Tweet
LEBANON, KAZAKHSTAN ENJOY STRONG MUTUAL BONDS, AMBASSADOR SAYS
Astana Times, Kazakhstan
Feb 6 2015
By Dmitry Lee in Eurasia & World on 6 February
ASTANA - Lebanon is one of the first Arab countries to establish
diplomatic relations with Kazakhstan. The two countries forged
ties back in April of 1993. According to Ambassador of Lebanon
to Kazakhstan Vazken Kavlakian,"the reason the country decided to
establish diplomatic relations with Kazakhstan is because our then
Acting Prime Minister Sheikh Rafic Hariri foresaw Kazakhstan becoming
the most prominent Central Asian nation."
Hariri later paid a visit to Kazakhstan in August 2003, during which
he met with Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov. The parties discussed
ways of improving political, economic and trade relations and signed
a memorandum of understanding forming a joint ministerial committee.
"In 2004, a Kazakhstan parliamentary delegation traveled to Lebanon
and met with the president and other high officials and in April 2010,
Kazakhstan Prime Minister Karim Massimov paid an official visit to
Lebanon, he also met with current President Michel Suleiman and signed
a memorandum of understanding on mutual cooperation and political
consultation," Kavlakian continued.
Current bilateral trade exceeds $1 billion and mostly pertains
to wheat, sulfur and pharmaceuticals. Lebanon-based engineering
company Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) has opened a large
construction site in a joint operation with Arabtec. The result
will be the tallest skyscraper in Central Asia; the 320-metre high,
75-floor Abu Dhabi Plaza.
"There is also a number of small Lebanese enterprises in Kazakhstan,
including pharmaceutical and medical ones and franchises like
confectionaries. By the end of this month, provided that the
prospective investors and staff obtain Kazakhstan visas, Lebanese
investors will be traveling to Kazakhstan for market and economic zone
research for potentially building and operating a new paint factory."
The ambassador also mentioned some challenges regarding distance
and logistics that those involved in trade between Kazakhstan and
Lebanon face.
"Another challenge for Lebanese citizens is obtaining Kazakhstan
visas; Kazakhstan is strict in issuing visas [to people from our
region]. Conversely, Kazakhstan citizens may obtain visas at the
Lebanese border upon arrival," he said.
The recent launch of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) could be of
benefit to Lebanon; however, the ambassador foresees obstacles that
would be hard to overcome at the moment.
"For a small country like Lebanon, it is always beneficial to
be included in big markets, such as the EAEU. Lebanon is good at
light industry, as we don't have heavy industry like automobile,
aeronautical or defense manufacturing. Our strength lies in the apparel
industry, clothes, shoes, etc. Joining the EAEU would of course be
very beneficial, but as I mentioned, logistics are a challenge with
the situation in Syria, which forces us to use sea routes. Logistics
prices have increased considerably. Once the situation in the region
eases a little, the country will of course consider joining the EAEU."
Lebanon has supported Kazakhstan in its EXPO 2017 bid, the UN
Human Rights Council and now the country backs Kazakhstan for the
non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council for 2017-2018.
Positive relations have been mutual and are well established.
Currently, there are about 400 Lebanese nationals living in Astana,
some 200 living in Almaty and some in Atyrau, Aktau and Baikonur. They
are all engaged in various business activities.
Lebanon in a nutshell
"Lebanon is a country with a 6,000-year history. The predecessors of
the modern Lebanese, the Phoenicians, who created the Arabic alphabet
and Arabic numbers and were master shipbuilders, put the country on
the map. Since cedar was almost always used in shipbuilding and is
known for being light and strong, it is the country's symbol and is
depicted on the Lebanese flag," the Lebanese ambassador explained.
"The country has endured [and withstood] invaders such as Alexander the
Great and suffered through the Arab and Assyrian invasions, endured
Roman rule and later [outlasted] empires such as the Ottoman Empire
of which Lebanon was a part for 400 years and the French Empire from
1920 to 1943. Being a very small country with a population of four
million people, Lebanon has managed to develop its tourism industry."
Tourism accounted for about 10 percent of country's GDP before the
conflict in neighbouring Syria began. The country attracted some
1.3 million tourists in 2008 and in 2009 during the global financial
crisis, Beirut was ranked the number one travel destination by the New
York Times thanks to its nightlife, hospitality and pleasant climate.
In January 2010, the Ministry of Tourism announced a 39 percent
increase from 2008, the number of tourists reached two million in 2010,
but fell by 37 percent in 2012 as a result of the war in Syria.
"The majority of tourists come from the neighbouring Arab states. What
is great about vacationing in Lebanon is its location, as it's situated
on the Mediterranean. In April for instance, you can go swimming and
then go to the mountains and ski. Life is very easy in Lebanon; we
are a service-oriented country and are famed for our cuisine," he said.
