Kazakhstan Daily News Roundup - July 15, 2009

HEADLINES:

BTA names Lazard Freres new restructuring advisor
(SRI) - BTA Bank has hired investment bank Lazard Freres to advise it on its $15 billion debt restructuring along with UBS, BTA said on Tuesday.

Korean SK Telecom eyes Kazakh mobile operator
(SRI) - SK Telecom Co, South Korea’s largest mobile operator, said on Tuesday it was considering bidding for a 51 percent stake in Kazakhtelecom’s mobile unit Mobile Telecom Service.

Sberbank to make decision on BTA deal in August
(SRI) - Sberbank is reportedly still considering a deal to acquire Kazakhstan’s BTA Bank but will not make a decision at least until mid-August 2009.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:

Astana Finance to hold conference call with creditors (SRI)

Kazakh-backed Kyrgyz cement producer to invest $75 million in new plant (SRI)

Investigation into embezzlement of 83 billion tenge from BTA Bank completed – PGO (Interfax)

EU blacklists Kazakhstan but Air Astana narrowly escapes (Flightglobal)

Deceived home owners appeal to Nazarbayev (Kazinform)

Indicators - July 14, 2009 (Reuters)

POLITICS:

New Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan appointed (Kazinform)

Nazarbayev signs amendments to law on shares construction (Kazakhstan Today)

Nazarbayev signs amendment to laws on accounting, financial reporting and the central bank (Kazakhtan Today)

SOCIETY:

LiveStrong, RideWeird
(The New Republic) - Why is Lance Armstrong a riding advertisement for the Kazakh government?

Freedom House denounces Kazakhstan adopted law on internet regulation (Interfax)

REGIONAL:

Europe gas pipe deal a setback for Russia - media (AFP)

Russia shrugs off Europe gas pipeline deal (AFP)

Central Asian Uighurs fear crackdown could spread (AP)

China dismisses accusation of Xinjiang genocide (Reuters)

Uzbekistan warns over Russian base plan (RFE/RL)

Nabucco is signed; Europe gets comic relief (The Oil and the Glory)

Kazakhstan Business and Economy Roundup - July 15, 2009

BTA names Lazard Freres new restructuring advisor (SRI)

Korean SK Telecom eyes Kazakh mobile operator (SRI)

Sberbank to make decision on BTA deal in August (SRI)

Astana Finance to hold conference call with creditors (SRI)

Kazakh-backed Kyrgyz cement producer to invest $75 million in new plant (SRI)

Investigation into embezzlement of 83 billion tenge from BTA Bank completed – PGO (Interfax)

EU blacklists Kazakhstan but Air Astana narrowly escapes (Flightglobal)

Deceived home owners appeal to Nazarbayev (Kazinform)

Indicators - July 14, 2009 (Reuters)

Kazakh-backed Kyrgyz cement producer to invest $75 million in new plant

(SRI) - South Kyrgyz Cement, a cement maker partially owned by the Investment Fund of Kazakhstan, plans to invest $75 million to build a cement plant in the Batken region of Kyrgyzstan, the cement company’s chairman Jan Fischer said.

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Kazakhstan Society Roundup - July 15, 2009

LiveStrong, RideWeird (The New Republic)

Freedom House denounces Kazakhstan adopted law on internet regulation (Interfax)

Kazakhstan Politics Roundup - July 15, 2009

New Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan appointed (Kazinform)

Nazarbayev signs amendments to law on shares construction (Kazakhstan Today)

Nazarbayev signs amendment to laws on accounting, financial reporting and the central bank (Kazakhtan Today)

Kazakhstan Regional News Roundup - July 15, 2009

Europe gas pipe deal a setback for Russia - media (AFP)

Russia shrugs off Europe gas pipeline deal (AFP)

Central Asian Uighurs fear crackdown could spread (AP)

China dismisses accusation of Xinjiang genocide (Reuters)

Uzbekistan warns over Russian base plan (RFE/RL)

Nabucco is signed; Europe gets comic relief (The Oil and the Glory)

Europe gas pipe deal a setback for Russia - media

(AFP) - A landmark deal between Turkey and four EU countries to pipe gas from the Caspian region is a setback for Moscow’s own pipeline project to Western Europe, Russian newspapers said.
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Russia shrugs off Europe gas pipeline deal

(AFP) - Russia on Tuesday shrugged off a key EU gas pipeline deal with Turkey, branding it economically unsound and driven by overblown fears of dependence on Russian gas, Interfax news agency reported.
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Central Asian Uighurs fear crackdown could spread

(AP) - Anguished by ethnic violence in China but fearful that crackdowns on their minority group could spread, Uighur activists across Central Asia said Tuesday they have urged local communities to avoid large public protests.
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China dismisses accusation of Xinjiang genocide

(Reuters) - China on Tuesday dismissed Turkey’s accusation of genocide in its northwestern Muslim region of Xinjiang, where rioting killed 184 people, mostly majority Han Chinese.
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