In his annual address to both houses of Kazakhstan's parliament on 3 September, Nursultan Nazarbaev said the country must double GDP by 2010 from last year's level of 2.59 trillion tenges ($13.8 billion). Noting that GDP growth during the first six months of 2001 amounted to 14 percent, he stressed that Kazakhstan must preserve its "leading position" among CIS members states in terms of economic growth. Nazarbaev also called for increased domestic investment in the economy as a means of improving living standards, and pledged to raise the pensions of persons who retired before 1994 by 25 percent next year. He pledged to continue the process of democratization, including delegating greater powers to regional government. (Interfax)