ASTANA. October 2. KAZINFORM. /Anar Zhumabekova/ Head of the State Nursultan Nazarbayev held a working session with the Government this week to discuss the issues of socio-economic development of the country and the process of the harvest campaign. It was reported at the session that cereal crops were harvested at the 85% of acreages. Gross grain is up to 18 mln tons. Average yield is up to 12.5 centners per hectare. Over 400 thousand new jobs were created in the country within the Road Map program realization. Over 54.2 thousand unemployed were retraining. At the end of the meeting the Head of the State gave a range of tasks upon the results of the session. September 30 Nursultan Nazarbayev arrived in Atyrau oblast with a working visit where he surveyed the progress of several construction projects. In Makat municipality he inspected the construction of a complex unit on oil and gas processing. The project amounts to USD 3.9 bln. Construction work is carried out by Agip CCO. Completion of construction and launch of the installation is scheduled for 2010. Another facility visited was the oil and gas treatment unit of "Bolashak" plant. 20, 500 people are employed on the construction site of the plant. The project is to be completed in 2010. The total cost of the plant is USD 3.9 bln. The President also examined the process of construction of "Atyrau-Aktau". Construction of this important for the region road is implemented within the program on the development of road-transport infrastructure for 2006-2012. The Head of the State visited road construction site connecting Karabatan village of Atyrau region and Beineu village in Mangystau region. The construction of this part of the road was begun in 2007. Today the construction is accomplished and landscaping of the new road is underway. The road is expected to serve as a corridor to Central Asia for cargos from Russia and Europe. The project of reconstruction of the road to the amount of KZT 26 bln 583.3 mln is financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Nursultan Nazarbayev participated in the launch of construction of 'Uzen- State Border of Kazakhstan with Turkmenistan' railway through a video conference. This is an interstate project of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran. The new railway route will run from the Kazakh station Uzen to Turkmen stations Gyzylgaya, Bereket, Etrek and Gorgan where it will join the network of Iranian railroads. The total length of the road will make 650 km. The cost of the project is USD 620 mln. The Head of the State stressed the strategic importance of this project. Continuing his trip to Atyrau the Head of the State visited new social facilities of Atyrau region, such as the new maternity hospital and new roofed ice stadium in Atyrau, and took part in the launching ceremony of the turbine with capacity of 25 mW at the Atyrau thermal power plant. President Nursultan Nazarbayev complimented successful work of the local executive authorities on the Road Map. "A large amount of work was performed in the region within the Road Map. KZT 8.4 bln allocated for the investment projects were already disbursed. 36 projects were implemented. 11 thousand new jobs are created", the President said at the meeting with power engineers after the launching ceremony of a turbine with capacity of 25 mW at the Atyrau thermal power plant. Nursultan Nazarbayev paid an official visit to Azerbaijan. In advance of the visit the two countries held a regular session of the joint Intergovernmental Commission on trade-economic cooperation. Azerbaijani representative to the Commission, Minister of Energy and Industry Natig Aliyev noted that the political relations and economic cooperation between two countries are dynamical developing and approaching new level. Kazakh Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Sauat Mynbayev said that energy is one of the main parts of the bilateral relations between countries. Besides, N.Aliyev noted that due to close friendship of two brotherly republics established by the Leaders G.Aliyev and N.Nazarbayev the potential of the bilateral cooperation is very high. Upon the results of the meeting the sides signed Protocol on standing session of the Intergovernmental Commission on trade-economic cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Kazakhstan. Having arrived in Baku N. Nazarbayev laid a wreath to the grave of the national hero of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliev. The president also visited the Alley of Shekhids -heroes of Azerbaijan who died for the sovereignty of the country in different periods of its formation. The official ceremony of meeting of Kazakhstan's President was held in Ilham Aliyev's country residence. N. Nazarbayev and I. Aliyev held talks behind the closed doors. The parties have signed a range of documents. Namely the agreements between the Kazakh Government and the Azerbaijani Government on mutual visa-free travels of the citizens, on cooperation in the field of veterinary were signed. The agreement on debt redemption, incurred as a result of the trade-economic relations during 1992-1993; the Agreement between the Kazakh and Azerbaijani Ministries of Agriculture on cooperation and joint declaration on establishment of contacts between twinned-cities Aktau and Sumgait were signed as well. The parties have also signed a Memorandum on shared use of the facilities of oil and gas infrastructure of the State oil Company of Azerbaijan in development of the Kazakh hydrocarbon deposits and Memo on intention to cooperation on the issues of "Baku - Black Sea" oil pipeline between "KazMunaiGaz" JSC and the State oil Company of Azerbaijan were signed within the meeting. The sides signed agreement on joint activity on the development of feasibility study on the Caspian project. The Presidents of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have made a statement to mass media following the results of Nursultan Nazarbayev's official visit to Azerbaijan. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev expressed confidence in further development of bilateral relations between the two states. "In energy sector we are allies. The documents we have signed today are a start of long way", he said. Kazakh leader Nursultan Nazarbayev thanked his Azerbaijani counterpart for invitation to his country. "We held successful negotiations, all documents were signed", he noted. After the talks the President of Kazakhstan left for Nakhchivan city. In connection with the fall harvesting campaign Head of the State Nursultan Nazarbayev congratulated grain farmers of Kazakhstan with a record harvest gathered this year. "In hard weather conditions the farmers of the country grew good crop. This year's gross grain harvest in Kazakhstan totaled 21 mln tons in bunker weight - the second record harvest over the last five years. Achievement of good yield and high quality of grain is a result of tireless work of the farmers and systematic state support of development of the grain production which allowed extending crop areas, diversifying plant industry and setting to water-saving technologies", the letter reads. The President particularly congratulated farmers of Kostanay, North Kazakhstan and Akmola oblasts which had gathered around 16 mln tons of grain. Record harvest was reported in Almaty, Zhambyl and south Kazakhstan regions. Much work was done in processing agricultural products. "I congratulate you with the success and wish you strong health, well-being and new records in development of the country's agrarian sector", the President said. A delegation of the Kazakhstan's Parliament headed by Ural Mukhamedzhanov took part in the plenary session of the Turkic-speaking States Parliamentary Assembly that was held in Baku. The first plenary session of the Assembly was held on September 29. The Draft Regulation and draft Provision of the Secretariat of the Assembly, candidatures of the Assembly Secretary General and his Deputies were discussed at the session. As the resulted of the meeting there was passed Baku Declaration of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-speaking countries. At the first plenary session Kazakh Majilis Speaker Ural Mukhamedzhanov told about the work conducted in Kazakhstan on the initiative of the Head of the State within the "Cultural Heritage" program. This work proves the necessity of realization of the Kazakh President's idea on establishment of international program "Cultural heritage of Turkic-speaking people". He also briefed the participants of the session on the work within the Kazakh policy in the field of international and interconfessional dialogue. Participants of the first plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Turkic-speaking countries adopted a Declaration on the results of the sitting. According to the Declaration cooperation within the TurkPA is an important tool in deepening relations of the countries in political, economic, cultural and others spheres and bringing the Turkic-speaking nations together. Chairman of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Mehmet Ali Şahin noted, the idea of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev on establishment of the Assembly announced at the VIII summit of Heads of the Turkic countries in Istanbul in November 2006 has a historic importance. The Heads of delegations noted at the briefing that the Assembly will promote mutually beneficial and equal cooperation between the states of the region. Next session of the Assembly will be held in Astana in October 2010. The Senate approved the draft Law "On amendments to the Customs Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan" in the first reading. Making a report, Acting Minister of Finance Alikhan Smailov noted that the draft Law is elaborated for bringing of the Kazakh customs legislation into correspondence with main provisions of the Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade of 1994. In particular, it envisages making amendments to the customs legislation, which correspond to the requirements of the World Trade Organization member-states. Besides, there will be made amendments directed to modernization of the customs administration, including the issues of intellectual property protection within the limits of jurisdiction set by the Kazakh Customs Code. On September 28th the Government held a sitting the current economic issues in the country. Elevated fuel and gas prices were one of the problems discussed. Prime Minister Karim Massimov urged the Chairman of the Kazakh Agency for Competition Protection to penalize those who create illegal rise of fuel price in South Kazakhstan oblast. Karim Massimov gave several instructions to the heads of ministries, departments and national companies. The Republican Forum of Kazakhstan Manufacturers was held in Karaganda on September 28. Minister of Industry and Trade Asset Issekeshev informed at the forum that the Ministry has worked out the Concept of further development of the Kazakh content and a Draft Law defining the key aspects of the support of the Kazakh content. The Minister said that Kazakh manufacturers signed over 8 700 contacts with national and strategic companies to the amount of over KZT 680 bln. The biggest part on contacts is signed with "Samruk Kazyna" Fund. The Methodology of Calculation of Kazakhstani Content upon Procurement of Goods, Works and Services has been developed. "We can see that the rate of the Kazakh content is gradually increasing. But exploitation, communication services, building and assembly works take the largest share of procurements of the national manufacturers. On the rest group the share remains low. It is mostly connected with lack of the greater part of goods and services demanded at the market and their low competitive ability", the Minister noted. The Kazakh Minister expressed hope that these programs will start working next year. Head of the State Nursultan Nazarbayev has held a working session on the issues of socio-economic development of the country and the process of the harvest campaign today in Akorda, Kazinform refers to the Presidential press service. September 29 Head of the State Nursultan Nazarbayev held a working session with the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State - Kazakh Foreign Minister, Head of the Presidential Administration, members of the Government to discuss the issues of socio-economic development of the country and the process of the harvest campaign. It was noted at the session that cereal crops were harvested at the 85% of acreages. Gross grain is up to 18 mln tons. Average yield is up to 12.5 centners per hectare. Over 400 thousand new jobs were created in the country within the Road Map program realization. Over 54.2 thousand unemployed are retraining. KZT 92.7 bln were allocated to region for repair works of housing and utilities infrastructure facilities, 63% of which were disbursed. 1349 facilities were repaired. The Head of the State set a range of tasks upon the results of the session. The Party Control Committee of Nur Otan People's Democratic Party and Commission for control over the use of government funds allocated within the framework of the antirecessionary measures held a joint sitting in the party's headquarters on October 1. Chairman of Samruk-Kazyna Kairat Kelimbetov told about the process of utilization of funds allotted through the Fund. He reminded that KZT 486 billion was allocated for stabilization of the financial system. To date KZT 476.2 billion out of this sum has been utilized. Out of KZT 360 billion budgeted in solution of problems in the real estate market and mortgage refinancing 168 billion was disbursed. The index of utilization of funds given for investment projects in the sphere of infrastructure amounts to KZT 111 billion out of KZT 121.5 billion. "In whole out of KZT 1.87 trillion allocated within the framework of the antirecessionary program KZT 875 billion has already been utilized - it is a significant part", K. Kelimbetov noted.