kazakhstan: Kazakhstan able to be hub for Indian investments in area, says Kazakh envoy to India
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The relations between Kazakhstan and India have been creating within the spirit of friendship, partnership and are based mostly on the cultural and historic affinity between the peoples of the 2 international locations. Mutual cooperation raised to the strategic stage in January 2009 and has been enhancing very quick. The primary highlights of the cooperation are absence of any points between Kazakhstan and India. We share comparable positions on the primary matters of worldwide Agenda.
Through the years after institution diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and India in February 1992, we’ve been in a position to obtain loads collectively because of a mutual relationships based mostly on mutual respect and implementation of pursuits.
Solely this 12 months we had two vital occasions with participation of our leaders – digital Voice of the International South Summit (January 13) and SCO Summit (July 4).
Kazakhstan is the primary buying and selling accomplice of India in Central Asia, the bilateral turnover exceeds the full commerce with the remainder of the international locations within the area. It must be famous that Kazakhstan isn’t just a beneficiary, but additionally an investor to the Indian financial system: Indian Railway Finance Company IRFC (for round 20 mln$) and Export-Import Financial institution of India (for greater than 10 mln $)”.Kazakhstan could be a nice hub for India’s investments. Kazakhstan ranked the twenty fifth nation within the World Financial institution’s Ease of Doing Enterprise Report, and the nation targets to enter the highest 10 international locations inside 5 years. Given the funding alternatives of Kazakhstan’s agro-industrial advanced, Kazakhstan can function a platform for manufacturing of agricultural merchandise which will probably be delivered to neighboring international locations. Immediately Kazakhstan affords over 200 mission packages in numerous areas. Virtually all of them have a possible Kazakhstan accomplice. The buyers are facilitated through which industries and areas to spend money on Kazakhstan having the Checklist of Funding Tasks. The workplace of KAZAKH INVEST in India is able to present help, ranging from an concept to the commissioning.
How would India and Kazakhstan prefer to cooperate in SCO format?
As you recognize, the Republic of Kazakhstan chairs the Shanghai Cooperation Group from July 5, 2023 to June 2024.
The chairmanship has handed to us from India, and due to this fact I want to be aware that Kazakhstan has supported and can proceed to assist the initiatives of the Indian aspect within the SCO.
On July 4, 2023, on the SCO Summit, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.Tokayev outlined the precise priorities of the chairmanship.
On this regard, I want to inform you that the chairmanship, Kazakhstan intends to focus the joint efforts of the Member States on the next areas:
– enchancment of the SCO and its transformation into an much more efficient platform;
– strengthening the capability to make sure safety and stability within the SCO house;
– deepening ties within the subject of financial system and commerce;
– deepening cooperation within the cultural and humanitarian sphere;
– growth of the SCO and growth of its worldwide relations.
One of many vital steps in the direction of reforming the Group is the adoption on the SCO Summit in June 2024 in Kazakhstan of the SCO Growth Technique till 2035 and the Idea of Enhancing the SCO’s actions. The paperwork are aimed toward deepening sensible cooperation, together with the algorithm of progressive reform of the SCO.
Problems with regional safety and mutual belief are among the many foremost matters on the Group’s agenda. Considering the present tendencies in world politics and financial system, Kazakhstan proposes to replace the SCO’s approaches to fashionable challenges and threats.
On this side, Kazakhstan proposes to collectively promote the SCO widespread Initiative “on world unity for simply peace and concord”. The excellent doc incorporates ideas for strengthening confidence-building measures, sustaining stability and safety within the area.
Nice significance will probably be given to the formation of an up to date Program of cooperation of the SCO member states on countering terrorism, separatism and extremism for 2025-2027.
It’s essential to undertake an up to date Anti-Drug Technique and an Motion Program for its implementation. In sensible phrases, it’s proposed to proceed the observe of holding SCO worldwide actions “For a World with out Medicine” and Operation “Internet” with the involvement of observer states and SCO dialogue companions.
