Kazakhstan embarks on ‘ambitious journey'

Welcoming the guests, Consul General Madiyar Ismailov of Kazakhstan said: "The 23rd anniversary of Kazakhstan's independence finds the country embarked on a very ambitious journey in a rapidly changing world under the wise leadership of President Nursultan Nazarbayev." He said over the last 23 years Kazakhstan has accomplished a great deal and created a successful model of development with every citizen immensely proud of their country. "Our people have faith in tomorrow and believe in the future of Kazakhstan," he added. "Our citizens recognize the stability of their socio-economic condition and its continuous improvement from year to year. Today, the achievements of our country are the national pride of every citizen. And as we all know, strong and powerful countries are formed on the base of a long-term vision and stable economic development," he said. As a leader in central Asia, the Republic of Kazakhstan makes considerable contribution to strengthening the region's stability. The country has also achieved significant success on the international scene and has constantly increased its visibility, image, credibility and prestige in this regard, Arab News reports. "Evidence of this is represented in the chairmanship of Kazakhstan in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2010 and in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 2011," the consul general said. "Kazakhstan is a success story of nation-building and a strong partner for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with respect to its being Muslim country and I take this opportunity to express our gratitude and appreciation to the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz and to all our Saudi friends who contributed to the development of Kazakhstan, especially during the first years of our independence," he said. Kazakhstan will be hosting Expo 2017 in Astana, a revolutionary project for which huge financial resources have already been allocated by the government. Saudi Arabia was among the first countries to officially recognize Kazakhstan as an independent republic.