Archive for July 14th, 2008
Kazakhstan’s GDP grew 5 percent in first half of 2008
(SRI) - During the first six months of 2008 Kazakhstan’s economy grew 5-5.1 percent, according to the Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning, Interfax reported.
Kazakhstan News Roundup - July 14, 2008
energy:
KazMunaiGas interested in Oman’s stake in CPC
(SRI) - KazMunaiGas (KMG), the national oil company, has confirmed its interest in acquiring Oman’s stake in the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) pipeline.
Kazmunaigas interested in Oman’s Kazakh ventures
(Reuters) - Kazakhstan, which is eyeing Oman’s stake in the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), is also interested in the Arab Gulf state’s upstream Kazakh assets.
KazMunaiGas to drill at the Myortvy Kultuk block in the Caspian Sea
(SRI) - KazMunaiGas, the national oil company signed a contract with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to explore and develop the Myortvy Kultuk block in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea.
KazMunaiGas closing the deal on Mangistaumunaigas
(SRI) - KazMunaiGas (KMG), the national oil company, is purchasing a 51 percent stake in Mangistaumunaigas (MMG), an oil company, and planning to close the deal this year.
Russian-Kazakh joint venture to process Kazakh gas (RBC News)
Petrolinvest halves 2008 extraction target (Reuters)
EDB to finance construction of a third power unit at Ekibastuz GRES-2 (Interfax)
Kazakhstan appears among top five uranium producers (Interfax)
business and economy:
Kazakhstan H1 industrial production growth stalls
(Reuters) - Kazakhstan’s industrial production growth stalled in the first half of this year to 3.8 percent compared with 6.8 percent in the same period of 2007.
Kazakhstan gears up to tackle food crisis
(Xinhua) - Kazakhstan, a central Asian country that has also been severely affected by the worldwide food crisis, has put in place a series of significant measures to curb the skyrocketing food prices.
Kazakhstan’s defence industry: Development and partial conversion
(www.defsec.info - SRI) - Out of the 23 Kazakhstan defence companies, only 13 - 14 remain in the business, covering national, regional defence demands, the rest goes the way of conversion.
Kaztemirtrans, Kazmortransflot pool efforts to develop transport infrastructure (SRI)
Aktau sea port transshipped over 56.000 tonnes of grain during 6 months (AgriMarket.info)
National Bank of Kazakhstan: Exchange rates July 12-14, 2008 (Kazinform)
Indicators - July 11, 2008 (Reuters)
politics:
Convenient “suicide” removes key witness in Kazakh scandal
(RFE/RL - EurasiaNet) - eneral Zhomart Mazhrenov spent more than 25 years in the service of the Soviet KGB and Kazakh KNB. But on July 8, the general decided to end it all — and hang himself.
Kazakhstan to have modern precision weapons soon - defense minister (Interfax)
Russia, Kazakhstan to sign three-year war games deal (RIA Novosti)
UAE President to visit Kazakhstan Monday (WAM)
society:
New Kazakh media company bodes ill for independent press
(RFE/RL - EurasiaNet) - A new Kazakh media holding company, made up of outlets that support the government, has what’s left of the independent media more than a little worried.
Kazakhstan Society Roundup - July 14, 2008
New Kazakh media company bodes ill for independent press
(RFE/RL - EurasiaNet) - A new Kazakh media holding company, made up of outlets that support the government, has what’s left of the independent media more than a little worried.
Kazakhstan Politics Roundup - July 14, 2008
Convenient “suicide” removes key witness in Kazakh scandal
(RFE/RL - EurasiaNet) - eneral Zhomart Mazhrenov spent more than 25 years in the service of the Soviet KGB and Kazakh KNB. But on July 8, the general decided to end it all — and hang himself.
Kazakhstan to have modern precision weapons soon - defense minister (Interfax)
Russia, Kazakhstan to sign three-year war games deal (RIA Novosti)
Kazakhstan Business and Economy Roundup - July 14, 2008
Kazakhstan H1 industrial production growth stalls
(Reuters) - Kazakhstan’s industrial production growth stalled in the first half of this year to 3.8 percent compared with 6.8 percent in the same period of 2007.
Kazakhstan gears up to tackle food crisis
(Xinhua) - Kazakhstan, a central Asian country that has also been severely affected by the worldwide food crisis, has put in place a series of significant measures to curb the skyrocketing food prices.
Kaztemirtrans, Kazmortransflot pool efforts to develop transport infrastructure (SRI)
Aktau sea port transshipped over 56.000 tonnes of grain during 6 months (AgriMarket.info)
National Bank of Kazakhstan: Exchange rates July 12-14, 2008 (Kazinform)
Indicators - July 11, 2008 (Reuters)
Kazakhstan Energy Roundup - July 14, 2008
Kazmunaigas interested in Oman’s Kazakh ventures
(Reuters) - Kazakhstan, which is eyeing Oman’s stake in the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), is also interested in the Arab Gulf state’s upstream Kazakh assets.
Russian-Kazakh joint venture to process Kazakh gas (RBC News)
Petrolinvest halves 2008 extraction target (Reuters)
EDB to finance construction of a third power unit at Ekibastuz GRES-2 (Interfax)
Kazakhstan appears among top five uranium producers (Interfax)
KazMunaiGas to drill at the Myortvy Kultuk block in the Caspian Sea
(SRI) - KazMunaiGas, the national oil company signed a contract with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to explore and develop the Myortvy Kultuk block in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea, Interfax reported on Friday.
Kazakhstan’s defence industry: Development and partial conversion
(www.defsec.info) - Out of the 23 Kazakhstan defence companies, only 13 - 14 remain in the business, covering national, regional defence demands, the rest goes the way of conversion.
Kazakhstan may harvest 17 million tons of grain in 2008
Kazakhstan may harvest 17 million tons of grain this year - if the weather is favorable, Interfax reported, quoting Agriculture Minister Akylbek Kurishbaev.
“Six percent of the crop area - or more than 900 hectares - are in poor condition due to dry weather. We can expect a crop of 16-17 ml tons on average, if it rains this month,” the minister told journalists after a conference call in the government on Monday in Astana.
He projected that the price of grain will be around $200.
Kurishbaev also warned of a food grain deficit as large Kazakhstan grain producers may speculate on rising global prices. To curb speculation, Kurishbaev demanded timely measures to secure a continuous supply of grain and flour to regions, reported Interfax.
Last year Kazakhstan achieved a record grain harvest of 20.1 million tons in net weight, 22 percent more than in 2006.
Prices for agricultural products in Kazakhstan rose almost 13 percent in H1
According to the National Statistics Agency, the prices for agricultural products in Kazakhstan rose by 12.7 percent in the first six months of 2008, Interfax reported.
Cereal prices grew as follows: grain by 19.3%, rye 19.1%, rice 18.6%, barley 13.5%, corn 10.8%, oats 10.2%, buckwheat and millet 3-4.2%, sunflower seeds by 19.9%.
In the same period the prices of potatoes increased by 11.5%, cabbage 29.4%, carrots 17.3%, bulb onion 13.8%, beet 11.2%, tomatoes 6.9%, peas by 13.7% while cucumbers became 12.5% cheaper. The prices of fruit rose by 12.1%.
The prices of meat grew by 10.6% during the first six month of this year. Milk rose by 2.5%, honey 5.5% while eggs became 9.1% cheaper, the Statistics Agency says.
