Kazakhstan should be international logistics hub by 2016: President Nazarbayev

By 2016 Kazakhstan should be transformed into a logistics and business hub, President Nazarbayev said when speaking at the 24th plenary session of the Foreign Investors’ Council (FIC) opened today at Nazarbayev University in Astana. “Kazakhstan strives to be an active player of the global economy. The Government has been tasked with transforming Kazakhstan into a global logistics and business hub”, the President said. Nazarbayev stressed that the nation “has been developing its transit potential, simplifying movement of labor force and goods, creating logistics infrastructure (…) developing Almaty as a financial center”. “We want Kazakhstan to be a place where you could live and do business to the benefit of yourself and our nation”, President said when addressing to foreign investors. He suggested discussing issues of transforming Kazakhstan into an international trade and logistics hub at the next sitting of the Foreign Investors’ Council (FIC) to be held May 2012 in Astana. “All these years I have been helping foreign business in Kazakhstan. I have been assisting you to resolve big issues (…) issues of transportation, production, legislation (…) we have been always successful in addressing these issues. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence this year, we want to outline a path for the next 20 years to come”. We have gone a long way together, so you should be our major guests at the celebrations. I am kindly inviting you”, President said addressing to the Foreign Investors’ Council (FIC).