TOWARDS THE 80th BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF H.E. MR. NURSULTAN NAZABAYEV, FOUNDING FATHER OF THE KAZAKHSTANI NATION (ELBASY)
TOWARDS THE 80th BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF H.E. MR. NURSULTAN NAZABAYEV, FOUNDING FATHER OF THE KAZAKHSTANI NATION (ELBASY)
THE PHENOMENON OF LEADER
SPLENDOUR AND IMPRESSIVE PERSONALITY SCALES
OF THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF KAZAKHSTAN MAY BE EVALUATED IN DEPTH ONLY BASED ON COMPLEX INTERPLAY OF MULTIPLE FACTORS
July 6 is quickly approaching. This date heralds the significant state holiday of Kazakhstan – Day of Capital, as well as another important milestone – the 80th Birth Anniversary of H.E. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev, First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Leader of the Nation (Elbasy).
In this regard, the Embassy of Kazakhstan to South Africa, by way of translation and publication of this article, continues media campaign to familiarize its follower audience with the role of great leader Nursultan Nazarbayev in the country’s, regional and global history.
The unique personal character of H.E. Mr. Nursultan A. Nazarbayev, Leader of the Nation (Elbasy), founder of modern Kazakhstan, has for a long time been a subject of increased interest and close attention for both domestic and foreign researchers.
Touching upon this significant topic once again within this article, we would like to highlight that splendour and impressive personality scales of the First President of Kazakhstan may be evaluated in depth only pursuant to complex interplay of multiple factors that influenced his formation as a state leader. Yet, it should be done based on analysis of leadership qualities, manifested in His Excellency’s multifaceted creative activities and enormous efforts, made by Elbasy for the sake of his country.
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Alternatively, the Article’s full text is as follows:
- TRUE LEADER, ELECTED BECAUSE OF THE IMPERATIVES OF OUR ERA
The collapse at the end of the twentieth century, one of the superpowers of the past, the Soviet Union, became a cataclysm that entailed far-reaching consequences. Like other former Soviet republics, Kazakhstan then received a rare chance to gain independence. Back in 1991, the joy of what happened, inspired hopes for the better future in the minds of many our citizens. However, feelings of several other people, who tried to imagine new era, were also mixed with uncertainty, sometimes pessimism and even fear. At such a crucial moment, the personality of the leader, who stood at the helm of power, was of tremendous importance.
As history demonstrates, at different stages of society’s development, a considerable demand arises for a certain type of the state leader. For instance, Kazakhstan at the beginning of 1990s, as air to breath, needed a leader of a new generation, capable to subtly feel the challenges of the time in the rapid stream of those drastic events, as well as to correctly assess the nature of the ongoing socio-political processes, both inside and outside the Republic.
The revival of the state, the filling of sovereignty with concrete content, the determination of the country’s worthy place on the international arena under radically changed geopolitical conditions — all these and many other difficult tasks required enormous strategic thinking, manifestation of wisdom and balance, as well as perseverance in achieving goals. Such a personality should have been strikingly different from a variety of other politicians, who at such times either got lost in what was happening, or simply went with the tide of circumstances of that times.
AT THOSE HARD DAYS MR. NURSULTAN A. NAZARBAYEV HAS BECOME A TRUE LEADER, WHO DECIDED TO TAKE HEAVY BURDEN OF RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS HIS COUNTRY AND PEOPLE ON HIS SHOULDERS. HE COMPLETELY FULFILLED THE MISSION OF THE AWAKENING OF THE NATIONAL SPIRIT AND REBUILDING THE KAZAKH STATEHOOD. HE MANAGED TO NULLIFY ALL THE FEARS AND DOUBTS OF THE COUNTRY’s POPULATION, GENERATED BY THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE FUTURE, AS WELL AS ECONOMIC CHAOS AND SOCIAL DISORIENTATION. MOREOVER, FINALLY HE MANAGED TO OVERCOME ALL THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS AND DEVELOPMENTS OF THAT PERIOD, WHILE DIRECTING KAZAKHSTAN TO THE PATH OF THE UNIVERSAL PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT.
