THE STATEMENT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN N.A.NAZARBAYEV AT THE MEETING WITH DIPLOMATIC CORPS
October 21, 2005 - Astana, Akorda
Dear Ambassadors!
Dear heads of missions and honored consuls!
Dear ladies and gentlemen!
I am glad to welcome you at our traditional annual meeting. For the first time I meet with you at a new Akorda residence, which has become a symbol of independent Kazakhstan connected with achievements and progress of our country.
On the eve of the significant date, the 15th anniversary of adopting Declaration on State Sovereignty of the Republic of Kazakhstan, we can surely state that the historic mission on the reconstruction of Kazakh statehood has been successfully realized.
Kazakhstan has become a democratic, social, and legal state where a human being, his life, rights and freedoms are a top priority.
We have chosen the right path of Kazakhstan’s development. We have effectively implemented socio-economic reforms that positively influence the people’s welfare and economy’s competitiveness.
Over the last seven years the average annual growth of economy is 9-10%. The national budget is nearly 10 billion dollars. The foreign trade volume increased fourfold. Our per capita GDP increased three times: from 1, 130 dollars in 1999 up to 3, 440 dollars in 2005.
As you know, in my February Address to the People of Kazakhstan “Kazakhstan on the Road of Accelerated Economic, Social and Political Modernization” we identified main priorities of country’s development in the short term.
Successive implementation of the program on fuel energy system, as we plan, would let us produce 150 million tones of oil annually by 2015 and enter the top 10 oil world producers.
Kazakhstan will firmly follow its assumed obligations and will not unilaterally review the contracts previously signed with foreign oil companies. At the same time, we expect strict observance of the provisions of contracts from the foreign partners, especially concerning realization of the social and ecological programs.
While concluding a new contract on Production Sharing Agreement, Kazakhstan will be maximum exacting in considering our state interests.
Issues on transportation of hydrocarbons to the world markets are successfully carried out. We have agreed on increase of the throughput capacity of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium up to 67 million tones annually; Kazakhstan’s participation in the Baku-Tbilisi-Djeikhan oil pipeline; conclusion of construction of the Kazakhstan-China oil pipeline. Other projects on oil and gas transportation are being also developed. The realization of these projects will allow solving the problem of export pipelines diversification and positively improving country’s investment climate.
Having realized that vocational training is a decisive factor in the success of Kazakhstan’s modernization strategy, the implementation of the reforms in education are being continued in order to set them up to the world standards. Starting from this year, the top three thousand college students have the opportunity to advance their education according to Bolashak Program in the leading universities of the world. The leading international scholars are invited to teach in Kazakhstan. In 2005, the national outlays for education were 25% higher than the year and reached 3.9 % of GDP.
Implementation of the mentioned priorities will let Kazakhstan to enter the top 50 most competitive nations in the second decade of the 21st century. According to the Global Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum, Kazakhstan, having left its CIS neighbors behind, nowadays takes 61st place.
In this connection Kazakhstan’s accession to the WTO next year is of great importance for us. Having opened mutual access of goods and services to the markets of the state-members of WTO, it will give a great impetus for domestic businessmen to meet the international standards of making business.
We are grateful to such international financial institutions as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and others organizations for their help in implementation of market reforms and structural transformations, and the support to our republic during a difficult time. Kazakhstan will continue cooperation with these organizations and take in to account their comments.
Further modernization promotes Kazakhstan to become a centre of investment, technologies, knowledge, and qualified specialists.
Since gaining independence, we follow the principle “through the economic growth to democratization”. It is currently obvious that such approach has been entirely justified itself. We all witness the upheavals, conflicts, and long economic crisis in the countries which gave priority to political transformations over the economic reforms.
Involvement of Kazakhstan in the process of sustainable economic development presents an opportunity to deepen political reforms.
Kazakhstan has attained major results in political liberalization. We have been steadily building up the institutes of democracy. We regularly held elections. Political pluralism and a multiparty system are being developed in our country.
We have established freedom of speech; there is no censorship, independent mass media that comprised 80% of all mass media in Kazakhstan is thriving.
Five thousand of NGOs are functioning in the country. They take an active part in protection of the interests of any citizen of Kazakhstan. The state is continuing to support their activity.
