Massimov is fluent in Kazakh, Russian, Chinese, English, and Arabic. He studied in China and worked in Hong Kong where he headed Kazakhstan's trading operations. At the same time, he is thought to be well connected within the Kremlin. He previously served as the 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. According to Pravda, the public perceives Massimov as "one of the most influential figures in the president's inner circle."[not in citation given]
President 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.
Early Life
Born in Tselinograd (now Astana), Karim Massimov was educated in Beijing and Wuhan, Hubei, China.
From : www.wikipedia.org
