Silk Road Intelligencer

energy:

Kashagan consortium unable to announce investment

(Reuters) - The consortium developing Kazakhstan’s Kashagan oil field is still not able to announce the level of its investments, Eni Chief Executive Paolo Scaroni said on Tuesday…

Eni in talks with Kazakh government on updated Kashagan plan

(Dow Jones/CNN Money) - Eni SpA (E), Italy’s largest oil and natural gas company by volume, is currently holding talks with the government of Kazakhstan on an updated plan for the massive Kashagan oil field, meaning it can’t publish the details yet…

Transparency International includes KazMunayGas in Middle IOC performers

(Interfax) - Transparency International (TI) has issued the 2008 Report on Revenue Transparency of Oil and Gas Companies…

Iran interested in Caspian oil transit to Gulf markets (Interfax/Red Orbit)

Alhambra Resources Ltd. - Year 2007 financial and operational results (CNW Resources)

Naturvernforbundet develops energy activites in Caucasus and Central Asia (Naturvern)

mineral resources:

Kazakh government to auction off 9 non-ferrous deposits

(Interfax) - The regulation was signed by the Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Karim Masimov on April 22 and published in the official press on Tuesday…

business and economy:

EBRD to invest in Kazakh private equity fund

(Reuters) - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) plans to invest up to $94 million into a Kazakh state-controlled private equity fund, the bank said…

Kazakhstan sets up funds to push innovation

(Reuters) - Kazakhstan will team up with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and other big investors this year to set up several funds to promote innovative projects, officials said on Tuesday…

Kazakhstan outlook cut to negative; ratings of 12 banks affirmed - S&P

(Thomson Financial/Forbes) - Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said it lowered its outlook on the long-term sovereign credit ratings on the Republic of Kazakhstan to negative from stable…

S&P revises Kazakh outlook on bank, funding woes (Reuters/Guardian)

Kazakh bank Nurbank repays $150 million Eurobond

(Reuters/Yahoo! News) - Mid-size Kazakh bank Nurbank has repaid a $150 million Eurobond, or more than half of all outstanding foreign debt it is scheduled to repay this year, it said on Tuesday…

Net profit of Sberbank’s subsidiary in Kazakhstan increased in 2.5 times (AK&M)

Netherlands is recognized as largest investor in Kazakhstan in 2007 – Ambassador (TREND)

IMF considers authorities of Kazakhstan tackle well consequences crisis on international capital markets (Kazakhstan Today/Gazeta.kz)

Kazakhstan seeks investors to build 1,000 kilometers of roads (Kazinform)

Indicators - Kazakhstan - April 29

(Reuters) - Kazakhstan’s economic indicators based on data provided by the State Statistics Agency, government institutions, the central bank and exchanges…

politics:

Medvedev to visit Kazakhstan, China after inauguration

(RIA Novosti) - Russian president-elect Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday that he intended to pay his first official foreign visits in the capacity of president to Kazakhstan and China…

Ex-minister of finance appointed secretary of the ministry

(Interfax) - Natalia Korzhova has been appointed secretary of the Kazakh Finance Ministry…

society:

Safe water? Lessons from Kazakhstan

(Science Daily) - Despite significant efforts to improve access to safe water and sanitation, a new report co-authored by an expert at The University of Nottingham, argues that much more needs to be done…

Kyrgyz protest against concessions to Kazakhstan

(Neweurasia.net) - As we already reported earlier, the long-running dispute between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan over ownership of resorts on the shores of Lake Issyk Kul has been resolved in favor of Kazakhstan. But far not everyone in Kyrgyzstan is happy with the compromise…

regional news:

Freedom House media reoprt paints bleak pocture for Central Asia, Caucasus

(EurasiaNet) - The news is bleak for media outlets in the Caucasus and Central Asia, according to an annual report released by Freedom House on April 29. And the forecast calls for periods of repression, heavy at times…

analysis:

Will it be a long, hot summer in Central Asia?