Important measures that deal with human rights and freedoms are being taken. Kazakhstan has joined international human rights conventions. The Parliament is expediting ratification of “The Covenant on Civil and Political Rights’ and “The Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights”. Kazakhstan has observed a moratorium on the death penalty. We have created the institute of ombudsman for protecting human rights. The National Plan on Human Rights Measures is being developed.
Kazakhstan was one of the first among the Post-Soviet countries that passed anti-corruption legislation. The systemic work on countering corruption is currently being carried out. “Transparency International” NGO noted Kazakhstan’s significant progress on countering corruption. It is acknowledged that corruption rate in Kazakhstan is below than in all other CIS countries.
We will not stay on the work we had achieved. Kazakhstan is on the new phase of political modernization.
In the February Address to the People of Kazakhstan I offered the National Program of Democratic Reforms. It will be implemented in two stages, starting from 2006 till 2011. This program includes such actual measures as development of local self-governance, strengthening the political authority of the legislative branch of government, introduction of elections of local governors, improvement of the judicial system, development of institutions of civil society, fight against terrorism and other measures.
In order of its realization I charged to create the State Commission on Development and Concretization of the Program of Democratic Reforms. We call on political parties and movements to actively take part in the work of this commission. In June 2006 , the commission should present its concrete suggestions.
Open democratic society has always been and will remain a strategic vector of our country’s development. During all these years Kazakhstan is being effectively conducting the ethnic policy, taking into account the interests of more than 130 nationalities that live in our country. It allows us to maintain our main wealth – stability and peace in the society. A unique social institute, the Assembly of the Peoples of Kazakhstan is functioning in Kazakhstan.
Our initiative on organization of the global interfaith dialogue has received international acknowledgement. The first Summit of the Leaders of World and Tradition Religions promoted new prospects for the establishment of the permanent international body on interfaith relations. Next year we plan to host in Astana the second Summit of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
Taking into account Kazakhstan’s experience in promoting interethnic and interfaith accord, we offer to host in Kazakhstan next year an OSCE international forum on tolerance, interfaith respect, social and interethnic accord.
Dear ladies and gentlemen!
On December 4, 2005 regular presidential elections will be held. To hold free and competitive elections I signed a special decree “On Measures on Realization of Election Rights of Citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan”. According to it we want to hold free, fair, and transparent elections.
The CEC calls on all the presidential candidates to carry out their work within the Constitution and the legislation. I believe it will be supported by everyone who cares about the peace in the country, keeping in mind that democracy and legislation are inseparable.
I have already said about it before but I want to say again about inadmissibility of the interference of any foreign organization or an embassy worker in the country’s internal affairs by the way of consultations, financing political parties and lobbying their interests. It will be contrary to law. Any actions of presidential candidates, who break the law, will be strictly suppressed. And no one will succeed to mask behind democratic rhetoric.
We invite representatives of the international organizations, NGOs, and other concerned parties to actively take part in observation process over the pre-election campaign and voting. We are confident the forthcoming elections will entirely meet the generally accepted international standards, and all necessary measures will be taken for the realization of constitutional rights of the citizens.
Our country believes that domestic and international observation will make a balanced and a cold evaluation irrespective of personal and political favors to any particular candidate.
Kazakhstan’s success could not be possible without a balanced foreign policy that made possible large-scale economic, social, and political reforms in the country.
Independence and sovereignty of Kazakhstan is an indisputable factor of international relations of our time. Kazakhstan is an active participant of the international anti-terror coalition and support the efforts of world community in stabilization situation in Afganistan and Iraq.
In order to create security system in Asia, in 1992 Kazakhstan initiated the Congress of Interaction and Confidence Measures in Asia. The first summit of CICA that was held in July 2002, Almaty Act and Declaration on Counter-Terrorism and Promoting the Dialogue between Civilizations determined the main approaches of countries-members to ensuring stability in Asia, taking into account the specific features of this region. We are planning to offer to host in Kazakhstan in 2006 the second summit of CICA.
The struggle against international terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, transnational crime and illegal migration is the main direction of activity of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, that becoming more respected in the world community.
