Astana, December 25 (Interfax- Kazakhstan) - Kazakh GDP in 2009 has practically matched up the Ukraine's economic growth, says Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
"Kazakhstan is ending this year with positive results and this is our achievement we are proud of. Saying that I am not exaggerating in the least," he told the media outlets that are part of Arna Media Holding. The full text of the interview with the president was published in the official newspaper Kazakhstanskaya Pravda on Dec. 25.
"Russian economy, according to its leaders’ reports, is experiencing a 8%-8.5% fall in 2009. Ukraine expects its economy to slow down by nearly 25% or slightly less," the president said.
"Speaking of Ukraine, I have an interesting announcement to make. This year the Kazakh economic growth has caught up with the GDP of Ukraine, the country with a 50-million population and a huge economic potential," Nazarbayev said.
Kazakhstan’s GDP will total 16.198 trillion tenge in 2009, a 0.1% rise from the last year,
Ukraine’s economy contracted sharply in the three months to June. Real GDP contracted by 17.8% y/y, after a fall of 20.3% in the first quarter in 2009.
The Fitch rating agency forecasts that Ukraine’s GDP in 2009 will fall by 16% to $111.4 billion, but that it will grow by 3% to $116.3 billion in 2010.
