By Lee Kap-soo

The following article on excerpts from the interview of the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, with Egemen Qazaqstan newspaper, was contributed by the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Seoul to Diplomacy Journal. –Ed. 

“We will continue a constructive and balanced foreign policy, taking into account the national interests of the country. In 2024, our country will host a number of representative summits and forums. Kazakhstan will chair several authoritative international organizations at once, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, the Organisation of Turkic States, the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, and the Islamic Food Security Organisation.

A significant event will be the hosting of the World Nomadic Games in Kazakhstan. They are important both for promoting national sports and a healthy lifestyle and for expanding cultural and humanitarian ties between fraternal peoples, heirs of the nomadic civilization of the Great Steppe.”

“Clean nuclear power is very important for Kazakhstan. It is a fundamental issue for the future of our economy. We are the world’s leading producer of natural uranium and have our own production of nuclear fuel components. That is why I pay special attention to the issue of building nuclear power plants in our country. After all, the issue of energy security should be resolved based on real needs, possibilities, and scientific research, not on geopolitical considerations.”

“You rightly acknowledge the timeliness of the C5+ format, as Central Asia is a dynamically developing region with its own perspective on geopolitical realities and abundant opportunities in trade, investment, business, and innovation. Consequently, interest in Central Asia is growing significantly worldwide, leading to an increased demand for the C5+ dialogue platform.

Without regular and trust-based dialogue at the highest level, the active development of relations between regional countries and influential external players would be impossible. In this regard, significant progress has been made in recent years. The annual Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia have proven to be fruitful. It is noteworthy that Kazakhstan will host the next Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia this year.”

“As previously mentioned, Kazakhstan is set to assume the chairmanship of several influential regional and international organizations and associations in 2024.

In June, the Astana International Forum will bring together heads of State and global companies. This platform will facilitate discussions on global issues such as climate change, food shortages, and energy security.”