In July 2005 in Astana at a summit meeting of heads of SCO countries it had been decided that such countries as India, Iran and Pakistan would be given the status of observers that significantly strengthened the potential of this organization.
Kazakhstan is satisfied by the pace of development of cooperation with Russia, our traditional partner and strategic ally. Our relations have been dynamically developing in all spheres. Only in 2005, eight my official meetings with the President of Russia Vladimir Putin were held.
We began a strategic partnership with the People’s Republic of China. Relationships between Astana and Beijing are not burdened with any political problems; the issues on trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation are being discussed on the mutually acceptable and good-neighborly basis.
We put special significance on the cooperation with the USA, the main investor for Kazakhstani economy. The share of American investments among foreign investments constantly constitutes 35-40 percent. In order to further development of cooperation with this leading world power Kazakhstan will follow the main principles of the Charter on Democratic Partnership between our countries. Fruitful and useful talks with the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had been recently held in Astana.
Strengthening relations with Central Asian countries is a constant priority of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy. In February Address I initiated the Union of Central Asian States. This initiative proceeds from the time-spirit and directed at joining efforts of our countries in the fight against new threats and challenges, creation of the common market and information space, strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties. It is supported by our neighbors. At the nearest time the meeting with Uzbekistan’s leadership at summit level will be held, and this issue will be among the important ones. Kazakhstan has always been and will remain committed to cooperation with our neighboring, especially in fighting against international terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking.
I am confident that we can jointly solve the mutual tasks and problems our countries face. In the nearest time the concept of creating a Union of Central Asian States will be forwarded to the heads of state across the region for their consideration.
The Eurasian Economic Community and Central Asian Cooperation Organization joining, which took place recently, makes the necessity of integration within the region more actual.
Today the Central Asia is attracting attention from the international community. Our partners initiated the mechanisms for dialogue in the format “Japan+Central Asia”, “the European Union +Central Asia”, the Framework Agreement on Trade and Investment between the U.S. and the Central Asian states. All these initiatives are witnessing those countries of Central Asia world arena can represent and protect their interests.
We put priority also to the cooperation with all CIS countries and to reforming the CIS. In this connection we highly evaluate the results of the CIS summit in Kazan. The process of reforming the CIS has begun on the basis of our proposals.
Taking into account the mutual interests of the countries, cooperation with the European Union’s countries is being developed. They consider Kazakhstan as island of stability in the region and one of the alternative energy resources suppliers to the European market.
Kazakhstan supports the strengthening relations with the countries of Asia and consider them as important trade and economic partners. We continue to follow their experience of high technology and high-value added production.
Owing to the historical development, Kazakhstan is impartially interested in strengthening relations with Turkey and the leading countries of the Middle East, Muslim world.
Kazakhstan supports strengthening cooperation with OSCE.
We follow the democratic values and are ready to the constructive dialogue with OSCE on fulfilling the international obligations on human rights, development of democracy, building democratic society in the spirit of partnership and mutual respect. Kazakhstan’s bid to char the OSCE in 2009 is our aspiration to contribute to the development of this important organization, which has become Eurasian in actual fact. It is a great test for Kazakhstan and also a test for OSCE for the acknowledgement of the obvious achievements of our country in political and economic reforms. We are grateful to the leaders of Commonwealth countries for their support of our bid. The positive decision of the countries-members of OSCE will give impetus to socio-economical and democratic transformations in Central Asia.
During last several years the new capital Astana has been a political center of Kazakhstan. All major domestic and foreign events take place here. The necessary infrastructure for the work of embassies created; building land for the construction of embassies is being allotted; quality of service is being increased; conditions for diplomats and their families’ rest are being created.
16 foreign missions of those 69 accredited to Kazakhstan have moved to the new capital.
I hope that all embassies will soon move to our capital where we have created for you working conditions for the productive activity.
Dear friends!
I want to sincerely thank you for the concrete work on strengthening cooperation and friendly relations with the countries and organizations that you represent. We know that you contributed much to our success. I am grateful for your kind feelings to our people and country.
I am confident that you are the deserved representatives of you countries that are friendly to Kazakhstan, successfully carrying out the mission. I believe you will further make a valuable contribution to the strengthening and development of the relations between our countries.
Thank you for attention.
Astana, Akorda
October 21,2005
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