What, in your opinion, are the priorities of cooperation between Poland and Kazakhstan? Which fields would you define as the most important? What is the significance of cooperation in the petrochemical industry and mining?

We sincerely welcome every initiative from Polish and Kazakh businesspersons, particularly those which are conducive to diversification of our economy, that is which depart from its emphasis on raw materials towards industrial production in the widest sense, petrochemical industry, processing agricultural products, biotechnology, pharmaceutics, IT, tourism, services etc. Kazakhstan’s government is trying to create conditions favourable for business in those industries, with two kinds of concessions available: investment tax preference and state natural grants established for each investor separately and dependent on an investment project’s parameters.
With that in mind, Polish companies have the greatest opportunities to successfully move into such sectors of the Kazakh markets as construction, food industry, petrochemical industry and mining. As regards the latter mentioned which is rapidly expanding in my country, the intensive growth of bilateral business partnerships is an obvious possibility since Polish companies frequently render services which accompany mining.. The Polish company OGEC Krakow can serve as an example of positive operations on the Kazakh market, performing several contracts in geology and drilling for local companies and international consortiums, as well as “Bumar” which supplies devices and equipment for mining construction and performing other mining jobs.
The petrochemical industry contains a huge potential for bilateral cooperation. Such Polish national consortiums as “Orlen” and “Lotos” have enormous experience in crude oil processing and manufacturing petroleum products. Since Kazakhstan intends to deliver to world markets not only raw materials but also finished products of high added value, I feel the possibility exists of creating business partnerships in this field between Poland and Kazakhstan by setting up joint ventures in my country– refineries processing crude oil and gas and plants manufacturing chemical products. We are open to any proposal which Poland may present in this area.

Astana, the new capital of Kazakhstan, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. How would you assess the contribution of Polish companies to its construction?
Let me stress that shifting the capital of Kazakhstan constituted a substantial impulse for social, economic and political progress of my country.
Young Astana has become a symbol of a rejuvenated Kazakhstan looking to the future. That city is associated with the strengthening, rapid growth and increasing competitiveness of my country’s economy. The city has already acquired the status of the country’s business centre: Astana accounts for almost one tenth of the Republic’s GNP. Modern, competitive production centres are to be created in the city, several investment projects are already under review and will reach the implementations stage.
The presence of Polish companies in constructing Astana is evident: such property developers and building materials producers like “Ulma Construction”, “Selena”, “Atlas”, “ Śnieżka”, “Cersanit”, “Paradyż”, “Centrostal” and others operate here. Even so, we would like even more Polish companies to participate in the construction of such objects as housing estates, schools, sports stadiums, public utility buildings (theatres, cinemas, entertainment centres), infrastructure elements (motorways, bridges, etc.).

Traditional transportation routes are again gaining in importance, much being said about the benefits which a new silk route would bring – connecting Europe with China. What role might be played by Kazakhstan as a country lying on that route?
The resurrection of erstwhile, traditional transport routes like the Silk Route coincides with a task specified by President Nursultan Nazarbajev in his address to the nation of February 2008. On the initiative of the Kazakh head of state, the country is already tackling the largest transportation project in Kazakhstan – the creation of a transcontinental “West Europe – West China” corridor, to pass through the southern regions of the country and, through Russia, to connect with Europe. The construction and reconstruction of the system of transportation road in Kazakhstan is to begin, mainly on the basis of licenses and then introducing fees for their use, so as to reduce the financial burden carried by the national budget. To attract investments and stimulate licensed projects, the national government intends to streamline the existing legislative system and the standards regulating that sector.
Kazakhstan and Poland are transit countries which means they should make the greatest use of that superiority to favour the creation of new jobs and stimulation of regional economies.

The increasing close economic contacts between our countries signify the need for better transportation links. Are direct flights between Poland and Kazakhstan expected?
Opening direct aviation links between our two countries is an enormously important item on the bilateral cooperation agenda. The absence of such links hinders growing business partnership and the development of tourism in both directions, though appropriate legal instruments already exists between the two parties. Our Embassy draws particular attention to that issue in every meeting with officials of the Polish government, civil aviation and the national airlines. I feel sure that direct aviation connections between Kazakhstan and Poland, leading countries in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, will be opened in the not distant future which will be dictated by objective necessity in the conditions of intensifying globalisation.

A 50,000 Polish minority lives in Kazakhstan. How does its presence in such an important Central Asian country create opportunities for Polish business?
Let me stress, first and foremost, that the Polish minority in Kazakhstan was granted the possibility of cultivating their Polish language, culture, traditions and customs when Kazakhstan became independent in 1991. Today Polish schools operate in Kazakhstan while in regions where Poles reside (mainly in northern Kazakhstan) a “TV Polonia” TV signal is broadcast. Also, the Catholic Church is performing its work in the five diocese which have been opened in Kazakhstan where the majority are composed of Polish clergy. However, the “weakest link” is the insufficient economic support for the Polish minority by Polish businesses. It would be a good thing if Polish companies operating in my country were to take a page from other Diasporas resident in Kazakhstan, like the German and Korean, and attract professional personnel rooted in the Polish community, thereby also consolidating their economic standing.
In my view, if it were possible to bring those elements – culture, language, religion and business into one entity, no need would arise to “carry away” Poles from Kazakhstan to Poland and even create a grand initial base operating not only on the Kazakh market but throughout all Central Asia.. You have to remember that this is a region with a market of 55 million and a real possibility of expanding into the huge Chinese market.

In 2010 Kazakhstan will assume the presidency of the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe. What new possibilities will that open for your country and the members of the OSCE?
The 17 annual session of the General Assembly of OSCE was held in Astana between the 28 June and 3 July 2008. Addressing the session President Nursultan Nazarbajev claimed that to stage such a representative forum in the capital of Kazakhstan expresses approval of the successes registered by the country’s economic and political reforms as an important practical step towards consolidating cooperation between the OSCE and Kazakhstan.
The Kazakh head of state stressed that our country is aware of its role as a reliable participant in regional and global economic processes. Kazakhstan is an important element in the system of the global energy infrastructure and currently is entering the group of major exporters of hydrocarbon raw materials. The decision for Kazakhstan to preside over the OSCE in 2010 led us to elaborate a special programme called “The Road to Europe”, a document which will reflect our interest in greater joint activities with European countries in energy generation, transportation transit, technology transfers, education and humanitarian cooperation.
When reviewing how a modern democratic model should be shaped in Kazakhstan, the President stressed the need to implement a number of important steps towards further democratisation of society: creating a legal system allowing a parliament to be formed with the participation of at least two parties; ensuring conditions which would be more conducive for state registration of political parties; improving procedures concerning the election process; removal of excessive bureaucratic barriers regulating the work of the mass media.
In my opinion, taking into account the presence of a Polish minority in my country, the similar mentality of the citizens of our two countries, the absence of historical and political problems, Warsaw’s initiatives in “eastern dimension” politics and also its “Eastern Partnership” in the European Union, - - the Kazakh “Road to Europe” should pass through Poland. That would consolidate our political, economic, cultural and humanitarian partnership which, surely, will exclusively generate benefits for the citizens of both our countries.