BUSINESS KEÑES - your guide to doing business in Kazakhstan

20 years of working for the Government in the sphere of external trade and economic relations

more than 20 years of experience of working with foreign counterparts

fluency in foreign languages: Russian, English, German, Spanish, French

We advise ambitious start-ups or experienced entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan who have created a unique product or service, and have been looking for:

new markets

potential investors

state support and promotion of interests in the Government policies

    Our principles:

    • Trust and reputation worth more than money;
    • Others can do it - so can we;
    • There is enough space under the sun for everyone!

Our team

Ms. Arai Kassabekova Director
Expert on trade policy and law, trade negotiator

Is a trade negotiator with 20 years of experience working for the Government of Kazakhstan in foreign trade and economic relations. She coordinated and led negotiations on Kazakhstan’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), represented Kazakhstan in the negotiations on formation of the Eurasian Economic Union, Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Kazakhstan. From 2016 to 2019, she worked at the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan in Geneva, where she represented Kazakhstan at the WTO, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Mr. Roman Romashkin Economist

Expert with 20 years of experience in international and regional trade, economic integration, food security, agriculture and agro-industrial policy. For more than fifteen years he has been engaged in lecturing and research activities at Moscow State University. He participated in research projects of the World Bank, OECD, EU, OXFAM, International Food Policy Research Institute, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), UNCTAD/WTO International Trade Center.
In 2012-2018, he worked at the Eurasian Economic Commission, dealing with the preparation of integration documents and the implementation of a coordinated agro-industrial policy in the EAEU. He ensured cooperation with the UN FAO on food security, sustainable agricultural development and digitalization of the agricultural sector.

Ms. Saltanat Jambylbek Lawyer, representative in Almaty (Kazakhstan)

Qualified lawyer with 15 years of experience in the areas of corporate, labor and business law. Advises clients on corporate and regulatory issues on doing business in Kazakhstan. He possesses broad expertise in matters related to contracts and drafting of legal documents. Experience in KazTransGas, Nazarbayev University, International Financial Center Astana.

Ms. Asiya Ashigaliyeva International Lawyer, trade negotiator

Has 18 years of experience on working for the Government of Kazakhstan in trade policy formulation, legal analysis and drafting of domestic laws and regulations in services and investments during the process of Kazakhstan’s accession to the WTO, negotiations on free trade agreements, bilateral investment agreements, Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with EU, formation of Eurasian Economic Union. Also, she serves as a focal point for Kazakhstan’s accession to the OECD Investment Committee, to which Kazakhstan joined in 2016. She has extensive experience of drafting services and investment agreements and conducting negotiations on international level.

Mr. Darkhan Seitkazin Program manager, innovation specialist

Specialist in innovation, certified manager in the field of technology commercialization. He has 10 years of experience in the development of innovations in Kazakhstan in the World Bank projects, in particular the development and design of policy documents to support and stimulate innovation. He has experience in market promotion of innovative projects. Fluent in English (IELTS 6.5) and German (DSH 2, DSD II, Goethe-Zertifikat C1).

Mr. Madi Kassabekov Expert on logistics and freight forwarding

Expert in logistics and freight forwarding with more than 10 years of experience in supporting multimodal transportation and development of transport strategies in large companies and projects, including Bureau Expo Dubai 2020, PTC Holding, Premium Oil Trans, national company KTZ Express, national company Astana EXPO – 2017, Synergy Trans, Lomer Point Bridge. Winner for Asia and Pacific, runner up of the FIATA Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year 2015.

Ms. Aijan Kassabekova Accounting Specialist

Accountant with 19 years of experience in large private and public companies. She worked as a chief accountant, deputy chief accountant in such companies as China Xinxing Construction and Development Company LLP, Kazakhtelecom, Berkut State Air Company, Kazakh National University of Arts State University, “Kazgiproneftetrans” Engineering Company, “Tende” Auditing Company.

Mr. Marius Bordalba International Trade Expert

Marius Bordalba is a Spanish lawyer with more than 27 years of working experience in advising companies and governments on international trade and customs matters.
Marius has previously worked in two renowned law firms and in the WTO Secretariat. Since 2007, he has worked extensively in the CIS countries – in particular Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan – and Ukraine. He has been arbitrator of a trade-related dispute between two Latin American countries.
Currently, Marius advises companies in various jurisdictions on trade-related and customs matters, such as trade remedy investigations, sanctions and embargoes, customs classification and origin of goods, as well as improving market access. He also advises clients in arbitration cases before the International Chamber of Commerce. Finally, he facilitates the forming of consortia of companies to bid for projects and advises on suitable experts to implement those projects. He also drafts documents such as technical offers and project reports.

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News

09.08.2023 BUSINESS KEÑES is included into the list of consultants of the USAID Central Asia Trade Program’s TPSP Initiative
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ARTICLES

12.05.2023 Состояние, вызовы и перспективы масложировой индустрии Казахстана в контексте евразийской интеграции
09.05.2023 Международные транспортные коридоры и перспективы экспортно-импортной агрологистической экосистемы в России
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