On January 24 th , 2017, the representatives of the Embassy of Kazakhstan to Canada participated in the  VI  Vancouver  International  Conference,  which  was  organized  by  the  Canada-Eurasia Russia Business  Association  (CERBA)  on  the  margins  of  the  AME’s  Mineral  Exploration  Roundup  in Vancouver. The main theme of this year’s conference was “Resource Opportunities with ‘One Belt, One Road’ Central Asian Investment Policy. 

During  the  Conference,  the  Embassy  made  a  presentation  “Kazakhstan:  Continuing  Institutional Reforms, Implementing the infrastructure plans." Particular emphasis in the presentation was made on the key priorities of the “100 concrete steps” Plan and “Nurly Zhol” Program, which provide for the  further  development  of  transport  and  logistics,  industrial,  energy,  public  utilities  and  social infrastructure in Kazakhstan. 

Guests and participants of the Conference got acquainted with the preparation of the international exhibition  “EXPO-2017”,  creation  of  the  Astana  International  Finance  Center  (AIFC),  “Western Europe ‒ Western China” highway project  and plans to expand the airline, automotive, railways, modernization and construction of airports, sea ports, logistics hubs and other large infrastructure projects, including “Khorgos ‒ Eastern Gate” Free Economic Zone and the Khorgos International Center for Boundary Cooperation. Special attention was paid to the reforms in the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan on subsoil use. The participants were informed, in particular, about the simplified procedure of granting rights, the work on preparation of the new Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Subsoil and Subsoil Use”. Moreover, the results of bilateral cooperation in 2016 were presented at the event. One of the main outcomes was an Inaugural Meeting of a Kazakhstan – Canada Business Council (KCBC), which was  organized  in  Astana  in  May  last  year.  A  number  of  B.C.  companies  have  expressed  their intention to participate in the 2nd KCBC meeting, which will be held on the margins of EXPO-2017 in Astana in June this year.