NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Askar Mamin on October 18 reported to Elbasy (Leader of the Nation) Nursultan Nazarbayev and the deputies of the parliamentary faction of the ruling Nur Otan party about the interim implementation results of the Nur Otan Party’s Election Program “Kazakhstan–2021: Unity. Stability. Creation” and the Plan of the Nation “100 Concrete Steps to Implement the Five Institutional Reforms,” the prime minister’s press service reported.

Nazarbayev, who ruled Kazakhstan from 1989 until he abruptly resigned in March this year, holds the titles of the First President of Kazakhstan and Leader of the Nation, presides over the powerful Security Council and chairs the ruling Nur Otan party.

Prime Minister Mamin said that Kazakhstan has become a transcontinental bridge between Europe and Asia, a large-scale modernization of transport infrastructure is underway.

“The optimal railway network has been fully formed. A logistics infrastructure is being formed. Next year, passage through the main transit automobile corridors will be provided,” said Mamin.

By the end of 2018, the volume of exports of the manufacturing industry, compared with 2016, increased by 21.7% and amounted to $15.7 billion. The export of services increased by 15.8% to $7.3 billion. In general, since 2016, the volume of industry in the country grew by 15.7%, and manufacturing – by 16.3%. Alternative energy is actively developing; since 2016, renewable energy capacity has increased 3.7-fold and by the end of this year will amount to 1041 MW at 87 facilities, and by 2024 – 3 thousand MW, the prime minister said.

“Particular attention is paid to providing Kazakhstanis with quality and affordable housing. In 2016-2018, over 34 million square meters were built. By the end of the year, it is planned to introduce 13 million square meters [of housing],” said Mamin.

The prime minister spoke about the efforts of the Government and the Nur Otan faction to saturate the domestic market with domestic food products – on average, the supply of basic types of food products reached 80%, and for some items – 100%.

The government plans to bring the rate of investment in fixed assets to 30% of GDP by 2025. Today, a pool of investment projects has been formed that will attract 41 trillion tenge of investments in 2020-2024. The solution to this problem will ensure the inflow of foreign direct investment up to $34 billion, which is the basic condition for ensuring 5% growth of the national economy by 2024, Mamin said.

After listening to reports, Nursultan Nazarbayev emphasized the special role of his party in the development of the country and improving the welfare of the people.

“Today, our party faces the task of consolidating society, rallying the elites around the country’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The party, as the country’s leading political force, must ensure the continuity of the strategic course of development of our state. Therefore, the Government and the Faction must solve specific problems of people together,” Nazarbayev said.

Noting the results of the implementation of the election program and the Plan of the Nation, he pointed out the risks associated with the implementation of the remaining obligations of the party.

“We have achieved positive results. For three and a half years, more than 430 thousand jobs have been created, 2.7 thousand kilometers of roads have been built. Eurasian Transcontinental Corridor has been launched. The share of small and medium-sized businesses in the country’s GDP reached 28 percent. In just one year, we improved Kazakhstan’s Doing Business rating by 8 positions, taking 28th place,” said the First President of Kazakhstan.

Nazarbayev emphasized that the election program of the winning party should form the basis of the five-year activity of the Government, and members of the Party Faction in the Mazhilis should constantly monitor the implementation of the program, timely responding to possible risks.

In conclusion, Nazarbayev emphasized the importance of maintaining the party’s political leadership.

“Our main task is stability, prosperity of Kazakhstan and improving the well-being of all citizens. Therefore, it is important to make every effort to fulfill our promises,” he concluded.

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (TCA) — Almaty Management University (Alma U) on October 18 hosted an official reception on the occasion of the arrival of the first cohort of Afghan women in Kazakhstan that will start their studies as part of a project funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan.

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BISHKEK (TCA) — Although poverty rates in Central Asia continue to decline overall, the pace of poverty reduction is slowing, according to new data released by the World Bank. High levels of poverty remain in pockets of rural and remote areas, which also suffer from lack of employment opportunities, say new Poverty Outlooks for Central Asian countries, released ahead of International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on October 17.

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NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it took delivery of a shipment of low enriched uranium (LEU) at a purpose-built facility in Kazakhstan on October 17, officially establishing the IAEA LEU Bank aimed at providing assurance to countries about the availability of nuclear fuel.

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ASHGABAT (TCA) — A delegation of adaptive sports athletes, coaches, and administrators from the United States concluded its 10-day visit to Turkmenistan with a conference in Ashgabat on October 15. During the program, delegation members shared their experience promoting sports inclusive of individuals with disabilities and engaged with their counterparts from Turkmenistan through workshops, master-classes, and friendly competitions in Ashgabat, Mary, Turkmenabat, Dashoguz, Balkanabat, and Turkmenbashy, the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat said on October 17.

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ASHGABAT (TCA) — As a result of the joint project with Lufthansa Consulting since February this year, Turkmenistan Airlines, Turkmenistan’s flag carrier, has confirmed compliance with technical requirements related to air operations of Third Country Operators in the European Union (EU). After the on-site audit by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in Ashgabat at the end of September, the Agency reauthorized the airline as Third Country Operator on 11 October 2019, Lufthansa Consulting GmbH said in a press release on October 16.

The Turkmen carrier has been committed to raising its performance and took immediate action following the difficulties in satisfying relevant requirements in context with the EU Safety Authorizations for foreign air operators at the beginning of this year. The project started with an assessment of the situation and the development of the recovery plan. In the course of the assignment experts of Lufthansa Consulting and a dedicated team from Turkmenistan Airlines specialized in quality, safety, flight operations and maintenance worked together on both the management system changes and the practical implementation. The team from Turkmenistan Airlines, supported by the management, demonstrated high flexibility during the implementation and commitment to change, Lufthansa Consulting said.

Turkmenistan Airlines is the flag carrier of Turkmenistan with headquarters in the country’s capital Ashgabat. The airline operates domestic and international passenger and cargo services mainly from its hub at Ashgabat International Airport. The airline transports more than 5,000 passengers daily within the country and nearly three million passengers annually on the international and domestic routes. The fleet consists of modern Western aircraft (such as Boeing 737, 757, 777) and a cargo fleet of IL 76.