The cultural and humanitarian dimension is without doubt one of the most dynamically creating areas of interplay inside the SCO.
A lot consideration will probably be paid to the implementation of the SCO Religious Shrines mission and the group of the SCO Worldwide Scientific and Sensible Convention on: “The Golden Horde and its Legacy” in Turkestan with the participation of main specialists, scientists of the member states.
In an effort to successfully fight local weather change, enhance meals safety, water provide, and biodiversity conservation, 2024 was declared the 12 months of Ecology on the initiative of Kazakhstan.
It’s anticipated to undertake an intergovernmental settlement on cooperation within the subject of environmental safety, a program of cooperation within the growth of specifically protected pure areas and eco-tourism, a Memorandum of understanding between the SCO Secretariat and UNEP.
For the complete interval of its chairmanship, the town of Almaty has been declared the vacationer and cultural capital of the SCO. A plan of related occasions has been developed and adopted with the participation of well-known figures of tradition and artwork, sports activities and science of the SCO member states.
Work will proceed on additional deepening and increasing the SCO’s worldwide relations with multilateral buildings, observers and SCO dialogue companions.
Kazakhstan, as Chairman of the SCO, will make each effort to modernize the Group and additional remodel it right into a simpler multilateral platform to be able to additional strengthen mutually useful cooperation and conventional ties of friendship between the SCO member states.
What are the plans to develop India-Kazakhstan defence partnership?
The capabilities of our international locations have nice potential for additional enhancing cooperation within the Army and Army-Technical spheres. On this context, the protection companies will proceed cooperation via: Mutual participation at exhibitions of arms and navy tools; Conducting bilateral navy workout routines; Holding conferences of the India-Kazakhstan Joint Working Group on Army-Technical cooperation; Joint peacekeeping actions; Trade of college members of navy instructional establishments & Coaching of navy personnel of the 2 international locations.
As a part of navy diplomacy and to strengthen the rising strategic relation with Kazakhstan, the sixth Version of Indo – Kazakhstan joint coaching train «KAZIND-22» had been held at Umroi (Meghalaya) from 15 to twenty-eight December 2022.
Joint annual coaching train with the Kazakhstan Military was instituted in 2016 as Train Prabal Dostyk, which was later upgraded to an organization stage train and renamed as Ex Kazind in 2018.
The aim of such workout routines is to construct constructive navy relations, imbibe one another’s finest practices and promote the power to function collectively whereas enterprise counter terrorist operations in semi city / jungle state of affairs, below a UN peace enforcement mandate.
Personally, I’m assured that the KAZIND Workout routines will improve the extent of protection cooperation between the Indian military and the military of Kazakhstan, which is able to additional strengthen bilateral relations between the 2 international locations.
How do you describe present India-Kazakhstan financial partnership?
I want to particularly be aware the constructive dynamics of the event of the financial relations between our international locations. As you all know, Kazakhstan is India’s foremost commerce financial accomplice in Central Asia. I’m happy to notice that in 2022 commerce turnover between Kazakhstan and India reached 2,4 billion USD, which is 16.67% greater than within the earlier 12 months.
Exports from Kazakhstan throughout this era amounted to 1.9 billion USD (+13.97%), imports from India – 500 million USD (+32.91%). This quantity exceeds the full turnover with all different international locations of the area. And there’s a big potential to develop our commerce cooperation in such areas as prescribed drugs, vitality, data expertise, funding, house, and so forth.
It’s essential to conduct an in-depth evaluation of export alternatives, diversify the construction of commerce as quickly as attainable and develop a Roadmap to extend commerce flows, contemplating the aggressive benefits of every nation. This initiative was proposed in the course of the Central Asia-India Summit.
Our job is to create situations for the event of small and medium-sized companies on the way in which to deepening commerce, financial, cultural, and vacationer ties.
In accordance with the agreements reached (January 27, 2022 in a web-based format) by the Heads of our States, inside the framework of the primary Summit of Heads of State (Central Asia – India), we’re actively working to ascertain transit and transport hyperlinks and pay particular consideration to the event of the transit potential of the nation.
