EU allocating 6.3 million euros for Kazakhstan's regions

    By Aynur Jafarova
    The European Union (EU) has allocated €6.3 million for the development of Kazakhstan's regions, Head of the EU Regional Development of Kazakhstan project, Olga Broderick at a conference titled - Opportunities, Conditions and Recommendations for the Development of the Regions in Kazakhstan, in Astana on May 15, Trend reports.
    "In 2011, the Kazakh government and the EU signed a financial agreement. EU allocated funds to support regional development in the country. The Kazakh government also identified those areas where it wishes to receive assistance. The project is fully funded by the EU," she said.
    EU specialists and experts proposed mechanisms for the implementation of various methods of regional development.
    Broderick added the EU project covers several areas, including business development, employment, as well as bilateral ties.
    "We try to resolve issues with business development to improve the procedure for obtaining loans and the training of beginner entrepreneurs. The work just recently began, so it is too early to speak of results," she said.
    Another issue is that currently, the Kazakh regions are competing to attract foreign investors.
    "We want to cooperate more closely. One of the ways for example, is the creation of some cross-border clusters. Furthermore, there are projects for the development of border infrastructure," Broderick said, according to Azernews.az.