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).

Since 2019, she has been consulting Governments of Central Asia and Caucasus on trade policy and law and delivers trainings and lectures under support of international organizations.

Education:
  • World Trade Institute, Master of International Economics and Law (magna cum laude), Bern (Switzerland), 2005;
  • Taraz State University, Accounting and Audit, Taraz (Kazakhstan), 1998

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.

Since 2021, he has been coordinator of national associations and oil and fat platforms of EAEU countries to ensure the sustainable functioning of the oil and fat industry and the development of a common agricultural market.

PhD. in Economics, Associate Professor, author of 100 scientific and educational works (https://istina.msu.ru/profile/RomashkinRA/).

Education:
  • Moscow State University, Faculty of Economics, graduate program, Moscow (Russian Federation), 2001;
  • Moscow State University, Faculty of Economics, Economic Policies, Bachelor, Master, Moscow, 1999.

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.

Education:
  • Chicago-Kent College of Law, LLM (Magna cum laude), USA, 2019;
  • International Business Academy, MBA, Almaty (Kazakhstan), 2007;
  • International Kazakh-Turkish University, Bachelor of Jurisprudence, Taraz (Kazakhstan), 2003.

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.

Education:
  • Whittier Law School, LLM, Costa Mesa, (California, USA), 2002;
  • Kazakh State Law University, Almaty (Kazakhstan), 2000.

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).

Education:
  • University of Applied Science Nürtingen-Geislingen, MBA, Nurtingen (Germany), 2012;
  • Eurasian National University, Bachelor of International Relations, Astana (Kazakhstan), 2008.

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.

Education:
  • Kazakh National Technical University, Mechanical Engineer (Transport, transport technique and technologies, Bachelor (2011), Master (2013), Almaty (Kazakhstan);
  • International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, Glattbrugg (Switzerland), FIATA Higher Diploma in Supply Chain Management, 2018;
  • International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, Glattbrugg (Switzerland). FIATA Diploma in Freight Forwarding, 2014.

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.

Education:
  • Taraz State University, Accounting and Audit, Taraz (Kazakhstan), 2001;
  • “Taxation, Accounting and IFRS, Labor and Civil Legislation”, Training Center “Academy of Continuous Professional Development” under Chamber of Professional Accountants of RK;
  • Professional Accountant Certificate № 00351, Institute of Accountants & Auditors, Accounting and Auditing;
  • Analysis of financial and economic condition of the enterprise, Directorate of “Infocommunication Technologies” branch of Kazakhtelecom, Certificate;
  • Accounting and tax accounting of fixed and intangible assets”, Institute of Accountants & Auditors, Certificate;
  • “Accounting and financial reporting in accordance with IFRS on accrual basis”, Center for Training, Retraining and Professional Development of Financial System Authorities, Certificate;
  • “Financial Accounting-1”, Institute of Professional Accountants and Auditors RK, Certificate;
  • “Review of ISO 9001:2008, Process Management, Quality Management System Documentation, Data Analysis Methods” certificate №LZ-QMS-12, Bureau Veritas Kazakhstan, Certificate.

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. Among others, he has represented companies and governments in more than 80 trade remedy (anti-dumping, countervailing duty and safeguard) investigations.

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. In particular, he has worked on the WTO accession negotiations of the four CIS countries through drafting legislation, contributing to the transformation of public institutions, increasing capacities of government officials and improving public awareness of trade policy instruments. 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, based on his extensive experience in donor-funded assistance projects and his vast network of contacts, 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.

 Catalan and Spanish are Marius’ native languages. He is fluent in English, French and Italian and has a working knowledge of Russian and Portuguese.

 Education:

Master of Laws (LL.M.) – Amsterdam School of International Relations, The Netherlands

Graduate Degree in Law (Licenciado en Derecho) – Universitat de Lleida, Spain