By Kevin McCauley
BGR Government Affairs has inked a $360K pact to buff the image of Kazakhstan, both here and across Europe. Its London office coordinates the push.
Kazakhstan is the largest country in central Asia and the second largest oil producer in the former Soviet Union, trailing Russia.
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ExxonMobil and Chevron are among foreign energy producers in Kazakhstan. Chevron just announced plans to develop a wind power plant there.
The Washington Post, April 13, reported that Kazakhstan's strongman leader Nursultan Nazarbayev has been able to avoid the revolutions that have swept the Muslim world. The 70-year-old has been in charge since 1989.
Earlier this month, the U.S. State Dept. released a litany of human rights abuses in Kazakhstan, including arbitrary arrests and detention, trafficking in persons and rampant discrimination against gays and people with HIV/AIDS. It also noted widespread corruption and restrictions on the media.
BGR’s contact began April 1 and runs through December. It covers "strategic public affairs and government relations services in the U.S." and outreach to news outlets and individuals as directed by the Kazakhstan’s embassy in London.
BGR is the former firm of Mississippi governor and potential Republican presidential candidate Haley Barbour.
(Image: Embassy of Kazakhstan)
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