Kazakhstan has been elected to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) 21-member World Heritage Committee. Currently, three Kazakhstan cultural and natural heritage sites – the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yassaui, Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly and the Korgalzhyn & Nauryzumsky reserves – are on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
On November 18, Kairat Lama Sharif, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the United Arab Emirates, met with Hamdan Al-Mazrouei, chairman of General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments in Abu Dhabi. They discussed preparations for the forthcoming visit of Marat Azilkhanov, chairman of the Agency for Religious Affairs of Kazakhstan, to the UAE, during which the agencies of the two countries will sign a memorandum of understanding. In addition, Lama Sharif discussed the opening of Kazakhstan’s Web portal, E-Islam, designed to provide information about Islamic values to Kazakhstan youth. In turn, Hamdan Al-Mazrouei shared the UAE’s experience on the establishment of the information and consultation website www.awqaf.ae.
Minister of Defence of Kazakhstan Adiblek Dzhaksybekov took part in the 65th session of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Council of Ministers of Defence in Moscow, the press service of the ministry reported. The ministers of defence discussed a wide range of issues regarding cooperation between the armed forces of the CIS member states. The ministers also summed up the results of the work of the Council for 2013 and defined new tasks and the cooperation direction for the next year. In particular, the meeting participants discussed joint activities of the Joint CIS Air Defence System for 2014 and discussed cooperation in the sphere of exchange of geospatial information for the convenience of the armies of the CIS member states. Issues of military-technical cooperation and promising directions for multilateral cooperation in the military education sphere were addressed as well. Dzhaksybekov also held a number of bilateral meetings in Moscow. He met with defence ministers of Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine. The ministers discussed the current state and prospects for development of bilateral military and military technological cooperation. At the meetings, Dzhaksybekov emphasized that high-level contacts between the heads of state of the countries give additional impetus to development of interaction in the defence sphere, strengthen mutual understanding and help develop effective collaboration in the defence sphere. The bilateral action plans for 2014 were signed between the defence ministries of Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine in order to provide a legal framework for cooperation.
The Kazakh Research Institute of Oncology and Radiology of the Ministry of Healthcare recently signed a memorandum of cooperation in the educational and scientific spheres with the European School of Oncology (ESO). The Kazakhstan and European doctors will work together on further improvement of programmes of early detection of cancer. Within the framework of the memorandum, Kazakh cancer specialists will also complete courses on preventing, screening, diagnosing, treating and rehabilitating cancer patients in accordance with international standards in Europe. “The programme of cooperation with the Kazakh Institute is a priority direction for the ESO now. The main purpose of the programme is to make a contribution to improvement of cancer treatment in Kazakhstan and exchange experience and mutual assistance in development of the regions of Europe and Eurasia,” ESO Director Alberto Costa said.
Daniya Tleumbetova became the first Kazakh athlete to win the Bodybuilding and Fitness World Cup in the history of the competition. The best bodybuilders representing 41 countries came to Budapest, Hungary, to compete with each other during the contest, which was held on Nov. 13-17. Such a success was achieved by Tleumbetova in the Model Physique category. She easily won the semifinal and became one of the five finalists. During the final competition, the Kazakh athlete had no hot opponents, which helped her to win the Cup. Tleumbetova had already won the Asian Championships, which was held in Vietnam in September 2013. Tleumbetova lives and works in Almaty and is a member of the Almaty Fitness Blitz fitness club.