(Roberts Report) - Central Asians have been through a lot over the last century. They are not strangers to famine and hardship, but that does not mean that they will just be able to brush off what is turning out to be a global crisis in food prices…

energy:

KazMunaiGas E&P Q1 oil output grows 26 pct

(Reuters) - London-listed Kazakh oil producer KazMunaiGas Exploration and Production (KMG E&P) said on Monday its output rose 26.4 percent in the first quarter of 2008 due mainly to acquisitions…

Imperial Energy to cut investment 7% to 8.75 bln rubles in 2008 (Interfax)

TMK begins delivery large diameter pipes for Kazakhstan-China oil pipeline (Thomson Financial/Forbes)

mineral resources:

ENRC’s meteoric ascent checked by broker downgrade

(Financial Times) - The Kazakh miner has been a phenomenal performer since its float late last year, rising more than 160 per cent in four months to touch another record high earlier this week. The rise was checked yesterday as ABN Amro slashed its stance on the stock from “buy” to “hold”…

Zincox profits triple after sale of Kazakh mine interest

(ShareCast/Yahoo! Finance) - Pre-tax profits in the year to December 31 rose to £15.5m from £4.9m the previous year, due to deferred payments from the sale of interests in the Shaimerden Zinc mine in Kazakhstan…

business and economy:

Kazkommertsbank says written off loans a very small portion of provisions

(Thomson Financial/Hemscott) - JSC Kazkommertsbank has responded to a critical Fitch Ratings report on Kazakh banks by saying its written-off loans have historically always been a very small portion of accrued provisions…

Lufthansa hopes to increase passenger traffic to Kazakhstan by 5%-6% in 2008 (Interfax)

Air Astana appoints GSA for Australia and New Zealand (Kazinform)

Railway tariffs for export, import freights to grow: Minister S. Akhmetov (Kazinform)

Kazakhstan - Kazakhstan - April 28

(Reuters) - Kazakhstan’s economic indicators based on data provided by the State Statistics Agency, government institutions, the central bank and exchanges…

politics:

Kazakhstan intends to study Singapore expertise in public administration (Kazakhstan Today/Gazeta.kz)

Perspectives of cooperation with Kazakhstan with the Persian Gulf countries will be discussed in Kuwait (Kazakhstan Today/Gazeta.kz)

Amman ready to establish cooperation relations with Astana (Kazinform)

Kazakhstan to attend International Islamic Economic Forum (Kazinform)

society:

Growing threats to religious property in Kazakhstan (Christian Today)

other news:

Earthquake in Western Kazakhstan damages 120 houses

(Interfax) - The earthquake of 5.5 on the Richter scale that shook the Rybtsekh village in Western Kazakhstan last Statuary damaged 123 houses and a school building, a special committee concluded after examining the area…

Israeli communications satellite launched

(AFP) - A rocket carrying an Israeli communications satellite was successfully launched Monday from a Russian base in Kazakhstan, television footage showed…

analysis:

Central Asia: Water woes stoke economic worries

After enduring extreme cold this past winter, Central Asia is bracing for what some officials say will be a dry summer. Those predictions, in turn, are stirring fears of prolonged power shortages that seriously impair economic functions…

energy:

Kazakhstan interested in transporting its oil via Georgia

“Kazakhstan is interested in Georgia’s infrastructure useful for the supply of Kazak oil to the consumers in the Black Sea littoral countries. Currently, we are negotiating with Georgia on transportation of Kazakhstan’s oil products to the world markets via Georgian infrastructural companies.”

Kazakhstan: The parliament ratified the treaty on oil transportation routes detouring Russia

(Journal of Turkish Weekly/Ferghana.ru) - The treaty in question stands for a new system of Kazakh oil transportation across the Caspian Sea and into the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan system. Wholly new infrastructure is to be built, including expansion of terminals in Kazakh ports and construction of a pipeline across the Caspian bedrock…

Kazakhstan is speeding up a transportation system for delivery of the Caspian oil to the BTC oil pipeline (Kazakhstan Today/Gazeta.kz)

Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan hold talks on tariffs for oil transit: Vice Minister (Kazinform)

First stage of “Kazakhstan-China” pipeline construction started (Kazakhstan Today/Gazeta.kz)

Iran is ready to be a router for Caspian oil export to world market (Azerbaijan Business Center)

Kazakh PM, President of Total Exploration and Production company had a talk (Kazinform)

business and economy:

Alliance Bank, Bank Caspian agree with Fitch that Kazakh banks’ asset quality shows negative trend