Such accomplishments, commensurate with the high strategic objectives and the transcendental level of opportunities and threats of a turning point, can only be realized by politicians such as Nursultan Nazarbayev, whose gigantic figure will serve as an unshakable landmark for grateful succeeding generations for centuries. In the intricacies of world processes, he provided all the necessary conditions for the peaceful, safe, and secure development of Kazakhstan. He raised the international authority of the country remarkably high, having earned the glory of one of the titans of global politics.
ALMOST THREE DECADES, IN THE COURSE OF WHICH HE LED THE KAZAKH STATE, BECAME A TIME OF HARD WORK, MOBILIZATION OF ALL RESOURCES AND FORCES, TIRELESS SEARCHES AND ATTAINMENTS, AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS AND BREAKTHOUGHS OVER IMPORTANT BENCHMARKS. HIS TERM OF OFFICE BECAME A TRUE “ERA OF CREATION”, WHICH PROVIDED GRAND SUCCESS AND ENSURED MANY GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS. ALL THE KAZAKHSTANIES ARE IMMENSELY PROUD TODAY OF THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
Possessing an unbending will, courage and decisiveness, combined with deep intellect, enormous diligence, and determination, Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev, while leading the young country, has managed to shape its course correctly and precisely, as well as to lay the solid foundation for its sustainable development for the next decades to come.
THE PHENOMENON OF POLITICAL LEADERSHIP OF MR. NURSULTAN A. NAZARBAYEV HAS ALWAYS APPEARED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COURSE OF HIS TENURE AS THE FIRST PRESIDENT AND THE LEADER OF THE NATION (ELBASY), BEING ACCOMPANIED BY HIS EXCELLENCY’s ENORMOUS EFFORTS AND MULTIFACETED ACTIVITIES. HE WILL UNDOUBTEDLY GO DOWN IN THE NATIONAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY, AND WILL ALWAYS BE HIGHLY RESPECTED AS THE FOUNDING FATHER OF INDEPENDENT KAZAKHSTAN, WISE STRATEGIST, GREAT REFORMER AND OUTSTANDING POLITICAL LEADER OF OUR TIMES.
- STARTING POINT TO A GREAT ROAD TRIP
It is well-known that creation, in its conceptual sense, is a painstaking process that requires a lot of hard work, patience, time, a special mood and, most importantly, an understanding of the ultimate goal of all the efforts. In other words, in accordance with the famous Bernard Shaw’s quote: “Imagination is the beginning of creation”. Moreover, if structural defects, made by the designer, can still be corrected, the results of political mistakes are not subject to any correction in many cases.
Kazakhstan around that time was a newly emerged state, without much experience of being sovereign nation. The country had a one-sided economy, a multi-confessional and poly-ethnic population, a society that was in an ideological vacuum. Thus, special political skills and flexibility were required for its founding President. Prominent foreign experts, who kept a close watch on the bloody conflicts and civil wars that accompanied the establishment of several post-Soviet states, were sceptical about the prospects of formation of stable and effective political system and even successful statehood in our young country.
HOWEVER, THE UNIQUE MANAGERIAL TALENT OF MR. NURSULTAN NAZARBAYEV, HIS STRATEGIC THINKING OF A FAR-SIGHTED STATESMAN, FORMED DURING THE YEARS OF HIS LEADERSHIP IN SOVIET KAZAKHSTAN, AS WELL AS HIS DETAILED KNOWLEDGE OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND SOCIO-POLITICAL SITUATION IN THE COUNTRY, MADE IT POSSIBLE TO AVOID ELEGANTLY ALL THE FATAL MISCALCULATIONS OF PESSIMISTS AND REFUTE ALL THEIR GLOOMY FORECASTS.
