On October 13, 2020, Kossym-Jomart Tokayev received Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin. Akorda’s press-release informs that, in the course of the meeting, the Head of the Government reported on the results of the country’s 9-month socio-economic development and told the President about the outcome of his working visit to the United Arab Emirates that took place on October 11-12.
We at kz.expert have been surprised to learn that, even though in the course of the visit, the Prime Minister and his team had managed to achieve a great success in the matter of attracting foreign investments to Kazakhstan, Tokayev said nothing about it. To confirm our words, let us quote Akorda’s press-release (text in bold hereinafter by kz.expert).
«The Prime Minister has reported on the results of his October 11-12 working visit to Abu-Dhabi. In the course of the said visit, the agreements reached during Kossym-Jomart Tokayev’s official visit to the UAE in January of the current year have been translated into action. For instance, the governments of the two countries have signed the Memorandum on investment cooperation that intends to implement 21 projects amounting to 6.1 $ bln. The document mentions creating new industries with a high added value and profitability as well as high potential for the demand on both the local and the lucrative export markets».
What’s even more surprising is that neither Kossym-Jomart Tokayev and his press service nor the governmental and quasi-governmental structures involved in promoting the image of the President used this amazing success — attracting the US6.1 $ bln of foreign investment to the country.
With that, our attempt to find at least a single word on Tokayev’s successful negotiations to bring such large investments in the country in Akorda’s press-releases on the President’s January visit to the UAE were futile.
By the way, no such information can be found in the official press as well (for instance, here — text available in Russian). Add to this that Askar Mamin and the governmental press-service have been just as modest and taciturn as the President and his media office. This makes the situation even more surprising. Let us quote the short and boring press-release written by the governmental press-service.
«As part of his working visit to Abu-Dhabi, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin has held negotiations with UAE Deputy Prime Minister — the Minister of Presidential Affairs Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The parties have discussed the prospects of the bilateral cooperation in the field of trade, economy, finance, investment, transportation, logistics, agricultural, oil& gas, space, mining, power-producing and other spheres.
As a result of the negotiations, the Governments have signed a document on investment cooperation with intention to implement 21 projects in the amount of 6.1 $ bln. The investment projects involve creating new industries with a high added value and profitability as well as high potential for the demand on both the local and the lucrative export markets. In Kazakhstan, their implementation will allow to create new high-quality jobs, introduce trendsetting technologies and practices.
The parties paid a special attention to the cooperation potential in the agricultural sector — 10 out of the 21 projects that have been planned involve launching the production of alimentary goods with a high added-value. This will allow Kazakhstan to become an important part of the UAE Food Security Strategy up until 2051. It will also promote the further buildup of the trade turnover between the two countries.
Minister of National Economy R. Dalenov, Minister of Justice M. Beketayev, Akim of the Nur-Sultan City A. Kulginov, Deputy Head of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms Zh. Madiyev, Chairman of the Management Board of the Baiterek National Namagement Holding JSC A. Arifkhanov and other persons have participated in the working visit».
One must agree that the quoted passage clearly shows Askar Mamin’s beautiful abilities as a negotiator. In the course of an ordinary two-day working visit to Abu-Dhabi and as part of a single meeting with the UAE Deputy Prime Minister — the Minister of Presidential Affairs, he has managed to achieve more that the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev had done although he used to visit the UAE much more frequently that other countries.
And the Head of the Government did not brag about it in the press, or during his meeting with the President, or in the governmental press-release? Nonsense!
There can be only one explanation for the modesty on the part of Kossym-Jomart Tokayev and Askar Mamin — both of them have nothing to do with the aforementioned plans to invest the US6.1 $ bln in the Kazakh economy.
But if that is so, then who does?
According to kz.expert’s opinion, the gigantic sum that is to come to Kazakhstan from the UAE is not foreign but Kazakh. In other words, the money belong to the country’s citizens. It’s just that, amid the growing instability around the globe, the growing economic problems in the US and the threat that the West will start to look for corrupt funds, they have chosen to return their money to the most secure place. We see no point in naming the names of these citizens since they are on everyone’s lips.
