Tribune News Network
Doha
On September 2, 2024 President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered his annual state-of-the-nation address titled “Just Kazakhstan: Law and Order, Economic Growth, Public Optimism.”
In his speech, President Tokayev outlined the key goals for the nation’s development, focusing on sustainable socio-economic progress.
A significant announcement was on the upcoming nationwide referendum on October 6 regarding the construction of a nuclear power plant.
Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Qatar HE Arman Issagaliyev stated that Kazakh citizens residing in Qatar are invited to take part in the referendum. Currently around 500 Kazakh nationals are registered in the state.
Amidst the recent announcements on huge investment flows from Qatar to Kazakhstan following the mutual high-level visits this year, in his address to the nation President Tokayev focused on the need to further foster economic activity and investment climate through a stable, business-friendly tax policy and Fintech growth.He also instructed the government to introduce additional preferences for investors focused on production development, including one-time deductions for construction, acquisition, modernisation, and reconstruction of assets.
The ambitious plan is set to increase the share of medium-sized businesses in the economy to 15 percent by 2029, up from the current 7 percent.
Kazakh leader prioritized the development of the petrochemical industry, with major projects under way in polypropylene and polyethylene production, along with ensuring gas supply for the population and economy through accelerating the construction of gas processing plants in Zhanaozen, Kashagan, and Karachaganak.
Ambassador Arman Issagaliyev noted that Qatar with its vast experience and leading positions in world’s gas industry is already engaged in enormous strategic projects in Kazakhstan, that will significantly boost country’s long-term potential in energy sector.
Overall, the Central Asian state is currently targeting the development of new gas reserves with an annual production volume of one billion cubic meters and completion of the modernization of over 800 kilometres of the “Central Asia – Center” gas pipeline.
The Kazakh Envoy also pointed at Qatar’s exceptional expertise in operating world-class Hamad International Airport and Hamad Sea Port, that serve as the perfect example for other countries, including Kazakh government that is already tasked with developing air hubs with the potential to double the annual processing of 150,000 tons of air cargo in the next four years.
Information and communication technology will remain the integral and advantageous part of Kazakh economy for the next decade, as the country already enjoys the leading positions in digitalization with landmark projects in FinTech, EdTech and GovTech. President Tokayev declared the launching of National AI Centre in Astana next year, completion of the fibre-optic line across the Caspian Sea by 2025 integrating artificial intelligence into the existing e-government platform.
Ambassador Issagaliyev revealed that all previous, current and future achievements in every sector could not be reached without country’s peaceful and balanced foreign policy stating that Kazakhstan and Qatar share common approaches on majority of issues in regional and international agenda, especially through playing an active role in international security and stability, multilateral cooperation in line with the UN Charter, voicing the calls for the resolution of armed conflicts through diplomatic means. Also the Kazakh envoy reminded that both countries play the crucial roles in the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
