The Republic of Kazakhstan: stability, modernization, focus on the future - Bulat Sultanov

Bulat Sultanov, Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan told about the past, present and future of modern Kazakhstan in an interview to Kazinform.

Development of a civil society and existence of political pluralism in a state are important factors of the democratization process. How do you estimate the democratization process in Kazakhstan?

9 political parties, about 6,000 non-governmental organizations, more than 3,000 public funds, 421 national-cultural associations, over 3,000 religious unions representing more than 40 confessions, a lot of mass media are functioning in our country.

Reality of Kazakhstan's political life is the political pluralism, opposition parties and movements are operating. In September, 2002, Kazakhstan established an institution of the Commissioner for Human Rights. In 2003 Kazakhstan joined International Covenants on Human Rights; a moratorium on the death penalty was set.

Due to certain reasons the process of democratic development in Kazakhstan could not grow linearly. Breaking up economic ties after the USSR collapse 20 years ago lead to complete halt of most industrial enterprises in Kazakhstan. The inflation was growing with enormous speed. A consequence of the economic collapse was a sharp aggravation of social problems in the country, which threatened with internal political destabilization. Sense of the insecurity of their future caused a great wave of migration in the 1990s: more than 2.5 mln people migrated from Kazakhstan. 17.7 mln people lived in Kazakhstan till 1991, and in 2010 the country's population reached 16.3 mln people.

The sovereignty and national security of Kazakhstan were in serious danger of external threats.

In this conditions Kazakhstan's leadership was forced to sacrifice the democratization pace in order to preserve the sovereignty and statehood of the country.

What economic success did Kazakhstan reach over the past 20 years?

In the second half of 1990s there were taken radical measures on economic rehabilitation, which allowed to bring the domestic economy to the steady development.

According to the report on socio-economic development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, over the first half of 2011 the real GDP increased by 7.1 percent against the similar period of 2010.

Kazakhstan's trade turnover in the first half of 2011 made USD 615.59 bln, increasing by 44.7 percent against the first half of 2010. Export made USD 449.16 bln, import - USD 16.64 bln.

Gold and foreign assets of Kazakhstan as of May 1, 2011 made USD 73 bln.

In 2011 pensions, scholarships and salaries of public sector employees were increased by 30 percent. In 2009-2010 they were increased by 25 percent.

In July, 2011 the number of unemployed made 5.3 percent of the economically active population (461.7 thousand people).

In 1994 the per capita GDP in Kazakhstan made USD 700, in 2006 - USD 4,500, and as of January 1, 2011 this index exceeded USD 9,000.

What measures has Kazakhstan taken for creation of favorable conditions for implementation of socio-economic and domestic policy reforms?

On December 2, 1991, Nursultan Nazarbayev presented main directions of Kazakhstan's foreign policy at a press conference. In N.Nazarbayev's opinion, Kazakhstan which is located between Europe and Asia should become a bridge between them, developing economic and political ties with all states of the world.

A foundation of Kazakhstan's foreign policy is the two principles: multi-vector and Eurasianism.

By definition of President N.Nazarbayev, multi-vector means "development of friendly relationships with all states, which play an important role in the world affairs and represent practical interest for our country."

Establishment of the Eurasian Economic Community by Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on October, 2000 became practical implementation of the Eurasian strategy. Then Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia established the Customs Union on January 1, 2010. Presently, these three countries actively work over creation of a legal framework on transition for the next stage of integration - the Single Economic Space.

Kazakhstan solved the territorial-boundary problems with all neighbor states.

Kazakhstan made a number of initiatives on creation of regional integration associations in central Asia.

Kazakhstan constructed equal and mutually beneficial relations with leading state of the world - the USA, Russia, China, the EU countries.

We consider the People's Republic of China as a leading foreign partner. We plan to increase the trade turnover twofold in the nearest years. Transport projects allow to expand exports of the Chinese production through Kazakhstan to EU an Middle East.

Kazakhstan is the first post-Soviet state with predominantly Muslim population, which chaired the OSCE in 2010.