U.S. Company Interested in Gas Processing and Petrochemical Projects in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan was among the first countries to submit a bid to host the 2028 conference. On May 26, during IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi’s visit to Astana, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Agency Almassadam Satkaliyev handed over the relevant letter. We received confirmation nearly two weeks ago that the IAEA will hold the event in Almaty, naturally with the Institute of Nuclear Physics serving as one of the host venues," Sakhiev said.

We expect prominent scientists, specialists and experts in research reactors from all over the world. By that time, we hope to have made a decision on our new research reactor. We will once again present our plans and seek the opinions of the world’s experts on whether we have chosen the right reactor," he said.

In the future, it should serve not only fundamental and applied science but also the production of radiopharmaceuticals. Potentially, it could even support the manufacture of microchips and semiconductors in Kazakhstan," Sakhiev added.

Over the next three to four years, we will apply to the IAEA to extend the reactor’s operational lifespan by another 10 to 15 years. If we secure such an extension in 2030, it would allow the reactor to operate until 2040-2045. What happens after that will depend on future developments," Sakhiev said.

If a second research reactor is built, we will be able to distribute this workload and avoid interruptions," he said.

We do not include the quasi-public sector in these calculations. Kazakhstan’s sovereign government debt stands at $17 billion, or 4.5% of GDP. This is significantly lower than in neighbouring countries," Takiyev said.

We spend 3.5 trillion tenge on debt servicing. However, through diversification of our debt portfolio, we have already saved 115 billion tenge this year," he said.

These are obligations between business entities. They borrow independently and repay independently. The state has not provided guarantees for these loans," he said.

The government may provide guarantees, for example, for road rehabilitation projects. But the amount involved is only about 2 trillion tenge. We bear no responsibility for all other debts," the minister explained.

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Bilateral trade amounted to $1.9 billion in January-April, which is 42.1% higher than during the same period last year," the press service said.

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I cannot say that electricity costs have no impact; they are certainly one of the factors affecting production conditions. However, fluctuations in these prices are not critical. The key factor in production costs remains primary raw materials," the minister said.

There are consumption patterns, and seasonality also plays a role - all of these factors influence prices. Prices never remain static, but they are stable when the market is sufficiently supplied. Food inflation exists. Our task is to prevent increases in the prices of the most in-demand goods and avoid sharp spikes. Growth itself is also a law of economics," he said.