Coming from a simple rural family, in which labour was the main measure of human dignity, he was used to working hard and setting clear, concrete goals. Having successfully graduated from school in his native village, as member of the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League, usually known as Komsomol, Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev in 1958was sent to the town of Temirtau to build the Qaragandy Metallurgical Plant. The ‘fiery’ profession of the metallurgist tempered his will, character, perfected his leadership qualities. skills. Those skills clearly characterized and differentiated him from other young people.
In those years, the echoes of the Stalinist suppressive system were still heard, but the world around started to be changed dramatically. Yet, social and cultural life of the country came to normal gradually. In 1950s-1960s, humanity made an important breakthrough, while accessing outer space. At that time, many of giant industrial construction projects were launched across the former USSR. Embraced by the spirit of enthusiasm and faith in the bright future, His Excellency Mr. Nazarbayev, like many of his young compatriots, wholeheartedly strove for the new and advanced prospects, always trying to be ahead of his fellow men in all his endeavours.
Being non-indifferent and fascinating with everything that surrounded him, Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev became public activist and party official. From 1969 to 1979, while attaining leading positions in the Komsomol and party bodies, he successfully and innovatively solved many emerging problems, related to the development of industrial production and improving social and economic life of the people. Firstly, within the Qaragandy Metallurgical Plant, then in the town of Temirtau, and finally in the Qaragandy Region, as a whole.
By the mid-1980s, being Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan for industry, transport and communications, and then Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Premier) of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, he thoroughly understood all aspects of the socio-economic life of the Republic, knew the state of affairs in each area, and in every specific enterprise. At the same time, he also imagined the further economic development of both the Republic and the Soviet Union as a whole. As many experts and politicians emphasized, he was distinguished by a business-minded style of leadership, concise approach, and a true desire to help in solving problems.
HIS LEADERSHIP QUALITIES WERE ESPECIALLY EVIDENT DURING THE YEARS OF WORK AT THE POSITION OF THE FIRST SECRETARY OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF KAZAKHSTAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE KAZAKH SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLIC. AT THAT TIME, IN THE LATE 1980S - EARLY 1990S, MR. NURSULTAN NAZARBAYEV WAS ALREADY WIDELY KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, BECAUSE HE WAS A POLITICAL FIGURE OF THE ALL-UNION LEVEL. EVEN THOSE DAYS, HE WAS DISTINGUISHED BY HIS LARGE-SCALE VISION, FREE FROM OBSOLETE TEMPLATES AND STEREOTYPES, HIS CONFIDENCE, AS WELL AS HIS DESIRE TO THINK AND ACT IN A NEW WAY, GOING BEYOND THE FRAMEWORK OF ENTRENCHED DOGMAS AND RULES.
His desire to transform, improve and generate new ideas was a crystal manifestation of the active nature of the First President. At the same time, he always proceeded from the priority of public interests, for which he sincerely worried and always defended them. With all this, he was not afraid, unlike most of the leaders of that time, to raise sharp questions before the higher leadership of the country. Moreover, he was always in position to defend his views, providing reasonable arguments to his interlocutors.
Soviet leadership in Moscow (at that time – capital of the USSR) knew about these fundamental qualities - integrity high competence and courage of Mr. Nazarbayev even in the 1970s in. Yet, over there he managed to convince the highest party leaders to pay due attention to the development of the industrial potential of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, as well as the creation of normal conditions for the life and work of people.
Possessing critical thinking, he was aware of the mismatch of obsolete forms and methods of governance in the country. As chairman of the Council of Ministers (Premier) of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, Mr. Nursultan A. Nazarbayev saw all the distortions in the socio-economic development of the Republic. Hence, at the XVI Congress of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, held in February 1986, he made justifiable criticism to this end. In the conditions of a rigid administrative-command system, he went against the old-style order of things. With that, he was always been able to prove his case.
In this vein, his clear ideological and political programme for solving urgent problems in the economic and socio-political spheres of the Republic, which he presented at the First Congress of People’s Deputies of the USSR, held in May 1989, was met with great attention and support. In those days, Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev was considered as one of the most respected and far-sighted politicians of the Soviet Union, worthy of the post of Prime Minister.
