KZBlog

An American expat living in Astana, Kazakhstan

Tag archive for ‘Nursultan Nazarbayev’

  • Astana to be Renamed Nursultan?

    Among the amendments and laws discussed in Parliament this week [RU], the most interesting and entertaining was a proposal by member of Parliament Sat Tokpakbayev to rename the capital city to Nursultan in honor of the President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, and his role in not only running the nation but also building the city of Astana […]

    6/08/08 • (Comments Off on Astana to be Renamed Nursultan?)

  • Dariga Nazarbayeva Monitored Kazakhgate Trial

    According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, Dariga Nazarbayeva hired private consultants to collect information about the Kazakhgate trial. One of the companies she controls, World Media Corporation, hired private consultants to investigate the case, in which the Justice Department alleges that businessman James Giffen bribed President Nazarbayev with a total of $84 million […]

    5/14/08 • (2)

  • Maybe It Wasn’t Eni’s Fault

    After the recent scandal over the Kashgan oilfields, it is a bit surprising to hear that estimates of when the field will start producing have been pushed back again, to 2012-2013. Eni, the Italian oil company which held the controlling share in the consortium that is developing the Kashgan field, was criticized and threatened with […]

    5/13/08 • (Comments Off on Maybe It Wasn’t Eni’s Fault)

  • Olympic Torch Redux

    This just in: Nazarbayev will run the first leg of the torch relay. Hopefully that won’t mean that they shut down the route to people who want to watch, which they sometimes do when cool people are involved in things. EDIT: The official route and who is carrying the torch is up. The President doesn’t […]

    4/01/08 • (Comments Off on Olympic Torch Redux)

  • Nazarbaev Speaks to Reuters

    Thanks to the for posting this news. President Nazarbayev gave an interview to Reuters last Friday. In it, he touched upon the crisis in the banking sector, NATO, foreign relations, and the energy sector. He also discussed the issue of succession, saying: I would like to clarify this nonsense that the first president, that is […]

    3/31/08 • (Comments Off on Nazarbaev Speaks to Reuters)

  • Bloomberg Inaccurate about UraniumGate

    Frank Giustra, the businessman who is making headlines for his alleged deal with Kazakhstan government officials in order to get uranium rights, has put out a press release listing the inaccuracies that the Bloomberg Press Service has made in covering the story. Among the errors Giustra cites: Bloomberg: Giustra was negotiating with the Kazakhstan government […]

    2/24/08 • (Comments Off on Bloomberg Inaccurate about UraniumGate)

  • Frank Giustra Responds Unapologetically

    Frank Giustra, the businessman who came to the public light as allegedly getting a boost from President Clinton in order to enter the Kazakhstan uranium market, is defending himself. From The Globe and Mail article: Mr. Giustra denied the suggestion that Mr. Clinton had in any way paved the way for the successful deals. Both […]

    2/15/08 • (Comments Off on Frank Giustra Responds Unapologetically)

  • More State Control

    One week after the Address to the People of Kazakhstan, the Prime Minister announced that this year Kazakhstan will investigate all existing contracts with foreigners in the area of resource-exploitation i.e. mining and oil and gas. The government will void all contracts with companies that have violated the terms and the resources or rights to […]

    2/15/08 • (Comments Off on More State Control)

  • Bill Clinton, Nazarbayev and Uranium

    Or Kazakh-gate all over again? This issue is being covered and analyzed well in a number of websites so I’m not sure I have much to add except a bunch of links. When Bill Clinton came to Kazakhstan in 2005 and collected a donation from President Nazarbayev for his HIV/AIDS charitable fund, he may well […]

    2/02/08 • (2)

  • Kashgan Crisis Has Ended

    After this great article on potential directions an agreement with Eni might take in Kashgan by Ben, it appears a settlement has been reached. KazMunaiGas, the state oil company, will have its share of the project increased “equal to that of the largest shareholders,” according to a statement from KazMunaiGas. According to the AFP report: […]

    1/14/08 • (Comments Off on Kashgan Crisis Has Ended)