Kazakh President awards Dostyq Order to head of FCI

For the contribution to developing the canine sector in Kazakhstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev awarded Tamás Jakkel the Order of Dostyq (Friendship), Second Class.

"I am very excited to be in Kazakhstan. This is my first visit to your country. It is a great honor for me to meet with Mr. President. We had a very constructive and friendly conversation. I spoke about how important it is to support a canine club that is a member of the FCI, because our federation works like a franchise system: any documents and pedigrees we issue are valid in 100 countries across all five continents. We also talked about the Kazakh Tazy breed, which was recognized by the FCI two years ago. I was the judge who first awarded a World Winner title to a representative of this breed last year in Helsinki. That was a significant event. I am proud of the result, given the tremendous work done by the Union of Cynologists of Kazakhstan. It was truly a long journey that required a lot of effort.

I also found out that the President of Kazakhstan has Tazy dogs. I was also shown a beautiful garden at the Akorda Residence, where a sculpture of a Tazy is installed. Every breed, including the Tazy, is part of a national cultural heritage. I am very glad that this breed has allowed Kazakhstan to take a worthy place in the world canine community.

I also asked Mr. President to provide support for your specialists. When a politician or president supports quality, it benefits all citizens of the country. I sincerely hope to get to know your wonderful country better and to take away even more fond memories.

This weekend, I will be judging at an international canine exhibition. I have never seen 60 Kazakh Tazy dogs at once. So I am very much looking forward to this event," said Tamás Jakkel, President of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI).

It is worth mentioning that in February 2025, Kazakhstan added a holiday to celebrate Tazy and Tobet Dogs Day on September 3.

As Qazinform reported earlier, the meeting between Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) Tamás Jakkel centered on cooperation prospects with the Federation in promoting domestic dog breeding and preserving a stable breed gene pool.