Gold Magazine December 2013 - January 2014, Issue 33 | Page 49

been turned into a centre of global interreligious dialogue.
We were the first in the Commonwealth
of Independent States to develop a modern market economy based on private
property, free competition and openness.
Our model is based on a proactive role of
the government in attracting foreign capital. To date we have attracted over $160
billion of foreign investment.
We have established basic conditions
for entrepreneurship, as well as a modern
taxation system.
We have systematically diversified our
economy. I am setting out a clear task to
accelerate the industrialisation programme
to help transform the shape of our
economy and make it immune to global
commodity price fluctuations within the
decade.
Over the 15 years following the adoption of the 2030 Strategy, our state has
joined the top five dynamically developing
countries of the world.
There are recognized rankings which
countries use to track their development.
We have entered the Top 50 largest global
economies and we are already ranked 51st
in terms of economic competitiveness.
A major criterion for me has always
been and will be our people’s standard of
living.
Over the past 15 years, the incomes
of our citizens have grown 16-fold. The
number of people with an income below
subsistence level is seven times lower than
it was while the number of those unemployed is half what it used to be. 
We have laid the foundation of a socialoriented society and we have managed to
achieve substantial progress in improving

our nation’s health. To improve the efficiency of our healthcare system, we have
reformed its organization, management
and funding. Over the last five years, the
maternal mortality rate has decreased
threefold, while the birthrate is 1.5 times
as high.
We have created equal opportunities
for education. Over the last 15 years,
expenditure on education has grown 9.5
times. We have implemented a Government Education Development Programme
designed to radically modernize education
at all levels, from pre-school to higher
education.
Thanks to our long-term human capital
investment policy, we have brought up a
talented generation of today’s youth.
In world politics, our country is a
responsible and reliable partner with
an indisputable weight in the international arena. We play an important role
in strengthening global security and supporting the international community in
its fight against terrorism, extremism, and
illicit drug trafficking.
Our initiative to convene a Conference
on Interaction and Confidence Building
Measures in Asia (CICA) has seen CICA
grow into an organisation with 24 member countries that have a combined population exceeding 3 billion people. CICA is
a critical element of Kazakhstan’s security.
Over the last 2-3 years, the Republic of
Kazakhstan has chaired the Organisation
for Security and C