III. ESTABLISHING STATEHOOD OF NEWLY-EMERGED COUNTRY
HOWEVER, THE UNPREDICTABLE FATE DECREED OTHERWISE AND STARTED TO PREPARE HIS EXCELLENCY FOR THE MAIN MISSION IN HIS LIFE - TO LEAD AN INDEPENDENT KAZAKHSTAN AS ITS FIRST PRESIDENT. AT THIS HIGHEST POST, HIS TALENT OF AN OUTSTANDING LEADER AND ARCHITECT OF THE KAZAKHSTANI STATEHOOD WAS MANIFESTED BRIGHTLY AND BRILLIANTLY, IN ALL ITS IMPRESSIVE POWER AND FULLNESS.
16 December 1991 is the most remarkable date in the history of our country, for on this very day H.E. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev proclaimed the state independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It was the beginning of the countdown in the history of a new country, which appeared on the political map of the world for the first time. No one then could have imagined that thanks to His Excellency’s efforts, Kazakhstan would turn from a peripheral Soviet Republic into a dynamically developing country, the recognized leader in the Central Asian region.
Establishing new statehood, he worked day and night, not sparing his intellectual strength, physical stamina and spiritual energy. He made decisions and monitored the execution of assignments on all key issues of the country's life, while making the most stringent requirements, above all, for himself and his team. In the modern history of Kazakhstan, none of the country’s leaders before Nursultan Nazarbayev has ever taken up such a grandiose and, at the same time, highly responsible office and duties. After all, there were no ready-made drawings or schemes by which the independent state could be “assembled” and established. Everything had to be done for the first time, relying solely on our lider’s vision, his experience, knowledge base, organizational skills, support of the like-minded fellows and trust of people.
Under his direct leadership, the Republic of Kazakhstan gained all the attributes of an independent state, as well as modern Constitution. Thanks to the efforts of the First President, the principle of the separation of powers, recognized in most countries, was made basis for the activities of new democratic state institutions.
The country has received widest international recognition and key security guarantees from the leading world powers. At that critical juncture it was an important condition for the further development of foreign policy and, inter alia, ensuring multilateral cooperation.
The introduction of the national currency – Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT) – made it possible to create our own financial system and ensure an independent monetary policy. Thanks to urgent measures of our leader, it was possible to reanimate the work of industrial enterprises, establish uninterrupted energy supply in cities and villages, as well as ensure the fulfillment of social obligations by the state.
- MEETING CHALLENGE
DURING THAT CRITICAL DECADE OF THE FORMATION OF KAZAKHSTANI STATEHOOD, OUR FIRST PRESIDENT STARTED THE PROCESS OF LARGE-SCALE INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS AND BUILDING FULL-FLEDGED MARKET ECONOMY.
THE SOLID CHARACTER AND SYSTEMATIC NATURE OF THESE TRANSFORMATIONS, AS WELL AS THEIR FUNDAMENTAL FORM AND CONTENT, PUT THE FIRST PRESIDENT NURSULTAN NAZARBAYEV OF KAZAKHSTAN AMONG SUCH OUTSTANDING REFORMERS OF OUR WORLD, AS THE EMPEROR MEIJI THE GREAT OF JAPAN (1852-1912), THE FIRST PRESIDENT MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK OF TURKEY (1881-1938), THE THIRTY-SECOND PRESIDENT FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT OF THE UNITED STATES (1882-1945), THE SECOND CHANCELLOR LUDWIG ERHARD OF GERMANY (1897-1977), THE FIRST PRIME MINISTER LEE KUAN YEW OF SINGAPORE (1923-2015), THE THIRD PARAMOUNT LEADER DENG XIAOPING OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (1904-1997), AS WEL AS THE FIRST PRESIDENT NELSON ROLIHLAHLA ‘MADIBA’ MANDELA OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA (1918-2013).
“KAZAKHSTANI WAY” OR “KAZAKHSTANI MODEL OF DEVELOPMENT” – THIS IS WHAT FOREIGN EXPERTS, INSPIRED BY THE LEADER OF OUR NATION (ELBASY), CALLED THE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE OF NATIONAL MODERNIZATION AND EVOLUTIONARY TRANSFORMATIONS IN OUR COUNTRY.
