Kazakhstan maintains friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine and regularly urges the countries to settle their conflict diplomatically, Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi reportedly said in an interview with Japan’s NHK television channel that was aired on Sunday.
“Russia and Ukraine are historically friendly states for Kazakhstan. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev regularly communicates with the leaders of both countries, urging them to sit down at the negotiating table to find a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the current conflict,” the minister was cited as saying by BaigeNews.kz.
He reportedly said “Russia and Kazakhstan are linked by close economic relations, and that’s why the sanctions against Russia have had an adverse impact on the neighboring Kazakh economy”.
“We don’t join the sanctions against Russia, but at the same time we are committed to the principle that [the economy of the country] won’t be used by various enterprises to circumvent the restrictive measures,” Tileuberdi said.
He said Kazakh officials also propose to foreign companies that shut down their offices in Russia because of the sanctions that they move their business to Kazakhstan.
The minister said Kazakhstan conducts multilateral and balanced diplomacy, building relations with Russia, China, the neighboring states of Central Asia, as well as with the European Union, UK, the US and Japan at the same time.
“We pay great attention to the development of Kazakhstan’s transport and logistics potential and expect to attract investors to become a hub linking Europe and Asia,” he said.
Tileuberdi said Kazakhstan wants to develop reciprocal relationships with its neighbors and with Japan, the United States, the European Union, and other major countries.
Tileuberdi also called relations between Astana and Tokyo a “strategic partnership,” announcing the intention to develop mutually beneficial cooperation with Japan.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi is visiting Tokyo for talks with counterparts from Japan and four other Central Asian nations.
