– The 58th session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference took place from Sept. 22-26 in Vienna. The annual meeting of delegations from 162 member states considers the IAEA Annual Report, which covers the agency’s activities in various fields of peaceful nuclear energy use, ensuring nuclear safety, nuclear safeguards and the nuclear non-proliferation regime. Delegates this year discussed the IAEA’s programme and budget and the staffing of the secretariat. Kazakhstan’s delegation was headed by Minister of Energy Vladimir Shkolnik and included senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Kazatomprom nuclear energy company, the National Nuclear Centre of Kazakhstan and other entities.Kazakhstan’s statement reflected on the country’s achievements in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, effective cooperation between Kazakhstan and the IAEA in the field of peaceful nuclear energy use, nuclear medicine and the rehabilitation of contaminated lands, among other issues, and announced the country’s intention to construct its first nuclear power plant. Attention was drawn to The ATOM Project and other initiatives of President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev in nuclear non-proliferation.
– The International Oncology Symposium held in Astana from Sept. 24-26 brought together representatives of cancer centres from Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the U.S., as well as representatives of the Ministry of Healthcare of Kazakhstan, research associations and leading medical universities of Kazakhstan. Deputy Prime Minister Gulshara Abdykalikova, President of Nazarbayev University Shigeo Katsu and representatives of the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development of Kazakhstan delivered welcome addresses to event participants. The symposium was organised within the Nazarbayev University and University of Pittsburg School of Medicine Partnership, which is working to develop a cancer treatment programme and hospital in Kazakhstan by the end of 2016. Participants discussed modern cancer treatment and diagnostic methods. The symposium programme included enlarged sessions on topics including “Cancer Care: A Global Vision,” “Current Oncology Practice in Kazakhstan,” “Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Cancer Care” and others.
– A Day of Kazakhstan’s Economy was held in Hamburg, Germany, on Sept. 22. The event, organised by the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Germany, the Honorary Consulate of Kazakhstan in Hamburg and the Association for Economic Cooperation with the Countries of Eastern Europe, was titled “Opportunities and prospects of Kazakh-German cooperation in the field of transport and logistics” and was attended by more than 150 representatives of German official, economic, business and expert circles. Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Germany Bolat Nussupov emphasised that Kazakhstan’s strategic location held great potential for transport and transit between East and West and North and South in his remarks at the event. A panel discussion with the participation of the leadership of German transport and logistics companies, including Deutsche Bahn, Hafen-Entwicklungsgesellschaft Rostock, Brockmüller Spedition and Kühne + Nagel, was also held. Representatives of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Investment and Development and of the management of the Centre for the Development of Transport Logistics of the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy rail company also attended.
– From Sept. 24-26, on the eve of World Tourism Day, the Astana Leisure 2014 tourism exhibition was held in Astana’s Korme Exhibition Centre. More than 90 companies from 19 countries, including tour operators, travel agencies, health resorts and hotels and guest houses, providing tourism products from ecological to adventure tourism, participated in the event. Hotel networks and air carriers were also represented, and Hungary, Vietnam, the Dominican Republic, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Malaysia, the Maldives, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Switzerland and South Korea set up national stands.A medical tourism section presented information about medical treatment abroad, from advice on choosing a clinic to obtaining a visa and organising the journey.The organisers of Astana Leisure 2014 are Kazakhstan’s Iteca Exhibition Company and the U.K.’s ITE Group Plc., with official support provided by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Investment and Development, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the city administration (akimat) of Astana.