Reformers are always ahead of the time, because their efforts are often met with misunderstanding, disapproval, and sometimes even open resistance. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev went against the circumstances, overcoming the resistance of conservative forces, clinging to the old values. Convinced of the impossibility and destructiveness of returning to the realities of the former, hopeless and backward socio-economic model, His Excellency advocated for its radical reorganization. This task required full dedication. Yet, Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev managed to demonstrate his exceptional efficiency and unwavering stamina in overcoming all the related difficulties.
At the same time, he carried out reforms not on a hunch or a whim, but on the basis of a systematic approach, in accordance with the algorithm of successive steps. With that, His Excellency absorbed new knowledge, while studying overwhelming volumes of literature and media publications on the most relevant topics of state building.
At his numerous meetings, held with world-famous reformers, inter alia, Prime Ministers Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Margaret Thatcher of the United Kingdom, Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia, as well as several prominent economic experts from the Western world, His Excellency wondered in details on how their reforms were carried. In particular, he asked, which challenges and problems they faced and how they managed to overcome them. He also studied the functioning of market mechanisms during his foreign trips. Those meetings provided great food for thought, while inspiring his further domestic work and reforms. Many advanced ideas and experiences, shared by his colleagues, then been translated into real deeds and practical actions.
ON THE DIFFICULT ISSUE OF FOLLOW-UP REFORMS, MR. NURSULTAN NAZARBAYEV HAS CHOSEN THE PRIMACY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AS HE RIGHTLY MENTIONED THEN, ONLY A SOCIETY WITH A HIGH STANDARDS OF LIVING IS CAPABLE OF AN ADEQUATE PERCEPTION OF DEMOCRATIC VALUES.
THIS TRUE APPROACH FULLY CONFIRMED ITS CORRECTNESS DURING THE FIRST DIFFICULT-TO-SURVIVE YEARS OF THE KAZAKHSTANI SOVEREIGNTY. HENCE, HIS EXCELLENCY’S FORMULA ‘ECONOMY FIRST, THEN POLITICS’ DETERMINED THE LOGIC OF THE WHOLE PROCESS OF TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE COUNTRY.
By 1991, Kazakhstan inherited from the USSR an unbalanced economy, which was, in fact, a raw material appendage of the Soviet Union’s planned system. The collapse of close economic ties between the former Soviet republics led to a deep socio-economic crisis, which for that moment seemed irreversible. But the First President went to decisive market reforms, sometimes unpopular and tough. However, it was the only possible way to ensure the growth of national economy and create a stable middle class as the major pillar for the stability of our society.
In His Excellency’s State of the Nation Addresses (SONAs), the First President has always emphasized the following basic principle: “To achieve success and prosperity it is necessary to get rid of dependency and paternalism, take the initiative on yourself, rely on your own strength”. He also always explained that our state will create all the necessary conditions for the formation of a full-fledged market economy, the institution of private property, as well as intends to ensure involvement of people in entrepreneurial activities. Moreover, the First President of Kazakhstan has urged his people as follows: “To overcome the crisis and prove its economic viability, our society must withstand all the difficulties, associated with the transition to a market economy”.
DECISIVENESS OF HIS ACTIONS AS WELL AS HIS EXCELLENCY’S STRONG POLITICAL WILL, ENERGY AND FIRMNESS ENSURED THE COUNTRY’S HISTORIC TRANSITION FROM THE FORMER SUPERCENTRALIZED ADMINISTRATIVE-COMMAND ECONOMY TO THE MODERN MARKET SYSTEM. IT WAS DONE VERY ELEGANTLY, EFFICIENTLY AND PROMPTLY. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF H.E. MR. NURSULTAN NAZARBAYEV, KAZAKHSTAN ENTERED WORLD’S TOP CHARTS OF COMPETITEVENESS AND OTHER ECONOMIC ACHIEVEMENTS. NOWADAYS THE COUNRTY IS A RECOGNIZED CHAMPION IN IMPLEMENTING LARGE-SCALE MARKET REFORMS, THE MOST SUCCESSFUL ON THE POST-SOVIET GEOGRAPHIC SPACE.
