10 important events of 2018 by KazTAG version

Almaty. December 24. KazTAG - KazTAG International News Agency has listed 10 most important events in Kazakhstan in 2018.

1. Chairmanship of Kazakhstan in the UN Security Council

The main event of the year in foreign policy was the chairmanship of Kazakhstan in the UN Security Council. Within its framework, about 30 meetings were held in the format of consultations, briefings and debates, as a result resolutions and statements for the press have been made. Ministerial debates were aimed at development of regional partnership in Afghanistan and Central Asia as a model of interdependence of security and development, the UN Security Council delegation visited Kabul, there was a special high-level event on launching the draft Code of Conduct for the world free of terrorism.

2. Bus crash leaving 52 casualties

Setra passenger bus caught fire on January 18, at 10.30 am of Astana time on the 1068th km of the Samara-Shymkent highway as a result 52 people were burned alive. All were citizens of Uzbekistan. Five passengers managed to escape, three of them were drivers - citizens of Kazakhstan. The fire was caused by careless handling of fire. According to investigators, the drivers used a blowtorch to heat the bus.
Three surviving drivers - Nurzhan Kyrgyzbaev, Maksat Pernebekov and Barat Tanatov were sentenced 5 years imprisonment. They have been banned to work in the transportation field for 7 years.
The mechanics of Asiantranzitservice LLP Bahadur Perdebayev and  director of the company Nurlybek Tlepbayev were sentenced 3.6 years imprisonment.

3. Registration of mobile phones under the new rules

Subscribers must go through a new registration of mobile phones in Kazakhstan - now each subscriber is obliged to provide his mobile operator the IIN and IMEI-code of the mobile device. The authorities claim that after the introduction of mandatory registration, phones theft will get meaningless, since the new owners will not be able to use someone else's device. The mobile phones whose owners do not register them before January 1, 2019 will be disabled.


4. Legal action by Moldovan businessman

The American holding company BNYM froze $ 22 bn assets of the National Fund of Kazakhstan following a lawsuit by a Moldovan businessman Anatol Stati and his company to the Government of Kazakhstan. The entrepreneur blamed the Government for raider seizure attempt and demanded $ 4 bn in damages. Since then, the Ministry of Justice has repeatedly stated that the Moldovan businessman uses fraudulent schemes, misleading a number of foreign countries.


5. Creation of the Turkestan region

The Turkestan region was established in June by the decree of the President while Shymkent became a city of the republican significance. The city of Turkestan, which for centuries has been the heart of the political and spiritual life of the Kazakh Khanate and the whole Turkic world, has become the regional center. The newly formed region has all the opportunities for qualitative implementation of new administrative functions. Shymkent became the third, after Almaty and Astana metropolis, where more than a million people live.

6. Murder of Denis Ten

Murder of figure skater Denis Ten shocked all the people in Kazakhstan on July 19. He tried to stop two auto-thieves who had stolen the mirrors from his car, but one of them stabbed the sportsman with a knife. Denis died from acute blood loss. Despite the fact that the suspects in the crime were detained the next day, society began to demand resignation of authorities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and to reform the police in Kazakhstan. No one was dismissed, while reform was declared in the message of the President of Kazakhstan.

7. Adoption of convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea

The 5th summit of the heads of the Caspian states was held in Aktau on August 12, the convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea was adopted at the session, which has been under development for over 20 years. Territorial waters have been established with a width of 20-15 nautical miles, while the external borders have got the state status. There is a 10-mile fishing zone adjacent to territorial waters, where each state has the exclusive right to fish. Outside the fishing zones, there is a common water area. Each state exercises sovereign subsoil rights within its seabed sector. The summit was attended by the presidents of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and Turkmenistan.


8. Bankruptcy of Qazaq Banki, Eximbank and Bank of Astana

The National Bank withdrew the licenses from three financial institutions : in August - from Qazaq Banki and Eximbank, in September - from the Bank of Astana.
They were deprived of the licenses due to systematic violation of regulations. The National Bank negotiated with the management of each of the banks to develop measures that would help stabilize the work of financial organizations, but the latter did not propose or take any necessary measures. However, the deprivation of the license of these banks, according to the regulator, does not bear risks for the banking sector of the state in general, and customers do not need to worry about safety of their funds, as the banks are members of the mandatory deposit insurance program.


9. Creation of Fly Arystan, national low-cost airline  


A new player will enter the airline market -  Fly Arystan low cost company. The low cost division of the national carrier Air Astana has so far only four Airbus 320 aircrafts with a cabin configuration of 180 economy class seats. By the end of 2022, their number will increase to 15, tickets will be 50% cheaper than the current fares. It is a self-financed project and will not require additional investments from the state.


10. Mukhtar Ablyazov sentenced life imprisonment in absentia

Opponent to the current regime, Mukhtar Ablyazov, has received another imprisonment term in November - life sentence for organizing a contract murder. The court concluded that M. Ablyazov organized the murder of banker Yerzhan Tatishev. Businessman Muratkhan Tokmadi, convicted for the murder of Y.Tatishev, declared in court that he killed the businessman while hunting by request. Prior to this, M. Ablyazov was sentenced 20 years in prison. Ablyazov, who received political asylum in France, did not attend any of the trials.