Archive for December, 2008
Kazakhstan Daily News Roundup - December 23, 2008
ANALYSIS:
Plans of debt restructuring set off talk of default
(SRI) - Kazakhstan’s plans to restructure outstanding foreign loans owed by the country’s commercial banks have set off an unequivocally negative reaction among local analysts, international investors and Kazakhstan’s banks themselves.
ENERGY:
Russian senators ratify Caspian gas pipeline deal
(RIA Novosti) - Russia’s upper house of parliament ratified an agreement on Monday with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to build a natural gas pipeline along the Caspian coast.
Lancaster Petroleum listed on KASE
(SRI) - Lancaster Petroleum, a Kazakhstan-focused oil company, has listed its shares on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE), the company announcement in a statement on Monday.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:
Kazakstan tightens belt as oil price falls
(IWPR) - Analysts say that if the international economic crisis continues, the Kazak government may find it hard to keep its promise to maintain social-sector spending despite falling oil revenues.
BTA Bank has no plans to restructure debt
(SRI) - BTA Bank, Kazakhstan’s largest bank, is not planning to restructure its foreign debt and expects to pay its obligations in full.
National Bank of Kazakhstan: Exchange rates December 23, 2008 (Kazinform)
REGIONAL:
Ex-Soviet states earmark $10 billion to fight crisis
(Reuters - Forbes) - A group of former-Soviet nations will create a $10 billion cross-border fund to fight the effects of the global financial crisis, Kazakhstan, one of the participants, said on Monday.
Five CIS member-states discuss regional cooperation in Kazakhstan (Kazinform)
Human rights in Central Asia
(World Politics Review) - While it would be impossible for any Western country to approach Central Asia without taking heed of its many human rights issues, the human rights picture varies from country to country.
Military rivalry in Central Asia (World Politics Review)
Central Asia’s energy chessboard (World Politics Review)
Kazakhstan Regional News Roundup - December 23, 2008
Ex-Soviet states earmark $10 billion to fight crisis
(Reuters - Forbes) - A group of former-Soviet nations will create a $10 billion cross-border fund to fight the effects of the global financial crisis, Kazakhstan, one of the participants, said on Monday.
Five CIS member-states discuss regional cooperation in Kazakhstan (Kazinform)
Human rights in Central Asia
(World Politics Review) - While it would be impossible for any Western country to approach Central Asia without taking heed of its many human rights issues, the human rights picture varies from country to country.
Military rivalry in Central Asia (World Politics Review)
Central Asia’s energy chessboard (World Politics Review)
Kazakhstan Energy Roundup - December 23, 2008
Russian senators ratify Caspian gas pipeline deal
(RIA Novosti) - Russia’s upper house of parliament ratified an agreement on Monday with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to build a natural gas pipeline along the Caspian coast.
Lancaster Petroleum listed on KASE
(SRI) - Lancaster Petroleum, a Kazakhstan-focused oil company, has listed its shares on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE), the company announcement in a statement on Monday.
Kazakhstan Business and Economy Roundup - December 23, 2008
Plans of debt restructuring set off talk of default
(SRI) - Kazakhstan’s plans to restructure outstanding foreign loans owed by the country’s commercial banks have set off an unequivocally negative reaction among local analysts, international investors and Kazakhstan’s banks themselves.
Kazakstan tightens belt as oil price falls
(IWPR) - Analysts say that if the international economic crisis continues, the Kazak government may find it hard to keep its promise to maintain social-sector spending despite falling oil revenues.
BTA Bank has no plans to restructure debt
(SRI) - BTA Bank, Kazakhstan’s largest bank, is not planning to restructure its foreign debt and expects to pay its obligations in full.
National Bank of Kazakhstan: Exchange rates December 23, 2008 (Kazinform)
BTA Bank has no plans to restructure debt
(SRI) - BTA Bank, Kazakhstan’s largest bank, is not planning to restructure its foreign debt and expects to pay its obligations in full, the bank said in a statement on Friday.
ANALYSIS: Plans of debt restructuring set off talk of default
(SRI) - Kazakhstan’s plans to restructure outstanding foreign loans owed by the country’s commercial banks have set off an unequivocally negative reaction among local analysts, international investors and Kazakhstan’s banks themselves.
Kazakhstan Daily News Roundup - December 22, 2008
ANALYSIS:
Falling commodity prices to hit Kazakhstan hard in 2009
(bne) - Kazakhstan is expected to see a slowing of growth in 2009, as a consequence of falling prices for oil and other commodities.
ENERGY:
KMG in talks about BP’s stake in Tengizchevroil
(SRI) - KazMunaiGas (KMG) is considering acquiring BP’s stake in the Tengizchevroil project which the British oil company holds through a joint venture with Russian LUKOil.
Kazakhstan cuts oil export duty to USD140/ton
(Reuters) - Kazakhstan has reduced its oil export duty to $139.8 per tonne from $203.8 and will review it on a monthly basis instead of once a quarter, a government decree said.
Tax Committee head sees no need in giving tax rebates to extractive companies (Interfax)
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:
Kazakh banks’s profits shrink in 2008
(SRI) - Kazakhstan’s commercial banks reported aggregate net profit of KZT33.8 billion (USD282 million) in January through November 2008.
Eurasian Bank repaid USD110 million syndicated loan
(SRI) - Eurasian Bank, Kazakhstan ninth largest bank, repaid a two-year syndicated loan of USD110 million on Friday.
National Bank of Kazakhstan: Exchange rates December 20, 21, 22, 2008 (Kazinform)
Indicators - December 22, 2008 (Reuters)
POLITICS:
Russia, Kazakhstan sign joint action plan for 2009-2010 (RIA Novosti)
SOCIETY:
Kazakhs cursed by fallout from nuclear weapons tests
(The National) - Family medical histories in and around Semey, a town in north-east Kazakhstan, read like horror stories.
REGIONAL:
Russia, EU see Caspian energy dreams deferred
(RFE/RL) - Entering the year, Russia appeared to have the upper hand in securing a lion’s share of the immense natural gas and oil reserves in the Caspian basin.
Kazakhstan Regional News Roundup - December 22, 2008
Russia, EU see Caspian energy dreams deferred
(RFE/RL) - Entering the year, Russia appeared to have the upper hand in securing a lion’s share of the immense natural gas and oil reserves in the Caspian basin.
Kazakhstan Society Roundup - December 22, 2008
Kazakhs cursed by fallout from nuclear weapons tests
(The National) - Family medical histories in and around Semey, a town in north-east Kazakhstan, read like horror stories.
