OREANDA-NEWS. March 19, 2010. JSC National Welfare Fund Samruk-Kazyna (the Fund) intends to support the proposed restructuring of the financial indebtedness of JSC Astana Finance (the Company).

In a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Company, the Fund and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company, the parties have outlined the broad principles that will govern their relationship in relation to the Company's ongoing restructuring process and thereafter.

The Fund confirmed its understanding of the terms agreed by the Company and its international creditors' committee and set out in the Term Sheet dated 12 November 2009.

The Fund has also expressed its readiness to support the Company through a number of channels in order to ensure the Company's stability post-restructuring. Such support is possible by way of negotiations with Kazakhstan state bodies. At the same time, the Fund intends to retain a significant shareholding in the Company.

The agreement with the Fund is a significant step forward in the progress of the Company's restructuring and the Company looks forward to working with the Fund to bring the restructuring process to a successful conclusion.