Kazakhstan, UK strive to boost cooperation in multiple areas

Kazakhstan, the UK enhance cooperation 

Prime Minister Askar Mamin met with Sir Alan Duncan on this Thursday. While the British side assured of the continuity of key provisions in trade and economic relations between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom on the backdrop of the UK’s exit from the European Union, enhanced bilateral trade, economic and investment cooperation development matters were dealt.

According to Sir Alan, Kazakhstan offers opportunities to do business and necessary conditions to attract foreign investment.

In his turn, Askar Mamin outlined a huge potential in the bilateral cooperation and called for its effective use.

The next Kazakh-British Investment Forum will take place in October 2019 in London in a bid to strengthen the interaction between business structures of the two countries for attracting representatives of large British businesses.

On the same day, the Minister of State for Europe and the Americas at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Member of Parliament, handed a letter to Senate Speaker Dariga Nazarbayeva by expressing Lord Speaker of the House of Lords of the Parliament of the United Kingdom Peter Norman Fowler’s confidence to further strengthen the ties between legislative bodies of the two States’ Upper Chambers.

The meeting featured London's high interest in the political processes and transformations in Kazakhstan.

While briefing the British side on the recent political processes, Dariga Nazarbayeva told the early presidential election on 9 June would become an important stride towards developing the country's political system.

She assured that the country will ensure the continuity of the course towards upgrading its political system and carrying out economic and social reforms.

“The long-term strategy of the Leader of the Nation will be the fundamental core of our foreign and domestic policies”, she said.

The meeting featured the state of and the prospects for relations in bilateral cooperation, highlighted the friendly and trustful ties the two countries enjoy. The UK’s strategic role in Kazakhstan’s economy was stated, meanwhile Kazakhstan remains a key state in Central Asia with the major potential for enhanced cooperation in political, economic, financial, investment, cultural and humanitarian areas.

Attention was also focused on inter-parliamentary ties’ development, with the Kazakh Senate Speaker appraising the efforts of the friendship groups in legislative bodies of Kazakhstan and the UK.

The Senate Speaker expressed the hope for participation by the UK Parliament’s representative delegation in the 4th Meeting of Speakers of Parliaments of the Eurasian Countries themed “Greater Eurasia: Dialogue. Trust. Partnership”, to be held in September 2019 in Nur-Sultan.

Kazakh Foreign Minister Beibut Atamkulov held a meeting with Sir Alan Duncan to go over the bilateral strategic partnership’s current state and prospects, as well as the current international agenda.

According to the Kazakh Foreign Minister, the political dialogue between the two States is marked by constructiveness, openness and mutual support. He pointed to the effectiveness of the strategic dialogue at the foreign minister level, the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation and the Business Council, with each expanding the bilateral cooperation in trade, economic and industrial areas, as well as promoting investment cooperation.

The Kazakh Foreign Minister briefed about the ministry's new duties to carry out the state investment policy and coordinate export promoting.

The UK regards Kazakhstan as one of its main strategic partners in Central Asia, fully backing up the domestic political changes in Kazakhstan and marking the great importance of continuous stability and predictability of the country's domestic and foreign policy for the international community. London is about to step up political and trade and economic cooperation with Kazakhstan, with Sir Alan arguing that there is great potential for cooperation in digital technologies and agriculture.

The United Kingdom is among the five largest investors in Kazakhstan. With gross direct investment standing at US$13.3bn between 2005 and 2018. Over 860 legal entities, branches and representative offices involving British participation are registered in Kazakhstan, with over 500 of them being active. Trade Envoy of the British Prime Minister to Kazakhstan Baroness Emma Nicholson will visit Kazakhstan later this month heading a large business delegation, serving as added impetus to the trade and investment cooperation.

The Astana International Financial Centre’s activities, with the active involvement of British experts, founded on English common law with a preferential tax regime and independent financial court, were looked at.

​Kazakh literature’s anthologies in six official UN languages to come out in over 90 countries

Anthologies of contemporary Kazakh literature, both prose and poetry, came out in the six official UN languages. As part of the “Modern Kazakh Culture in the Global World” programme, the project focused on introducing Kazakh literature and culture since independence. The project is one of the pillars of Rukhani Zhangyru (Spiritual Modernization) Programme, initiated by first President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev.

The anthologies gathered works of literary critics, authors, translators, heads of translation bureaus and printing houses from the UK, Spain, France, Russia, China, Egypt and the Middle East on 18 April.

Head of the Kazakh Presidential Administration’s Internal Policy Department and Secretary of the National Commission on Rukhani Zhangyru Programme’s implementation Aida Balayeva spoke of the project’s unprecedentedness aimed at introducing contemporary Kazakh literature to the world.

“Selected works of 60 Kazakh authors will be translated at once into the six major languages of the world and published at the best printing houses of the UK, France, Spain, Egypt, China, and Russia, and be put at university libraries and scientific centers of more than 90 countries in five continents. It means that 2.6 billion people will have access to Kazakh literature masterpieces”, Mrs. Balayeva said.

The project focused on the quality of translation, with the translators and publishing houses' representatives from the UK, Spain, Russia, France and China visiting Kazakhstan to learn about local history and culture and interviewing the authors. This largely contributed to the texts remained close to the original and high standard translations.

The project’s one of the partners Cambridge University Press both translated and printed and distributed the anthologies engaging leading British translators and literary editors.

“We're proud of our work in Kazakhstan and the initiatives we've been involved in over the last decade which demonstrate our commitment to helping education in Kazakhstan grow and strengthen itself. It's a privilege to participate in the Rukhani Zhangyru programme through our partnership with the National Bureau of Translation. These Anthologies are a door through which international students of literature can enter Kazakhstan. We look forward to continuing to offer our partnership and support to the Kazakh people, and to help them unlock their potential for creativity, innovation and learning”, Rod Smith, the Global Managing Director of Education at Cambridge University Press, said.

Modern Kazakh literature works were translated into Spanish with support of the Ministry of Culture of Spain and the Cervantes Institute, whereas the French version with the support of the Mayor of Paris and Centre national du livre.

The Russian language translation was coordinated by the Moscow branch of the Russian Writers' Union, while the printing house of the Lomonosov Moscow State University contributed to publication and distribution.

China's Nations Publishing House translated, published and distributed of Kazakh literature in Chinese. The anthologies will be available to Arab countries thanks to the Culture and Education Centre of Egypt.

These partner organizations engaged over 70 specialists to translate, edit, distribute and promote the anthologies.

The project was carried out by the National Bureau of Translations on request from the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Sport.

Adlet Seilkhanov