Another niche the country has been well-recognised for lately is its
banking system, the ambassador noted.
"Proof of that would be the growth of the internal economy during
the financial crisis [in 2008-2009]. Not only did our banking system
withstand [the challenges] it actually grew during the [crisis] years.
Our foreign [monetary] holdings increased."
Lebanon also boasts well-recognised universities like the American
University of Beirut for instance and the country has a good
educational system. According to the ambassador, with its low
tuition costs which are almost half of London for instance, the
country could have great potential in education, but the security
situation prevents Lebanon from establishing strong international
student exchange with Kazakhstan.
Life in Astana through the Eyes of a Lebanese Ambassador
The ambassador, who is of Armenian descent and is fluent in English,
French and Arabic and speaks some Russian and, of course, his native
Armenian, assumed office in November 2007 and has been serving
ever since.
"When I first arrived in 2007 at night, I was met at the airport by
people from the protocol department and taken to the hotel. Although
it was [dark] I managed to notice many construction cranes. In the
morning as I was sitting in my hotel room, I remember counting 32
cranes [while looking out my window]," he recounted.
"Back then there were only the TSUM and Mega shopping malls and no
others, there were very few restaurants and very few people who could
communicate in English. I couldn't speak Russian, so communication
and language was my biggest challenge. I then took Russian lessons
to at least be able to communicate on the streets and in everyday
life. But today, people speak English in the streets and in the stores
and supermarkets [in Astana]. I can say Astana became a very beautiful
city after its construction boom," Kavlakian said.
"Back when I arrived, the Media Centre had not been built and the
Kazakhstan Temir Zholy building was not there, only the Northern
Lights apartment complex was under construction. For me, it was
[unusual] to spend hours traveling from one part of the country to
another. In Lebanon, it takes minutes," he said smiling.
"Another challenge besides the language was the weather. When I arrive
in Beirut, the temperatures are over 20 Celsius, but when I arrive
in Astana, its negative 20 Celsius, the difference is 40 degrees. But
as time passes, the winter is becoming milder and milder. This year,
it was only negative 30 for several days," he noted.
In concluding, the ambassador admitted that he had not been too excited
about his appointment as ambassador initially due to his lack of
previous experience, but after some time, he came to enjoy his posting.
http://www.astanatimes.com/2015/02/lebanon-kazakhstan-enjoy-strong-mutual-bonds-ambassador-says/
Astana Times, Kazakhstan
Feb 6 2015
By Dmitry Lee in Eurasia & World on 6 February
ASTANA - Lebanon is one of the first Arab countries to establish
diplomatic relations with Kazakhstan. The two countries forged
ties back in April of 1993. According to Ambassador of Lebanon
to Kazakhstan Vazken Kavlakian,"the reason the country decided to
establish diplomatic relations with Kazakhstan is because our then
Acting Prime Minister Sheikh Rafic Hariri foresaw Kazakhstan becoming
the most prominent Central Asian nation."
Hariri later paid a visit to Kazakhstan in August 2003, during which
he met with Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov. The parties discussed
ways of improving political, economic and trade relations and signed
a memorandum of understanding forming a joint ministerial committee.
"In 2004, a Kazakhstan parliamentary delegation traveled to Lebanon
and met with the president and other high officials and in April 2010,
Kazakhstan Prime Minister Karim Massimov paid an official visit to
Lebanon, he also met with current President Michel Suleiman and signed
a memorandum of understanding on mutual cooperation and political
consultation," Kavlakian continued.
Current bilateral trade exceeds $1 billion and mostly pertains
to wheat, sulfur and pharmaceuticals. Lebanon-based engineering
company Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) has opened a large
construction site in a joint operation with Arabtec. The result
will be the tallest skyscraper in Central Asia; the 320-metre high,
75-floor Abu Dhabi Plaza.
"There is also a number of small Lebanese enterprises in Kazakhstan,
including pharmaceutical and medical ones and franchises like
confectionaries. By the end of this month, provided that the
prospective investors and staff obtain Kazakhstan visas, Lebanese
investors will be traveling to Kazakhstan for market and economic zone
research for potentially building and operating a new paint factory."
The ambassador also mentioned some challenges regarding distance
and logistics that those involved in trade between Kazakhstan and
Lebanon face.
"Another challenge for Lebanese citizens is obtaining Kazakhstan
visas; Kazakhstan is strict in issuing visas [to people from our
region]. Conversely, Kazakhstan citizens may obtain visas at the
Lebanese border upon arrival," he said.
The recent launch of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) could be of
benefit to Lebanon; however, the ambassador foresees obstacles that
would be hard to overcome at the moment.
