At the heart of the opera Turandot is the 12th century story about the love of Turandot and Calaf. At one time, it captured the attention of the playwright C. Gozzi, and he wrote a fairytale based on it. This fairytale caught the fancy of the outstanding composer G. Puccini, who created the priceless work that is now a part of the world opera treasury.The world premiere of Turandot took place in Milan on April 25, 1926. The composer died before completing his work on the opera, and all future performances ended with the final duet and finale written by Franco Alfano based on the author’s notes.The heroes of the Italian commedia dell’arte are portrayed in this opera as calculating Chinese officials, performed by the soloists of the China National Opera House. Turandot (the Austrian dramatic soprano Martina Serafin and the Kazakh opera diva Zhupar Gabdullina) represents in this opera the personification of cruelty and unattainable beauty. In order to take revenge on all men, she comes up with trials for her suitors – three riddles, and those who cannot solve them will be immediately executed. Only the Unknown Prince Calaf (the Bulgarian tenor Kamen Chanev), who is in love with her, passes the test. Due to the strength of his feelings and ingenuity, he solves all three riddles and is now ready to melt the heart of the headstrong princess, but only after she guesses his name.Turandot’s RiddlesZhupar Gabdullina – Turandot – is diligently preparing for the upcoming premiere. The artist explains that she has already been performing this part for a long time, consequently, it is up to the stage direction now: learning the mise-en-scenes and putting into action the ideas of Davide Livermore.“On account of the beauty of my heroine, the princes’ heads roll. Before Calaf, 14 of the princess’ suitors died. In many other productions where I happened to perform this role, the appearance of Turandot onstage was akin to ice that cools everything around her. In the libretto, she is only 14 years old. Therefore, in this production, the stage director interprets her actions from a psychological point of view. At one time, her grandmother was cruelly violated by some foreigners, so Turandot takes vengeance on all men in her name. Since birth, not a single one of them has touched her yet. Calaf’s right answers to all her riddles bring her great pain and disappointment. The princess says, “I will let you go, go your own way”, but meets resistance. In response, she receives a riddle from the protagonist, which she cannot solve. This is a really difficult role, and I will do my best to try to create this character, to convey to the audience the director’s main idea. According to Davide Livermore’s vision, Turandot is feminine, lithe; all of her movements are very pliant, which attracts men. In regard to vocals, hard work is to be done as well,” said Zhupar Gabdullina.Martina Serafin is also preparing the part of Turandot. The world-famous opera singer shared her impressions of her work in Astana.“The Astana Opera is a beautiful opera house, very well organized. For me, as an opera singer, acoustics are important, and the acoustics here are very good. Working with the conductor was a big pleasure. I also had a wonderful time working together with my colleagues – Kazakhstani singers and with the orchestra, which has a very beautiful sound. I have found very professional atmosphere here. The Stage Director Davide Livermore is giving his all to this production. He is working with every choir artist as if each of them were a soloist. He focuses on the characters emotions. Turadot is a role that I love very much, and sing a lot in my life. I am quite happy to share my interpretation with the audience of Astana. I would like to congratulate the people of Kazakhstan on the significant date – the 20th anniversary of the capital. I know that this performance is dedicated to the celebration of the anniversary, and I am happy to be a part of this event,” said Martina Serafin.Honored Artist of Kazakhstan, state prize laureate Maira Mukhamedkyzy and Honored Artist of Kazakhstan Zhannat Baktai, who has repeatedly interpreted this role at various international venues, will perform the fragile slave girl Liu, who is in love with Calaf.This will be the debut performance of this part for the opera prima Maira Mukhamedkyzy.“This defenseless girl with incredibly powerful inner energy amazes me very much. Such a strong love is rarely found on this earth, not everyone is given the opportunity to feel it. The audience remembers Liu by her heroic deed. All three arias that I have to perform are very difficult. The first aria is tender and exquisite; here she declares her love for Calaf, talks about her feelings. In the second aria, I must convey a storm of emotions raging in my heroine’s chest, because her beloved first saw Turandot and went crazy for the beautiful princess, not hearing or seeing anything around him. Liu cannot accept this, but her heart is still full of love. And since fate has decreed that they are not destined to be together, Liu kills herself, saving Calaf. Thus, the emotional, impassioned Liu is a contrasting character. She is the opposite of the cold Turandot. What is the difficulty in performing this part? The need to simultaneously deliver dramatic acting, meanwhile not forgetting about the technically complex vocals,” noted Maira Mukhamedkyzy.Director Davide Livermore has already worked at the Astana Opera in 2017 as a jury member of Placido Domingo’s Operalia, World Opera Competition. He was happy to accept the opera house’s invitation to stage G. Puccini’s opera Turandot. “I am very happy to be here, and I also feel great joy that our countries are united by a cultural bridge. I am grateful to the opera house’s management for the opportunity to work in this wonderful opera house again. I came into contact with Turandot for the first time when I was 6 years old. My father gave me a CD with the recording of this opera. The part with the children’s choir performance impressed me back then. After learning this excerpt, I often sang it in my room. Hence, this opera is with me since childhood. There are very distinctive characters in it. I believe that every person living on this earth can also be a prince, in another period of his life finding the traits of Ping, Pong and Pang within himself. Well, right now Calaf is the closest to me. I would like to experience life and believe in love, like he does,” shared Davide Livermore. In the Spirit of Showmanship…Set and Costume Designers Sofya Tasmagambetova and Pavel Dragunov suggested an interesting design concept for this production. It consists of mixture of styles, but the Chinese symbolism still remains the key element. The audience will see a fantasy China, as described by the author of the libretto, therefore there is a freedom of ideas for the designers here. For the first time, ultramodern technologies will be used, creating various bright effects. The appearance of a dragon and horses, as well as a spectacular stage transformation will add color to the production.The set and costume designers’ ideas were implemented by the experienced craftsmen of the Artistic and Production Complex, headed by Victor Carare.“For the first time at our opera house, we will use video projections on LED backdrops, which move around the stage throughout the performance. They simultaneously complement the frontal and rear projections, which consist of screens 24 meters wide and 15 meters high. To the surprise of the audience, it will be raining in the first act, and the water will be absolutely real. A unique combination of light and video content will create one of a kind theatrical magic. Incidentally, the light plays a very important role in this production. Among other things, we have built lifting mechanisms for the titular character, which will be appearing from under the ground, and be raised about 3 meters above the steppe (!). The Restoration and Craft Shop is finishing the work on the palace and columns; the Prop Shop has also carried out a large volume of work. With each new production, we are writing an unparalled theatrical history, gaining experience, which allows us to implement the most incredible projects at a very high level. This way, the viewers who come to us, enter a special world,” emphasized Victor Carare.              “Turandot is a very rich artistic material. First of all, we were guided by the director’s vision, the technical equipment of the stage, which we tried to make the most of. The space will transform, at times becoming immense, and at times more compact. Having studied the history of the productions of Turandot, I will definitely say that our production does not repeat any of the previous international versions. The Astana Opera production will have a unique blend of Asian and Chinese styles, that is, there will be a symbolism of these two cultures in the sets,” explained Set and Costume Designer Sofya Tasmagambetova.  The color palette both in the costumes and the sets is rather restrained, which carried particular significance. On the contrary, this ‘non-brightness’ makes it possible to highlight the most important thing, which is the action. Black and white colors create a specific shadow accent.“We used silk to make the costumes, but to a greater degree we utilized one of the more expensive fabrics – jacquard. Trimming and decorating are secondary here, and tape, braid or buttons are not at all characteristic to this production. The difficulty was in the use of specific Chinese cutting techniques, which the Costume Shop tailors know very well. In addition, fabric texture was very important. Its main function is keeping the shape of the costumes. The main heroine Turandot is always in front of the audience, which makes for a new task – costume changes need to take place right onstage. Thus, four different cloaks will alternately complement the base outfit. The princess’ last dress is red. In total, we have made 247 costumes, which took more than 2 thousand meters of fabric. Such a large amount is due to the choir artists’ costume changes. Initially we planned for them to be in the same costumes throughout the entire production, but then it was decided to increase that by another costume change,” concluded the set and costume designer.In Detail about the Little ThingsThere was a serious task before the Prop Shop – to create many intricate details, painstakingly encrust the ministers’ orders, chisel medals for the princes, which will then decorate the lapels of their costumes. Incidentally, the military theme is a common thread running through the production here. Halberds for the executioners and guards, combat swords, short swords, ritual swords, curved sabers made of metal and wood stretched out on the carpenter’s machine serve as a confirmation of this. Prop masters carefully carve out the grips of the weaponry, and, instead of the usual steel, use aluminum for the tips. Only then all this beauty is decorated and finished with leather. In addition, the craftsmen made swallows on sticks, which will be used in dance scenes. In order to create the flight effect, the wings were made of fabric so that they can easily move.The manufacturing technique for umbrellas, fans, staffs requires a lot of time, their coloring is characteristic of the Eastern culture. The work on making traditional Chinese straw hats is no less laborious. They were made from papier-mâché, taking into account a special form, which was decorated with twine on top. Such a head piece weighs about 400 grams! Attention is also paid to the armor manufacture, of which there are 22 pieces. It takes 200 pieces of leather to make each one of them.Musical WorldThe Astana Opera Symphony Orchestra and Choir under the baton of the Music Director and Conductor Alan Buribayev rehearsed for several months in order to achieve filigree sound. A particular importance is placed on the choir, which has a paramount role in this opera. Principal Chorus Master of the Astana Opera, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Dautov honed the skills of not only the Astana Opera Choir artists, but also those of the artists of the China National Opera House.It is known that the composer G. Puccini worked on the opera Turandot from the summer of 1920 until his death in the year 1924. At the premiere of the opera at the Teatro alla Scala, the music suddenly stopped in the middle of the final act: Arturo Toscanini laid down his baton, turned to the audience and announced: “Here the opera ends, because at this point the maestro died.” Franco Alfano, a friend of Puccini, who had achieved international recognition with his opera Risurrezione twenty years before, completed Turandot, using Puccini’s draft of the final duet, which he had at his disposal. This version of the finale will be performed at the Astana Opera.The opera Turandot is the Astana Opera’s twenty-fourth premiere. The production without a doubt can be called larger than life. Thanks to the titanic work of the production team, residents and guests of the capital will definitely enjoy this spectacular performance.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/tsm/press/news/details/27544?lang=kk

