Almaty. April 2. Kazakhstan Today - The President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev became the first torch carrier in the World Olympic Torch Relay Beijing -2008, the agency reports. The solemn ceremony of the beginning of the Olympic Torch Relay began in Almaty at 12.00 in high-mountain skating rink Medeo. The President of Kazakhstan ascended to the improvised pedestal established on the high-mountain ice arena. The Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to Kazakhstan Chan Siun and the first ethnic Kazakh who became the Olympic champion in the Greek-Roman wrestling in 1980, Zhaksylyk Ushekmpirov took part in the ceremony. The President of Kazakhstan accepted the main symbol of the Olympiad Beijing-2008 from the Ambassador of China Chan Siun and began the relay. Having run 200 meters, the leader of the state transferred the Olympic torch to the well-known Kazakhstan boxer, the champion of the Olympic Games - 2004 in Athenes, Bahtiyar Artayev. As it was informed earlier, Almaty for the first time has become of the cities, through the territory of which the Olympic torch will pass before the Olympic Games of 2008 in Beijing. 22 countries of the world will be involved in the organization and carrying out of the relay before the Beijing Olympiad. The Olympic torch, lit in Greece, will be brought to Beijing, and then will travel to Almaty and to other countries - participants of the relay with the subsequent return to the capital of China.