Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Russia, Dauren Abayev, recently released an article, discussing the robust relations between Astana and Moscow, Kursiv reports. He identified four key factors that contribute to the strength of these relations, stating that it is impossible for Kazakhstan and Russia not to be friends and that refusing partnership is a “negative sum game”.
Four factors
Leadership
The first factor is leadership. Abayev highlighted that the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Russia is organic, underpinned by the world’s longest land border, which is 1/5 the length of the equator.
“In this vein, the friendship of the two peoples is a consequence not only of socio-cultural complementarity in the Gumilevian understanding of this phenomenon but is also based on the foundation of pragmatism and rationality. Simply, it is impossible for us not to be friends! Refusing partnership is a negative-sum game,” Abayev wsaid.
People
The second factor is people. Abayev noted that the Kazakh and Russian people are united by many threads, including the joint overcoming of tragic trials - famine, repression, and wars.
“Fighting shoulder to shoulder against fascism in the mid-20th century is one of the most significant pages bringing our peoples closer together. There is no family in Kazakhstan whose ancestors did not fight on the fronts of the Great War or did not work hard on the home front,” he stated.
He also mentioned that up to 600,000 Kazakh people live in Russia today, while Russian people are the second largest ethnic group in Kazakhstan. This, in his opinion, “warms up” the border and positively affects bilateral relations.
“And, of course, in these communications a huge role is played by the Russian language, which we, Kazakh people, consider an important element of the competitiveness of our people. It is no coincidence that it was the Republic of Kazakhstan, represented by our President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who initiated the creation of the International Organization for the Russian Language,” Abayev emphasized.
Abayev expressed hope that Russia would improve conditions for Kazakh people to learn their native language. He added that Kazakhs living in the Russian Federation raise only one problem - the possibility of their children learning the language.
Welfare
The third factor is welfare. Abayev spoke about economic cooperation between the two countries. He said that at the end of 2022, Kazakhstan and Russia reached a record volume of trade turnover - $26.1bn, and today there are prerequisites to renew this record.
“Today, under the conditions of Russia’s big turnaround towards the global South, the cities bordering Kazakhstan - Novosibirsk, Astrakhan, Omsk, Chelyabinsk - have every chance to become full-fledged “windows to Greater Asia”. We are, of course, open for joint projects,” Abayev noted.
Values
The fourth factor is values. Abayev emphasized the significance of cultural exchange, which fosters unity and mutual comprehension among nations.
Ambassadors on bilateral relations
In mid-December, Ambassador Abayev affirmed in an interview with RBC TV channel that Astana will continue to develop relations with Moscow, a fact understood by the West. He also emphasized the development of the Kazakh language in the country, which is not occurring at the expense of the Russian language.
On December 22, Russian Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Alexei Borodavkin, spoke about the principles underpinning the partnership between Moscow and Astana. These include equal rights, recognition of sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs. He also noted the genuinely friendly and close relations between Tokayev and Putin.
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