According to the information provided by the Guarantor States of the Astana Process on Syria, foreign ministers of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey intend to meet in the capital of Kazakhstan on March 16, 2018.During the talks, the participants are planning to analyze the results achieved during the first year of cooperation on the settlement of the situation in Syria, as well as outline further joint actions.On the eve of the meeting, March 15, 2018, a meeting of senior officials, as well as meetings of the Joint Working Group and the Working Group on the release of detainees/hostages, the transfer of bodies of the deceased and the search for missing persons are expected.The ministerial meeting in Astana will be held without the participation of observers or parties to the Syrian conflict. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura will be invited to the meeting.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/27429?lang=kk

New York, March 8, 2018. The Kazakhstan delegation headed by Special Envoy for Afghanistan Ambassador at Large Stanislav Vassilenko took part in a UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan.Within the event, the Security Council members unanimously approved resolution 2405, containing an assessment of the situation in that country, as well as the extended mandate of the UN Assistance Mission to Afghanistan for another year. This event is held quarterly to implement the provisions of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and to discuss political developments in the country. The meeting was particularly focused on women's involvement in the peace process.The Security Council highly appreciated the visit of the UNSC members to Afghanistan under the chairmanship of Kazakhstan in January 2018, which helped to better understand the situation in the country. Additionally, the emphasis was laid on the weight and effectiveness of the UNSC debates on Afghanistan chaired by Kazakhstan on January 19, 2018, themed “Building a regional partnership in Afghanistan and Central Asia as a model to link security and development."Vassilenko stated that political and economic challenges, as well as security threats faced by Afghanistan, require ongoing support from the regional countries, the international community, and, notably, the Security Council. It was highlighted that women and youth occupy a central position in the conflict prevention pattern.Therefore, Kazakhstan is planning to carry out an international conference “Women empowerment in Afghanistan" in autumn 2018 in Astana. Vassilenko also stated: “Our country has suggested to continue the education program for Afghan citizens with co-financing from the European Union and other partners. Within the framework of our $ 50 million educational program, about 1,000 Afghan citizens will study in Kazakh universities between 2010 and 2021." Currently, the European Union has been allocating funds for the first stage of the joint project, which will be implemented together with UN Women and is aimed at training Afghan girls in the universities of our country.Vassilenko pointed out that during the UN Security Council's mission to Afghanistan meetings were held with all the key representatives of the Afghan government and socio-political communities of the country, including women's organizations led by First Lady Rula Ghani.The Kazakh delegation underlined the significance of the so-called three-pronged strategy for tackling conflicts. It includes, firstly, the link between security and development, where sustainable development programs are also required for a lasting peace and security in the country; secondly, a regional approach for close cooperation among the regional countries is needed to overcome transboundary challenges and threats, because today it is impossible to deal with various threats and challenges exclusively within the borders of one state; thirdly, the One United Nations principle, the essence of which is to strengthen coordination and efficiency of the UN at the central and local levels.Given the importance of women in conflict resolution, the Kazakh representative concluded his speech with the Kazakh proverb “Woman rocks the cradle with one hand and rules the world with the other."Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/27399?lang=kk

Kairat Abdrakhmanov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, received Ambassador Traian Hristea, the Head of the EU Delegation in Astana, to discuss prospects for developing relations between Kazakhstan and the European Union within the context of agreements reached at the 16th session of the Kazakhstan-EU Cooperation Council held on 26 February 2018 in Brussels.The two diplomats agreed on the need to begin developing a Roadmap that would reflect joint steps to implement the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), signed in Astana on 21 December 2015. (At the moment, the EPCA is in a status of provisional application pending its ratification by all 28 EU Member States; so far, 23 EU states and the European Parliament have already given their consent for its approval)Moreover, Minister Abdrakhmanov and Ambassador Hristea examined promising areas of cooperation in the field of connectivity, the development of transport and logistics links on the Eurasian continent, and positive developments in cooperation between Central Asian states. The Head of the EU Delegation spoke about the EU Connectivity Strategy for Asia, which is being developed by the European Union and is set to be adopted before the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit to be held in October 2018. In addition, the EU, together with active participation from Central Asian states including Kazakhstan, is engaged in developing a new EU Strategy for Central Asia. It is planned that the new EU Strategy will be adopted in the second half of 2019.Particular attention was paid to cooperation on advancing the sustainable development of Afghanistan. The EU Ambassador reported that the European Commission had begun preparing the first phase of a project to finance the education of Afghan women in Kazakhstan's higher education institutions, which will be implemented as an extension of the Kazakh education program for Afghanistan in place since 2010.During the meeting, the European diplomat was briefed about the status of institutional reforms being implemented in Kazakhstan to ensure the rule of law and improve legislation in various spheres of public life.Minister Abdrakhmanov gave a detailed explanation of the Five Social Initiatives of President Nursultan Nazarbayev aimed at creating new incentives for economic development, strengthening the middle class, and developing the country's human potential.In this context, the two sides discussed prospects for Kazakh-EU collaboration on implementing the initiatives, in view of their compatibility with the main fields of cooperation between Kazakhstan, the European Union, its Member States, and financial institutions such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/27273?lang=kk

ASTANA, March 16, 2018 – Astana hosted a ministerial meeting of the guarantor states of the Astana Process on Syria attended by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.  In his opening remarks, Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov noted that the talks on Syrian settlement launched in Astana in January 2017 with the full support of President Nursultan Nazarbayev provided great opportunities for peace restoration and contributed to a significant reduction of violence and the scale of armed clashes in the country.  “Despite difficulties, the Astana Process has proven to be effective as a platform where all sides to the conflict can express their views and, most importantly, agree on concrete steps. The four de-escalation zones and a mechanism to monitor the ceasefire in Syria helped reduce the level of violence and enabled more civilians to receive humanitarian aid,” Abdrakhmanov said. The Kazakh Foreign Minister highlighted that the agreements reached within the Astana Process must not remain on paper and called on all actors to observe the UNSC Resolution 2401 and fully comply with the ceasefire regime to stop the unnecessary bloodshed, that is unfortunately happening, for example, in Eastern Ghouta, for instance “No lasting settlement of the Syrian crisis can be achieved without a direct and inclusive dialogue between the parties,” the Minister concluded.  In his opening address at the plenary session, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the Astana format, which was set up by Russia, Iran and Turkey a year ago, proved its significance. “With the start of the Astana Process, the city has become a crucial platform for decision-making on a Syrian settlement, one of the most acute international problems. To speak in a lofty style, when the name of the capital of Kazakhstan is heard in the media, millions of Syrians look to Astana with hope,” Minister Lavrov said.  During the meeting, the Foreign Ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey exchanged views on the outcomes achieved during the year since the launch of the Astana Process and outlined further steps to resolve the situation in Syria. Following the meeting, the Ministers adopted a joint statement. A day earlier Astana hosted the first meeting of the Working Group on the Exchange of Detainees and Handover of the Bodies as well as the Identification of Missing Persons established following the eighth round of talks. On the margins of the meeting, Minister Abdrakhmanov held bilateral meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Iran and Turkey to discuss the current issues of Kazakh-Iranian and Kazakh-Turkish relations.  The Foreign Ministries of Iran, Russia and Turkey were also received by President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/27264?lang=kk

