Karim Massimov

Karim Qazhymqanuly Massimov (Кәрім Қажымқанұлы Мәсімов, Kärım Qajymqanūly Mäsımov, ; born 15 June 1965) is a politician who served as a Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from 10 January 2007 to 24 September 2012 and again from 2 April 2014 to 8 September 2016.

In 1982, Massimov graduated from the Republican Physics and Mathematics Boarding School in Alma-Ata.

From 1985 to 1988, he studied at the People's Friendship University of Russia where he learned Arabic, then the Alma-Ata Institute of National Economy.

From 1988 to 1989, Massimov studied Chinese at the Beijing Institute of Language, taught at the Wuhan University School of Law from 1989 to 1991, and then Columbia University in New York City.

In 1991, Massimov became the head of the Department of the Ministry of Labour.

From 1992 to 1995, Massimov worked at Kazakhstan's commercial structures in China and Hong Kong.

From 1995 to 1997 he was the chairman of the Board of the Almaty Trade and Financial Bank.

While serving that post, Massimov became an acting chairman of the Board of Turanbank in 1996.

From 1997 to 2000, he served as the chairman of the Board of the People's Savings Bank of Kazakhstan.

In 1998, he graduated from the graduate school of the Kazakh State Academy of Management.

In 1999, Massimov earned a doctoral degree from the Moscow State University of Technologies and Management named after K.G. Razumovskiy.

That same year, he defended his doctoral dissertation on the topic "Problems of the formation of industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan and ways to solve them (theory and practice)".

On 7 August 2000, he was appointed as the Minister of Transport and Communications.

On 27 November 2001, he became the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan.

On 28 March 2002, in an article in Izvestia, Massimov announced that the Government of Kazakhstan planned to increase wheat exports to Iran from 100,000 to two million tons.

Massimov served the post until June 2003, he was appointed as an assistant to the President of Kazakhstan.

Massimov served as Deputy Prime Minister from 19 January 2006 to 9 January 2007 and as Minister of Economy and Budget Planning, Minister of Transport and Communications in 2001.

Massimov again became the Deputy PM on 18 January 2006, and was simultaneously as the Minister of Economy from 19 April to 13 October 2006.

Massimov is considered a China expert.

China has become an important strategic partner for Kazakhstan in recent years and the two countries are working closely together to develop Kazakhstan's energy resources.

Massimov visited Beijing, China with Finance Minister Natalya Korzhova, Transport and Communications Minister Serik Akhmetov, and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Baktykozha Izmukhambetov from 16 to 17 November 2006.

Massimov co-chaired the third meeting of the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee with Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi.

Several accords between agencies of the two governments were signed.

Massimov later met with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.

Meanwhile, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev met with Liu Qi, secretary of the Beijing Party Committee, in Astana.

Secretary Liu said was "very nice for me to visit your beautiful country at Otan's invitation. The goal of the visit is to deepen cooperation and mutual understanding between our countries."

Massimov and Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres announced from Jerusalem on 29 October 2006 that the state-owned National Innovation Fund of Kazakhstan would begin investing in the Peace Valley project and other projects in the Middle East.

Massimov said, "I came to Israel with a clear message to the nation in Zion from the president, that Kazakhstan is a moderate Muslim state which is interested in being involved in the Middle East. Kazakhstan intends to found political and economic ties with Israel and its neighbors."

Massimov mentioned the Dead Sea canal and expressed desire to create a free trade zone.

Vice Premier Peres and Massimov agreed to establish an agriculture school in each country.

The NIF has given US$10 million to Israeli VC fund Vertex.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev nominated Massimov to succeed Daniyal Akhmetov as Prime Minister on 9 January 2007.

The Nur Otan party endorsed Massimov's candidacy and Parliament confirmed the nomination on 10 January.

On 24 September 2012, Massimov's Premiership ended when President Nazarbayev dismissed him as from the position, appointing him chief of staff of the presidential office in order to readjust the power balance between various factions within the government.

He was the head of Kazakhstan's National Security Committee until he was dismissed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on 5 January 2022 and shortly after detained on suspicion of alleged treason.

Since 6 January, Massimov has been a political prisoner, awaiting the result of a trial which has been classified as 'top secret', lacking any form of independent or public scrutiny.

Karim Massimov was born to a Muslim family of Tajik and Uyghur roots, in the city of Tselinograd (now Astana, Kazakhstan).

He is the son of Eleanor Azhybekova and Qazhymqan Massimov.

His father held various managerial positions such as being the director of the Burundai Production Association of Wall Materials, deputy chief of the Glavtopsnab under the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR, director of the Massimov Health Center LLP.

In addition, he was president organizations of the National Agro-Industrial Chamber of Kazakhstan and the Kazakhstan Yoga Association.