Statements Of Newly Appointed Kazakh President Tokayev About Russia, CSTO, CIS

Kazakh Senate speaker Kassym-Jomart Tokayev assumed the post of the country's acting president on Wednesday after the former head of state, Nursultan Nazarbayev, announced his resignation a day prior

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th March, 2019) Kazakh Senate speaker Kassym-Jomart Tokayev assumed the post of the country's acting president on Wednesday after the former head of state, Nursultan Nazarbayev, announced his resignation a day prior.

Sputnik recalls Tokayev's statements about Russia, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and other topics.

Tokayev, 65, graduated from Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Beijing Language and Culture University, and the Diplomatic academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. Over his career, he served as Kazakh prime minister, secretary of state and foreign minister.

Tokayev has spoken favorably about Russia in the context of various topics, from the fight against terrorism to sports.

One of Tokayev's more recent statements where he mentioned Russia concerned the meeting of the members of the two countries' committees on international relations, defense and security.

"The already traditional meetings of the members of the committees on international relations, defense and security of Kazakhstan and Russia are a concrete contribution to strengthening cooperation between the legislative bodies of our countries," Tokayev wrote on Twitter.

Earlier, talking about Vladimir Putin's re-election as Russian president in 2018, he noted that this was a guarantee of the development of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

"We consider Vladimir Putin's election as the president of Russia to be a solid guarantee of the successful continuation of the course of development of allied relations and the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Russia," Tokayev said at a meeting with Russian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Alexey Borodavkin following the 2018 election.

He also noted Russia's active position in the fight against international terrorism.

"Kazakhstan's parliamentarians note with concern the lack of coordination between world powers, which has had a detrimental effect on the situations in such problem areas as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya. Such a situation can be used by international terrorism to restore its position and to further escalate their extremist activities. We also note with gratitude the active position of Russia, which is basically on the front lines of the fight against international terrorism," Tokayev said at the Parliamentary Conference on Combating International Terrorism in the spring of 2017.

That same year, Tokayev said that Kazakhstan was proud of its excellent relations with Russia and China because they were vital for ensuring the countries' security and successful economic development.

Tokayev also praised Russia in connection with the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which the country hosted. As Tokayev noted at the time, the championship "became one of the best in the history of this popular sport."

During a meeting with Russian Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko in 2015, Tokayev said that the friendly nature of the relationship between Nazarbayev and Putin "provides the momentum for the continued strengthening of our strategic and allied partnership." In his opinion, Kazakh-Russian relations are "exemplary" and may serve as a "model" of mutually beneficial cooperation and a trusting partnership.

He also noted that a strategic partnership and alliance with Russia were absolute priorities for Kazakhstan.

"Russia is Kazakhstan's strategic partner and ally. I think that our policy toward Russia will not change under any circumstances, because it would be simply unnatural to implement a different policy," Tokayev said.

Tokayev has noted the importance of CSTO, which comprises both Kazakhstan and Russia, as well as Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

Tokayev said that the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly was a very important organization, "especially in these challenging times when sanctions are applied and attempts to isolate Russia are made."

He also noted that Kazakhstan paid special attention to interparliamentary cooperation, particularly, with regard to the Russian parliament. Tokayev added that active work was being carried out within the framework of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member Nations and the Parliamentary Assembly of the CSTO.

CSTO Acting Secretary General Valery Semerikov, commenting on Tokayev's appointment, told Sputnik that the change in the presidency in Kazakhstan would not have a negative impact on the successful implementation of agreements and plans that had been decided on in the CSTO.

"How can this [Nazarbayev's resignation] have an impact, when all the CSTO member states are bound by one treaty? The charter of the organization clearly defines the obligations that the parties owe to each other," Semerikov added.

Speaking about the CIS, Tokayev also highlighted the contribution that Russia has made.

"We would like to highlight the invaluable contribution of Russia to the successful work of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, headed by its chairperson, Valentina Ivanovna Matviyenko," Tokayev said at a meeting dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly in 2017.

RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA OUT OF DANGER

After it became known that Tokayev was appointed acting president, Russian politicians expressed their thoughts about the future of Russian-Kazakh relations.

The head of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian parliament's lower house, Leonid Slutsky, said he was confident that Tokayev would continue to develop the country in the same direction that had been taken by his predecessor.

"I personally know the appointed acting president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. I am confident that he will continue the course for the country's development that was set by the first head of Kazakhstan. We also hope for the continuation of its state policy with regard to its relations with Russia, cooperation in common integration associations and on international platforms," Slutsky said.

In turn, Chairman of Russia's upper house Foreign Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev noted that, despite Nazarbayev's resignation, relations between Russia and Kazakhstan were out of danger and that Tokayev had confirmed his willingness to develop relations with Russia.

"I am sure that relations between Russia and Kazakhstan are out of danger," Kosachev said.

Askar Akayev, who was the first president of Kyrgyzstan, believed that Tokayev's appointment would result in Kazakhstan maintaining prioritized relations with Russia.

"Kazakhstan is a country that is part of the Eurasian Economic Union, so it is obvious that Kazakhstan's leadership will always maintain prioritized relations with Russia, and not with the United States. I do believe so," Akayev told Sputnik.

According to former UN Under-Secretary-General Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Tokayev is a brilliant diplomat and statesman, and Kazakhstan will be very lucky to have him as its president.

"This man replaced me as [UN] under-secretary-general. He is an amazingly educated and competent person. He worked at our embassy, the Soviet Union embassy, in China. He knows English and Chinese very well. He graduated from MGIMO, by the way... He is a good diplomat and statesman. It is no coincidence that he fills the post, he really is a great statesman, brilliant. So, if he becomes president, Kazakhstan will be lucky to have him," Ordzhonikidze told Sputnik.

According to Dmitry Verkhoturov, an expert at the Center for Contemporary Afghan Studies, a whole historical era ends with Nazarbayev's resignation, and all spheres of the country's life will begin to change.

Verkhoturov also believed that the reasons for Nazarbayev's resignation were obvious.

"This is a complex variety of objective and subjective causes. The reason is quite obvious he is just tired, he has been in charge for more than 30 years. It is understandable that he got tired," Verkhoturov told Sputnik.

At the same time, experts believed that the way Nazarbayev has chosen to resign would ensure a stable transfer of power in the country.

According to Andrei Kazantsev, the director of the Center for Central Asian and Afghan Studies at MGIMO, Nazarbayev will remain a dominant figure in Kazakh politics because of his authority, even if he stays away from public office.

Asked whether this meant that the transfer of power would be held peacefully and stability would be maintained, the expert told Sputnik that "as long as Nazarbayev is alive, he will act as a guarantor of stability."

Political analyst and professor at Moscow's Higher school of Economics Oleg Matveychev also thought that there would be no destabilization in the country.

"Everything looks like a lawful and legitimate course of action of a president who has worked enough in his life. Any insinuation that the Americans made him do that and so on are stupid delusions of incompetent political scientists," the professor said.

Nazarbayev, 78, held a number of senior posts in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, which was a part of the Soviet Union. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Nazarbayev remained in power, becoming president of the independent Republic of Kazakhstan. Despite him resigning after almost 29 years in office, Nazarbayev remains head of the country's Security Council and leader of the ruling Nur Otan party.