On April 2nd, the first leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay will be lit in Almaty, which has the reputation of "the city of apples". Eighty torchbearers, including the mayor of Almaty and famous athletes from Kazakhstan, will hold high the "Xiangyun" torch to kick off the overseas relay of the Olympic flame. To this end, Huaao Sohu interviewed Kazakh Minister Counselor Shakrat Nuresev in advance and asked him to talk about his views and experiences on the Olympic torch relay and introduce Kazakhstan. I hope more friends in the world know about Almaty reporter: Hello, I'm here to see your expectations and thoughts about the Olympic Games and your thoughts about the Olympic torch relay. Counselor Kazakhstan: The Olympic torch relay is a very important event for our country, because our country has never held such an event before. This time, the Olympic Organizing Committee decided to pass the torch through Almaty, which is a kind of trust and a kind of responsibility. Therefore, we hope that this Olympic torch relay can promote our country and our beautiful Almaty. Because many people in the world don't know Kazakhstan or Almaty, we hope to let more friends in the world know about Almaty through this activity. I believe they will do well in the torch relay. Reporter: Almaty is the first stop of the overseas torch relay. Can you give some wonderful comments to your familiar torchbearers? Kazakh Counselor: More than 80 people participated in the torch relay, of which 18 were sponsors of the torch relay, 5 were appointed by the Olympic Committee, and 50 were appointed by the government of China. Many artists and athletes have made great contributions to our country. It is difficult for me to evaluate these 80 people, including young people and old people. For example, one of them was only in his twenties in 1957 and participated in the Olympic Games as a member of the Soviet team. There are many people working hard for the national sports cause. I believe they will do well in the torch relay. Kazakhstan is already the fourth sports power in Asia. Reporter: As far as I know, the people of Kazakhstan love sports very much and perform very well in ice sports. Can you comment on the current sports situation in your country? Counselor of Kazakhstan: China's sports development is in good condition. With the sustained development of the national economy, the state can allocate funds to support the development of sports if it has money. Now Kazakhstan is the fourth sports power in Asia, and China is the first. Not long ago, when China hosted the Winter Asian Games in Changchun, Kazakhstan had already achieved the fourth place. Reporter: What are the traditional diets and cultures in Kazakhstan? Counselor of Kazakhstan: Many people think that Kazakhs eat mainly meat, not a traditional diet. But now it is 2 1 century, and the world is constantly changing. Kazakhstan has 130 ethnic groups, different cultures and different diets. Kazakhstan was once a member of the Soviet Union, so it was greatly influenced by the western diet. However, we still maintain our traditional food culture, such as horse milk. National leaders will certainly attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games. Reporter: Will Kazakhstan Summit attend the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games? Counselor of Kazakhstan: That's for sure. The leaders of our country have decided to arrive in Beijing to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on August 8. Reporter: What's your impression of the preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games? Counselor Kazakhstan: We attach great importance to it because I have been in Beijing for a long time and I am very familiar with the preparations for the Beijing Olympic Games. 37 sports buildings have been completed, and T3 terminal has been completed. The environment in Beijing is getting better every day, and the preparations for the Beijing Olympic Games will be completed very smoothly. Reporter: What do you think of the development of sports in China? Counselor: Physical education in China has developed very rapidly in recent years, including human resources and financial resources. Basically, every city in China has stadiums, and the state and government constantly create sports conditions for the people. China has a large number of athletes, ranking first in Asia and first in the world. I hope China can win the first place in the Beijing Olympic Games. Reporter: Would you please talk about the history and achievements of Kazakhstan's participation in the Olympic Games? Counselor of Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan just became independent in 9 1 year, and our history is only 16 years. I hope to win ten medals, including three gold medals, at the Beijing Olympic Games. Our country will give the athletes who won the medals $250,000. The torch will be carried by skiing, skating and horseback riding. Reporter: What preparations have you made for the smooth progress of the torch relay? Counselor of Kazakhstan: Because the relay will be held in Almaty on April 2nd, April 1 torch will be transported from Beijing to Almaty. The first stage of the torch relay started on the morning of April 2 10, with a distance of 20 kilometers and more than 80 torchbearers. We will pass the torch by skiing, skating and riding. You can see beautiful green Almaty and beautiful buildings in Kazakhstan. Reporter: How many times has the torch been passed to your country? Counsellor of Kazakhstan: This is the first time. We have a great responsibility. I hope to show the world our strength and ability and prove that we can hold such a centennial event. It is said that Zhang Yimou will surprise journalists all over the world at the opening ceremony: What do you want to see at the opening ceremony? Counselor: I heard that Zhang Yimou will surprise the whole world at the opening ceremony. I can't even imagine the opening ceremony now. But I'm sure it will be wonderful. China is rich in economic strength and talented people. I believe the opening city will be very exciting.