Photo: AFP/Kazakhstan's Presidential Press Service
Eurasia
03/01/2024 21:41
According to the head of state, 2023 was full of significant events for Kazakhstan, they have seen the completion of major political reforms, the Constitutional Court began its work, and elections were held under new rules. He added that 2024 is “particularly important because it lays the foundation for the next five-year cycle of the country’s development”.
Speaking of Kazakhstan economic goals, he said that the strategic goal is to double GDP by 2029. President Tokayev noted that “according to International Monetary Fund analysts, by the end of 2023, Kazakhstan’s GDP in current prices is expected to exceed $259 billion, marking a 15 percent increase from 2022”. “This is the highest nominal growth in Central Asia,” he added.
According to the president, Kazakhstan will continue a constructive and balanced foreign policy, taking into account the national interests of the country. Kazakhstan will host a number of representative summits and forums in 2024, and it chairs several authoritative international organizations, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, and the Organisation of Turkic States.
President Tokayev reminded that in 2024 several countries, including the United States, Azerbaijan, the United Kingdom, and India, will also hold elections, as will the European Parliament. “It is important for us to closely follow these electoral processes,” he stressed.
The presidential elections in Russia are of particular interest to Kazakhstan due to the strong and strategic partnership between Astana and Moscow, the head of state pointed out. “Russia is a key ally and strategic partner for Kazakhstan; over the past 30 years, we have built a strong foundation of interstate relations, evidenced by over 300 agreements in various fields. Bilateral cooperation mechanisms are in place across numerous sectors,” he explained.
President Tokayev said that Kazakhstan and China maintain active relations based on friendship, good neighbourliness, and a long-standing strategic partnership.
The mutual commodity turnover between Kazakhstan and China has seen unprecedented growth, reaching a record $24.3 billion in the first 10 months of 2023. Additionally, China has traditionally been one of the largest investors in Kazakhstan.
On 5 November 2024, the Presidents of France and Kazakhstan, Emmanuel Macron and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a meeting at the Élysée Palace. In addition to discussions on expanding economic and trade relations between the two countries.
Looking at the latest meeting from a distance, the BRICS, led by the Global South, are on an expansion path. A growing number of countries are supporting the group's mission to build alternative economic institutions/institutions that are more representative, focus on more democratic functioning and are not dominated by Western powers.