The run up to Kazakhstan’s chairing of the OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] means that we’ll probably see more human-interest stories like this one. Nazarbaev was in Italy to sign some deals [more on this later], and stopped in to visit the Pope in the Vatican. They exchanged pleasantries, Nazarbaev got some new medals, and the Pope got a replica of the pyramid of inter-religious harmony that stands in Astana.
Nazzy B and the Pope, 2getha @ last!
Vladimir Socor, in an interview at NewEurope, reminds us not to get our hopes up for the dawn of a new era under Kazakhstan’s stewardship. I’m confident that most of Registan’s readership probably was not guilty of that.
As for the deals signed by Nazarbaev, they include this mammoth Memorandum of Understanding with Finmeccanica.
One specific provision of the MoU with the Samruk- Kazyna fund — it is an industrial and financial state holding company — is “the establishment of a working group to analyze Kazakhstan’s changing needs and the business opportunities for Finmeccanica Group companies,” Finmeccanica said in a statement.
Within the context of the MoU, KazEngineering and SELEX Galileo signed a cooperation agreement for the development of civil and military applications. The agreement provides for the use of SELEX Galileo electro-optics systems to upgrade the T72 tank for use by the Kazakh armed forces and for foreign markets, Finmeccanica said in its statement.
One assumes a lot of money is going to come from a deal like that, and that was exactly what Berlusconi, Italy’s aging leader, had to say.
The Italian prime minister, praising Kazakhstan’s “great natural resources and huge demographic growth” at a meeting with Nazarbayev late on Thursday, added with a smile that the latter “demonstrates the great vitality of all Kazakh males”.
Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi praised the virility of Kazakhstan’s men during a visit to Rome by its president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, saying this was the reason for the former Soviet country’s population growth.
The comment by the 73-year-old Italian leader, who often boasts of his own virility and has been in trouble for hosting parties with prostitutes, came at a meeting with Nazarbayev that Berlusconi said sealed business deals for “billions of dollars”.
{ 3 comments }
What demographic growth? Since when is Kazakhstan’s population booming?
Leave it to Berlusconi to take a normal diplomatic visit and somehow throw some sex-talk in there.
What this does point to however, is how Italy is getting in good (the above deal and Eni’s growing influence in the energy sphere) with Kazakhstan. The rest of Europe and the US seem to be rather clueless, convinced by Nazarbayev that he really does care about what they have to say when really he’s just a good diplomat. Who needs the US and Western Europe when Italy, Turkey, and China are willing to throw in tangible benefits to get cozy?
Talk of virility with an old Soviet boss by another State leader sounds like good ‘ol boy tactics, so maybe Berlusconi has done his research…Berlusconi?…naaa!
Right, it seems Borat had an impact on Berlusconi, did anyone tell him it was a comedy?
Comments on this entry are closed.