Former Kazatomprom chief named Kazakh central bank governor

Galymzhan Pirmatov, best known as a former chief executive of Kazakh uranium mining giant Kazatomprom, was named the governor of the Central Asian nation’s central bank on Thursday in a broader reshuffle after January’s deadly unrest.

Pirmatov, 49, who had served as deputy central bank governor prior to his role at state-controlled Kazatomprom, led the world’s biggest uranium miner through its London listing before leaving last September.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev nominated Pirmatov on Thursday and he was swiftly approved by the Senate in a session that was broadcast live.

(By Mariya Gordeyeva and Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)