News Roundup - January 24, 2008

Eurasianet: Officials jubiulant over oil field renegotiation deal

If independent analysts are hailing the new deal as a coup, Kazakhstan’s leaders believe it represents the restoration of a genuine partnership. “Now the balance of justice has been restored,” President Nursultan Nazarbayev said in remarks broadcast by Khabar TV, adding that the agreement was a compromise that satisfied all interests…

Reuters: Kashagan row to keep Eni outside oil’s top league

Italian oil company Eni’s loss of its leadership role in the Kashagan oil field may cost it a long-held ambition to join the top tier of the oil industry and leave it reliant on Russia to avoid becoming Big Oil’s also-ran…

Reuters: Kazakhstan plans new aluminium, steel plants

Kazakhstan plans to build a new aluminium smelter and, separately, a $1.2 billion steel plant, senior industry officials said on Wednesday…

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty: German journalist severely beaten in Kazakhstan

A German journalist who was found unconscious and semi-frozen in the snow on the outskirts of the Kazakh capital on January 20 has been flown in a medically equipped aircraft to Germany for further care…

Gazeta.KZ: Economics growth rates decrease will do Kazakhstan good - Nazarbayev

Economics growth rates decrease will do Kazakhstan good. This though was expressed on the extended meeting of political council of National Democratic Party “Nur Otan” by the president of the republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, reports the agency…

Interfax: Kazakhstan could form rare metals corporation

Kazakhstan’s Industry and Trade Ministry is proposing to form a national corporation to develop the rare-earth metals industry…

Interfax: Kazakhstan’s 2007 trade up 27.3% to $78.8 Bln

Kazakhstan’s trade turnover in 2007 increased 27.3% in 2007, according to preliminary data. “Trade turnover in 2007 will amount to about $78.8 billion, an increase of roughly 27.3% over 2006, based on preliminary figures,” Industry and Trade Minister Galym Orazbakov said at a meeting of ministry officials in Astana on Wednesday…

CCTV.com: China, Kazakhstan to open land route

China and Kazakhstan are planning to set up a cooperative trade zone in Baktu, opening up an important land route connecting the two sides…

Registan.net: Big news for Kazakhstan!

Today Kazakhstan garnered its first Academy Award Nomination, for the film The Mongol, filmed during 2005 and 2006, but just released this last year at film festivals, surprisingly including Toronto’s International Film Festival…

TREND: Staff changes in Kazakhstan

Kayrat Kelimbetov, heading Kazin Fund, was appointed the Head of Kazakhstan’s Presidential Administration, said Nursultan Nazarbayev, the President of Kazakhstan, on 23 January at a meeting of the Political Council of Nur Otan Party…

Kazinform: Astana to host 17th OSCE PA session

An annual 17th session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will be held on June 28 – July 3, 2008 in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, Kazinform refers to the Kazakh Senate’s press service…

Kazinform: Pipeline to China starts

Kazakhstan’s oil-pipeline monopoly started to ship Russian crude through its Atasu-Alashankou link to China, KazTransOil, the crude-shipping unit of state-run KazMunaiGaz, said Tuesday in a statement…

Bangkok Post: Kazakhstan airline seeks more Thais

Air Astana, the national carrier of Kazakhstan, is embarking on an ambitious plan to strike a better balance of passenger traffic on its Bangkok-Almaty route now heavily biased toward Kazakhs…

Interfax: Samgau, Microsoft agree to advance info services in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s national research and technological holding company Samgau and Microsoft Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding in developing information communication services…