Commencing
International House Ambassador Program by Presenting
Kazakh Films & Forging Alliances with Regional Businesses
PHILADELPHIA, PA –
September 10, 2003 – Oliver Franklin, O.B.E., President
and CEO of International House, announces that His Excellency
Kanat B. Saudabayev, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan
to the United States of America, will be in Philadelphia from
Sunday, September 21 – Monday, September 22, 2003 to promote
the cultural accomplishments of his country and to facilitate
new opportunities for U.S. companies interested in doing business
with Kazakhstan. The historic visit – the first for any
Kazakh ambassador – will inaugurate International House’s
newly developed Ambassador Program, which will provide area
residents a unique occasion to learn about current topics from
the international perspective, while affording businesses in
the region the opportunity to develop relationships with countries
interested in creating economic ties to Philadelphia.
On September 21, 2003
at 7:00 pm, the Ambassador will introduce two Kazakh films from
International House’s series ‘Films from Along the
Silk Road’, discussing his ties to the director and the
achievements of Kazakhstan’s movie industry. As the Chairman
of the State Film Committee from 1983 to 1988, the Ambassador
is credited with instituting the “Kazakh new wave”
of film directors, who became the new face of Kazakhstan’s
movie industry, which was previously dominated by the Soviets.
The director of the evening’s films, Darezhan Omirbaev,
is among these industry pioneers, and was urged by Ambassador
Saudabayev to travel abroad with his work, to get involved in
the international film circuit. In addition, having previously
served as Minister of Culture from 1990 to 1991, Ambassador
Saudabayev promoted the arts and culture of his country –
and today, many of the young musicians, singers, dancers and
filmmakers that he endorsed have become the crème de
la crème of Kazakhstan’s national arts. This event
is free-to-the-public.
His Excellency Kanat
Saudabayev will also be in Philadelphia to talk about new business
opportunities for U.S. companies, in light of Kazakhstan’s
plans to diversify its economy under the ambitious industrial
and innovation program through the year 2015. The sectors they
plan to develop are biochemistry, biotechnology, software technologies,
aerospace, industrial development, agriculture (processing,
increasing productivity, small machinery, packaging and storage),
telecommunications, transportation/infrastructure and the peaceful
use of atomic energy. On Monday, September 22, 2003 at 8:00
am the Ambassador will make a presentation, at a Center City
location, to any companies affiliated with these industries
that are interested in establishing business ties with Kazakhstan.
Due to prospects of oil production, Kazakhstan is poised to
become one of the top 5 oil exporters in the world within the
next decade. Businesses interested in attending this presentation
should contact Simone at 215.895.6543 or simone@ihphilly.org
immediately for further details. Space is very limited.
During his tenure
as the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Ambassador Saudabayev
worked to establish and develop the foreign policy of a young
independent state, sought to strengthen relations with the United
States, Russia, China and other countries and even signed the
Partnership for Peace Agreement with NATO. Some other titles
that the Ambassador has held include Ambassador to the United
Kingdom and Head of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery of
Kazakhstan. He holds the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipoteniary, has a Ph.D. in Philosophy and Political
Science and is fluent in Turkish, German, Kazakh and Russian.
He is married with 3 children and 3 grandchildren.
In anticipation of
his historic visit to Philadelphia, His Excellency said, “I
am truly excited about coming to Philadelphia at the invitation
of International House of Philadelphia. I look forward to sharing
the cultural fetes of my country, as well as meeting future
business partners.” Oliver Franklin said of the groundbreaking
visit, “We are honored that His Excellency has chosen
to make Philadelphia a priority. With the largest oil reserves
outside the Middle East, Kazakhstan is positioning itself for
tremendous economic growth over the next decade. This will be
an incredible opportunity for Philadelphians to learn about
his country’s accomplishments and progress and for regional
companies to develop strategic partnerships as Kazakhstan is
quickly emerging into the world economic spotlight.”
While in Philadelphia,
the Ambassador is also scheduled to meet with Mayor John F.
Street, to tour Independence Hall and to talk with representatives
from the IT, biochemistry and nuclear physics departments at
area universities.
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