The international music festival of nomadic culture Nomad Way 2018, dedicated to preserving the heritage and popularizing the culture of nomadic tribes, will be held in the capital from June 22 to 24 in the beautiful Amphitheater on the embankment of the r. Yesil. The event was organized by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan in conjunction with the project The Spirit of Tengri in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the city of Astana.The International Music Festival of Nomadic Culture Nomad Way, which has become one of the most sublime cultural holidays of the country, was organized by The Spirit of Tengri project supported by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2017.Every year Kazakhstan welcomes the brightest stars of nomadic music culture among Turkic peoples and fraternal nations of the Great Steppe.This year, the Nomad Way Festival presents a three-day show featuring the most popular artists in ethno-world genre on the Kazakh land.One of the key ideas of Festival is that the artists from 20 countries of the world should perform Kazakh folk music in addition to their own program.The audience of the Festival should expect three days of a fiery celebration of music, only live sound, a magnificent light show, incredible energy and a full immersion into the amazing atmosphere filled with the stunning sounds of traditional instruments.The festival is devoted to preserving the heritage and popularizing the culture of nomadic peoples.The line-up of the Nomad Way Festival includes the iconic representatives of music culture of their countries.As a part of celebration of the 20th anniversary of Astana, 18 unique original music groups from all over Eurasia will come up on stage of the Nomad Way Festival 2018.The line-up (19 music bands):Aldaspan (Kazakhstan) Tilla Török's Band (Hungary)Argymak (Bashkortostan)Gulzada (Kyrgyzstan)Abbos (Uzbekistan)Namgar (Buryatia)Radik Tyulyush & Chalama Project (Tuva) Islam Satyrov (Stavropol Krai)Khoomei Beat (Tuva)Zaman (Bashkortostan)Shono (Buryatia)Baba Zula (Turkey)Bolot Bairyshev & Belukha Jam (Altai)Avesto (Tajikistan)Ayarkhaan band / Chyltys Tannagasheva / DJ Nariman Issenov (Yakutia / Mountain Shoriya / Kazakhstan)Svjata Vatra (Ukraine/ Estonia)Yedil & Satzhan project (Kazakhstan)Huun Huur Tu & DJ Carmen Rizzo (Tuva/USA)The first day of the Festival of Nomadic Culture Nomad Way 2018 will be opened by the Kazakh ethno-rock band Aldaspan - a unique music band who play the electro-dombra. The content of the band's lyrics is military, praising man's valour. The songs of the band include ancient Turkic fighting epics full of courage and glorifying feats of heroes.AVESTO is one of the leading ethno-jazz bands of the country. AVESTO's music is very diverse with traditional styles, modern swing, jazz-rock, modal jazz, bebop, free jazz represented in it. The musicians synthesize modern jazz music and oriental ethnic music culture.Ethno-rock band Argymak is the flagship of modern ethnic music of Bashkortostan. The fundamentals of the Bashkir band are national musical instruments: qurai, dumbyra, kubyz, kyl-kubyz, throat singing in combination with guitars, bass and drums and other ethnic music instruments from all over the world.Kyrgyz music culture at the Nomad Way Festival is represented by singer Gulzada. In her music Gulzada Ryskulova lies on various genres and styles mixed with Kyrgyz traditions. and easily adapts rock, jazz and electronics to folk music. Gulzada Ryskulova is a bright representative of the national culture of Kyrgyzstan.The Abbos band represent Uzbek musical culture at the Music Festival of Nomadic Culture Nomad Way. Abbos became famous thanks to its founder, the famous performer on the doira and other national instruments, Abbos Kasimov, well-known far beyond Uzbekistan. The members ofthe band also skillfully play the karnay, surnay, rubab and tanbur.Buryat musical heritage at the Music Festival of Nomadic Culture Nomad Way will be again represented by the project Namgar. The band has its name on behalf of the lead singer Namgar Lhasaranova, who is not just a singer, but also plays the yataga, a beautiful Buryat instrument.The second day of the Music Festival of Nomadic Culture Nomad Way will be opened by the legendary Tuvan musician, master of throat singing Radik Tyulush with his project Chalama and accompanied by bass player Sergei Kalachev and percussionist Gennady Lavrentiev who plays tabla, the Indian drums.For the first time Music Festival of Nomadic Culture Nomad Way presents Islam Satyrov. The musician represents the distinctive culture of the Nogai ethnos - the ancient Turkic-speaking tribe with the richest history, originating in the Golden Horde. Islam Satyrov's music is a unique synthesis of ethnics and contemporary music styles. His songs are about historical events and patriotism as well as love.The new generation of Tuvan musicians - the Khoomei Beat band - are going to perform for the first time at the Music Festival of Nomadic Culture Nomad Way. The musicians mix expressive rock with a bit of casualness of pop music in a very elegant way.Ethno-project ZAMAN (Bashkortostan) is a Bashkir music band who perform in the genre of World Music and sing primarily in Bashkir. The band's repertoire includes original songs and contemporary arrangements of Bashkir folk songs.The stage of the Music Festival of Nomadic Culture Nomad Way for the second time welcomes a fiery band from Buryatia - Shono. The founder of the band Alexander Arkhincheyev sings, using both the regula vocal technique and throat singing. Moreover, Alexander plays various ethnic musical instruments: string moriin-huur, sukha-huur and wind limbe.Moreover, Alexander plays various ethnic musical instruments: string moriin-huur, sukha-huur and wind limbe. Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/tsm/press/news/details/27244?lang=kk

Tashkent, March 27, 2018. Kazakhstan supports international efforts to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan and calls on the parties concerned to launch peace talks as soon as possible. This was stated by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Kairat Abdrakhmanov at the Tashkent High-Level Conference on Afghanistan “Peace Process, Security Cooperation and Regional Connectivity", initiated by the leadership of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. The event was opened by Presidents of these states Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Mohammad Ashraf Ghani.The main purpose of the Conference was to coordinate the basic principles of a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan, develop a mechanism for launching negotiations between the government of Afghanistan and the armed opposition, the Taliban movement in particular, as well as to coordinate joint efforts of the world community to support this process.In his address, the Kazakh Foreign Minister underlined that building a model of a regional zone of peace, security, cooperation and development in Central Asia, including the provision of multilateral assistance to Afghanistan in economic and social development, countering threats to peace and security, and strengthening its potential is one of the main priorities of Kazakhstan in the UN Security Council.Global initiatives of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev widely supported by the international community are aimed at achieving these and other sustainable development goals.The Kazakh delegation to the UN Security Council held a ministerial debate “Building Regional Partnership in Afghanistan and Central Asia as a Model to Link Security and Development" on January 19, which resulted in a consensus statement by the UNSC President aimed at improving the efficiency and coordination of the UN funds, agencies and programs in our region.It is noteworthy that in his welcoming address to the participants of the Tashkent conference President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev expressed his sincere gratitude to President Nursultan Nazarbayev for initiating that meeting in the UN Security Council.“We believe that reforms aimed at improving social and economic indicators in the country and enhancing the level of education and other human standards should serve as the foundation for stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan," the Minister said.It is known that Kazakhstan had taken the initiative to continue an education program for Afghan citizens provided it would be co-financed by the European Union and other partners. Since 2010, the $50 million education program for Afghan citizens is being implemented in the Kazakh educational institutions. About 1,000 Afghan citizens will receive training in Kazakh universities from 2010 to 2021 as part of the program.“Kazakhstan plans to organize an Empowering Women in Afghanistan International Conference in the autumn of 2018 in Astana. Among its main goals is to discuss the role and contribution of women in the peaceful development of Afghanistan; empowering Afghan women in social, economic and political spheres of the country by enhancing their involvement in the public and private sectors as well as the development of specific recommendations aimed at empowering women in this country," Minister Abdrakhmanov said.It was noted that Kazakhstan would continue rendering technical and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, both as part of bilateral arrangements and multilaterally, annually providing thousands of tons of humanitarian supplies, including food, essential goods, petroleum products and various equipment.New opportunities for providing collective assistance to the social and economic development of Afghanistan are opened by the successful outcome of the working (consultative) meeting of the Heads of States of Central Asia, chaired by the President of Kazakhstan in Astana on March 15.The Conference in the capital of Uzbekistan was attended by Foreign Ministers and High Representatives of China, France, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Turkey, United Kingdom, UN, European Union, CSTO, SCO, NATO, and others.The Conference adopted a Tashkent Declaration, which sets out further steps to promote a political settlement in Afghanistan, outlines the central and coordinating role of Afghanistan in the political settlement.On the margins of the international conference, Minister Abdrakhmanov held bilateral meetings with the heads of the US and Iranian delegations.At the meeting with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon, the two sides discussed how to further strengthen the enhanced strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and the United States. Particular attention was paid to the implementation of the agreements reached during the official visit of President Nursultan Nazarbayev to the United States in January 2018.The diplomats confirmed the readiness of the sides to support international efforts in stabilization and economic recovery of Afghanistan. The US highly appreciated Kazakhstan's contribution to the peaceful development of Afghanistan. The sides also exchanged views on strengthening regional cooperation between Central Asian countries and the United States.At the meeting with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the ministers discussed Kazakh-Iranian cooperation, including trade, transport and logistics. The main theme of the conversation was interaction within international and regional organizations, including the CICA, SCO, and in the context of the Astana process for the settlement of the conflict in Syria.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/27198?lang=kk

The Artistic Director of the Astana Opera Ballet Company, People’s Artist of Russia Altynai Asylmuratova continues to enrich the repertoire of the capital’s opera house with gems of world choreography. At the initiative of Altynai Asylmuratova, unique novelties in the world of ballet will be presented to the audience. High art connoisseurs will certainly enjoy the choreography of the renowned ballet masters, which is unlike anything in the world.The Evening of Contemporary Choreography consists of two parts. A philosophical reflection on time and its specific moments awaits the audience in Raimondo Rebeck’s one-act ballet How Long is Now?The choreographer himself says that Now can have a different span at different moments of life. A lover feels that a kiss can last for an eternity, and the memories of suffering can last forever or disappear without a trace...In Raimondo Rebeck’s ballet, three pairs of ballet dancers symbolize different stages of a person’s life. The talented choreographer makes an original attempt to investigate time, its flow and perception through choreographic means.Another equally vivid one-act ballet by Ksenia Zvereva Sounds of Time is based on Adam Kapanov’s libretto Celestial Nomadic Travelling to the music of Aktoty Raimkulova. Set design by Riccardo Massironi.At the heart of the ballet is the story of lovers, whose fathers were ordinary people, while mothers were celestial nomads. The main characters Ansar and Nuriya unknowingly possess ancient magic and find themselves in a whirlwind of amazing events. They face good and evil, love and hatred, self-sacrifice and egotism on their way. However, this fascinating story, filled with magic and spirit of times, will be transferred to our modern world. The protagonists’ mysterious powers and magic amulets will take new forms, and the heroes’ character traits and actions will become recognizable for modern viewers. The performance will reflect the contemporary world, its current problems, relationships between people, and different segments of society and their values. Thus, the densely eventful plot of the ballet, where myth and reality are intertwined, will eventually lead to the ideas that have always been, and will continue to remain outside the concepts of time and space.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/tsm/press/news/details/27123?lang=kk