Within the context of recent geopolitical situations and disruption of logistics provide chains, the worldwide North-South transport hall, particularly Chabahar Port have gotten more and more related.
Additional growth of regional connectivity is crucial for enhancing commerce and commerce between India and Central Asian international locations within the context of our land-locked nature and lack of overland connectivity with India.
The event and operation of INSTC may also profit India’s personal sector. As Asia is at present projected to be house to 66% of the world’s center class with important buying energy, it’s anticipated that entry into new markets, which will probably be supplied by INSTC routes, will profit personal gamers in India.
Indian companies engaged within the manufacturing of agricultural commodities, textiles, natural chemical compounds, and so forth., can profit significantly from this progress. Not solely producers, but additionally value financial savings because of a shorter route can scale back the price of transporting merchandise and make them extra aggressive available in the market, which finally additionally reduces prices for retailers and shoppers.
Since its independence Kazakhstan attracted round 400 billion USD of overseas direct investments. As for the Indian investments to Kazakhstan the general quantity from 2005 until now counts for greater than $400 million and I’ am assured that with a mutual efforts and vitality of our current and potential Indian companions we are able to do extra.
In accordance with the World Financial institution Doing Enterprise report, in 2022 Kazakhstan ranked twenty fifth place, which is a good recognition for us by way of the federal government’s transformation agenda on ease of doing enterprise and enchancment of enterprise local weather.
Kazakhstan has created all of the situations for overseas buyers by way of favorable funding local weather and ease of doing enterprise. As an example, since 1998, the Council of International Buyers below the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan is working within the nation – and its value mentioning that members of the council are President of EBRD, Govt Vice-president of Chevron, Common Director of Citi Group, in addition to management of such worldwide corporations as Royal Dutch Shell, ENI, Glencore, KNAUF, JP Morgan, TOTAL, Mitsubishi, Deutsche Financial institution and others. Funding ombudsmen perform is carried out by the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan.
When it comes to funding attraction and buyers assist, a Kazakh Make investments Nationwide Firm – operates there as a single negotiator on behalf of the federal government, below the Funding Committee of the Ministry of International Affairs, and supplies assist to buyers on the “single-window” foundation. Consultant workplace of Kazakh Put money into India is working within the Embassy of Kazakhstan in New Delhi.
Concerning funding incentives, there’s a variety of assorted advantages obtainable for buyers, reminiscent of tax exemptions, import obligation exemption, land plots provision, state in form grants, funding subsidies and lots of different state assist measures.
In 2021, a brand new device to assist strategic buyers has been created in Kazakhstan – a Strategic Funding Settlement for the initiatives above $50 million. A mechanism permits buyers to conclude settlement with the federal government straight with out extra ratification with a parliament, and grants a laws stability by way of tax and labor codes at the very least for a interval of 25 years.
When it comes to availability of the infrastructure, there are 13 Particular Financial Zones and 36 Industrial Zones at present obtainable in Kazakhstan.
In April of this 12 months, Funding Committee of the Ministry of International Affairs printed publicly pool of funding initiatives of non-resource sector primarily which are below implementation that counts greater than 750 mission with a gross worth of greater than 5,3 billion USD.
On high of that, an funding mission Catalogue, that was formalized by Deloitte Kazakhstan workplace, is offered on the Kazakh Make investments web site, with greater than 200 energetic enterprise alternatives open for funding cooperation. So, I encourage all of the visitor and Indian enterprise to undergo the mission catalogues.
On condition that, by way of Kazakhstani – Indian funding cooperation a following sector are of precedence and excessive potential: food-processing, prescribed drugs and medical units, medication tools, engineering equipment, IT and ICT, electronics, healthcare, inexperienced & renewable vitality, transport and logistics infrastructure and tourism infrastructure.
Kazakhstan has overcome many difficulties and reached nice heights in its 30-year historical past. What adjustments are happening within the nation at present?
