head of the Almaty Region. He held that position until 12 October 1994, when he was appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan in Kazhegeldin's cabinet. On 4 March 1996, Yessimov became the State Secretary of Kazakhstan. While serving that position, he was appointed as the acting head of the Presidential Administration of Kazakhstan on 22 July 1996. On 24 October 1996, Yessimov became the First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan until he was appointed as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. He was in charge of the Representation of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the EU and NATO. Minister of Agriculture (2001–2006) From 18 May 2001 to 14 May 2004, Yessimov worked as the Minister of Agriculture and from 28 May 2002, the Deputy Prime Minister. He was reappointed as the Minister on 19 January 2006. During his tenure, Kazakhstan rose up to the world's first line in export of flour OSCE and ENP campaign Yessimov led a government delegation in negotiations over Kazakhstan's campaign to head the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2009 with Finnish Foreign Ministry Secretary of State, Pertti Torstila in July 2006 as Finland held the Presidency of the European Union. Torstila said the EU would not announce its decision until autumn, but at the moment the EU "welcome[s] the candidacy of Kazakhstan in principle" while expressing concerns over treatment of free speech. If Kazakhstan is successful then it will be the first member of the Commonwealth of Independent States to head the OSCE. Yesimov noted that Kazakhstan produced 60 million tons of oil in 2005 and predicted production would soon reach "100 million tons and more. After the adoption of a new version of its 'green book' [draft policy document] on energy policy by the EU," Germany "is looking to import 20% of its energy resources from the Caspian region. Last year, Kazakhstan's exports of energy resources to the EU exceeded $10 billion." On 18 July, Yesimov asked the EU to allow Kazakhstan to join its European Neighborhood Policy and to begin negotiating a Strategic Partnership Treaty, but EU officials expressed opposition to the change in European Union-Kazakhstan relations. Torstila and Yesimov said they "thoroughly" discussed refugees from Uzbekistan who left after the May 2005 unrest in Andijan. The delegation also included Konstantin Zhigalov, Kazakhstan's ambassador to Germany. Akim of Almaty (2008–2015) On