The Embassy of Kazakhstan in Cairo organised Sunday a book launch. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is the author of “Independence is the Most Precious Treasure” now available in Arabic at the Cairo International Book Fair premises in New Cairo.
Ambassador of Kazakhstan Khairat Lama Sharif told the audience at the book launch event, “President Tokayev wrote a short history of Kazakhstan for foreign audiences and translated it into the main languages of the world.”
“This is the only way to tell the world the true centuries-old history of the people of Kazakhstan,” the ambassador said, adding that President Tokayev divides the thirty years of independence into three decades.
Each of these periods has its own historical significance.
“He described the first decade of independence as the time of laying the foundation for the new Kazakhstan. Country codes were adopted, a national currency was launched in addition to the establishment of the armed forces.
“The country’s constitution was also adopted. Kazakhstan established diplomatic relations with foreign countries and became a member of active international organisations,” the ambassador said. He added that the intensive negotiations to demarcate borders with neighbouring countries have been started.
“We have become a land free of nuclear weapons. The foundations have been laid for the development of local businesses. Young people of Kazakhstan began studying at the world’s leading universities,” the ambassador said.
The second decade was the period of expanding the horizons of Kazakhstan, the envoy said.
“Over the years, the country’s position has been greatly enhanced, and its economic standing has grown,” he said, adding that Kazakhstan has started holding conferences of leaders of world and traditional religions, and organised the OSCE summit as well as legally demarcated all land borders.
“In the third decade, Kazakhstan reached higher levels in development.”
The ambassador said the President indicated that the main goals of the fourth decade are a strong state and a competitive nation.
“In order to do this, we need to continue the political and economic reforms and the process of modernising public awareness in order to form a qualitatively new national identity that adapts to the challenges of the times,” he said.
The ambassador concluded that the Kazakh President said ‘Tragic January’ was the most severe test during all the years of independence. He referred to a series of protests that began on 2 January 2022 after sharp increase in fuel costs following the lifting of a government-enforced price cap on 1 January.
“We have been able to pass the test of the maturity of society and the strength of the state. At the same time, the President said that it is necessary to conduct a deep analysis of all the causes and consequences of these events, in order to draw the appropriate lessons.”