In the twentieth century, inter-ethnic contradictions became one of the main causes of the collapse of empires and allied states. Recognizing the critical importance of this factor, the First President proclaimed the equality of rights of all Kazakhstanis, regardless of their ethnicity and religious denominations, as one of the fundamental principles of the country’s state policy. Strict adherence to this stance allowed Kazakhstan to maintain several major achievements - peace, tranquility, political stability, as well as interethnic and interfaith harmony. Hence, ethnic diversity has become one of the basic factors of the country's strategic advantages.
Thanks to the efforts of the First President, Kazakhstan on a gradual basis has survived on the ruins of a former Soviet state in incredibly complex conditions, and revived in a new capacity of the stable country with a full-fledged market economy. During the ‘first stage of the country’s modernization’, as H.E. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev described that period, the tasks to overcome the systemic crisis, restore the economy, and form a new political system were solved successfully.
- EXTENDING THE HORIZONS OF DEVELOPMENT
The country was only at the beginning of a long journey, and the First President has clearly understood that fact. Always thinking widely and systematically, he strove to look beyond the visible horizons of time and tried to anticipate the course of events and processes for years and decades to come.
In the stream of government affairs, protocol events, meetings and visits, the First President always took time to analyse a wide range of developmental topics. In this vein, while determining the future prospects of his country, His Excellency also tried to assess all the opportunities and challenges.
As it was mentioned one by renown Roman philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca (Seneca the Younger, a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman and dramatist from the Silver Age of Latin literature): “If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favourable.” This famous quote is reflecting most correctly the importance of that very moment Kazakhstan was experiencing. [In other words, if some in this world only knew that adventure was waiting for them right outside their door, they might even jump at it. But for many of us, it is not just about accepting a call to adventure. It is also about having some direction. Some purpose.].
So, it was obvious that in a global competitive market, the country's further development depends, above all, on modernization and diversification of its national economy.
OVER THOSE YEARS, AS A RESULT OF INTENSE INTELLECTUAL SEARCHES OF THE FIRST PRESIDENT, KAZAKHSTAN HAS MANAGED TO BUILD AN INTEGRATED PLANNING SYSTEM. IT INCLIUDES BOTH LONG-TERM STRATEGIES AND SPECIFIC ROAD MAPS (CONCRETE ACTION PLANS), INTERLINKED WITHIN ONE SINGLE STRUCTURE.
The bold in its conception, the Strategy for Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan towards 2030 (The ‘Kazakhstan-2030’ Strategy) was aimed at entering the World’s Top-50 chart of most competitive states. In its very beginning, the Strategy was met with doubt. However, it was then widely supported and even completed ahead of the scheduled time.
To characterize this success, many analysts and experts used the following expression: “Kazakhstani leopard jumped”. Yet, the country’s stable economic growth was ensured and a new wave of the modernization of the national economy has begun. So, the country was firmly embarked on the market economy track. With that, entrepreneurship has become one of the key factors in Kazakhstan’s economic development. Simultaneously, the level of social welfare of citizens has grown, and a stable middle class has developed. The consistent combination of economic and political reforms contributed to the further development of civil society institutions - political parties, non-governmental organizations, as well as non-governmental media.
THE TRANSFER OF THE COUNTRY’S CAPITAL TO ITS GEORGAPHIC CENTRE, ASTANA (MODERN-DAY NUR-SULTAN), WAS A TURNING POINT TO CONSOLIDATE THE TRANSFORMATIVE STRATEGIC COURSE OF THE STATE. THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW ADMINISTRATIVE AND POLITICAL CENTER CAUSED A GREAT MULTIPLIER EFFECT. IN PARTICULAR, IT WAS BENEFICIAL TO THE ENTIRE PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT OF KAZAKHSTAN, AS WELL AS ITS SOCIETY AND ALL THE SPHERES OF ITS NATIONAL ECONOMY IN PARTICULAR.
