All quotes

Amir Ismagulov, father of Azamat Tazhayakov, a Kazakh student arrested in Boston Marathon Bombings case:

"I will stay in Boston at least until the investigation is over and the court issues a decision. There are many inconsistencies in the son's case - under no circumstances we will leave Boston until everything is clarified."

(said by phone in an interview to Ak Zhaik)

Yerbol Kuanov, Head of Atyrau Oblast Environmental Department:

"It is the third time we are sending a material to the court with attached terrifying facts which our experts revealed during fires at the dump. Example, quicksilver content in air has exceeded norms 10 fold - this is a cancer level. We are breathing such air in everyday. If the judge issues just a penalty again, we will keep submitting claims until they decide to close the dump at last."

(said in an interview to Ak Zhaik)

 

Lyazzat Kiyinov, CEO of Kazmunaygas National Company:

"No. 16.8% is enough for us, quite normal. We are not trying to become the main side there, we have partners with whom we just will be working..."

(in response to a journalist's question whether Kazakhstan is interested in buying ConocoPhillips share in Kashagan project)

Zhoumageldy Yelyubayev, legal adviser to Chevron Eurasia:

"Nature protection legislation and the practice of its application in Kazakhstan are aimed to punish a subsoil user, but not to restore and save the environment.”

Kairat Lama Sharif, Chairman of RoK Agency for Religious Affairs:

“Our Kazakh nomadic culture differed from other cultures by its sincretism and integrity. It means our ancestors, being aware and well informed about the issues of faith, never turned the religion into a separate special area or a segment of life. Islam was never set against other beliefs, principles and traditions of the society. Religious belief would take as much time as had been required for practicing obligatory rituals and obtaining necessary knowledge from religious experts represented by official clergy, no more.”

(said at the conference “Religion and Youth” in Atyrau on April 12, 2013)

Nursultan NAZARBAYEV, Kazakhstan's president:

"In the past 20 years Kazakhstan grossed 77 billion dollars thanks to TCO activities. 800 million dollars were invested in the development of Atyrau Oblast. Today Atyrau is one of the most beautiful cities of our country, which we call the oil capital of Kazakhstan."

(said during celebration of TCO's 20th anniversary)

 

Mukhambetkali KALIYEV, President of Atyrau Heat and Power Station:

"The oblast will get a powerful equipment, which is like a Mercedes-Benz after an old Zaporozhets."

(Said at a press conference on capacity expansion of HPS)

Atyrau Oblast Governor, Baktykozha Izmukhambetov:

“Please, be careful in your speeches. If I lobbied anyone’s interests, then many issues would have been resolved in a different way. I think, for a reason the president of the country once promoted me to a ministerial position. I am the only person who went up all steps of the oil and gas industry ladder to become a minister. Therefore, I request you not to offend me…”

(said on 20.03. 2013 at the public hearings in response to accusations of lobbying the interests of the North Caspian project operator)

Murat Ospanov, Chairman of RoK Agency for Regulation of Natural Monopolies (AREM):

“Today we know that some monopolists, mildly speaking, produce groundless requirements to consumers, levy additional payments, sometimes “under the table.” Every oblast has an AREM office. People need to tell us about such facts. Our officers will take retaliation measures.”

(said before Majilis of RoK Parliament on March 18, 2013)

Vladislav KOSSAREV, First Chairman of People's Communist Party of Kazakhstan, Member of Majilis:

"Do we go to shops with our own weighing scales? We should tell communal services if they need counters they should install them at their own expense, like a shop has its own weighing scale. Because they, like a shop, sell us services - supply heat, water and so on."

(said at a sanctioned rally in Astana against public utilities rates increase)

Kazakhstan's Minister of Economy and Budget Planning, Yerbolat DOSSAYEV:

"The Kazakh goods I use are footwear and sportswear made by our firms. As a whole, is it fair to solve problems of garment industry at the expense of ministers?"

(in response to a MP's question if he wears anything Kazakhstan-made)