Kazakhstan-based Alliance Bank and Bank Caspian say the negative trend of Kazakh banks’ asset quality as recently stated by Fitch Ratings is logical…

Kazakhstan’s participation in Georgian economy discussed (Kazinform)

Indicators - Kazakhstan - April 25

(Reuters) - Kazakhstan’s economic indicators based on data provided by the State Statistics Agency, government institutions, the central bank and exchanges…

politics:

Recognition of the world

(Gazeta.kz) - In the first day of the VII Eurasian Media Forum, Zbigniew Brzezinski, an American political science expert and diplomat, gave an interview to television channels Khabar, NTV and the newspaper Karavan. Here are his responses to the questions…

Financial police pledges to bring Kulekeev’s case to court in May

(Interfax) - Zhaksybek Kulekeyev, the head of the state railway company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) charged with taking a bribe will be put on trial at the end of next month, the chair of the Kazakhstan’s agency for fighting corruption (Financial Police) Sarybai Kalmurzaev said…

President Islam Karimov wraps up his official visit to Kazakhstan (Journal of Turkish Weekly/UzReport.uz)

Kazakhstan ratified agreement on creation of the united system for technical coverage of railroads of the CSTO countries-members (Kazakhstan Today/Gazeta.kz)

Kazakh Parliament will bend every effort to increase UN’s potential: K.Tokayev (Kazinform)

society:

Culture Minister believes bilingualism helped Kazakhstan to take one of leading roles in CIS

(Interfax) - Minister of Information and Culture Yermukhamet Yertysbaev believes that the bilingual culture in Kazakhstan is an important part of intellectual modernization of the country…

Kazakhstan: Growing threats to religious property (Forum 22)

Turkmen Days of Culture in Kazakhstan opened (Kazinform)

Vinoukurov planning to return at the Olympics (Cycling Weekly)

other news:

Europe launches sat-nav tester

A demonstrator spacecraft for Europe’s proposed Galileo satellite navigation system has launched from Kazakhstan. The Giove-B satellite was taken into space atop a Soyuz rocket which left Earth at 2216 GMT, Saturday…

regional news:

Russia and its allies conduct Eurasia air defense drill

(Eurasia Daily Monitor) - NATO’s eastwards expansion plan, articulated earlier this month at a summit in Bucharest, has firmed up Kremlin opposition to the alliance’s interest in former Soviet republics, particularly Georgia and the Ukraine, which over the last year has taken the form of military power projections beyond Russia’s frontiers…

analysis:

Energy cooperation and the Shanghai cooperation organization: Much ado about nothing?

(Eurasia Insight) - The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, originally envisioned as a regional security provider in Central Asia, is striving to branch out into the energy sphere. The United States and European Union, two energy rivals in the regions, profess not to be concerned – yet…

Karimov, Bakiyev react differently to Nazarbayev’s Central Asia Union

(Eurasia Daily Monitor) - On April 22 Uzbek President Islam Karimov visited Astana to meet with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Both leaders agreed to boost bilateral economic cooperation by creating a common trade area at the borders. Karimov’s harsh criticism of Nazarbayev’s Central Asia Union (CAU), however, raised eyebrows among many in Kazakh political circles…

Hundreds of journalists and top media personalities from across the world flew into Almaty, the former capital of Kazakhstan, last week to participate in the seventh Eurasian Media Forum.  This annual event is the key venue for international dialogue in the region.

While oil prices keep breaking new records seemingly everyday, KazMunaiGas, the Kazakh national oil company, has not registered a significant increase in revenues so far this year.

In the first quarter of 2008, KazMunaiGaz (KMG) increased its oil and gas condensate production by 9 percent compared to the same period last year. At the same time, however, consolidated revenues for the KMG Group have risen by only 0.9 percent despite the high price of crude and growing production. Analysts suggest that government actions may be the reason for the disappointing results.