KUALA-LUMPUR, April 5, 2018 – On April 5 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Akylbek Kamaldinov paid a visit to Malaysia in the frame of the working trip to the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.During the visit A. Kamaldinov held a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dato' Sri Anifah Aman, where the parties discussed the state and perspectives of bilateral partnership. Kazakhstan's diplomat underlined that Astana attaches a great importance to the development of relations with Kuala Lumpur at the level of comprehensive partnership declared by the leaders of the two states.The Head of Malaysian Foreign office noted that the Kazakhstan-Malaysian relations are characterized by sustainable political partnership, mutually beneficial trade, economic and investment cooperation.The parties expressed the satisfaction by the progressive development of relations, noted the intensification of the mechanisms of economic cooperation such as the Joint Trade and Economic Committee and the Kazakh-Malaysian Business Council, as well as the dynamics of mutual trade and investment growth.Diplomats underlined that the 14th World Islamic Economic Forum expected to be held during the presentation of the International Financial Center «Astana» on July 4, 2018, should give a new impetus to the further collaboration.A. Aman also has mentioned that the Malaysian side pays particular importance to this significant event of Islam world, as the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak being the Patron of the WIEF traditionally participates at the meetings of the Forum, and considering the possibility of organising the visit of N. Razak to Astana to attend the «Muslim Davos».Diplomats also have discussed relevant issues of the world agenda, exchanged of their views on perspectives of collaboration in the frame of regional organisations, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) was established by the initiative of the Government of Malaysia in 2006. WIEF is the main yearly economic summit of the Muslim world.The agreement to hold the 14th World Islamic Economic Forum in Astana was signed during the visit of the WIEF Foundation's Secretariat Chairman to Kazakhstan on March 13, 2018.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/27049?lang=kk

Jakarta, April 6, 2018 – On April 5-6 Mr. Akylbek Kamaldinov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan visited Indonesia in the framework of his working trip to the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.During the visit Mr. Kamaldinov held a meeting with Ms. Retno Marsudi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia. The sides discussed topical issues of bilateral cooperation in the political, economic and cultural-humanitarian spheres, as well as interaction within the framework of international organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.Both sides expressed satisfaction with the intensification of bilateral cooperation, as it is evidenced by the the participation of Vice President of Indonesia Mr. Jusuf Kalla in the First OIC Summit on Science &Technology held in Astana on September 8-12, 2017, as well as the visit of the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Jakarta in March 2018.The Kazakh diplomat noted that Astana attaches great importance to the development of comprehensive and mutually beneficial cooperation with Jakarta, which is one of Kazakhstan's key partners in South-East Asia.A. Kamaldinov stressed that Kazakhstan pays special attention to participation of Indonesia, which is a country with the largest Muslim population in the world, in the VI Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in October this year in Astana.Indonesian Foreign Minister expressed gratitude for the invitation of the President of Indonesia to take part in the VI Congress. R. Marsudi for her own part expressed a request for Kazakhstan's support of the candidacy of the Republic of Indonesia for the post of non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2019-2020.In conclusion of the meeting Mr. A. Kamaldinov expressed his gratitude to Ms. R. Marsudi for having substantive and trusting negotiations, as well as expressed his hope for the expansion and strengthening of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/27005?lang=kk

ASTANA, 11 April, 2018 – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has resumed the publication of The Diplomatic Herald of Kazakhstan after approving its new format and concept.The Herald pays special attention to analysis of the most important international events and issues, primarily involving the President of Kazakhstan.“Founded in 1996, the journal remains committed to its fundamental purpose – to provide relevant and competent journalistic information on the foreign policy of Kazakhstan. The periodical of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry will include not only the publication of the official opinion of Astana, but also articles by politicians, diplomats and experts of our country and from abroad. We hope that the journal will become an important platform for the development of foreign policy thinking in Kazakhstan," noted Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov in the introductory article.The first issue of 2018 pays considerable attention to the results of the official visit of President Nursultan Nazarbayev to the United States and the outcomes of Kazakhstan's Presidency in the UN Security Council in January. Separate articles are dedicated to the relations between Kazakhstan and the European Union, the country's presidency of the CSTO, the issues of disarmament and the outcomes of the eight rounds of the Astana Meeting on Syria.In addition, a number of authors have shared their thoughts on implementation of the Rukhani Zhangyru program, prospects for digital diplomacy, the Institute of Diplomacy of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of Kazakhstan and activities of the Association of Kazakh Diplomats. The section called “Chapters of History" is dedicated to the Kazakh statesman and diplomat Nazir Torekulov.The Diplomatic Herald is published in the Kazakh (“Дипломатия жаршысы"), Russian (“Вестник дипломатии") and English languages.The electronic version of the publication is available on the website – http://mfa.gov.kz/en/content-view/diplomatia-zarsysy-no1-2018Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/26979?lang=kk

Aktobe Regional Philharmonic was founded in September 1944, and in 1998, the philharmonic society was named after an outstanding national composer, People’s Artist of the USSR Gaziza Akhmetovna Zhubanova. The philharmonic society includes an orchestra of Kazakh folk instruments, variety symphony orchestra, chamber choir, dance and music ensembles, children’s studio, as well as soloists. Artistic teams and soloists take part in many republican and international competitions and festivals, go on tours to the cities of Kazakhstan and abroad.The Kazakh Chamber Choir of the Aktobe Regional Gaziza Zhubanova Philharmonic is one of the leading choirs in the republic. The collective’s artistic journey began in 1991. Today the choir’s repertoire includes more than 400 works. Along with folk songs and chamber works by Kazakh and foreign composers, the artists perform large-scale choral classical works, such as W.A. Mozart’s Requiem, C. Orff’s Carmina Burana, G. Sviridov’s Pushkin’s Garland and The Unuttered Miracle, M. Sagatov’s Merekelik Cantata and others. Artistic Director and Conductor – Merbol Kuspanov, Choirmasters – Madi Abishev, Leila Kuschanova.This evening, folk songs, masterpieces of national and foreign authors will be featured for the capital’s audience.The concert will begin at 18:00.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/tsm/press/news/details/26798?lang=kk

