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The Asian Development Bank Considers 2004 Year as a Milestone for Strengthening Cooperation with Kazakhstan

ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN (11 January 2005) – It was announced at ADB year end press-conference today that the year 2004 became a milestone for strengthening cooperation between the Asian Development Bank and the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The year 2004 was the first year of implementation of ADB’s Country Strategy and Program. ADB (i) implemented technical assistance projects, totaling $2.0 million, including Regional Rural Development Project [ PDF ] ($677.000); (ii) newly provided technical assistance projects totaling $1.6 million; and (iii) signed the agreement for the $34.5 million loan for rural water supply and sanitation sector project [ PDF ] that was ratified by the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Besides, ADB updated its Country Strategy and Program for 2005-2007. The updated program focuses on (i) sectors that support rural development, and (ii) sectors that help Central Asian regional cooperation. The first group includes regional / rural development, rural water supply, water resources management. The second group includes transport and trade.

ADB technical assistance project for 2005-2007 will include (i) $1.8 technical assistance for financial sector support, and (ii) SMEs development projects, especially to help rural areas, and (iii) advisory technical assistance for institutional capacity building.

In 2004 the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan signed the Assurance Letter on ADB’s private sector operations. The signing set a new stage for ADB activities in Kazakhstan. “ADB will explore any industries and modalities that will suit ADB’s private sector investments. Specific discussions are expected in February 2005,” said Kazuhiko Higuchi, Country Director, ADB Kazakhstan Resident Mission.

2004 was marked by ADB President visit to Kazakhstan. He met with President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov to discuss ADB’s long-term partnership with Kazakhstan.

In 2004, ADB supported Kazakhstan’s leadership in various regional cooperation initiatives. Under the Central Asia Cooperation Organization (CACO), ADB led the development partner group, and worked with the Government to help establish an international consortium on transport. As Secretariat of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (comprising Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, People Republic of China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) and their development partners (such as World Bank, United Nations Development Program, International Monetary Fund, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and Islamic Development Bank) ADB supported the Government to host the 3rd Ministerial Conference in Astana, and two preparatory Senior Officials Meetings in Almaty.

Kazuhiko Higuchi told about a new initiative of increasing Government ownership in ABD technical assistance projects in Kazakhstan. Thus, in 2004 the Ministry of Environmental Protection recruited consultants under technical assistance for Environmental Monitoring and Information Management System for Sustainable Land Use. [ PDF ]

“Next year focus will remain policy implementation and institutional capacity building through knowledge transfer”, Mr. Higuchi concluded.

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