· January, 2007

Stories about Kazakhstan from January, 2007

Kazakhstan: German Relations

  31 January 2007

Ben Paarmann reports on the meeting between the leaders of Kazakhstan and Germany during which Germany offered support for Kazakhstan's bid to chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Kazakhstan: James Giffen

  31 January 2007

Leila translates a post on James Giffen, an American businessman facing trial in the United States for bribing Kazakhstan's president, something he says that he did with the knowledge of the US government. The case has been used by opposition politicians in Kazakhstan against the president.

Kazakhstan: Queuing for Profit

  30 January 2007

Ben Paarmann reports on a business so suited for post-Soviet countries that it's a wonder no one had already launched it in Kazakhstan: standing in line for cash. A new company launched by Ruslan Akkuzhin will allow people to hire someone to stand in lines for them. The person in...

Kazakhstan: Party Un-development

  29 January 2007

Sean Roberts examines efforts to consolidate political parties into and the elimination of parties in opposition to the pro-presidential Nur-Otan.

Kazakhstan: Destination Kazakhstan

  29 January 2007

neweurasia reports that Kazakhstan has ranked third most popular destination among European countries for gap year backpackers. Borat is believed to be the cause for the jump in popularity.

Crime and Punishment in Kazakhstan

  29 January 2007

Blogger's Trial Kazis Toguzbayev, a journalist who uploaded his articles on KUB, a group blog, was tried in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 22 January. In his article, Toguzbayev implied that the President was covering the murders of the opposition figures. He got a two-year suspended sentence for violating the Criminal Code...

Central Asia: European Policy

  25 January 2007

Registan.net writes about German proposals for a new European Union policy on Central Asia, and neweurasia responds, wondering why we don't hear more on Europe's efforts to renew ties with the region.

Kazakhstan: Foreigners & Oil

  23 January 2007

The Roberts Report explains why Kazakhstan's government is taking steps to decrease the number of foreign workers in the oil sector and stop the resale of licenses to develop oil deposits.

Kazakhstan: Cooking Manti

  23 January 2007

News from the Caravan posts a recipe for manti, a dish made in not just Kazakhstan, but also in the rest of Central Asia, Mongolia, and Turkey.

Kazakhstan: Doctors on Trial

  19 January 2007

Mira Bakhytova reports that the trial of health care professionals said to be responsible for a wave of HIV infections in southern Kazakhstan has gotten underway.

Kazakhstan: The Nazarbayev Way

16 January 2007

Leila reports that Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev has a new book out, and she takes a look at his prolific publishing career.

Kazakhstan: NurOtan Rises

  16 January 2007

KZBlog notices that the head of the NurOtan party was present at the first meeting of Kazakhstan's new government and says that this is a sign of the party's growing importance in Kazakh politics.

Kazakhstan: Discussing the New Government

  15 January 2007

“The Government resigned… It was expected for so long that I am not even surprised…”, wrote Slavasay in Livejournal community on Kazakhstan politics. On 8 January Kazakhstan Prime-Minister Danial Akhmetov resigned, as did the whole Government. Not much change was expected though: “In Kazakhstan's autocratic presidential system, changes of prime...

Kazakhstan: The New Government

  12 January 2007

At neweurasia, Leila translates a post that gives a rundown of who's who in the new Kazakh government and how power balances between different interest groups.

Kazakhstan: Reshuffling the Government

  12 January 2007

A government reshuffle took place in Kazakhstan this week and – this time being no exception – occasions like this are a great chance to get a rare glimpse behind the scenes of intra-elite power-brokering Kazakh style. According to Kazakhstan specialist Daniel Kimmage of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty,...

Kazakhstan: World Class Architecture

  11 January 2007

Ben Paarmann reports that German architects won a contract to build housing and community structures near Almaty. Judging from the designs, he wonders whether or not the contracts Kazakhstan gives out for new construction to Western firms are resulting in the realization of student projects.