Қайырлы күн, ардақты ұстаздар, қадірлі қауым!Жаңа оқу жылының алдында өздеріңізбен өзекті мәселелерді талқылайтын білім саласы қызметкерлерінің форумында бас қосып отырмыз.Бүгінгі кездесудің күн тәртібіндегі мәселелер баршамызға білім берудің аса маңызды бағдарлары жөнінде жан-жақты пікір алмасуға, келешекте атқарылар мақсат-міндеттерді белсене саралап, бағамдауға мүмкіндік береді.Мұндай ашық диалог алаңы – қаланың білім беру жүйесін сапалы деңгейге көтерудің, әрі бәсекеге қабілеттілікті қалыптастырудың бірден-бір маңызды шарты.Баршамыз үшін танымы мол тәрбиешінің, үлгі тұтатын ұстаздың орны қашанда бөлек.Елбасымыз Нұрсұлтан Әбішұлы Назарбаев атап өткендей, «Білім жүйесінің жаны да, жүрегі де, тірегі де – ұстаз». Олай болса, Сіздер берген сапалы білім – жарқын болашақтың кепілі.Кез келген адам әкім, министр бола алады, ал, бірақ кез-келген адам ұстаз бола алмайды.Сондықтан да болар мынадай өлең шумақтары бекер шыққан жоқ:«Ғалым да, шахтер де бас иетінҰстазым бар сенің қасиетің.Шынында да ұстаздық ету үшін, қасиет керек.Адамдықтың қасиетін (мейірбандылық, қайырмыдылық, тәрбие секілді), - даланың қасиетін (дархандылық, кеңпейіліділік), - бабаның қасиетін(отансүйгіштік, өз тамырын, мәдениетін және рухын қастерлеу) шәкірттің жүрегіне дән қылып егетін де ұстаз.Біздің бұрынғы өткен жақсыларымыз: «Өмір теңіз болса, мұғалім оның маржаны», «Дүние дәрия болса, мұғалім оның қармағы», - деп бекер айтпаған.Ардақты ұстаздар, Сіздерді санаулы күндерден кейін басталатын жаңа оқу жылымен шын жүректен құттықтауға рұқсат етіңіздер.Қоғамның алға дамуы көзі ашық, көкірегі ояу, білімді азаматтардың көптігінде.Білімді ұрпақтың көп болуы, мұғалімдердің маңдай тері мен еңбегінде жатыр.Мемлекеттің қарқынды дамуы ұстаздардың білімі мен білігіне тікелей байланысты. Мұғалімнің сапалы білімінің астарында саналы ұрпақ, білікті маман, ұлтжанды азамат, белсенді қоғам, қайырымды халық, берекелі Ел жатыр.Сіздер Мемлекеттің білімі мен тәрбиесінің бесігін тербетіп отырған қадірлі қауымсыздар!Білімнен бөлек, ақпаратпен алысқан мына қоғамға ұстаздың тәрбиесі ауадай қажет. Өзгенің баласын өз баласындай тәрбиелеп отырған құрметті ұстаздар қауымы Сіздерге Алғыстан басқа айтарымыз жоқ.Алаштың ардақты азаматы Әлихан Бөкейхановтың: «Ұлтқа қызмет білімнен емес, әуелі мінезден», - деген мінсіз сөзі бар.Ұрпақтың мінезін қалыптастыруда бізге бүгінде дарынды ұстаздар керек!Дарынды ұстаз – қасиеті мен білімінің арқасында шәкірттерінің жүрегін жаулаған, заманауи ілімді меңгерген кәсіби маман.Қасиеттің астарында біліммен қоса сабыр, төзім, шыдам, үлкен мейірім мен рух жатыр.Ұрпаққа білім беру, әрине, маңызды, дегенмен ұрпақ тәрбиесіне де көп көңіл бөлу қажет.Өкінішке орай, қазіргі таңда ұрпақтың мінезі ұсақталып барады.Сол себепті, бізге бүгінде мінезі ірі ұрпақ қажет, құрметті ұстаздар! Дорогие друзья!Вам – учителям, каждый родитель вверяет самое главное и самое ценное в жизни – наших детей.Мы надеемся, что в ваших руках и благодаря вашим умениям они станут не только хорошими людьми, но и смогут достойно продвигаться в современной и непростой жизни.Сегодня мне хотелось бы поговорить о перспективах развития системы образования города и первоочередных задачах.Только что, мы заслушали доклад Управления образования нашего города о состоянии дел и проводимой работе.Картина в целом ясна.Знаю, что в рамках нашего форума вы завтра начнете обсуждать насущные проблемы системы дошкольного, школьного и профессионально-технического образования, проблемы качества преподавания предметов, менеджмента учебным процессом.Надеюсь, что выработанные вами рекомендации помогут улучшить работу.Такой открытый диалог – принципиально важное условие для того, чтобы сделать систему образования города еще более качественнее и конкурентнее.Это требование времени.Именно об этом сказал в своем выступлении Президент Касым-Жомарт Кемелевич на августовской конференции «Bіlіm jáne Ǵylym!» в столице, в которой приняла участие представительная делегация педагогов нашего города.Я убежден, что школа должна не просто давать образование, но и готовить к жизни.Как отметил Глава государства, задача педагогов и, конечно, родителей – воспитание достойных граждан нашей страны, то есть патриотов.Школа должна воспитывать личность и формировать любовь к родной земле. Быть местом, где формируется успешный и счастливый человек.Что для этого мы можем и должны сделать?Первое.Учитель – ключевая фигура в системе образования и нам необходимо укреплять престиж этой важной для общества профессии.В тоже время, мы видим девальвацию профессии учителя. Одно из проявлений этого: низкий общий уровень заинтересованности талантливых и успешных выпускников педагогических вузов к преподаванию в школах.Сегодня в нашем городе трудятся более 32 тысяч педагогов.Мы должны укреплять традиции лучшего образования в городе и развивать комплексную и современную систему непрерывного образования для них.Важная часть этой работы – борьба с падением качества образования из-за хронической перегрузки учителей и давления формальных показателей эффективности.В каждой школе, колледже мы должны сделать все возможное для улучшения качества преподавания, воспитания подрастающего поколения.Стандарты известны.Если, как страна, мы стремимся в ТОП 30 самых развитых государств мира, то это должны быть признанные международные критерии.Среди них, критерии читательской грамотности в начальных классах PIRLS. Исследования PISA, прежде всего в области читательской и математической грамотности. Стандарты WorldSkills в системе профтехобразования и др.Бояться этого не надо. По итогам последних международных и национальных исследований PISA и ВОУД (внешняя оценка учебных достижений) учащиеся школ Алматы показывают лучшие результаты по стране.Разница между максимальным показателем алматинской гимназии и самым низким среднем баллом в стране составляет 60%.Это главный результат вашей педагогической работы. Спасибо вам за ваш труд!Вместе с тем, такие высокие результаты показывают гимназии и лицеи только центральных районов города.Считаю, что наша общая задача - равномерно повышать качество образования по всему городу с учетом принципа «Город без окраин». Қадірлі ұстаздар!Жапон Премьерінің: «Жапонияны бәсекеге қабілетті ел қылу үшін, біз мұғалімге императордың абыройын, Елшінің иммунитетін, бизнесменнің айлығын бердік», - деген пікірі біздерге үлкен ой салды.Осы орайда, Қазақстан Республикасының Президенті Қасым-Жомарт Кемелұлының мұғалім мәртебесін еліміздегі басым бағыттардың бірі ретінде атап өтуінің өзі ұстазға деген құрметтің белгісі.Сонымен қатар, Үкіметке мұғалімнің жалақысын 4 жылдың ішінде екі есеге арттыруға тапсырма берілді.Мемлекет басшысының ұстаз беделін арттырудағы тапсырмасы аясында қала әкімідігі келесі қосымша шараларды іске асыратын болады.Во-первых, я принял решение о ежегодном выделении единовременной материальной помощи всем молодым специалистам, которые начинают работать в государственных школах Алматы в первый год после окончания педагогического вуза и колледжа.В этом году порядка 700 молодых учителей получат грант в размере 20 МРП за счет бюджетных средств.Пусть это и небольшая помощь, но я уверен, - этот шаг станет важным символом нашей поддержки городского педагогического сообщества.Во-вторых, раз в год мы продолжим традицию награждения лучшей организации образования денежным призом в размере 800 МЗП. Сегодня, победитель получит приз в 24 миллиона тенге.Также ежегодно лучшие педагогические коллективы города будут получать денежные премии.В-третьих, начиная с 2020 года, я введу специальные гранты акима Алматы для лучших педагогов мегаполиса, показывающих наилучшие результаты труда и показатели качества образования.Предлагаю, чтобы вы сами определили положение, номинации и критерии их присуждения – прозрачно и гласно.В-четвертых, мы организуем масштабную информационную кампанию, и будем рассказывать о лучших педагогах города, лучших учебных практиках и кейсах. Это будет повышать престиж профессии учителя, и задаст правильные векторы развития системы образования для общества.И наконец, я объявляю новый ежегодный городской конкурс «Úzdіk ustaz» («Лучший педагог»), итоги которого будем подводить, начиная с 2020 года в канун Дня учителя.Поощрительными призами для победителей станут квартира, автомобиль и другие ценные подарки.Материалдық қолдаудан бөлек ұстаз мәртебесін көтеру мақсатында конкурстың бас жеңімпазын менің штаттан тыс кеңесшім етіп тағайындаймын. Ол менімен кез келген уақытта - 24/7 – байланыста болып, білім сапасын арттыру мен келешек ұрпақты тәрбиелеудегі кемел ойларын айтып тұрады.Второе.Главная цель нашей совместной работы – это обеспечить качественное и современное образование для всех по принципу «Город без окраин».Я объездил все районы Алматы. Видел разные школы. Провел много встреч.У горожан есть большой запрос на повышение качества образования, имеются жалобы по поборам в школах.Поэтому, нужно менять систему мотивации и финансирования школ с учетом подушевого принципа, тиражировать успешный опыт Назарбаев интеллектуальных школ на все школы города.Также нам необходимо серьезно модернизировать материально-техническую основу школьного образования, включая обновление компьютерной базы, которой пользуются с 2013 года.Для этого я поручил Управлению образования провести аудит всех школ и разработать трехлетнюю программу поэтапного их оснащения.Как поручил Президент К.-Ж. Токаев, важно преодолеть образовательное неравенство.Прямая ответственность акимата – создать во всех школах города одинаковые стартовые условия и возможности для любого ребенка.В каждой алматинской школе, будь она в центре или на окраине, дети должны получать достойное образование вне зависимости от достатка и статуса их родителей, вне зависимости от района Алматы и месторасположения школы.Только на этом пути школа укрепит свой авторитет и будет соответствовать реальным запросам детей и их родителей. Третье.Наша задача – расширить в ближайшие три года сеть школ и детских садов в «шаговой доступности» для горожан.На моих встречах с общественностью жители города ставят системные вопросы не только выравнивания уровня и качества образования в центре и на окраинах, но и строительства новых школ и детсадов.Убежден, фактор образования должен стать одним из ключевых для оценки комфортности проживания граждан для любого района города.Вместе с тем, здесь у нас есть серьезные проблемы.По дошкольному образованиюТемпы прироста населения города превышают темпы строительства детских садов.Очередь в детские сады ежегодно растет и сегодня составляет свыше 56 тыс. мест (детей в возрасте от 1 года до 6 лет).Охват детей дошкольным воспитанием и обучением в детских садах составляет 84%.Минимальная потребность в Турксибском районе – 1686 мест, а максимальная в Ауэзовском районе на 3785 мест.Еще одна проблема состоит в том, что, несмотря на принимаемые меры по субсидированию частных детских садов, оплата для родителей в большинстве случаев остается высокой.Так, детские сады заключают договоры с родителями на дополнительные услуги, в результате стоимость обучения в этих частных садах составляет до 50-70 тысяч тенге вдобавок к 28 тысячам тенге, которые оплачивает государство за каждого ребенка.Управлению образования необходимо провести анализ таких договоров и пересмотреть перечень и стоимость оказываемых услуг.Как поручил Президент К.-Ж. Токаев, нам необходимо усилить в детских садах контроль обеспечения безопасности детей и их содержание в надлежащих условиях.Кроме того, воспитателям, особенно частных дошкольных организаций и мини-центров, в образовательном процессе нужно руководствоваться требованиям Госстандарта.Надо принять все необходимые меры для обеспечения высокого качества дошкольного обучения и воспитания. Уважаемые коллеги!Сегодня не могу не поделиться хорошей новостью.Мы отработали с Правительством вопрос увеличения финансирования на государственный образовательный заказ в детских садах нашего города.Это важно для Алматы, учитывая ежегодный рост контингента детей дошкольного возраста за счет внутренней миграции и высокой рождаемости.Министерство образования и науки поддержало просьбу города. И сейчас я хотел бы от имени всех алматинцев поблагодарить министра Асхата Канатовича за поддержку.В ближайшие три года городская казна пополнится на 6,5 млрд тенге, которые мы направим на снижения дефицита мест в детских садах.Также акимат будет постепенно решать задачу доступности дошкольных учреждений. Нами приняты решения, что при проектировании многоэтажных жилых домов часть помещений на первых этажах будет выделена для детских мини-центров. По среднему образованиюРеальный дефицит мест в школах сегодня составляет порядка 25 тыс. мест.Нехватка школ в Алатауском (дефицит ученических мест - 7 тыс.), Ауэзовском (4 тыс.), Наурызбайском районах (1,5 тыс. мест). Здесь в некоторых школах дефицит ученических мест превышает в 2 раза.65% всех организаций образования находятся в центральных районах города.Темпы строительства новых школ (около 10 тыс. мест до 2024 года) – намного ниже ежегодного прироста школьников (более 10 тыс. ежегодно).Считаю, что нам необходимо принципиально менять ситуацию и активно развиваться. Поэтапно решать задачу доступности средних школ на окраинах города.Выход в том, чтобы стимулировать строительство частных школ, детских садов и мини-центров, активно использовать механизмы ГЧП и подушевого финансирования для строительства частных школ.По поручению Главы государства, нами активно ведется работа с инвесторами. Определяются механизмы финансирования. Уже есть заинтересованные девелоперы, готовые построить до 20 школ. Однако процесс сдерживается нехваткой земель в городе. Мы будем решать этот вопрос за счет земель «Фонда проблемных кредитов». Буквально на днях Касым-Жомарт Кемелевич поддержал наш город в этом вопросе.Считаю, что благодаря таким мерам мы дадим импульс развитию сети частных школ, что приведет к снижению дефицита ученических мест.Как указал Президент страны на республиканской августовской конференции, нам необходимо четко отслеживать демографические и миграционные показатели на местах с целью оценки потребностей в ремонте или строительстве новых учебных заведений.Управлению образования поручаю провести необходимые расчеты и по детским дошкольным организациям, и по средним школам, в особенности на окраинах и на их основе внести предложения по строительству новых объектов на 2020-2021 годы.Четвертое.Образовательная система мегаполиса должна работать над единой целью – помочь ребенку обрести цель и место в жизни.Сейчас вклад школы в личностное развитие ребенка и решение о выборе своей будущей профессии невелик.Практически нет сотрудничества между родителями, детьми и школой в профориентационной работе учеников.На мой взгляд, школа должна стать ключевым инструментом для развития карьерных компетенций и адаптации наших детей к вызовам 21 века.И родители, и школа, и бизнес должны дать ребенку механизмы осознанного выбора профессии.Для этого важна интеграция разных уровней образования города: дошкольного, школьного, дополнительного, профессионально-технического и высшего.Необходимо рассматривать их как ступени одного образовательного процесса, который в результате должен дать высокую квалификацию, профессиональные знания и готовность выпускников к реальной жизни, конкуренции на рынке труда.Прежде всего, дошкольные учреждения должны войти в целостный образовательный процесс с тем, чтобы мы добились гибкого перехода детей из детских садов в школы.В своем выступлении Глава государства затронул актуальный вопрос на сегодня – востребованность выпускника на рынке труда.Нам необходимо в школах совместно с крупнейшими вузами и колледжами создавать профильные классы, например, - медицинские, инженерные, IT – исходя из потребностей развития экономики и рынка труда Алматы.Задача таких классов – профессиональная ориентация, формирование понимания у школьников того, какую профессию они хотят выбрать. Это очень важное направление.Наши дети должны понимать, какую профессию им выбрать в ближайшие годы, куда поступить.На базе ведущих колледжей и вузов можно открыть для старшеклассников профильную подготовку – где ребята, знакомясь с будущей профессией, получат больше возможностей адаптироваться к дальнейшему этапу получения высшего или профессионально-технического образования.Бизнес, вузы и власть должны быть активно вовлечены в такую профориентационную работу: запрос на подготовку специалистов не должен формироваться стихийно.Поручаю управлению образования уже с нового учебного года во всех 20 государственных колледжах организовать работу по профориентации старшеклассников.Полагаю, что такое направление работы сделает наше образование предметным и нужным для учащихся – будущих студентов колледжей и вузов. А у ребят появятся дополнительные возможности для правильного определения своего жизненного пути.Пятое. У нас снижен престиж профессионально-технического образования.Так, по разным экспертным оценкам и соцопросам только 20-25% населения считает ТиПО престижным, в то время как в странах ЕС рабочие профессии имеют позитивный имидж для 71% населения.В своем выступлении Президент Казахстана, отметив актуальность модернизации среднеспециальных учебных заведений, привел в пример атырауский высший колледж «APEC PetroTechnic».Поручаю Управлению образования сделать в городе Алматы один образцовый колледж на базе имеющегося, чтобы другие колледжи города перенимали навыки и опыт.Нужно сделать так, чтобы учиться в колледже стало почетно, и наши дети этого не стыдились.***Сегодня у нас в Алматы студентов вузов (215 тыс.) намного больше, чем студентов колледжей (около 70 тыс.).Это приводит к дисбалансу на городском рынке труда, нехватке рабочих специальностей, безработице и увеличению доли NEET среди выпускников ряда неконкурентоспособных вузов.В Алматы - низкий уровень безработицы молодежи в сравнении с другими регионами. Однако нельзя успокаиваться. Обеспечение занятости молодежи – остается принципиальным вопросом.Сейчас в городе доля NEET молодежи в возрасте 14-24 года составляет 6,3%.Наша задача - увеличение охвата этой категории техническим и профессиональным образованием.Мы должны дать им возможность овладеть в колледжах города первой рабочей профессией, которая в дальнейшем позволит найти работу.Для этого в городе ежегодно выделяется свыше 11 тыс. мест для бесплатного обучения в колледжах.Студенты по рабочим специальностям, обеспечиваются бесплатным горячим питанием и стипендией, которая с 1 сентября текущего года будет на уровне студентов вузов.Для удобства, по моему поручению в июле-августе в местах массового скопления молодежи на базарах и в крупных мечетях работали мобильные приемные комиссии для молодежи категории NEET. Но этого недостаточно.Мы запускаем новую целостную программу обучения безработной молодежи предпринимательству.Предполагаем три ступени обучения. На первом этапе – основы бизнеса для всех желающих. Здесь работаем вместе с НПП «Атамекен» и рядом крупных бизнес-ассоциаций. Те, кто из них осознанно выберет свою бизнес-специализацию, - мы направим на продвинутый курс обучения.Далее, кто желает и имеет потенциал – на нишевые курсы по IT, логистике, сервису и торговле, сфере услуг, строительству, промышленности. Финансы выделены. Работа практически начата.Важно, что мы будем содействовать трудоустройству выпускников, и сейчас рассматриваем возможность субсидирования части заработной платы работодателю.Шестое. Система образования должна заботиться о личностной самореализации учащихся.Сегодня школы и колледжи слабо ориентированы на поддержку развития личности ребенка. Система дополнительного образования преимущественно автономна от них.Меня беспокоит, что практически дополнительное образование стало недоступным малообеспеченным семьям: часто бесплатные кружки работают только «на бумаге».Нам нужна полная координация деятельности систем дополнительного и среднего образования.Для этого необходимо развивать дополнительное образование и активно его интегрировать со школьной программой и школами. Нужно привлекать бизнес к софинансированию кружков и секций.Школа должна активно использовать городскую среду, возможности нашего города для образования и развития личности ребёнка.Для этого у Алматы есть уникальные возможности.У нас больше всех в стране высокотехнологичных предприятий, технопарков, десятки колледжей и сильных вузов с неплохой материальной базой. У нас Академия наук, музеи, театры, учреждения культуры.Весь этот потенциал должен быть использован в учебном процессе для развития детей.Сегодня я призываю вас шагнуть за свои рамки и дать ребенку возможность шире воспользоваться огромным креативным потенциалом города. Это наши вложения в будущее!Принимаю решение сделать городские музеи Алматы бесплатными для школьников.Особое внимание необходимо уделить детям-сиротам и детям, оставшимся без попечения родителей, детям с особыми образовательными потребностями и детям из малообеспеченных, многодетных семей.В новом учебном году порядка 16 тысяч детей из малообеспеченных семей на 100% будут обеспечены школьной формой и горячим питанием. На эти цели акимат из местного бюджета выделил 785 млн тенге.Каждый такой ребенок не должен остаться без внимания. Выделенные средства должны расходоваться прозрачно и дойти до адресата.Для детей с особыми образовательными потребностями до конца года в Алмалинском и Жетысуском районах откроются пункты психолого-медицинских педагогических консультаций.В целом, мы должны уделять большое внимание сохранению здоровья ребенка. Современные информационные технологии дают новые возможности, но также таят в себе риски, которые могут пагубно отразиться на физическом и психологическом здоровье.Управлению образования совместно с Управлением общественного здоровья необходимо начать пилотный проект по раннему выявлению наиболее часто встречающихся у школьников заболеваний и их последующему системному лечению.В этом плане у нас наиболее неблагополучна ситуация в Наурызбайском и Турксибском районах: там самый высокий уровень заболеваемости учеников расстройствами зрения, избыточной массой тела, сколиозом. Думаю, с них и надо начать.Наряду с этим, Управлению образования необходимо уделить самое пристальное внимание вопросу доступа детей из социально уязвимых групп к дополнительному образованию.Поручаю руководителям школ всех районов в рамках подушевого финансирования организовать бесплатные кружки и секции на базе школ для детей из малообеспеченных и многодетных семей.Сегодня дома школьников и музыкальные школы находятся в основном в центре города и удалены от новых районов города. Например, в Алатауском районе, где обучаются свыше 40 тысяч детей, только один дом школьников. В Наурызбайском районе с контингентом порядка 14 тысяч учащихся нет ни одной организации дополнительного образования.Поэтому, нам нужно поэтапно строить дворцы и дома школьников на окраинах, вести большую работу по их благоустройству, создавать сотни детских, игровых, спортивных площадок.И я принял решение, что первые два дома школьников мы построим в Алатауском и Наурызбайском районах.Убежден, городская среда вокруг наших домов и микрорайонов должна меняться, становится более комфортной для детей. Это правильный путь.***Буквально на днях я был во Дворце школьников. Дети со всего города любят сюда приходить. Здание историческое и уникальное. Но содержание не соответствует современным требованиям дополнительного образования.В своем Послании «Новые возможности развития в условиях четвертой промышленной революции» Елбасы поручил всем регионам на базе дворцов школьников создать сеть детских технопарков и бизнес-инкубаторов со всей необходимой инфраструктурой.Создание детских технопарков позволит нам повысить кадровый потенциал города, осуществляя обучение и профориентацию детей начиная со школьного возраста.Центры инновационного творчества воспитают поколение детей, способных обеспечить будущий технологический прорыв в нашей стране.Управлению образования поручаю изучить мировой опыт, в том числе и стран СНГ, подготовить и представить конкретные предложения по модернизации системы дополнительного образования во Дворце школьника и в домах школьников города. Уважаемые коллеги!Сегодня я поделился с вами своим видением, как будем развиваться в ближайший период. Планы у нас есть. Задачи серьезные. И мы должны вместе над ними работать.Решение всех этих задач – в ваших руках.По всем этим вопросам необходим диалог педагогов с руководством системы образования.Каждый учитель должен иметь возможность участвовать в принятии решений и влиять на процесс управления школой. Это требование ко всему менеджменту системы образования.Не зря говорил Уинстон Черчилль, что «школьные учителя обладают властью, о которой премьер-министры могут только мечтать». Қадірлі қауым!Қаламыздың әр жеткіншегінің өсіп жетілуіне сіздердің қосар үлестеріңізді бір сөзбен айтып жеткізу мүмкін емес.Расында да, жас ұрпақты тәрбиелеуде Сіздердің қолдарыңыздағы билік пен күш орасан зор. Ел ертеңi — бiлiмдi жастар десек, еліміздің болашағы сіздердің қолдарыңызда. Қазіргі таңда уақыттың тапшы, әрбір сәттің аса қымбат екендігін сіздер жақсы түсінесіздер.Алда қарбалас жұмыс, алмағы мен салмағы зор, керегі мен берері мол оқу кезеңі таяп келеді.Еліміздің Президенті Қасым-Жомарт Кемелұлы: «Біз қазіргі заманның жаңаша талаптары мен үрдістеріне әрқашан сай болуымыз керек», - деп баршаңызға үлкен сенім артып отыр.Сондықтан, сарылып күткен оқушы жастардың қарымын қанағаттандырып, жаңа жүйедегі тың өнімдермен жасақтауға қаладағы әрбір ұстаз бен әрбір білім ордасы қай жағынан алса да дайын деп сенемін.Халқымыздың мәртебесін биікке көтеріп, мерейін тасытар дарынды шәкірттер тәрбиелеп, табыстан-табысқа жете беріңіздер!Баршаңызға қажырлы қайрат пен береке тілеймін!Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/almaty/press/news/details/26711?lang=kk

