Russia has been and remains the closest state to Kazakhstan, and trust and understanding between the peoples have been formed for centuries, the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told "Komsomolskaya Pravda".
"For the citizens of our country, Russia has been and remains the closest state. Trust and mutual understanding between our peoples have been formed over the centuries, and we have always been together in times of severe trials. Many Russians and Kazakhstanis are united by family, friendly, professional ties," the head of the Republic noted, adding that the warm attitude to Russia is also evidenced by opinion polls.
"The level of confidence of Kazakhstanis in your state for many years exceeds 75%. This is a very high and, most importantly, stable indicator. Russia is perceived by our public opinion as a strategic partner and ally," Tokayev said.
Inter-ethnic harmony, according to him, is the most important factor of internal political stability, without which the country's sustainable development is impossible.
"Kazakhstan, like Russia, is a multinational state. I believe that this is a great strategic advantage. We proceed from the principle of "unity in diversity". There is no concept of "national minority" in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan has more than 3.5 million Russians, and their share in the total population reaches almost 19%. Russians living in our country are an integral part of our people, they use all rights," the President explained.
He also said that recently he met the phrase "Russian Diaspora in Kazakhstan" in one of the foreign analytical materials.
"I warned our ideologists and analysts not to use such expressions that are fundamentally contrary to the true state of things. Russians are a part of our people, their contribution to the formation and development of Kazakhstan is huge and cannot be forgotten," the head of state said.
When asked about the possibility of Kazakhstan joining the Union state of Russia and Belarus, Tokayev noted that there are no such plans.
"Kazakhstan actively cooperates with Russia and Belarus both in the bilateral format and within the framework of integration associations (EEU, CSTO, CIS). We have no plans to join the Union state of Russia and Belarus. The priority direction is the further development of integration within these organizations, " the President explained.
According to him, strengthening the potential of the EEU as an economic Union is of great interest for the Republic.
"By developing cooperative ties, creating a common market for goods, services, and labor, and enhancing the investment attractiveness of the Union's member states, we could turn the EEU into an effective global structure. Work in this direction is progressing consistently. By 2025, common energy and financial markets will be formed. Digital interaction is a promising direction," the head of state said.
He also stated that sometimes the EEU, even at the highest level, has sharp discussions.
"But they are dictated by a common desire to make the Union more successful, authoritative and attractive. After all, indifference is a sure sign of degradation," Tokayev said.
At the same time, the President stressed that the Kazakh authorities will support Russian businesses that implement investment projects in the country.
"Russia is the main trade and economic partner of Kazakhstan. The volume of direct investment from Russia to Kazakhstan amounted to $15.7 billion. The bilateral trade turnover in 2019 increased by 6.2% compared to 2018 and amounted to almost $20 billion. More than 7 thousand Russian companies and about 3.5 thousand joint Kazakh-Russian enterprises are successfully operating in Kazakhstan," the head of state said.
According to him, joint projects are being implemented dynamically in priority sectors of the economy.
"We intend to actively promote cooperation with Russia in the oil and gas, petrochemical and other sectors where high-grade products are produced. Cooperation on offshore drilling for oil and gas projects on the Caspian shelf has been stepped up. We rely on Russia as a strategic partner, " Tokayev said.
"We will support Russian businesses that implement investment projects in Kazakhstan. And we expect that the results of our cooperation will be the production that will enter the markets of China and Central Asia," the President said, recalling that a Kazakh-Russian forum is planned for the autumn of this year, during which decisions on regional economic cooperation will be made.
"I am grateful to President [of Russia Vladimir] Putin for his constant attention to this issue, as well as to the entire range of bilateral cooperation," Tokayev stressed.
When asked what Kazakhstan would like to adopt from the Russian Federation, the head of state pointed to the elements of digitalization in the customs authorities.
"We see the success of Russia in the digitalization of customs operations and tax administration. The customs authorities have introduced technologies that almost completely exclude human participation - automatic registration and automatic issuance of declarations," the President said.
In this regard, Kazakhstan is interested in the Russian model of an intelligent checkpoint.
"In the field of digitalization of tax administration, Russia is in a leading position in the world. Your practice of strengthening tax control and applying big data technologies also deserves close attention, " he added.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation