Chinese President Xi Jinping to come to Kazakhstan early September 2013

Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit Kazakhstan early September 2013, Daniyar Berlibayev, First Vice Chairman of KazMunaiGas Board. “We are discussing President Xi Jinping’s visit scheduled for September 6-8 with our Chinese colleagues; the Chinese side plans to launch the Beineu-Bozoi-Shymkent gas pipeline [to supply gas to the South Kazakhstan from gas fields located near Aktobe]”, Mr. Berlibayev said. The project to construct the Beineu-Shymkent gas pipeline is being implemented by KazMunaiGas and China’s CNPC in line with the bilateral intergovernmental agreement. The overall 1500-km-long gas pipeline will run across Mangistau, Aktobe, Kyzylorda and South Kazakhstan oblasts. The Government has repeatedly said the construction is worth $3.6 billion. The project is strategically important for Kazakhstan. When completed, the gas pipeline will be supplying gas to 577 villages and settlements, with some of them still having no access to gas supplies. Now the South of Kazakhstan is restricted by insufficient gas supplies from the neighboring Uzbekistan and the poor state of and shortage of gas pipes.