Read more »

energy:

Kazakhstan joining Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline project

(Itar-Tass) - Kazakhstan is close to the completion of the legal registration of documents on joining the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline…

Agip lets design contract for fourth Kashagan gas train

(Oil & Gas Journal) - Kazakhstan North Caspian Operating Co. (Agip KCO) has awarded a $105 million contract, with a $10 million additional option, to UK-based Petrofac Ltd. for design and procurement of a fourth sales gas compressor train in Kashagan’s gas and LPG plant in Kazakhstan…

Tethys signs MOU for the Rostoshinskoe field

(Rigzone) - Tethys Petroleum Limited announced that it’s wholly owned subsidiary, Tethys Europa B.V. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Halyk Finance on behalf of Closed Mutual Investment Fund Halyk Perspectiva concerning the Rostoshinskoe gas discovery in Kazakhstan…

Arawak Energy Limited - Appointment of JPMorgan Cazenove

(CNW Group/Yahoo! Finance) - Arawak Energy Limitedhas appointed JPMorgan Cazenove Limited to advise the company in relation to a potential additional listing of its common shares on the main market of the London Stock Exchange…

Arawak announces appointment of Alan Duncan MP to the Board of Direcors (CNW Group/Yahoo! Finance)

business and economy:

Concept of a new Tax Code is almost ready

(Interfax) - A working group chaired by Kazakh Vice Minister Yerbol Orynbaev has completed discussions of a concept for a new Tax Code of Kazakhstan…

Economy of Kazakhstan overcame only the first wave of crisis - Karagusova

(Kazakhstan Today/Gazeta.kz) - Economy of Kazakhstan overcame only the first wave of crisis, correction of economy may be prolonged for 3-4 more years, considers the chairman of committee on economy, finances and budget of the mazhilis, Gulzhan Karagusova…

Aeroflot add Almaty

(Air Cargo News) - AERFLOT Cargo has launched a new weekly DC10 freighter service from Frankfurt Hahn to Almaty, Kazakhstan via Moscow…

Kazakh Leader gave instructions to regulatory bodies (Kazinform)

India to restore tea export status in Kazakhstan market (Kazinform)

World financial crisis jeopardized many countries’ credit and financial systems: President (Kazinform)

Kazakh businessmen drawing experience from Austrian colleagues (Kazinform)

Indicators - Kazakhstan - April 24

(Reuters) - Kazakhstan’s economic indicators based on data provided by the State Statistics Agency, government institutions, the central bank and exchanges…

politics:

Nazarbaev speaks for new architecture of global security

Interfax) - President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev believes that the world community needs “a new architecture of the global security, based on the principals of transparence, dialog and trust.”

Kazakh parliament ratifies UN nuclear terrorism convention (Kazinform)

Political dialogue of Kazakhstan and Europe develops positively - Nazarbayev (Kazakhstan Today/Gazeta.kz)

Treaty on Kazakh-Kyrgyz state border ratified (Kazinform)

society:

Media hotshots gather in Kazakhstan

(Russia Today) - Major players from the world of modern-day TV, radio and the press are meeting in the Kazakh capital, Almaty…

Journalists must realize power of their word - Nazarbayev (Kazakhstan Today/Gazeta.kz)

European Union helps to protect rights of children (Kazinform)

Almaty, Astana to host Days of Turkmenistan’s Culture (Kazinform)

other news:

Russia investigates off-course space landing

(Reuters) - Russia has launched an investigation into why a manned space capsule returned to earth hundreds of kilometers (miles) off course…

Zenit carrier rocket launch postponed again - Roscosmos

(RIA Novosti) - The launch of a modified Zenit carrier rocket with an Israeli communications satellite on board from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan has been postponed again…

Russians leaving Kazakhstan

(Strategy Page) - Russia building a new satellite launch center in the Far East, in Amur Province, just north of Manchuria. This will replace the Central Asian space port at Baikonur…

regional news:

BG holds contacts with Turkmenistan on oil, gas blocks

(Dow Jones Newswire/Rigzone) - BG Group PLC (BG.LN) has held contacts with Turkmenistan to enter oil or gas blocks in the newly opened Central Asian nation…

DJ INTERVIEW: Eurasian Devt Bank looks to loan mkt for funding

(Dow Jones/Prime Tass) - The Eurasian Development Bank is looking to tap the loans market after plans for a debut eurobond have been put on hold due to unfavorable market conditions, the chairman of the bank’s executive board told Dow Jones Newswires in an interview…

analysis:

