China overtakes India in business with Kazakh

Almaty, Kazakhstan, Aug 26: Even though Kazakhstan is eager to have more investment and expertise from India in hydro-carbon and other sectors, China has seized the initiative in oil and gas exploration in the Central Asian Republic.

The oil-rich Central Asian Republic of Kazakhstan is looking towards India as a partner it wants to do business with, but is disappointed with India's slow response to its overtures.

Nevertheless, India has taken some initiatives recently but needs to do more, officials here say.

The country that became independent in 1991 after separating from the erstwhile Soviet Union and has recorded a consistent ten per cent economic growth during the past seven years, is keen to step up cooperation with India in various areas, including trade and commerce, Defence, energy, science and technology, culture and education.

However, India has not shown enough enthusiasm for this, many political leaders and government officials here say.

A senior official of the Indian embassy here said Kazakhstan attaches so much importance to India that India was the first country President Nursultan Nazarbayev visited after the country gained independence from erstwhile USSR.

''There is tremendous amount of goodwill for India and its people in Kazakhstan. We need to translate that into something concrete...

Our businesses need to look more closely at Kazakhstan. It is politically, economically stable country next door,'' the official said on condition of anonymity.

Kazakhstan, which presently has a per capita income of 7000 US dollars and has set a target of 13000 US Dollars by 2012, is rich in oil and gas and minerals.

On August 18, the country went to polls, ushering in democracy after 16 years of President's rule. Kazakhs voted overwhelmingly in favour of President Nazarbayev's Nur Otan Party for his economic reforms, with the Party getting more than 88 per cent votes.

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev is expected to visit India sometime next year, officials said. They said an Indian cultural troupe will visit Almaty and capital Astana in September. A delegation of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will also organise two trade fairs in Almaty and Astana in October.

The next meeting of the India-Kazakhstan Joint Commission will also be held in September and is likely to be attended by Petroleum Minister Murli Deora.

The officials said there is also a proposal to introduce two flights a week between Mumbai and Astana or Almaty, in view of the increasing rush of travellers, including tourists.

Air Astana, the National carrier of Kazakhstan, is also working with the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) to strengthen cooperation in tourism sector.

Mr Nurtas Nauryzbaev, Secretary of the opposition 'Party of Patriots' which lost the recent elections in the country, said they were looking towards India as a ''model'' of democracy and for its economic progress and political stability.

As a result of the economic boom, India was also witnessing wide economic disparities but had remarkably managed. ''We want to emulate it in Kazakhstan as because of the economic boom, economic disparities have grown here also,'' he told UNI