The journey of any nice nation contains a number of key milestones which collectively affect its nationwide id. Past establishing independence, the adoption of a structure types crucial foundation of a rustic’s political system and processes, because it outlines the very ideas chargeable for guiding the nation’s future path.
On 30 August, Kazakhstan will rejoice Structure Day. Underpinned by the unalienable values of freedom granted to every citizen, the Structure has confirmed central to the accomplishments of our nation and supplied us with the information for growth and prosperity which we take pleasure in at present.
This 12 months, Structure Day holds explicit significance, as it’s celebrated for the primary time after the amendments to the structure, which had been authorized following a nationwide referendum in June final 12 months, have come into pressure. These reforms have reworked Kazakhstan and have ushered in new democratic ideas in our nation. Extra powers and affect have been granted to parliament and the native authorities, whereas presidential powers have been restricted, which implies the federal government is now extra accountable to the individuals who elected the parliament. As well as, consistent with the up to date Structure, the President of Kazakhstan is now elected for under a single seven-year time period, with out the suitable to re-election, which is totally distinctive for our area.
Kazakhstan has established and additional strengthened mechanisms that defend human rights and democracy by enhancing the function and standing of the Ombudsperson for Human Rights, the Ombudsperson for kids’s rights, and the Ombudsperson for shielding individuals with disabilities.
We have now additionally reestablished the Constitutional Court docket, which ensures additional safety of human rights and freedoms. Kazakhstan’s residents, together with the Prosecutor Common and the Ombudsperson, can now straight apply to the Constitutional Court docket to declare illegal norms that, of their view, contradict the ideas of the Structure.
The affect of the constitutional amendments was notably seen in the course of the parliamentary and native elections that had been held in March this 12 months. Simplifying the method for registering political events resulted in new events that took half within the elections, together with Respublica and Baytaq. These elections are thought-about by many home and worldwide political specialists to have been essentially the most aggressive in Kazakhstan’s fashionable historical past. Consistent with the constitutional adjustments, which additionally embody direct election of rural mayors, a proportional-majoritarian mannequin was used within the parliamentary election for the primary time since 2004. This enabled quite a few self-nominated candidates to take part in single-mandate districts together with get together candidates. Consequently, alternatives for residents’ participation within the political lifetime of the nation have considerably expanded. Six events managed to cross the 5 % threshold wanted to get into parliament, which has created a really multi-party consultant physique with totally different political opinions.
As Kazakhstan commemorates its Structure, we should additionally rejoice the residents of our nation, who’ve embodied its basic values and confirmed their assist via the referendum for the constitutional reform final 12 months, which enabled to additional enshrine the beliefs of freedom, equality and harmony into the material of our society. It must be famous that 5 electoral campaigns have taken place in Kazakhstan in roughly one 12 months, together with a referendum, which implies Kazakhstan’s residents have had a direct say on all of the adjustments.
In the end, because of the constitutional amendments and reforms, a brand new civic and political tradition has taken form in Kazakhstan’s society. After all, our path to overtake the prevailing system in our nation is way from over. Transformations and reforms, together with social and financial, are a relentless work in progress to make sure that the nation retains up with world adjustments, tendencies, and challenges that repeatedly spring up.
On the time of our Structure’s preliminary signing in 1995, we had been a younger nation dealing with the numerous challenges encountered by newly unbiased international locations all around the world. Trying to forge our personal nationwide id, our Structure codified the values that we maintain pricey and outlined the ideas that laid the muse for our stability and achievements. Immediately, following the implementation of the constitutional amendments, which affected a 3rd of the articles of the Structure, Kazakhstan is basically a brand new nation even compared to just some years in the past.
In guaranteeing the freedoms of speech, meeting and faith, in addition to political range and private liberty, the Structure has supplied a blueprint for our nation’s social, financial and political growth. Our tolerant society, the place each citizen – no matter their creed – can really feel valued and free, in addition to our wider home prosperity, is a testomony to the forward-thinking nature of our Structure as a information to success, unbound by time or historic context.
