How did the "brotherly" relationship in Central Asia develop after independence?

In the 30 years since independence, relations between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have developed well, with achievements and difficulties, but it is worth noting that Kazakhstan is one of Kyrgyzstan's strategic partners and one of the most important partners. It is also worth noting that for most of this relationship, Nazarbayev was the "helmsman" of Kazakhstan. At the recent event "The Role of the First President of Kazakhstan in Promoting Cooperation in Kyrgyzstan", the experts discussed the achievements and prospects of bilateral relations.

Ashet Ualiyev, counsellor of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Kyrgyzstan, said that under Nazarbayev's leadership, Kazakhstan has carried out large-scale economic, political and social reforms. At the same time, Nazarbayev is the initiator of many global initiatives that have been recognized at home and abroad.

Soon, on December 16, Kazakhstan will celebrate the 30th anniversary of independence. It is an important day for us, while Kyrgyzstan celebrates independence on August 31. Over the years, the two countries have come a long and difficult road to demonstrate to the international community their willingness to take responsibility for their own destiny. We are convinced that the two countries will usher in a bright future, and we are also convinced that the future will be based on fruitful and close cooperation between the fraternal nations of the two countries. Because of the close friendship between the two countries, Kazakhstan is very interested in Kyrgyzstan always ensuring peace, stability and tranquillity. Uariyev said.

Kyrgyzstani political scientist Igor Shestakov said Nazarbayev's political legacy was important for the future integration of post-Soviet space. He noted that the first President of Kazakhstan had had to start implementing his plans and tasks in difficult times.

He once pointed out in a speech that in the mid-90s, Kazakhstan's independence was crumbling, and the question was very direct: would it become a country after the collapse of the Soviet Union? But Kazakhstan has successfully resolved many problems in a very short period of time. It is no coincidence that Kazakhstan has been and remains the leader of the post-Soviet space in terms of economic indicators. In recent years, for example, its GDP per capita has been the highest in the CIS countries. Nazarbayev, a politician with capital letters, did not allow the destruction of the country's industrial potential in order to introduce the Western liberal currents that were fashionable in the early 90s, which dealt an irreparable blow to Kyrgyzstan's industrial sector. Nazarbayev is also the initiator of many important foreign policy projects. The establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union, for example, is Nazarbayev's integration initiative. Shestakov said.

He added that Nazarbayev has always emphasized strengthening the economic potential of the region. Given kazakhstan's borders with key countries such as Russia and China, interaction within the Eurasian Economic Union can increase mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation with China's Belt and Road Projects and the EU's Greater Eurasia Project. There are many examples of Nur-Sultan reaching out to the kyrgyz people in difficult political events, such as the 2010 ethnic conflict and the 2020 period of serious humanitarian difficulties in Kyrgyzstan. In this way, the Kazakh authorities have demonstrated a true example of regional reciprocity.

Political scientist and head of the Eurasian World Public Foundation, Edward Poletaev, said that in the eyes of the public and experts, Jiha is quite close. Despite some difficulties, the current situation must take into account historical, economic, cultural and even tourist links.

"We are not only bilateral partners, but also partners in many inter-national organizations," Poletaev said. In March this year, Kyrgyzstani President Zaparov paid a state visit to Nur-Sultan, not only meeting with Kazakh President Tokayev, but also visiting the Astana Financial Center and the Atameken National Association of Entrepreneurs. The visit mainly discussed economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. ”

There are several trends in cooperation these days, he said. First of all, the dynamics are positive, according to statistics, Kazakhstan invested nearly 2.5 million dollars in the Kyrgyz economy this year. As Zaparov put it, Kazakhstan is a preferred investor in Kyrgyzstan. Another trend is the diversification of mutual trade, where the two countries are linked in different areas of economic interaction.

Poletaev also noted the volume of trade between the two countries. "The current trade volume is $800 million, and the goal is to raise it to $1 billion," he said. I don't know if this will be achieved in 2021, but due to the pandemic, the volume of trade between the two countries has declined slightly, although the dynamics are still positive and higher than trade with other countries. Perhaps this goal will be achieved in 2022. The framework of the alliance between the two countries in the Eurasian Economic Union also means that investment projects with the potential for integration are attractive to both sides. ”

Ernur Zorobekova, professor and head of the Department of International Relations and Law at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, pointed out that Nazarbayev put forward eurasian ideas in 1994. "It is based on a large-scale project for the integration of the newly independent State developed by the leaders of Kazakhstan on a new pragmatic and mutually beneficial basis," she said. This was a great innovation at the time. Today, many years later, in evaluating his initiative, we can say that he was a great visionary in this regard. Seeing the situation of the modern CIS, it can be said that the implementation of this project, the idea has exceeded expectations. ”

Source: Kabal News Agency

Compile: Vika