With that, reform process was accelerated, state power was strengthened, while the international cooperation was intensified.
This unprecedented innovative mega-project, implemented in a short time frame at the turn of the century, has become one of the powerful spirit-raising initiatives of the First President, which consolidated and united the Kazakhstani society. The new capital has become a symbol of independent Kazakhstan, an example of the implementation of the strategic vision, political will, and tireless efforts of the First President, as well as the personification of realized plans and fulfilled hopes of Kazakhstani citizens.
Equal to the new capital, all administrative centres of the regions of Kazakhstan were modernized as well. In particular, these large-scale changes affected the ancient city of Turkestan, which in accordance with the Decree of the First President of 2018, acquired the status of the administrative center of the Turkestan region of Kazakhstan.
One of the important aspects of the activities of Mr. Nursultan A. Nazarbayev was the formation of a new generation of senior executives in independent Kazakhstan. Over the years of his tenure as the Head of State, His Excellency managed to foster a series of famous Kazakhstani statesmen (who led the state bodies – Parliament (Senate and Májilis), Government, various Ministries and other organs, as well as the regions) and diplomats. It is necessary to highlight among them H.E. Mr. Kassym-Jomart K. Tokayev, the current President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, who for many years led the country’s Foreign Ministry, and then Government and Senate, and undoubtedly, is the most brilliant Kazakhstani diplomat and a political leader the highest reputation. At the same time, ensuring the smooth transit of power from the First President to Second Head of State, held in strict compliance with the Constitution of the country, was one of the most significant political achievements of the Leader of the Nation (Elbasy).
In the second decade of the twenty-first century, humanity has entered a new era of global transformation, during which the world acquiring the features of a ‘digital civilization’. It characterized with the mobility of people, information, as well as forms a new reality in politics, economics, business, and culture. At the same time, imbalances in world development has intensified, while inequalities in access to resources and technologies between developed and developing countries has increased as well. Because of the urgent need to adapt the country to new challenges and strengthen its global competitiveness, the First President initiated the Kazakhstan-2050 Strategy.
This treatise, aimed at becoming one of the 30 most developed countries in the world, marked the launch of systemic modernization of Kazakhstan via combing potential of its interlinked economic, political, and social spheres. The Programme ‘Five Institutional Reforms’ and the Nationwide Plan ‘100 Concrete Steps’ aimed at modernizing the state administration, improving the work of civil and legal institutions, as well as industrializing further the national economy, became an integral part of this process. At the same time, as a result of the continuation of the country’s Programme for Industrial and Innovative Development, over a thousand new industries were created, while new branches and sectors of the innovative economy were formed.
THE POLITICAL REFORM INITIATED BY THE FIRST PRESIDENT, WAS THE LOGICAL ELEMENT OF TRANSFORMATIONS. IT REFLECTED THE DESIRE TO INCREASE THE COMPETITIVE ABILITIES OF THE STATE AND ITS INSTITUTIONS IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD. IT MARKED THE BEGINNING OF THE TRANSIT OF THE STATE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FROM THE SUPER-PRESIDENTIAL MODEL TO THE PRESIDENTIAL-PARLIAMENTARY ONE.
Thus, these interconnected conceptual steps formed a broad institutional platform for Kazakhstan to enter a new stage of sustainable development. The key role in this process, as Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev has once pointed out, is played by the quality of human capital, as well as competencies and skills of the individual citizens. In modern realities they are not only a factor of personal competitiveness, but also the competitiveness of the entire state.
At the same time, according to Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev, the ongoing process of transformation of the country should be objectively accompanied by a change in public consciousness. As he repeatedly emphasized, it is important for Kazakhstan not to get lost in the rapid stream of globalization, but to maintain its identity, ‘moving along the highway of world progress’.
