ASTANA – Immediately following newly elected President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s inauguration on April 29, Nazarbayev re-nominated Karim Massimov Prime Minister of Kazakhstan. The re-appointment came later in the day by presidential decree following a plenary session of the Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament) with members of the legislature giving their unanimous consent to Massimov’s candidature.
Earlier the same day during a meeting with leaders of parliamentary factions, Nazarbayev nominated Massimov for the position of prime minister. The heads of factions also unanimously supported the nomination.
“We are starting a new programme. I need to approve a commission, which immediately after the [May 1] holidays will proceed to the work. To save time on the process of familiarisation, I think we should maintain the continuity of the government. Karim Massimov is doing well, he has the potential, all the necessary knowledge and we can rely on him in accomplishing this job,” said Nazarbayev.
Massimov expressed gratitude for the President’s trust and said he would direct all his efforts to accomplishing the President’s goals.
Karim Massimov was born in 1965. He began his career as a chief economist and head of the department at the Ministry of Labour. He was later a senior specialist to the representation office of the Ministry of External Economic Ties in Urumqi (China) and managing director of the Kazakh Trading House in Hong Kong.
He was appointed deputy prime minister in January 2006 and prime minister in January 2007. He served as head of the Presidential Administration from September 2012 until being asked to continue his duties as prime minister in April 2014.
Massimov, who speaks Chinese, Arabic and English, is already Kazakhstan’s longest serving prime minister.
