On the occasion of Kazakhstan Republic Day, the
country’s ambassador to Bharat, Nurlan Zhalgasbayev, addressed a Round Table in
New Delhi saying his country was looking forward to hosting Prime Minister
Narendra Modi at the SCO Summit in Astana next year.
The envoy remarked, “Kazakhstan will continue to
strive to make the most of every opportunity to raise the strategic partnership
(with Bharat) to an even higher level and give a new meaning to the bilateral
ties for the sake of friendship and prosperity of our people.”
Invoking two big events this year, Zhalgasbayev added,
“Regarding our bilaterals, this year we had two big events – SCO Summit in July
and the Voice of Global South in January. Of course, we expect my President
(Qasym-Jomart Toqayev) to come here. This is our goal, main goal, because the
last visit of the first President was in 2009.”
The Round Table dedicated to Kazakhstan President
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s State of the Nation address – Economic Course of a Just
Kazakhstan.
In his State of the Nation address on September 1, the
Kazakh President laid out the country’s ambitious push for economic reforms and
a fresh economic trajectory for the nation.
President Tokayev highlighted various aspects of the
national agenda, stressing the key economic tasks faced by the government.
In his speech, the President laid emphasise on becoming
a powerful economic, developing a new economic model, forming of a solid
industrial framework, ensuring economic self-sufficiency, accelerating
development of the manufacturing sector by exempting taxes and other mandatory
payments for domestic and foreign investors for the first three years.
He exhorted the citizens, especially the youth, to
embody the best qualities as they form the foundational values of society and to
aspire towards becoming responsible citizen.
Tokayev further acknowledged several significant
achievements made by Kazakhstan in the last few years, including salary hike of
teachers, doctors, and the implementation of initiatives such as the National
Fund for Children and the construction of more than 300 healthcare facilities
in rural areas.
He aims to focus on sectors such as heavy engineering,
uranium enrichment, and automotive components.
Tokayev called for a coordination of financial and
monetary policies, with the aim of achieving stable economic growth of 6 to 7
per cent while stressing the need to attract foreign banks to strengthen
competition and solve the issue of insufficient corporate lending.
Besides, he underlined Kazakhstan’s commitment to
sustainability and environmental protection and put forward an ambitious vision
for Kazakhstan to become an IT-focused country.
Tokayev directed the government to increase the export
of IT services to one billion dollars by 2026, which will be facilitated by
partnerships with major foreign IT companies.
He also highlighted the area of transportation while
outlining plans to establish Kazakhstan as a major transit hub in Eurasia, with
a focus on key routes like the Trans-Caspian.
“It is necessary to build a new dry port at the Bakhty
crossing, accelerate the construction of a container hub in Aktau, and expand
port facilities on the Black Sea along the Middle Corridor,” he said.
The President announced that Kazakhstan will hold
elections for Akims (governors or mayors) of districts and cities of regional
significance after the citizens elected Akims of villages, towns and rural
districts in the past two years.
ANI
