Presidents Of Kazakhstan

"All of northern and northeastern Kazakhstan is actually part of southern Siberia. It is settled mostly by Russians, who, just like the other non-Kazakhs--together making up 60% of Kazakhstan's population--are being repressed in their national, cultural, business and daily life. How can a minority govern a majority? Only through duplicity and force. That's exactly what happened in the recent "elections" in Kazakhstan. Kazakh President Narsultan Nazarbayev today is regarded in the West as a great democrat. But he has already become an effective dictator."

"I have always been and remain a sincere supporter of the well-known formula – "Economy first, then politics". This principle is comprehensive, extending to both domestic and foreign policy of our country. This approach ensured consistency in all spheres of Kazakhstan's development, i.e. from economic reforms to building pragmatic relations with partners in the international arena."

"We managed to build a successful Kazakhstan state with a modern market economy on the ruins of the Soviet Union, create peace and stability within a multi-ethnic and multi-religious Kazakhstan. For the first time in our centuries-old history, international legal recognition of the Republic of Kazakhstan has been secured. Kazakhstan has been put on the world map, where it did not exist as a state. We have our own flag, anthem, coat of arms."

"The systemic transformation of the current world is a strategic challenge for our people. We must be ready to accept them."

"Finally, it is important to move from an unproductive sanctions regime to direct dialogue between the leaders of the key global powers who are shaping the future of the world. In this regard, it is necessary to discuss ways out of the current geopolitical crisis between the representatives of the United States, China, Russia and the European Union. I am negotiating with the leaders of these states. It is necessary to build this work from a dialogue of key think tanks with a further transition to the ministerial and higher levels."

"In a short period of time, we were jointly able to build economic corridors that bypassed complex natural landscapes and geopolitical contradictions. Thanks to modern logistics and mutual understanding of states, goods from Southeast Asia can reach the cities of Northern Europe in just two weeks. At the heart of this is pragmatism and the pursuit of prosperity."

"The other former Soviet republics, except Georgia and Kyrgyzstan, were headed by communist party chiefs who restyled themselves as patriots and used their political patronage to secure themselves in power. Nursultan Nazarbaev in Kazakhstan was typical. He put his long-established group of clients in the main offices of state and gave outrageous benefit to his family as privatisation proceeded. He overrode constitutional and legal obstacles; his police used torture against dissenters. His policies blatantly discriminated in favour of individuals and groups of Kazakh nationality. In central Asia and the south Caucasus it was the same story. The new leaderships had familiar faces. The post-communist presidents and their regimes were more brutal than anything witnessed in the region since the death of Stalin."

"There is no unified urban planning policy in the (capital) city (Nur-Sultan). This leads to chaotic, messy development in a number of areas."

"As president, I am obliged to protect the safety and well-being of our citizens, to ensure the unity of Kazakhstan."

"I intend to act as tough as possible ... Together we will overcome this black period in the history of Kazakhstan."

"The government (of Kazakhstan) will not fall (due to the ongoing fuel price hike protests), but we want mutual trust and dialog rather than conflict."

"Spontaneous rallies were used as a pretext for provoking civil unrest. Religious radicals, criminals, outright thugs, looters and petty hooligans filled the streets as if on cue. Socio-economic and socio-political demands were put on the back burner, they were forgotten. Next followed the hot phase, and armed fighters, who were biding their time, took over. The main goal of these events became clear – to undermine the constitutional system, destroy governance institutions and seize power. It is obvious now that these armed activities were coordinated from a single centre, and the carefully planned operation entered its decisive phase."

"The month of Ramadan carries enduring moral values: humanity, compassion, mercy."

"Thanks to the policy of the first President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, the two countries (Kazakhstan and Mongolia) laid the foundation for a consistent development of the Kazakh-Mongolian relations. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev adheres to continuation in foreign policy and gives a special attention to an effective development of cooperation with Mongolia."