saudabayev had a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the 65th Session of the high-level meetings of the UN General Assembly on Millennium Development Goals on September 20 in New York.

They discussed the issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation. The sides highly appraised the results of the recent visit of the Head of German Government to Astana and expressed hope for fulfilling all the reached agre...