A Book on Kazakhstan's Multi-vector Foreign Policy was Presented in the Capital of the European Union

14 January 2025, Brussels – The Brussels-Europe Press Club hosted the presentation of Prof. Olivier Arifon's book “Diplomacy by narrative – New soft power in Asia”, dedicated to the study of Asian foreign policy, including Kazakhstan's multi-vector policy.

The event, attended by representatives of the Belgian and EU academic circles in the field of geopolitics and diplomacy, European institutions, the diplomatic corps, non-governmental organizations and the media, was also attended by the Ambassador of Kazakhstan Margulan Baimukhan and diplomats of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Taking into account that a significant part of the book is devoted to the history of formation of statehood and multi-vector policy of our country, as well as points to the formation of Kazakhstan as a “middle power”, Ambassador M. Baimukhan expressed the opinion that this work will be of certain interest to experts and diplomats interested in studying, developing and strengthening Kazakhstan-European relations.

The Kazakhstani diplomat thanked Prof. O. Arifon for his interest in Kazakhstan's modern foreign policy, its history and position on topical issues on the world agenda. The Kazakhstani diplomat also spoke about the economic and political reforms initiated by the President of Kazakhstan K.K.Tokayev, laying the foundation for further sustainable development and economic growth of the country.

Ambassador M. Baimukhan familiarised the audience with the prospects for the development of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union, outlining the main areas of current cooperation in the field of transport, energy and trade. In turn, Professor O. Arifon expressed his gratitude to the Embassy of Kazakhstan for the support provided in preparing the presentation of the book.

At the end of the meeting, a question-and-answer session was held, demonstrating the audience’s noticeable interest in Kazakhstan.

For reference: Olivier Arifon is Professor of Political Communication at the Université Catholique de Lille. Based in Brussels, he is also a consultant. Previously, he founded the communication company, was a university cooperation attaché in Munich and, as a researcher, has been between Europe and Asia for 20 years. Before that he published Le récit politique chinois: Soft power, communication, influence. L’Harmattan, 2021. More: https://olivier-arifon-consulting.com.