KAZAKHSTAN WELCOMES CHERNOMYRDIN’S NOMINATION.

Publication: Monitor Volume: 4 Issue: 158

Both Kazakhstani Prime Minister Nurlan Balgimbaev and National Bank Chairman Kadyrjan Damitov have asserted both that the Russian crisis will not have a negative impact on the Kazakhstani economy and that the tenge will not be devalued. The tenge will continue to be pegged to the annual inflation rate–projected to be about 9.5 percent. The prime minister said Kazakhstan’s gold reserves stand at US$20 billion, that only 7 percent of trade turnover between Russia and Kazakhstan is conducted in rubles and that not more than 11 percent of government securities are financed by foreign capital. Kazakhstan’s economy is, Balgimbaev concluded, “twice as stable” as that of its northern neighbor. (Russian agencies, August 18, 19, 20, 24; Delovaya nedelya [Almaty], August 21 and 28)

On the political front, President Nazarbaev has strongly endorsed Viktor Chernomyrdin’s nomination as Russian premier. Declaring his confidence in the former prime minister’s ability to stabilize the Russian economy, Nazarbaev said Chernomyrdin’s dismissal back in March had been a mistake. Nazarbaev may be hoping that the reappointment of his long-time friend will smooth President Boris Yeltsin’s September visit to Kazakhstan and put relations between the two countries back on a firmer footing. The two presidents are scheduled to discuss important bilateral issues including the Caspian Sea and Baikonur; last week, Prime Minister Nurlan Balgimbaev complained that Russia has not yet paid Kazakhstan any rent for the cosmodrome. Consequently, Balgimbaev said, the Kazakhstani parliament will vote this fall on whether to annul the leasing agreement. (Russian agencies, August 24)–SC

The Monitor is a publication of the Jamestown Foundation. It is researched and written under the direction of senior analysts Jonas Bernstein, Vladimir Socor, Stephen Foye, and analysts Ilya Malyakin, Oleg Varfolomeyev and Ilias Bogatyrev. If you have any questions regarding the content of the Monitor, please contact the foundation. If you would like information on subscribing to the Monitor, or have any comments, suggestions or questions, please contact us by e-mail at pubs@jamestown.org, by fax at 301-562-8021, or by postal mail at The Jamestown Foundation, 4516 43rd Street NW, Washington DC 20016. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution of the Monitor is strictly prohibited by law. Copyright (c) 1983-2002 The Jamestown Foundation Site Maintenance by Johnny Flash Productions