The fourth annual international conference “Kazakhstan Growth Forum”, organized by Adam Smith Conferences and the Embassy of Kazakhstan in London, took place on 17-19 June 2009 in London.
The official opening ceremony of the Kazakh-British Chamber of Commerce (KBCC) was held on the first day of the Forum. In his message to the participants of the Forum, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mr Karim Massimov has agreed to take the KBCC under his patronage.
The head of the Kazakh delegation Gregory Marchenko informed the participants about the measures of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan taken to stabilize the economy, particularly in the financial and banking sectors, as well as the Government Action Plan aimed at the implementation of the Address of the President Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev to the people of Kazakhstan (Roadmap).
In his speech the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the UK Mr Kairat Abusseitov informed the participants of Forum on the major provisions of the Address of the President of the Republic to the people of Kazakhstan «Through the crisis to renovation and development», the priorities of the state program «The Path to Europe» in the context of Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the OSCE in 2010. Kazakh diplomat stressed that in the development of Kazakh-British bilateral relations it is particularly important to achieve the necessary balance within economic, political and humanitarian dimensions of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Great Britain.
The Lord Mayor of the City of London Ian Luder emphasized that the UK takes one of the leading investment positions in the Kazakh economy. Speaking about the attractiveness of London in terms of the initial public offerings (IPOs) by the CIS companies, Ian Luder noted that there were 22 Kazakh companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. The Lord Mayor added that London would provide the necessary support to the Regional Financial Center of Almaty in becoming a major regional hub.
The Chairman of Renaissance Capital in Kazakhstan Adel Kambar, the British Ambassador to Kazakhstan Paul Brammell, the President of BG Kazakhstan Peter Dranfield, the Vice Chairman of PWC in Kazakhstan Sir John Stuttard (former Lord Mayor of the City of London) positively commented on Kazakh Government measures aimed to stabilize the economy and to sustain the economic development in new conditions.
The forum worked in parallel discussion groups with the scope of discussions related to oil and gas industry, the investment attractiveness of the country, prospective sectors of the economy and the state's role in the new economic environment.
On the occasion of the Forum the British publishing house «Newsdesk Media Group» with the support of the Kazakh Government issued the annual edition «Invest in Kazakhstan», a unique manual on the economy of Kazakhstan for the western investors.
At the end of the Forum in London's prestigious Cadogan Hall the Rector of the Kazakh National Music Academy, the People's Artist of Kazakhstan Aiman Musakhodzhayeva and famous pianist Eleonora Bekova gave a violin and piano recital during which they performed both the world well-know and Kazakh compositions. The London audience, bred in the best traditions of classical music, was enchanted by the mastery of Kazakh musicians.
The Embassy of Kazakhstan to the UK
