About: Kassim-Jomart Tokayev
Kazakhstan voters open way for political reform
Over 76% of Kazakh voters approved on Sunday (5 June) the constitutional changes aimed at political reform put to a referendum by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, with 68.44% or 8 million citizens turning out to vote, according to exit polls.
With referendum, Kazakh President pushes for reforms
While the EU and US are preoccupied with the Ukraine war, they should pay attention to events in Central Asia as well, where on Sunday (5 June) a package of constitutional amendments will be approved by referendum in Kazakhstan, write Svante E. Cornell and Albert Barro.
Kazakhstan undergoes changes comparable to ‘Perestroika’
The events of January bring to a close the two-year Kazakh duumvirate with former President Nazarbayev, paving the way to a political system firmly united around President Tokayev, perceived as a reformist, writes Alberto Turkstra.
Kazakh FM: We had no choice but to call the Russian troops
Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi said on Tuesday (18 January) the situation in his country was normalising, following the unrest that shook it in the first days of the new year, and Russian troops, which he said helped prevent a possible coup d'etat, were withdrawing.
After the protests, what debt will Kazakhstan’s leaders owe Russia?
What seems obvious after the recent protests is that Kazakhstan might become even more reliant on Russia, demonstrating a diminished ability to balance the influence of Washington and Moscow, writes Aigerim Toleukhanova.
Insider’s account: The Kazakhstan unrest
A trusted EURACTIV source in Almaty gave a rare first-hand account of the Kazakhstan unrest that shook up the Central Asian country in the first days of 2022.
Kazakh president fires rare criticism at predecessor after unrest
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev issued rare criticism of his long-ruling predecessor Tuesday (11 January), and said he expected Russian-led forces to leave the troubled Central Asian country in the next 10 days.
Russia-led troops to start leaving Kazakhstan
A Russia-led military bloc will begin withdrawing its troops from Kazakhstan in two days' time after fulfilling its main mission of stabilising the Central Asian country after serious unrest, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Tuesday (11 January).
Kazakhstan government resigns after violent protests over fuel price
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev accepted the government's resignation on Wednesday (5 January), his office said, after a fuel price increase in the oil-rich Central Asian country triggered protests in which nearly 100 police were injured.
Kazakhstan president visits Brussels in effort to deepen relations
The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, paid a rare official visit to Belgium on Thursday and Friday (25-26 November) in an effort to present his country as a reliable partner to the EU and open the door to new opportunities.
Kazakhstan minister: We steadily observe our obligations in the field of human rights
Kazakhstan is moving towards reforms progressively and steadily, with the state now supporting and financing NGOs and the political opposition enjoying full parliamentary rights, Aida Balaeva, the minister of information and social development, told EURACTIV in an interview.OpinionStakeholder Opinion
Kazakhstan’s economy: Short-term recovery and long-term structural transformation
Two key speeches by President Tokayev in January revealed important clues as to the direction Kazakhstan will take this and the coming years on the political, economic and social fronts. Alberto Turkstra has had a deeper look.
Kazakhstan holds parliamentary elections
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree scheduling the parliamentary elections for the Majilis for 10 January 2021. The elections are seen as another step in the process of “controlled democratisation” of the former Soviet republic.
‘We have to be observers’ in Kazakh elections, MEP says
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Parliament has yet to decide whether it will send observers to Kazakhstan's parliamentary elections in January.OpinionStakeholder Opinion
Leading the way to a world free of nuclear weapons
Today more than ever, the world needs leadership in the field of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. Kazakhstan keeps providing this leadership, writes Jonathan Granoff. Jonathan Granoff is the president of the Global Security Institute. In 1949, the first of over...
Kazakhstan adopts a new law on rallies encouraging pluralism
Kazakhstan adopted the new law on peaceful assemblies, continuing its path of “controlled democratisation" with more liberal legislation that analysts said is helping to develop strong multi-party democracy.
Political reform in Kazakhstan is also an answer to a global problem
The recent reforms introducing more democracy in Kazakhstan are also an answer to a global problem – how to respond to the lack of public confidence in leadership around the world, writes Shavkat Sabirov.
Kazakhstan’s leadership opens up to ‘alternative opinion’
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered a major agenda-setting speech on Friday (20 December), outlining measures to improve the economy and social standards, but also introducing several democratic reforms.
Kazakhstan president reshuffles key positions
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has unexpectedly reshuffled key government positions on Wednesday (18 December), three weeks after signing a law that makes cabinet ministers directly responsible for corruption among their subordinates.
Central Asia leaders meet again in sign of increased regional cooperation
A five-way summit hosted by Uzbekistan’s President Shavket Mirziyoyev took place in the Kuksaroy Palace in Tashkent, the country's capital, on Friday (29 November). The second meeting of Central Asia leaders in as many years focused on geopolitics and stability, but also on environmental concerns.
Expert: Nazarbayev pushed Russia and Ukraine to meet in Paris
In a wide-ranging interview, Ariel Cohen, a US lobbyist with ties to Kazakhstan, spoke about the various international initiatives of the Central Asian country, including improving US-Russia relations, finding a solution to the Ukraine crisis, nuclear arms control and more.
New Kazakh leadership: What impact for EU-Kazakhstan relations?
Following the presidential elections on June 9th, Kazakhstan has a new leader, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. He is the second president to be elected after almost thirty years of uninterrupted rule by Nursultan Nazarbayev, who occupied the position since the fall of the Soviet Union.
Kazakhstan’s new president vows to pursue controlled democratisation
Kazakhstan’s new President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered on Monday (2 September) his first major speech following his election last June, defining his policies in all fields of the economy and society.