The 30th anniversary of Independence is an important milestone in Kazakhstan's development
March symbolizes the arrival of spring and the renewal of nature. Many Turkic and Iranian people celebrate Nowruz, a celebration of the spring equinox, the arrival of spring according to the astronomical solar calendar. In 2009, UNESCO included it in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. On 22 March, Kazakhstan celebrates the holiday, which marks the beginning of a new year. This year, the young Central Asian nation is celebrating 30 years of independence. And there have been a lot of achievements of country during the years of independence.
Kazakhstan is a proud descendant of the outstanding nomadic civilization of the Great Steppe, from which numerous state formations emerged, including the Golden Horde and the Kazakh Khanate, founded in 1465. After 260 years as part of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, the country regained its independence on 16 December 1991, and Nursultan Nazarbayev was nationally elected as the first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
At the dawn of independence, Kazakhstan embarked on a series of reforms aimed at shifting the country’s economy from a centrally planned system to a modern free market model and changing its one-party government to a multi-party democratic system. Over 30 years Kazakhstan achieved significant successes in various spheres, such as politics, economy, social sphere, culture and sports. All this has made our country recognizable worldwide.
One of the greatest achievements and treasures of the Kazakh people is the unity of all ethnic groups living in the country in peace and harmony. The creation of this truly fraternal atmosphere in the state was facilitated by a wise decision of the First President of the country - Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev. In 1995 the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan was created, which in my opinion is a unique institute of the civil society, having no analogues in the world. The Assembly not only unites all ethnic groups of the country, through common events that strengthen mutual understanding and unity, but also plays an important role in the political life of the state.
Speaking of the country's achievements, it is impossible to ignore the capital of Kazakhstan. Having changed its name from Astana to Nur-Sultan, the city continues to be one of the most modern in Eurasia. This is evidenced by the UNESCO award "City of Peace" received back in 1999 - this honorary title is awarded only to those cities that have shown results in a short period of time in all major areas of development. In just a few years, the most modern infrastructure has been built in Kazakhstan's new capital from scratch. The new city centre, which houses all the main government buildings, the presidential residence, Akorda, and the Baiterek, which has been given the unofficial status of a symbol of the capital.
Over the past 30 years Kazakhstan has established diplomatic relations with 186 countries, has become one of the fastest growing economies in Eurasia and an authoritative voice in the international arena. The country pursues a multi-vector foreign policy aimed at maintaining equal partnership relations in the world.
Our country is a global leader in the nuclear security movement, having closed the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in 1991 and giving up the fourth largest nuclear arsenal in the world. In 2009 Kazakhstan participated in the creation of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone. The country hosted two rounds of talks on the Iranian nuclear program between the P5+1 group and Iran. In addition, Kazakhstan has established a Low Enriched Uranium Bank under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Kazakhstan is an active participant in major international organizations in a wide range of fields. These include the UN, the OSCE, the OIC, the SCO, the CIS, the EAEU, the CES, the CSTO, and the OECD. Kazakhstan was the first country in the Central Asian region to host an OSCE Summit in 2010 after a ten-year break. Kazakhstan convened the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), which today has 27 member states. Also, the Congresses of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, initiated by Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbaev, are regularly held in our capital.
Our country actively contributes to international efforts to strengthen global and regional security, crisis management, intercultural dialogue and sustainable development. In particular, Kazakhstan was the first Central Asian country to be elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2017-2018. The Republic has contributed to resolving the Syrian crisis through the Astana process, which has become a platform for peace talks. Another of Kazakhstan's priorities is the reconstruction of Afghanistan, in which we provide humanitarian aid and official development assistance.
A significant achievement was undoubtedly the Expo 2017 International Specialized Exhibition, which was attended by more than 4 million people. The event lasted for three months. Foreign guests were able to get acquainted with advanced solutions in the field of green technology. It should be noted that Kazakhstan was the first country in the former Soviet Union to host the EXPO.
But first of all, the achievements of our state in the economic sphere are significant. Today, Kazakhstan's GDP exceeds $180 billion, which increased 16-fold since independence. Kazakhstan's economy is the largest in Central Asia, accounting for more than half of the region's GDP.
Kazakhstan is recognized as the country with the best investment climate in the region, ranking 25th in the World Bank Group's Doing Business 2020 Report. Since independence, we have attracted more than $330 billion in foreign direct investment. In total, Kazakhstan accounts for 70% of foreign direct investment attracted to Central Asian countries.
Kazakhstan is widely recognized as a leader in the region in terms of economic reform, openness to international trade, investment and political stability. In recent years, the country's leadership has undertaken extensive reforms to strengthen investor protection, reduce bureaucracy, increase tax transparency and support entrepreneurship. In addition, Kazakhstan plays a key role in the Belt and Road Initiative. Our country accounts for 70% of transit traffic from China to Europe and vice versa. It should be noted that in 2018, the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) was established, a project aimed at turning Nur-Sultan into a financial hub of the region.
It is particularly noteworthy that since independence, Kazakhstan has consistently worked towards a democratic and free society. Since 2019, further reforms by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev are being implemented to modernize the political system and ensure the protection of human rights. These include the legal entrenchment of the institution of parliamentary opposition, the introduction of a 30 per cent quota for women and young people on political party candidate lists, the liberalization of peaceful assembly and the simplification of political party registration, as well as a number of other measures.
On 10 January 2021, elections were held for members of the lower house of Parliament and local representative bodies. These elections were the first since the introduction of new rules aimed at further increasing the openness, fairness and transparency of Kazakhstan's electoral system.
In my article I have tried to briefly note the main milestones in the development and achievements of independent Kazakhstan. It is clear that it is impossible to cover all processes and accomplishments within its framework. At the same time, I hope that it will be of interest to publicists and academics about our country, whose interest among the academic and public circles in Portugal continues to grow. But above all, I would be delighted if more Portuguese would learn more about my country – the land of the Great Steppe, open to all our friends and visitors!
In conclusion, I would like to add that Kazakhstan is future-oriented and ready to expand multifaceted cooperation in all areas with Portugal. We treasure our friendly relations with Lisbon and look forward to further step-by-step development of bilateral partnership for the benefit of our nations.
Ambassador of Kazakhstan in Portugal