LONDON (Standard&Poor's CreditWire) May 21, 2001--Standard&Poor's today raised its long-term local and foreign currency issuer credit ratings on JSC Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Co. (KEGOC) to double-'B' from double-'B'-minus, and removed the local currency ratings from CreditWatch where they were placed on Sept. 18, 2000. The outlook on both ratings is stable. At the same time, the double-'B'-minus long-term local and foreign currency issuer credit ratings on Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), the state-owned railway company, were placed on CreditWatch with positive implications. These rating actions follow the upgrade of the Republic of Kazakhstan's local currency issuer credit ratings to double-'B'-plus and its foreign currency issuer credit ratings to double-'B' on May 18, 2001. Ratings also reflect