Astana. December 22. Kazakhstan Today - Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said today that its ratings and outlook on the Republic of Kazakhstan are unchanged following the violent clashes and unrest in Kazakhstan's oil-producing Western province, Kazakhstan Today reports.

"We do not currently expect the situation to deteriorate to the point where it would affect our view of the creditworthiness of the sovereign. If the unrest were to escalate significantly, however, and spread to other parts of the country, we could consider reassessing our views, particularly should it threaten the political stability that Kazakhstan has enjoyed since independence, or lead to a larger wave of labor strikes at oil and gas installations, significantly hindering production or export installations. We could also reassess our views if the unrest escalated and became protracted enough to threaten foreign and domestic investment plans at major oil and gas projects in the country," said analytis.

The recent unrest in the Western Mangistau region in Kazakhstan is unprecedented in a country that has enjoyed one of the most stable political environments in the region. Protests spread after police in the town of Zhanaozen opened fire on a group of protestors and oil workers, who have been on strike over wage disputes since May. Demonstrations have since been held in two other towns including Aktau, the provincial capital, where hundreds of protestors gathered on Dec. 19. Subsequently, Kazakhstan's president has imposed a state of emergency in Zhanaozen effective until Jan. 5, 2012. The unrest has not spread outside the Mangistau region, and has so far not affected hydrocarbon production.

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