DUSHANBE, 17 April, 2018 – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Akylbek Kamaldinov, attended the 23rd meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in Dushanbe.During the meeting, at which the ECO Chairmanship moved from Pakistan to Tajikistan, the participants considered the reports of the ECO Secretary General and the implementation progress of ECO VISION 2025. The heads of delegations paid special attention to the issues of developing a new scale of assessments and ECO reforms, including its specialized agencies and regional institutions. The Council of Foreign Ministers appointed the representative of Iran, Hadi Soleimanpour, currently holding the post of Deputy Secretary General of the Organization, for the post of a new ECO Secretary General.In his speech, the head of the Kazakh delegation focused on the ECO cooperation areas which are of high priority for Kazakhstan, including in the field of transport, regional trade and investment, as well as on the need for further ECO reforming in order to increase its effectiveness. The Deputy Minister also invited the participants to make use of the potential of the Astana International Financial Center.As a result of the meeting, the ECO adopted the Dushanbe Communiqué.On the sidelines of the Ministerial Council, Mr. Kamaldinov also met with the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredov, and Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif. The sides discussed preparations for the Fifth Caspian Summit. At the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan, Sirojiddin Aslov, the Kazakh diplomat congratulated Tajikistan on the Chairmanship of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) for 2018-2020.Kazakhstan joined the ECO in 1992. Currently, the members of the Organization include Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/26614?lang=kk

