News Roundup - August 9, 2007

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty: Vienna Court Rules Not To Extradite Rakhat Aliev
A court in Vienna has ruled on August 8 that Austria will not extradite former Kazakh Ambassador Rakhat Aliev back to Kazakhstan, saying the former son-in-law of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev would not receive a fair trial in his home country...
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty: Kazakhstan 'Perplexed' By Austria's Decision On Aliev
Kazakhstan's Interior Ministry says it is "perplexed" by an Austrian court's refusal to extradite the former son-in-law of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev...
Associated Press: Austria Rejects Kazahk Extradition Bid
A federal court on Wednesday rejected Kazakhstan's request to have its ex-ambassador to Austria - a former son-in-law of the Central Asian nation's autocratic president - extradited to face kidnapping charges in his homeland...
EurasiaNet Insight: Rakhatgate Plot Thickens as Police Identify Body of Missing Television Host
The Interior Ministry has confirmed that a body found in a secret grave in southern Kazakhstan is that of a former television host and a distant relative of former presidential son-in-law Rakhat Aliyev, who is wanted in Kazakhstan on racketeering charges. Amid speculation that the woman, Anastasiya Novikova, was Aliyev’s lover, the ministry has not ruled out a link between Novikova’s death and Aliyev...
Eurasia Daily Monitor: Regional Cooperation Would Address Kazakhstan's Security Concerns
Kazakhstan’s leaders have sought Moscow’s help to reduce crimes with security implications, such as membership in extremist groups or drug trafficking. On July 30, for example, Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry and the Russian Federal Service for Drug Control signed an agreement to cooperate in combating the trade in narcotics and psychotropic substances...
Forbes: Eni's Kazakh Headache
Public threats seem to be becoming a popular way of getting what you want in Eurasia’s volatile energy sector. Just a week after Russia coerced Belarus into settling its gas bill, the prime minister of Kazakhstan, Karim Masimov, has threatened to remove the Italian energy company Eni as the operator of its vast Kashagan oil fields, owing to delays and cost overruns...
Eurasia Daily Monitor: Project Operator Announces Massive Delays and Cost Overruns at Kashagan
The government of Kazakhstan is considering imposing severe penalties on the company or companies responsible for cost overruns and production delays at the supergiant Kashagan offshore oilfield...
Eurasian Home Analytical Resources: Astana, Baku Energy Cooperation
The agreement on strategic oil and gas cooperation signed by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan during the two-day visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Kazakhstan continues development of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project...
Hemscott: Kazakhstan Kagazy to Buy Kazupack
Kazakhstan Kagazy PLC said it has agreed to buy corrugated board producer, Kazupack Ltd for a total of 5 mln usd cash to strengthen its presence in the Central Asian market...
Reuters: Indicators - Kazakhstan - August 9, 2007
Kazakhstan's economic indicators based on data provided by the State Statistics Agency, government institutions, the central bank and exchanges...