Interdependence in gas sector on Eurasian area: Actors and their roles

(Journal of Turkish Weekly) - After the discovery of Shahdeniz gas field in the Caspian Sea in 1999, Azerbaijan t turned into a gas power overnigh. This event becomes more important, especially at a time when Russia was using its gas advantage in exerting pressure on her neighbors…

The European Union looks to Central Asia for energy

(CACI Analyst) - Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the EU’s External Relations Commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, during the trip of a very high-level EU delegation to Central Asia, providing for the export of natural gas from Turkmenistan to the EU but not specifying a route, which is nevertheless understood not to cross Russia…

Labor migration and its potential consequences for Central Asia

(CACI Analyst) - Central Asia was a place of forced exile during the Soviet Era. Now, labor migrants are moving by their free choice to earn their livelihoods. While Kazakhstan is a major recipient, migrants from the poor neighboring countries of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan seek livelihoods on construction sites, tobacco and cotton fields there and in Russia…

Against the backdrop of the ongoing uncertainties in Kazakh residential real estate market, the potential of the commercial real estate sector looks quite attractive. While the overall impact of the slowdown of economic growth in Kazakhstan is yet to be fully understood, as is its effect on the commercial property market, the development of retail centers in Kazakhstan remains an attractive proposition.

Read more »

energy:

Kazakh’s Ordabasy seeks investors, fresh capital

(Reuters) - Kazakh oil-to-machinery group Ordabasy Corporation wants to focus on its core business by selling assets to foreign investors, and plans a $500 million Eurobond next year…

Kazakhstan’s hydrocarbon expansion will need large infrastructure outlays - S&P

(Thomson Financial/Forbes) - Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said Kazakhstan will have to make major investments to develop new fields and create the pipeline infrastructure to increase its oil and gas production and strengthen its presence in the country’s hydrocarbon sector…

Petrolinvest CEO says Kazakh deal near completion (Reuters)

mineral resources:

ArcelorMittal to invest $263 million in Kazakhstan mine safety measures

(Thomson Financial/Forbes) - ArcelorMittal said it aims to invest $263 million in 2008 to improve safety at its mines in Kazakhstan, after harsh criticism today from authorities investigating the death of 30 miners in January…

Arawak hails high production rates in Russia, Kazakhstan (Rigzone)

Hambledon Mining says Sekisovskoye resumes production after boiler replaced (Thomson Financial/Hemscott)

business and investment:

Kazakhstan Kagazy says land, warehouses valued at $361 mln at end-2007

(Thomson Financial/Interactive Investor) - Kazakhstan Kagazy Plc., the paper producer and industrial real estate company, said the market value of land and warehouse facilities owned by its subsidiaries was $361 million as at Dec. 31, 2007…

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan plan special trade zone (Interfax)

Kazakh Audit Committee proposes World Bank’s experts to conduct a training seminar (Kazinform)

Indicators - Kazakhstan - April 23

(Reuters) - Kazakhstan’s economic indicators based on data provided by the State Statistics Agency, government institutions, the central bank and exchanges…

politics:

Kazakhstan detains Uzbek wanted on terror charges

(Reuters) - Kazakh police have detained a man wanted in neighbouring Uzbekistan on suspicion of taking part in a riot in the Uzbek town of Andizhan in 2005…

Uzbek President highlights leading role of Kazakhstan in region

(Interfax) - President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov has highlighted that Kazakhstan can and must make a critical contribution to the stability in Central Asia…

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan must move towards progress and counter challenges hand in hand, say Nazarbaev and Karimov (Interfax)

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan talked over perspectives of economic cooperation (Kazakhstan Today/Gazeta.kz)

EurAsEC deputy PMs to discuss customs union in Moscow (Kazinform)

Kazakh PM, Azerbaijani Economic Development Minister met (Kazinform)

Kazakh Parliament to host conference “N. Nazarbayev and future of Central Asia” (Kazinform)

society:

Media forum focuses attention on stifling journalistic environment

(EurasiaNet) - The opening of the annual Eurasian Media Forum in Kazakhstan stands to highlight a discrepancy in the government’s sweeping reform pledges and its lack of action, political analysts say…

Kazakh President opens VII Eurasian Media Forum (Kazinform)

