Akhmetzhan Yessimov

Akhmetzhan Yessimov
Mayor of Almaty
In office April 14, 2008 – August 9, 2015
Preceded by	Imangali Tasmagambetov
Succeeded by	Bauyrzhan Baybek
Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan
In office January 19, 2006 – April 14, 2008
Preceded by	Askar Myrzahmetov
Succeeded by	Akhylbek Kurishbaev
Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan
In office May 2001 – May 14, 2004
Preceded by	Sauat Mynbayev
Succeeded by	Serik Umbetov
Head of the Presidential Administration of Kazakhstan
In office February 1998 – August 1998
President	Nursultan Nazarbayev
Preceded by	Kalmurzaev Sultanovich
Succeeded by	Baymenov Muhamedevich
Mayor of Almaty Region
In office February 1992 – October 1994
Succeeded by	Umarzak Uzbekov
Personal details
Born	December 15, 1950 Aytey Village, Karasay District, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union
Nationality	Kazakh
Profession	Doctor of Economic Sciences

Akhmetzhan Yessimov (Kazakh: Ахметжан Смағұлұлы Есімов) is the former Mayor of Almaty and director of EXPO-2017.

OSCE and ENP campaign

Minister Yessimov led a government delegation in negotiations over Kazakhstan's campaign to head the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2009 with Finnish Foreign Ministry Secretary of State, Pertti Torstila in July 2006 as Finland held the Presidency of the European Union. Torstila said the EU would not announce its decision until autumn, but at the moment the EU "welcome[s] the candidacy of Kazakhstan in principle" while expressing concerns over treatment of free speech. If Kazakhstan is successful then it will be the first member of the Commonwealth of Independent States to head the OSCE. Yesimov noted that Kazakhstan produced 60 million tons of oil in 2005 and predicted production would soon reach "100 million tons and more.

After the adoption of a new version of its 'green book' [draft policy document] on energy policy by the EU," Germany "is looking to import 20% of its energy resources from the Caspian region. Last year, Kazakhstan's exports of energy resources to the EU exceeded $10 billion." On 18 July Yesimov asked the EU to allow Kazakhstan to join its European Neighborhood Policy and to begin negotiating a Strategic Partnership Treaty, but EU officials expressed opposition to the change in European Union-Kazakhstan relations. Torstila and Yesimov said they "thoroughly" discussed refugees from Uzbekistan who left after the May 2005 unrest in Andijan. The delegation also included Konstantin Zhigalov, Kazakhstan's ambassador to Germany.^[1]

References

1. EU: Kazakh Bid To Chair OSCE 'Welcomed' RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty