OREANDA-NEWS. July 02, 2014. Current status and prospects of further developing the green zone around the capital has been discussed during the meeting.

The meeting was attended by Head of the Presidential Administration Nurlan Nigmatullin, Minister of Environment and Water Resources Nurlan Kapparov, Akim of Astana Imangali Tasmagambetov, Akim of Akmola region Sergey Kulagin and Vice Minister of Environment and Water Resources Erlan Nysanbayev.

President noted that the total tree-planting area amounted to 70 000 hectares during 1997 and 2013, of those about 15 000 is in the city limits, and remaining 55 000 is beyond the town boundaries.

President of Kazakhstan was also reported on the prospects of "green zone" concept; w it is planned to increase the tree-planting area to 100 000 hectares by 2020ithin its first phase. Some works of plantation packing of Astana by planting the spaces among existing plantings will be carried out during the second phase. There will be green plantations along the Astana - Shhuchinsk highway, around Vyacheslav Reservoir and "Karabidayyk" sewage pond in the framework of preparation for "EXPO-2017".

Following the meeting, the Head of State gave a series of specific instructions.