ISTANBUL

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Wednesday said that not a single world problem can be solved without the participation of Russia.

“The opinion of Russia is taken into account throughout the world; without the participation of this state, not a single world problem can be solved, and this is a fact,” Tokayev said in an interview published by the Egemen Qazaqstan newspaper.

To a question about the upcoming Russian presidential election in March 2024, Tokayev said Moscow plays an important role in world politics and that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is a leader who “shapes the global agenda” through his words and actions.

“Therefore, a presidential election in a country like Russia will have great international significance and will attract the attention of most countries in the world,” Tokayev said.

For Kazakhstan, Tokayev said, the Russian presidential election is of particular interest due to the high-level relations between Moscow and Astana.

He further said that 2024 will be a landmark year not only for Russia but also for other countries that will be holding elections such as the US, the UK, India, and Azerbaijan.

Regarding Kazakhstan’s relations with China, Tokayev said he and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping launched a new “golden 30 years” of cooperation between the two countries.

Expressing that Kazakh-Chinese relations are developing in the “spirit of friendship, good neighborliness, and eternal strategic partnership,” Tokayev said that it is important for Astana to cooperate with Beijing and effectively use all the advantages of their friendly relations and mutual trust.

Tokayev also talked about Kazakhstan’s foreign policy approach for 2024, saying that Astana will continue a constructive and balanced foreign policy, taking into account the national interests of the state.

He added that the country will chair several international organizations at once, most notably the Organization of Turkic States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.

Regarding the referendum proposed in September last year on building a nuclear power plant in the country, the president said citizens must consider and discuss all arguments given by experts for and against to make a “balanced, and thoughtful decision.”