Astana, the capital of the Republic of
Kazakhstan, hosted its first international exhibition called "Karaotkel
(‘Capital’) 2000," that gathered representatives from over 90 enterprises
from the 16 regions of Kazakhstan, regions of Russia (Omsk, Tumen, Samara, and Nizhny
Novgorod), and even from Kyrgyzstan. The mayor of Astana with the assistance of
"Atakent-Expo" an international exhibition company organized the exhibition. The
overall goals of the exhibition were to show the wide range of products that are currently
produced by Kazakhstan’s enterprises. It was to prove that Kazakhstan is fully
capable of providing for its domestic needs, and that Kazakhstan’s industrial
capacity is able to spur the national economy.

The exhibition opened on in Astana, on the day known as the "Day of the City"
the day Astana was proclaimed the new capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 1998.
Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Tokaev officially opened the exhibition with positive
statements regarding the outlook of Kazakhstan’s economic situation. The high point
of the exhibition was a visit from President Nursultan Nazerbayev, who visited almost all
the enterprises represented at the exhibition, looked over their displays and information,
and personally spoke with many of the representatives regarding their business activities.

The Northern Kazakhstan Region was represented by 10 enterprises from all different
branches of the nation’s economy. Among the representatives were the five former
defense plants of Petropavlosk, now converted to produce a wide selection of consumer
goods and oil refining products. The exhibition was an excellent opportunity for the
country to see the newly acquired potential of the five former defense plants. The
organizer of the Northern Kazakhstan Regional Delegation was the Northern Kazakhstan
Chamber of Commerce and Industry that has repeatedly proven their skill in bring together
the enterprises of the region for representation at exhibitions, trade fairs, and business
meetings.

Despite all the difficulties in Kazakhstan’s market transition process, industries
have been able to rebuild and operate under harsh conditions. Each region of Kazakhstan
presented their best enterprises able to supply the market, decrease the amount of
imports, and strengthen the overall economy. In a short conversation with the enterprise
representatives of the Northern Kazakhstan Region, Prime Minister Tokaev spoke of the
important role that Kazakhstani industry is currently playing, and will play in the
revival of the national economy. The Prime Minister also confirmed that the government of
Kazakhstan will promote and support this industrial revival because any major
transformation in society will rest upon its strong economic foundation.

Andrei Emelin