During his visit to the Republic of Turkey, the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Kairat Abdrakhmanov, was received by the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.The Kazakh Foreign Minister conveyed the greetings and best wishes to the Turkish leader on behalf of President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Mr. Abdrakhmanov emphasize that Kazakhstan notes Recep Erdoğan's role in strengthening the Kazakh-Turkish strategic cooperation. Thanks to joint efforts, the leaders of Kazakhstan and Turkey made a statement to intensify conciliatory processes in the Islamic world. Minister Abdrakhmanov recalled that Astana held the first OIC Summit on Science and Technology in September 2017 during Turkish chairmanship ofthe Organization.Mr. Erdoğan expressed his confidence that the official visit of President Nazarbayev to Ankara, planned for the summer, will give a great impetus to all-round cooperation between the two countries. He noted the need to further intensify the work of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council chaired by the leaders of the two states. Kazakhstan is Turkey's largest trading partner in Central Asia and, in this regard, President Erdoğan proposed to set a new goal of increasing the trade turnover to $10 billion.The President of Turkey expressed support for the Astana process on Syria, which, in his opinion, increased the credibility of Kazakhstan onthe world stage. According to Mr. Erdoğan, the guarantor countries will seek to stabilize the situation in Syria, as agreed by the leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran during the meeting in Ankara on April 4. The Turkish leader also thanked Nursultan Nazarbayev for Kazakhstan's contribution to rendering humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya people.In Ankara, Kairat Abdrakhmanov also held a meeting with the Speaker of the Turkish Parliament, İsmail Kahraman, during which they considered issues of inter-parliamentary relations and interaction between the two countries in international parliamentary organizations.The Kazakh Foreign Minister held a roundtable with representatives of major Turkish companies and honorary consuls of Kazakhstan in Turkey. The Minister briefed them on the economic initiatives of President Nazarbayev, described in the State of the Nation Address New Development Opportunities in the Context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Address Five Social Initiatives. According to the Minister, the Government of Kazakhstan is working to strengthen the stability of its legislation, protect foreign investors and improve the conditions for doing business in the country. Kairat Abdrakhmanov drew their attention to the opportunities connected with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the Astana International Financial Centre.To date, the Turkish business community has invested more than $2 billion in the Kazakh economy, while the volume of Kazakh investments in Turkey is approximately $1 billion. Honorary consulates of Kazakhstan operate in the Turkish provinces of Adana, Bursa, Nevşehir, Mersin and the city of Alanya.As part of his visit, the Kazakh Foreign Minister also held a meeting with the heads of political centers and observers of the Turkish media, where they exchanged views on the geopolitical situation in Central Asia and the Middle East.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/26603?lang=kk