"For a small country like Lebanon, it is always beneficial to
be included in big markets, such as the EAEU. Lebanon is good at
light industry, as we don't have heavy industry like automobile,
aeronautical or defense manufacturing. Our strength lies in the apparel
industry, clothes, shoes, etc. Joining the EAEU would of course be
very beneficial, but as I mentioned, logistics are a challenge with
the situation in Syria, which forces us to use sea routes. Logistics
prices have increased considerably. Once the situation in the region
eases a little, the country will of course consider joining the EAEU."
Lebanon has supported Kazakhstan in its EXPO 2017 bid, the UN
Human Rights Council and now the country backs Kazakhstan for the
non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council for 2017-2018.
Positive relations have been mutual and are well established.
Currently, there are about 400 Lebanese nationals living in Astana,
some 200 living in Almaty and some in Atyrau, Aktau and Baikonur. They
are all engaged in various business activities.
Lebanon in a nutshell
"Lebanon is a country with a 6,000-year history. The predecessors of
the modern Lebanese, the Phoenicians, who created the Arabic alphabet
and Arabic numbers and were master shipbuilders, put the country on
the map. Since cedar was almost always used in shipbuilding and is
known for being light and strong, it is the country's symbol and is
depicted on the Lebanese flag," the Lebanese ambassador explained.
"The country has endured [and withstood] invaders such as Alexander the
Great and suffered through the Arab and Assyrian invasions, endured
Roman rule and later [outlasted] empires such as the Ottoman Empire
of which Lebanon was a part for 400 years and the French Empire from
1920 to 1943. Being a very small country with a population of four
million people, Lebanon has managed to develop its tourism industry."
Tourism accounted for about 10 percent of country's GDP before the
conflict in neighbouring Syria began. The country attracted some
1.3 million tourists in 2008 and in 2009 during the global financial
crisis, Beirut was ranked the number one travel destination by the New
York Times thanks to its nightlife, hospitality and pleasant climate.
In January 2010, the Ministry of Tourism announced a 39 percent
increase from 2008, the number of tourists reached two million in 2010,
but fell by 37 percent in 2012 as a result of the war in Syria.
"The majority of tourists come from the neighbouring Arab states. What
is great about vacationing in Lebanon is its location, as it's situated
on the Mediterranean. In April for instance, you can go swimming and
then go to the mountains and ski. Life is very easy in Lebanon; we
are a service-oriented country and are famed for our cuisine," he said.
Another niche the country has been well-recognised for lately is its
banking system, the ambassador noted.
"Proof of that would be the growth of the internal economy during
the financial crisis [in 2008-2009]. Not only did our banking system
withstand [the challenges] it actually grew during the [crisis] years.
Our foreign [monetary] holdings increased."
Lebanon also boasts well-recognised universities like the American
University of Beirut for instance and the country has a good
educational system. According to the ambassador, with its low
tuition costs which are almost half of London for instance, the
country could have great potential in education, but the security
situation prevents Lebanon from establishing strong international
student exchange with Kazakhstan.
Life in Astana through the Eyes of a Lebanese Ambassador
The ambassador, who is of Armenian descent and is fluent in English,
French and Arabic and speaks some Russian and, of course, his native
Armenian, assumed office in November 2007 and has been serving
ever since.
"When I first arrived in 2007 at night, I was met at the airport by
people from the protocol department and taken to the hotel. Although
it was [dark] I managed to notice many construction cranes. In the
morning as I was sitting in my hotel room, I remember counting 32
cranes [while looking out my window]," he recounted.
"Back then there were only the TSUM and Mega shopping malls and no
others, there were very few restaurants and very few people who could
communicate in English. I couldn't speak Russian, so communication
and language was my biggest challenge. I then took Russian lessons
to at least be able to communicate on the streets and in everyday
life. But today, people speak English in the streets and in the stores
and supermarkets [in Astana]. I can say Astana became a very beautiful
city after its construction boom," Kavlakian said.
"Back when I arrived, the Media Centre had not been built and the
Kazakhstan Temir Zholy building was not there, only the Northern
Lights apartment complex was under construction. For me, it was
[unusual] to spend hours traveling from one part of the country to
another. In Lebanon, it takes minutes," he said smiling.
"Another challenge besides the language was the weather. When I arrive
in Beirut, the temperatures are over 20 Celsius, but when I arrive
in Astana, its negative 20 Celsius, the difference is 40 degrees. But
as time passes, the winter is becoming milder and milder. This year,
it was only negative 30 for several days," he noted.
In concluding, the ambassador admitted that he had not been too excited
about his appointment as ambassador initially due to his lack of
previous experience, but after some time, he came to enjoy his posting.
http://www.astanatimes.com/2015/02/lebanon-kazakhstan-enjoy-strong-mutual-bonds-ambassador-says/