There has always been a special temperature in relations between the two neighboring states, which makes it possible to expand the points of contact and achieve joint progress. The countries' efforts to strengthen ties have now entered a new phase. The intensification of bilateral cooperation is taking place, including in such areas as politics, economics, regional and border cooperation.
A little time has passed since the time when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan created KazAID (Kazakhstan International Development Agency). There was a wave of discussions on social networks and the media, so one can seriously discuss what it is and how it will work.
The results of the Second Consultative Meeting of the Heads of States of Central Asia, held on November 29 in Tashkent, can literally be considered a victory for Kazakhstan's approaches to regional cooperation. A direct evidence of this was the election of Nursultan Nazarbayev as the honorary chairman of the forum.
But more importantly, the positions of all Central Asian states without exception on the widest range of issues — security, trade, transport infrastructure, ecology, culture and education — began to align along the lines of regional cooperation.
Казахстан и Узбекистан: устойчивый интерес и диалог
В отношениях между двумя соседними государствами всегда существовала особая температура, которая позволяет расширить точки соприкосновения и достичь совместного прогресса. В настоящее время усилия стран по укреплению связей вошли в новую фазу. Активизация двустороннего сотрудничества проходит, в том числе в таких сферах, как политика, экономика, региональное и приграничное сотрудничество.
At one time, Henry Kissinger asked the question: «Who should I call to talk to Europe?» The lack of an answer to this question indicated the absence of a decision-making center in the European Union.
If today someone asks the same question about Central Asia, he will not receive an answer either. There is no one to speak on behalf of the region today.
Afghanistan has long been a modern backbone for international politics. There is no other country around which (more precisely, around which problems) such a developed system of global, regional, two-, three — and quadripartite dialogues are built. Dozens of intelligent people around the world are working on ways to resolve the «Afghan issue», and dissertations are being defended. Monographs on Afghan topics can be filled in several rooms of the library. Before the era of self-isolation, the fast and frequently used international conferences about Afghanistan were one of the drivers of the hotel, restaurant, catering, air travel industries, and everything related to the event business.
Afghanistan has long been a modern backbone for international politics. There is no other country around which (more precisely, around which problems) such a developed system of global, regional, two-, three — and quadripartite dialogues are built. Dozens of intelligent people around the world are working on ways to resolve the «Afghan issue», and dissertations are being defended. Monographs on Afghan topics can be filled in several rooms of the library. Before the era of self-isolation, the fast and frequently used international conferences about Afghanistan were one of the drivers of the hotel, restaurant, catering, air travel industries, and everything related to the event business. For some international organizations specializing in security, the «Afghan problem» served as the main justification for their activities. At the same time, which is very important, Afghanistan with its problems brought out international unity. At the UN, resolutions on Afghanistan are adopted with unanimity that is rare these days. The countries, whose views on the world are diametrically opposed, coincide in their approaches to solving the Afghan issue.
Over the years of independence, Kazakhstan has initiated and participated in the creation of a number of international organizations, but none of them, perhaps, has caused such contradictory assessments as the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). The idea was originally proposed by Nursultan Nazarbayev in May 1994. Two years later, an Agreement was signed between Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Russia on deepening integration in the economic and humanitarian fields (Tajikistan then later joined the alliance of the four). An Integration Committee was created, headed by the First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Nigmatzhan Isingarin.
The anniversary of Nursultan Nazarbayev is a good reason to remember why he successfully ruled the country for three decades. Kazakhstan is one of the few post-Soviet states that has escaped interethnic conflicts, military confrontations, social cataclysms, while Nazarbayev himself is one of the few politicians who, during the entire period of his presidency, did not have a worthy alternative.
Today, when there is time to assess the amount of work done, it is very easy to talk about how and what could have been done better. Young people, who have grown up in recent decades, often go to extremes when talking about the actions of Nursultan Nazarbayev.
In addition to the classical diplomacy, there are always additional forms within which foreign policy is implemented. Among them, the non-military-type operations stand out, and already among those, peacekeeping operations play a key role. Of course, Kazakhstan has very little experience with it so far, but I think it will be interesting to provide an informational overview of everything that is connected with them.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, having become the President of Kazakhstan after a landslide election victory a year ago, and recently returned from Moscow, where at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin he participated in a parade to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, gave an interview to the popular newspaper Ana Tili (Native language).
The interview reflected a wide range of issues of global and internal political nature, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the modern system of international relations and country governance, reforming the political, economic and social spheres, as well as the role of the state language, cultural code and philosophical views of the Kazakh people and their relationship with current trends in world development.