Russian VEB rumored to be interested in acquiring stakes in BTA and Alliance

(SRI) - Russian VneshEconomBank (VEB), the state-owned development bank, may acquire stakes in BTA Bank and Alliance Bank, Kazakh business weekly Kursiv reported last week.

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Goldman Sachs to advise BTA Bank in debt restructuring talks

(SRI) - BTA Bank, Kazakhstan’s largest bank, has appointed Goldman Sachs as its financial advisor, Reuters reported on Monday.

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Fitch warns of weakened corporate governance in Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine

(SRI) - Ratings agency Fitch warned on Monday that the global financial crisis could undermine corporate governance improvements in Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.

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Kazakhstan Daily News Roundup - March 9, 2009

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:

Kazakh president orders USD4 billion spending
(AFP - SRI) - Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev ordered his government on Friday to counter the economic crisis with a series of spending measures to ensure stability in the country’s regions.

BTA Bank to issue USD2 billion debt on KASE
(SRI) - BTA Bank, Kazakhstan’s largest bank recently taken over by the state, has registered ten domestic bond issues for a total of KZT300 billion (USD2 billion).

Samruk-Kazyna registers debt issue of USD2.7 billion on KASE (SRI)

Kazakhstan’s gold and foreign currency reserves up in February
(SRI) - Kazakhstan’s net gold and foreign currency reserves rose to USD19.6 billion as of February 28 from USD18.2 billion on January 31.

UniCredit to boost ATF Bank’s capital by USD193 million
(SRI) - ATF Bank’s board of directors has approved a rights issue last week to raise KZT29 billion (USD 193 million), according to KASE. 3,625,000 new shares priced at KZT8,000 each will be placed.

Halyk Bank to hold annual general meeting in April (SRI)

Moody`s Investors Service reps visit Kazakhstan (Kazinform)

MINERAL RESOURCES:

ArcelorMittal board member reportedly named head of Kazakh national mining company
(SRI) - Malay Mukherjee, a member of the board directors, has reportedly been appointed the head of Kazakh National Mining Company Tau-Ken Samruk.

SOCIETY:

Horses first ridden - and milked - in Kazakhstan 5,500 years ago
(Reuters - SRI) - Horses were first domesticated on the plains of northern Kazakhstan some 5,500 years ago — 1,000 years earlier than thought — by people who rode them and drank their milk.

Kazakh rabbi call on U.S. to void Jackson-Vanik amendment (Interfax)

Kazakhstan Society Roundup - March 9, 2009

Horses first ridden - and milked - in Kazakhstan 5,500 years ago (Reuters - SRI)

Kazakh rabbi call on U.S. to void Jackson-Vanik amendment (Interfax)

Kazakhstan Business and Economy Roundup - March 9, 2009

Kazakh president orders USD4 billion spending (AFP - SRI)

BTA Bank to issue USD2 billion debt on KASE (SRI)

Kazakhstan’s gold and foreign currency reserves up in February (SRI)

UniCredit to boost ATF Bank’s capital by USD193 million
(SRI) - ATF Bank’s board of directors has approved a rights issue last week to raise KZT29 billion (USD 193 million), according to KASE. 3,625,000 new shares priced at KZT8,000 each will be placed.

Samruk-Kazyna registers debt issue of USD2.7 billion on KASE (SRI)

Halyk Bank to hold annual general meeting in April (SRI)

Moody`s Investors Service reps visit Kazakhstan (Kazinform)

BTA Bank to issue USD2 billion debt on KASE

(SRI) - BTA Bank, Kazakhstan’s largest bank recently taken over by the state, has registered ten domestic bond issues for a total of KZT300 billion (USD2 billion), the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) reported on Friday.

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Samruk-Kazyna registers debt issue of USD2.7 billion on KASE

(SRI) - Samruk Kazyna, the national holding and investment company, has registered ten domestic bond issues for a total of 405 billion tenge (USD2.7 billion), KASE reported on Friday.

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UniCredit to boost ATF Bank’s capital by USD193 million

(SRI) - ATF Bank’s board of directors has approved a rights issue last week to raise KZT29 billion (USD 193 million), according to KASE. 3,625,000 new shares priced at KZT8,000 each will be placed.

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Halyk Bank to hold annual general meeting in April

(SRI) - Halyk Bank’s board of directors informed last week that the annual general meeting of shareholders will be held on April 23, 2009 in the newly opened Holiday Inn Almaty, according to KASE.

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