BEIJING, April 24, 2018 - The Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states agreed on the agenda for the upcoming Summit to be held in June this year in Qingdao.During the meeting in Beijing, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan discussed the future activities of the SCO in the political, economic and humanitarian spheres, and considered a draft Qingdao Declaration and a number of other decisions on the current activities of the organization. The parties carried out an extensive exchange of views on topical issues on the international and regional agendas. They also considered implementation progress of the agreements reached at the SCO Summit in June 2017 in Astana.Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov also noted in his speech the urgency of ensuring food security, and the development of roads and railways, taking into account the extensive system of transport routes of the SCO member states. He also stressed that Kazakhstan supports full involvement of the SCO Business Council and the SCO Interbank Consortium in broader cooperation with the mechanisms of the ministerial meetings and working groups, and proposed to conduct an inventory of the adopted documents in the trade and economic domains and ensure their further implementation.On the eve of the meeting, the heads of delegations met with the President of China, Xi Jinping. He noted that China considers development of the SCO as one of the priorities of its foreign policy and is ready jointly with the other member states of the organization to provide mutual political support, as well as to ensure security and stability in the region, deepen cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road program, and expand humanitarian exchanges.In general, the Foreign Ministers noted that the SCO, drawing on the 'Shanghai spirit' – mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultations, respect for the diversity of cultures and the desire for joint development – proved to be a credible international organization of a new format and an influential participant in the global community.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/26588?lang=kk

ALMATY, April 27, 2018. - Kazakhstan and Poland are focused on further strengthening mutually beneficial trade and economic, cultural and educational cooperation, as well as contacts between citizens of the two countries. This was discussed on April 27, 2018 at the meeting between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Andrzej Papierz, who arrived in Almaty to take part in the 100th anniversary of the restoration of Polish statehood.During the meeting, the parties discussed various issues of bilateral cooperation, expressing satisfaction with the high level of political, economic, cultural and humanitarian collaboration between two states. It was noted that regular visits at the highest level gave a strong impetus to the development of Kazakh-Polish relations. Thus, the state visit of President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev to Poland in August 2016, as well as the return state visit of President of Poland Andrzej Duda to Kazakhstan in September 2017, gave a significant boost to the development of relations, laying a solid foundation for strengthening further cooperation. The Kazakh side expressed special gratitude for the participation of the President of Poland in the high-level debate on Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Confidence-Building Measures under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan held on January 18, 2018 in the UN Security Council. Having wished success to the Polish chairmanship in this important body, which starts this May, Deputy Minister Vassilenko assured his colleague in Kazakhstan's readiness to ensure a high level of participation of the Kazakh side in key events within the framework of the upcoming chairmanship.The meeting also noted the establishment of regular contacts at various levels. It particularly highlighted the importance of the visit of Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki to Astana and his participation in the World Mining Congress this June. Furthermore, the sides discussed the upcoming 8th session of the Kazakh-Polish Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation scheduled for June 20, 2018 in Astana. It is expected that during the upcoming meeting the parties will discuss issues related to extension of cooperation in the field of renewable energy sources, science and technology, agriculture and tourism development.Generally, economic cooperation between the two countries has been developing dynamically since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Poland; today more than 100 Polish companies operate in Kazakhstan, the largest one is POLPHARMA, whose head is a member of the Foreign Investors Council under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as SELENA, which is actively investing in the economy of our country. The trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Poland in 2017 amounted to more than $900 million with an increase by 19 percent compared to 2016.No less importance during the negotiations was given to the issue of visa regime facilitation for citizens of the two states. Mr. Vassilenko expressed his gratitude to the Polish side for all-round support in promoting negotiations on the facilitated visa regime for the citizens of Kazakhstan, stipulated in the framework of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Kazakhstan and the European Union.The sides also discussed development of cooperation in the field of education between Kazakhstan and Poland. As is known, about 800 Kazakh students study in Poland today. The Deputy Foreign Ministries also discussed a number of cultural events to be held this year for strengthening historical and cultural ties between the two countries.In general, the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the main issues of the bilateral agenda to promote development of prolific cooperation.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/26556?lang=kk

The Astana Economic Forum - 17–19 May 2018 - hosts decision makers in politics, business, science, sport, economics and the arts to discuss the opportunities and risks facing the worldAstana, the capital city of the Republic of Kazakhstan, will welcome world renowned experts and leaders – including Ban Ki-moon, eighth General Secretary of the United Nations and Chairman of the International Olympic Committee's Ethics Commission, Hans Timmer, Chief Economist for the Europe and Central Asian region of the World Bank, and former French President Francois Hollande - to the 11th Astana Economic Forum, Eurasia's leading economic conference, on May17-19.As the Global Challenges Summit 2018, this year's Forum positions Kazakhstan at the heart of the international debate on the opportunities and risks for the future of the planet at a time of remarkable and accelerating change.The unprecedented technological revolution of recent years created world changing megatrends which are affecting every country, business and human being on the planet. Economic growth and resource resilience, digitalisation and urbanisation, longevity and the financial revolution, global security and cultural shift – will all be discussed at the Summit.The Summit brings together more than 200 international speakers from over 27 countries to debate the world's most important challenges and discuss solutions to create a safer and more sustainable planet.Participants include Michio Kaku, physicist, co-founder of the string field theory and populariser of science, Jim O'Neill, former chief economist of Goldman Sachs who is known for coining the BRIC acronym, Parag Khanna, international relations expert and visionary strategist of urban development, Mikheil Janelidze, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Toomas Ilves, ex-president of Estonia, Krzysztof Zanussi, film director and winner of the Golden Lion, the highest prize of the Venice Film Festival, and many others.The Astana Economic Forum will see the most senior executive officials of the Republic of Kazakhstan and chief executives of state-owned companies and development agencies discussing the country's strategies for adapting to the rapidly changing world and its role in developing the Central Asia region.The Global Challenges Summit 2018 follows Astana's successful Future Energy Expo 2017 which provided the backdrop for Kazakhstan to announce its large-scale Third Modernisation pushing the country into the top 30 of the world's strongest economies by means of breakthroughs in innovative development, bold institutional reforms, and extensive international integration.The Astana Economic Forum will be held at the EXPO Congress Centre and Hilton Astana.Prospective participants are invited to register at the Congress website: forum-astana.org.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/26459?lang=kk

DHAKA, May 5, 2018 – Kazakhstan's delegation headed by the Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov is taking part in the 45th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Dhaka, Bangladesh.The meeting is themed “Islamic Values for Sustainable Peace, Solidarity and Development". The agenda traditionally covers the widest range of issues that are currently relevant for the Islamic world in terms of security and its further enhancement.One of the main issues on agenda is the large-scale humanitarian crisis that resulted from a mass exodus of Rohingya people from Myanmar, Bangladesh's neighbor. As Abdrakhmanov noted in his speech, Kazakhstan is fully committed to the collective will and responsibility to protect Rohingya people. In April this year, Kazakhstan's government provided $500,000 worth of humanitarian aid to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, which was delivered to the places where Rohingya are located in.Touching upon the main topic of the session, Abdrakhmanov stressed the paramount importance of strengthening tolerance in relations between Muslim countries and ensuring readiness for interstate dialogue. In this regard, Kazakhstan stresses the Islamic Rapprochement initiative proposed by the presidents of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016. The draft resolutions were submitted for the ministerial council's consideration. Their adoption is expected on the second day of the meeting.Abdrakhmanov also highlighted the Astana Process on Syria, which fully supports the UN-led Geneva talks and has proved to be the only platform where practical results were achieved in four de-escalation zones in significantly reducing violence, maintaining ceasefire and returning to peaceful life.“The belief of Kazakhstan in a prosperous future of the Islamic world was the main rationale behind the proposal of the President of Kazakhstan, H.E. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev to hold the 1st OIC Summit on Science and Technology in Astana in September 2017 and it is my pleasure to convey a gratitude to all OIC Member States, which were well represented in that historical Assembly," said Abdrakhmanov.The Kazakh minister informed about the launch of the work of the Secretariat of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) in Astana. It was facilitated by the entry into force of the IOFS Statute after it was ratified by ten member states of the organization. In addition, Kazakhstan has ratified the Agreement On the Headquarters of the IOFS between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the IOFS.Meanwhile, the new organization's work requires a high degree of interstate interaction to address the issue of food scarcity. This should be facilitated by the effective implementation of Kazakhstan's Islamic Infrastructure Initiative (Triple I). Its main goal is the maximum integration of OIC transport and logistics systems through linking the three special development programs of the Islamic Development Bank for Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa. At the same time, Kazakhstan's Nurly Zhol program and China's Belt and Road Initiative will gain new impetus.The second day of the OIC ministerial in Dhaka is expected to adopt a Declaration and a package of resolutions on key issues on the Organization's agenda, including staff appointments.The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which was named the Organization of the Islamic Conference until 2011, was established in 1969. The Organization received its present name by the decision of the 38th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers held in Astana on June 28-30, 2011. Kazakhstan became a full member of the Organization in 1995. At present, 56 countries are members of the OIC, five countries and five international organizations have the observer status.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/26455?lang=kk

DHAKA, May 5, 2018 – Kazakh diplomat Askar Musinov was elected Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for Science and Technology at the 45th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Dhaka (Bangladesh).Musinov is a career diplomat who held various positions in the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, served as ambassador to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, executive secretary and deputy foreign minister. He was delegated by the Government of Kazakhstan as the head of the Peace and Conflict Resolution Unit in the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.“This appointment became possible due to the high authority of the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev in the Muslim world and his active work on developing the Islamic world. The election of a Kazakh diplomat for this important post is of particular importance in the light of the implementation of the results of the first OIC summit on science and technology held in September 2017 in Astana," said Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov.The victory in the elections is also significant because Kazakhstan's representative has never held such a high-level position in the OIC. Kamrul Ahsan, a Bangladeshi diplomat was Musinov's opponent at the elections. Twelve out of 18 members of the OIC Asian group voted for the representative of Kazakhstan.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/26451?lang=kk