Almaty. October 2. Kazakhstan Today - Opening of the 15th exhibition-conference KIOGE-2007 took place in Almaty. More than 600 companies from 33 countries of the world are taking part in the conference, the agency reports. "For all years of its existence, oil-and-gas forum became the place of concluding of contracts, realization of negotiations, establishment of contacts and a leader of exhibition business in Kazakhstan," the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of Kazakhstan Sayat Mynbayev said. "It is one of the largest and significant exhibitions in Kazakhstan, which promotes inflow of investments to oil-and-gas industry of Kazakhstan," S. Mynbaev said. The exhibition will last for three days. The KIOGE organizers note the increase in quantity of new participants in the exhibition. More than 120 companies came to the forum this year for the first time. 31 % of participants will present the Kazakhstan companies, 29 % are the companies from Russia and CIS countries and 40 % - foreign companies. The event has been organized by the international exhibition company ITE Group Plc (Great Britain) with the official support of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Kazakhstan, НК KazMunaiGas Company, Commercial and Industrial Chamber of Kazakhstan and diplomatic missions of the countries-participants. Oil-and-gas forum in Kazakhstan has been organized for 15 years.