New capital city draws attention in Kazakhstan

(Voice of America) - Kazakhstan’s new capital, Astana is not only one of the fastest growing cities in the world, but has also become a prime destination for foreign investments…

Almaty hosts II Congress of Turkic speaking countries’ social scientists (Kazinform)

other news:

Soyuz story draws ire of federal agency

(AP/The Moscow Times) - The Federal Space Agency on Wednesday denied media reports that the lives of a crew returning from the international space station were in danger during their unusually rough ride in a Soyuz capsule on the weekend…

analysis:

Energy power play: Courting Central Asia

(RGE Monitor) - Russia, China, the EU, and India are undertaking aggressive steps to secure a share of Central Asian supplies, each pushing for their own pet pipeline project…

energy:

S&P on Kazakhstan’s oil and gas infrastructure

(Reuters) - Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services analyzes how Kazakhstan could finance its major investments toward developing new fields and creating pipeline infrastructure to increase its oil and gas production and strengthen its presence in the country’s hydrocarbon sector…

The Kazakh Rockefeller of nuclear fuel

(Bloomberg/The Moscow Times) - Mukhtar Dzhakishev, president of state-owned mining enterprise Kazatomprom, said he plans to triple production at the Ulba Metallurgical Plant in Ust-Kamenogorsk, a former secret city south of Siberia…

Kazakhstan gears up for electricity shortages

(Reuters) - Kazakhstan plans to build new power plants and import more gas from neighbouring Uzbekistan to cope with an electricity deficit it is likely to face later this year…

Russian market prices driving Kazakhstan’s gasoline prices up (Interfax)

Kazakh Leader urges Central Asia states to solve water-energy problems concurrently (Kazinform)

Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan to intensify cooperation in energy: Ambassador (Trend Capital)

In 2008 gas supply for inner market of Kazakhstan from Uzbekistan will increase by 20% (Kazakhstan Today/Gazeta.kz)

Energy sector of Kazakhstan needs urgently investment (Kazakhstan Today/Gazeta.kz)

Kazakhstani oil processing plants should produce 2,7 million of black oil - Mynbayev (Kazakhstan Today/Gazeta.kz)

mineral resources:

European Minerals to acquire Lero Gold in all-share deal; shrs suspended on AIM (Thomson Financial/Forbes)

business and economy:

Kazakhtelecom’s ‘BB’ long-term CCR affirmed with stable outlook - S&P

(Thomson Financial/CNN Money) - Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said it affirmed its ‘BB’ long-term corporate credit rating on Kazakhstan’s telecom provider, JSC Kazakhtelecom with a stable outlook…

Majority Kazakh banks lack clear-cut strategy after financial markets rally, S&P

(Interfax) - Majority banks in Kazakhstan focus their efforts to maintain stability of current market conditions, but they still lack a clear-cut action plan for the future after the financial markets rally…

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to create free trade zone (Kazinform)

Indicators - Kazakhstan - April 22

(Reuters) - Kazakhstan’s economic indicators based on data provided by the State Statistics Agency, government institutions, the central bank and exchanges…

politics:

Initiative on Central Asian Union establishment is irreceivable for Uzbekistan: I.Karimov (Kazinform)

Kazakhstan is the most important and largest partner of Uzbekistan in Central Asia: Uzbek President (Kazinform)

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan should jointly stand against new challenges: N.Nazarbayev (Kazinform)

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are able to play a crucial role in solution of Central Asian stability problem: I. Karimov (Kazinform)

society:

Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan: Lenin’s birthday (Global Voices Online)

other news:

Russian news agency says Soyuz crew was in danger on descent

(AP) - The crew of the Soyuz space capsule that landed hundreds of miles off target in Kazakhstan was in serious danger during the descent, a Russian news agency reported Tuesday…

regional news:

Turkey uses gas pipe as leverage in EU talks

(Bloomberg/International Herald Tribune) - Turkey is playing hardball in the geopolitical struggle over an $8 billion pipeline at the center of Europe’s efforts to cut dependence on Russian natural gas…

Russia’s links with transit states, gas customers (Reuters)

analysis:

Analysis: EU and Central Asian gas

(UPI) - The European Union, gazing hungrily at Central Asia’s vast oil and natural gas deposits, has long sought to weaken Russia’s grip over Caspian exports. Now the EU has succeeded in getting its nose under the Turkmen tent…

energy:

Kazakhstan threatens Chevron with fine

(Thomson Financial/CNN) - Kazakhstan’s government on Monday threatened U.S. oil major Chevron Corp. with a fine equivalent to $309 million for alleged environmental violations, Interfax news agency reported…

mineral resources:

Industrial ministry and professional associations outline a program for metals and mining industry development till 2015 (Interfax)

business and investment:

Kazakh Banks asset quality fell significantly since end Q3 2007 - Fitch

(Thomson Financial/Forbes) - Fitch Ratings said Kazakh banking system’s asset quality has fallen significantly since third quarter 2007, hit by seasoning of loan portfolios, slower growth, tighter corporate liquidity, falling real estate prices and potential pressure on the Kazakh tenge…

FSA forecasts bank asset growth at 10-15% in 2008

(Interfax) - The Agency for Financial Supervision (FSA) forecasts a growth of the banks’ total assets by 10-15% within this year, FSA deputy CEO Kuat Kozhakhmetov said on Friday in Astana…

Kazakh bank BTA refinances $100 mln bond

(Reuters) - BTA, one of Kazakhstan’s largest banks, has repaid a $100 million bond at the request of its holder and issued a new one for the same value…

Kazakhstan: necessary structure for grain transportation to Iran is planned to be created (AgriMarket.info)

Kazakhstan is one of Uzbekistan’s leading economic partners (Kazinform)

Realization of Kazakhstan’s Industrial and Innovation Development Strategy for 2003-2015 discussed (Kazinform)

Kazakhstani delegation to participate in session of the UN Conference on trade and development in Accra (Kazakhstan Today/Gazeta.kz)

Indicators - Kazakhstan - April 21

(Reuters) - Kazakhstan’s economic indicators based on data provided by the State Statistics Agency, government institutions, the central bank and exchanges…

politics:

NATO and Kazakhstan

(Gazeta.kz) - Robert Simmons, Special representative of the Secretary General NATO on Central Asia, in all public speeches evaluated interactions between NATO and the republic as close and positive…

Session of the integration committee of the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) in Moscow will consider the issues of custom union forming of Kazakhstan, Belorussia and Russia (Gazeta.kz)

Opposition’s renaming approved officially (neweurasia.net)

President Nursultan Nazarbayev receives principles of national universities of Kazakhstan appointed by orders of the Head of State (Kazinform)

Kazakh Environmental Protection Ministry worked out draft laws (Kazinform)

President of 62nd session of UN General Assembly to visit Kazakhstan (Kazinfrom)

other news:

Kazakhstan celebrates 1st of May for three consecutive days

(Interfax) - Saturday that falls on May 4, will be observed on Friday, May 2, which makes it a total three full consecutive days off: May 1, May 2 and May 3. May 4th will be a regular business day.

Scary landing tests “beginner” South Korean astronaut

(Reuters) - Only the cool composure of her crewmates calmed South Korea’s first astronaut when she saw flames swirling around their capsule during an unusually steep descent to Earth, she said on Monday…

regional news:

During regular expert session on the Caspian Sea status certain accord in the text of the Framing Convention achieved - Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan (Gazeta.kz)

Over 110 aircraft to take part in CIS command-and-staff drill (RIA Novosti)

analysis:

Price maneuvering begins for Uzbek and Turkmen natural gas exports to Russia

(EurasiaNet) - Initial indicators suggest that Ashgabat and Tashkent won’t be getting anywhere close to that amount. On April 10, officials at Lukoil, Russia’s major oil conglomerate, spouted off that Uzbekistan would be offered $210/tcm…

Russian waterways may open

(UPI) - Completely unnoticed in the Western media, a Russian transport initiative holds promise to revolutionize the maritime carriage of products throughout Eurasia, including the oil and natural gas so hungrily sought by European consumers…

Kazakhstan and Central Asia’s Great Game

(Khaleej Times) - Nazarbayev, the last First Secretary of Soviet Kazakhstan, his ruled his Central Asian nation as its autocratic President ever since the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Nazarbayev has led the transformation of a Soviet central planned economy into an oil and gas superpower courted by Russia, EU, China, India, and the United States…