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Kazakh president calls for tighter control over religious groups; Cameco signs MOU with Kazakh state-owned atomic firm; Chinese firms acquire Kazakh gas field; Kazakhstan hopes to join OECD as an observer before assuming formal membership

September 2011

Volume: 9; Issue: 1

August 22 - September 04

Country Review; Central Asia

The Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbaev has called for tighter control over religious groups to protect the state from extremism. These comments by the President to the parliament came after the security forces in western Kazakhstan encountered suspected extremists, planning acts of terrorism. 1

In another development, Kazakhstan is interested in becoming a full-fledged member in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Kazakh Vice Prime Minister Yerbol Orynbayev said last week. The minister hopes that Kazakhstan will join the OECD first as an observer, and then inquire about assuming formal membership. Earlier this interest was expressed by Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov during a state visit to France. 2

In the meanwhile, Canada’s leading uranium producer Cameco last week penned a tentative agreement with Kazakhstan to step up output by some 33 percent at a mine in the center of the country. In a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed with its Kazakh partner and state-owned atomic firm Kazatomprom, the two plan to boost annual output of uranium at the Inkai mine from 3.9 million pounds to 5.2 million pounds.3 Also, Chinese conglomerate Xinjiang Guanghui Industry and China’s Weyn Investment have agreed to buy all shares in the Mangishlak Munay field in southern Kazakhstan from the Kazakh firm for $20 million. 4

Reports noted that leaders from several Central Asian states last week attended the inaugural China-Eurasia Expo in the western Chinese city of Urumqi. China hopes this expo, the largest of its kind in the western province of Xinjiang, will spur economic development in the impoverished region by forging critical trade links with neighboring states Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Mongolia and India. 5 A Chinese commerce official, during the China-Eurasia trade expo in Urumqi, said that member states from the Russian- and Chinese-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should create a free trade region. The proposal, expressed at a meeting of high-level SCO officials in the capital city of Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, would see a merging of smaller free trade areas into a single zone. 6

Reports noted that Kyrgyzstan has completed its accession to full membership of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB). The bank was formed by Kazakhstan and Russia in 2006 to assist former Communist states in developing their markets. The other members include Tajikistan, Belarus and Armenia.7 In the meanwhile, villagers of Terek-Say in the Chatkal district of the southern Jalalabad province held a protest several days ago that blocked the road leading to the gold mine, located in Ala-Buka, a town near the border with Uzbekistan. Last week residents near a Chinese-run gold mine in Kyrgyzstan demanded to be hired or threatened to resume their disruptive protest rallies. The demonstrations are the most recent in a string of protests against Chinese firms in the volatile Central Asian republic. 8

According to reports, top officials from Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic finalized the accord with their Afghanistan counterparts in the Thai capital Bangkok on the cross-border transportation pact that will accelerate the passage of people, goods and services between them. The Cross-Border Transport Agreement (CBTA) project is overseen by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).9 In the meanwhile, four-party summit on regional security was held on September 1, in Dushanbe between the leaders of Russia, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Commenting on the results of the four-party summit earlier Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stated that the countries in Central Asia should ensure security in this region, and the assistance of other countries has an important but not decisive significance. 10

In other developments, the Russian President and his Tajik counterpart said, after the bilateral meeting, that Russia will remain at its three Tajik military bases for a further 49 years. Russia has approximately 7,000 troops stationed in three Tajik bases—Qurghonteppa, Kulob and Dushanbe. And in return, Russia provides Tajikistan military with high-tech weapons. 11

1. 1. “Kazakh president calls for tighter control of religious groups”, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), September 01, 2011 at http://www.rferl.org/content/kazakh_president_calls_for_tighter_control_of_religious_groups/24314953.html
2. 2. “Kazakhstan seeks OECD membership”, Universal Newswires, August 29, 2011 at http://www.universalnewswires.com/centralasia/kazakhstan/viewstory.aspx?id=10063
3. 3. “Canadian uranium firm Cameco readies Kazakh production increase”, Universal Newswires, September 01, 2011 at http://www.universalnewswires.com/centralasia/kazakhstan/viewstory.aspx?id=10087
4. 4. “Two Chinese firms to jointly acquire Kazakh gas field for $20M”, Universal Newswires, August 30, 2011 at http://www.universalnewswires.com/centralasia/kazakhstan/viewstory.aspx?id=10069
5. 5. “Central Asian leaders head to first-ever China-Eurasia expo”, Universal Newswires, September 01, 2011 at http://www.universalnewswires.com/centralasia/kazakhstan/viewstory.aspx?id=10094
6. 6. “China proposes free trade agreement for SCO states”, Universal Newswires, September 05, 2011 at http://www.universalnewswires.com/centralasia/kazakhstan/viewstory.aspx?id=10110
7. 7. “Kyrgyzstan completes accession to EDB”, Universal Newswires, August 30, 2011 at http://www.universalnewswires.com/centralasia/kyrgyzstan/viewstory.aspx?id=10072
8. 8. “Kyrgyz residents threaten protests on Chinese mine”, Universal Newswires, August 30, 2011 at http://www.universalnewswires.com/centralasia/kyrgyzstan/viewstory.aspx?id=10067
9. 9. “Afghanistan to join Central Asian cross-border transport agreement”, Universal Newswires, August 30, 2011 at http://www.universalnewswires.com/centralasia/kyrgyzstan/viewstory.aspx?id=10066
10. 10. “Medvedev, Pakistan president discuss regional security in Dushanbe”, Itar Tass, September 02, 2011 at http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c154/217023.html
11. 11. “Russia to extend lease of Tajik military bases by 49 years”, Universal Newswires, September 02, 2011 at http://www.universalnewswires.com/centralasia/tajikistan/viewstory.aspx?id=10102

Source :
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