Kazakhstan is 'anchor of stability' in Eurasia - German expert
BERLIN. June 20. KAZINFORM Kazakhstan under the leadership of President Nursultan Nazarbayev has risen from the ranks of young nation to an authoritative regional state. Diplomatic relations with 138 world countries have been established. Signing of over three thousands of interstate, intergovernmental and interdepartmental agreements have become the result of interaction with foreign states and international organizations. Virtually all of them were signed in Astana.
Principles of multi-vector foreign policy, set by the President of Kazakhstan, confirmed their substantiality and became single basis of Kazakhstan's interaction with international communities.
German expert from Berlin Center for Caspian Region Studies of the Freie Universität Matthias Dornfeld talked about his vision of Kazakhstan's progress in foreign policy in the interview with Kazinform correspondent.
According to him, one of the significant achievements of Kazakhstan is chairmanship of Kazakhstan in the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2010. Kazakhstan became the first country of the CIS and CA Region that chaired this authoritative structure.
During the chairmanship in the OSCE Kazakhstan took an active role in the normalization of the situation in Kyrgyzstan during the events of April 2010, thus proving once again its leading role in the Central Asian region.
According to the German expert, as an international mediator in the crisis Kazakhstan is a role model, having a unique experience of inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony. "The Central Asian republic is home to more than 130 ethnic groups. More than 16 million people belong to 42 denominations. Despite many different religions in the country, there is no tension among them, " M.Dornfeld informed.
Besides, M. Dornfeld noted Kazakhstan chaired the Shanghai Cooperation Organization from June 2010 till June 2011. Afterwards, Kazakhstan became the chair of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
According to M. Dornfeld, despite a relatively short period of presidency in OIC, Kazakhstan, having a solid foreign policy and economic progress, including the leadership of the OSCE, as well as being a factor of regional stability, initiated the reform and strengthened the international role of the OIC.
The German expert also noted during the chairmanship in the OSCE in 2010, international partners of Kazakhstan pointed out the significant contribution of the country to the global nuclear disarmament.
By the initiative of Kazakhstan, the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (CANWFZ) Treaty- also known as the Treaty of Semipalatinsk was signed on 8 September 2006 at Semipalatinsk Test Site (Kazakhstan).
Continuing this theme, it its necessary to mention that Astana hosted the International Conference on Nuclear Disarmament in August 2012. "The global anti-nuclear initiatives of President Nursultan Nazarbayev are highly praised by the world community. It is proved by the fact that some 80 international delegations took part in the conference.
"Representatives of political and diplomatic circles suggest that future global security is not in the nuclear weapons, but in the active foreign policy, peaceful co-existence of nations, economic cooperation between countries," Matthias Dornfeld emphasized.
In addition, according to the German expert, Kazakhstan is an important partner of Germany in Central Asia. Bilateral relations between the two countries are developing very fruitfully. Meetings between the leaders of the two countries take place on a regular basis.
In whole, according to the German expert, 'Kazakhstan is not only an important partner for Germany, but also - in the age of globalization - the anchor of stability in Eurasia.'