His Excellency paid close attention to this problem not only due to pressure of external civilizational and cultural factors, but also because of his own inner spiritual intentions and worries about the future of his people and his country. Over the years of leadership of the country, His Excellency proved himself to be a true patriot of his native language, culture and history, which were always at the bottom of his heart, and were matter of his increased attention on a constant basis.
Such a sensitive attitude was reinforced by a systemic long-term measures that put the entire process of spiritual revival of our people on a solid scientific and institutional basis. The postulates and provisions, formulated by H.E. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev within the Nation-wide Ideologeme ‘Rýhani Jańǵyrý’, which stressed the importance of preserving the spiritual heritage, national code and the continuity of generations, have become a valuable instruction to our youth and important guidelines to our young people.
- PEACE-LOVING FOREIGN POLICY
From the first years of the state independence, the First President attached exceptional importance to the foreign policy. Effective diplomacy has become one of the key instruments in ensuring the sovereignty and security of Kazakhstan, as well as consistent promotion of the country's national interests. Considering all the realities of the modern multipolar world order, His Excellency formed and conducted multi-vector foreign policy of cooperation and pragmatism, while establishing international contacts and ties in accordance with this balanced approach.
Despite various promises and exhortations, he decided to proceed towards security and stability along the path of creating not a nuclear, but a responsible state. Having closed the world's largest Semipalatinsk (Semey) nuclear test site and abandoning nuclear weapons, H.E. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev carried out a truly great act of history, showing an example of a peace-loving policy not in words, but in deeds.
Thanks to the reliable trust environment, built because of His Excellency’s enormous efforts to establish close international cooperation and partnership, Kazakhstan has achieved many significant results. Constructive relations of mutual trust and confidence were established with all our neighbouring countries. Thus, Kazakhstan for the first time in its history has ensured transformation of its previously unmarked frontiers, around their entire perimeter, into internationally recognized borders. This was a key and fundamental achievement, marking a particularly important milestone in the process of building our statehood.
The pragmatic approach of the First President in establishing and developing both interstate bilateral cooperation and multilateral collaboration, has ensured the concluding of many mutually beneficial agreements, as well as attracting multi-billion dollar investment to the national economy.
H.E. MR. NURSULTAN NAZARBAYEV BECAME THE MAIN INSPIRER AND ORGANIZER OF INTEGRATION PROCESSES IN THE EURASIAN SPACE. BEING DEEPLY CONVINCED OF THE NEED FOR BROAD ECONOMIC INTEGRATION OF STATES ON THE CONTINENT, HIS EXCELLENCY CONSISTENTLY EYED THE PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF HIS IDEAS IN THIS REGARD. THEIR INSTITUTIONAL EXPRESSION WAS THE EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION, WHICH NOWADAYS TRANSFORMED INTO A POWERFUL INTEGRATION ASSOCIATION OF ITS MEMBER STATES. YET, THIS STRUCTURE IS ENVISAGING FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS, SERVICES, CAPITAL, AND LABOUR.
All of the timely and pertinent initiatives of Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev to ensure global and regional security and strengthen trust, cooperation and partnership, and all of the new international structures, established to this end, have bolstered and consolidated the country's position in the world arena. His deep understanding of the conditionality and interlinkages of geopolitical processes and internal challenges allowed Kazakhstan to successfully move forward, leveling the danger of many threats and risks. Simultaneously, active peace-making, peacebuilding and peacekeeping efforts, made to resolve conflicts and contradictions in our part of the world, have earned him sincere respect and trust of the entire international community.
According to many politicians and public figures, H.E. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev is one of the renowned and widely recognized world leaders with truly global thinking. Kazakhstan as a strong, open, and peaceful state with a consolidated society and united people, striving to the better future for all, is the masterpiece work of the First President. Grandeur and impressive personality scales of the First President of Kazakhstan have already been highly evaluated and appreciated by our times, our coeval fellows. Life itself proved the splendid glory and magnificence of the course of the Leader of the Nation (Elbasy).
By H.E. Prof. Dr. Makhmud B. Kassymbekov,
Head of Chancellery (Office) of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Leader of the Nation (Elbasy)