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Interview with His Excellency Mr. Kairat Abusseitov,

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the

Republic of Kazakhstan
still have to be clarified. Russia, China and the other
Central Asian countries. In
This research programme is in this respect, I want to under-
fact the fruit of our economic score the historic importance
policy. As you might know, of the demarcation of the bor-
during the last five years, our ders with our neighbouring
GDP has grown about 10 per countries. For the first time,
cent annually, so we have the Kazakhstan has legally fixed
financial resources to support some 14,000 km of its bor-
this project. ders, and established a legal
framework for establishing
Q: Your country is situated relations with our neighbours.
on the Ancient Silk Road,
and it has therefore been an The development of co-opera-
important link between East tion with the European Union
and West. What is the situa- and the United States repre-
tion today? sents another essential direc-
tion of our foreign policy.
The region with its historical From the very beginning of
roots has always been and is our independence fifteen
an important link between years ago, we have been rely-
East and West. In fact, we ing upon the support of our
Let us briefly state that try is unique as we have more could say that all of the European and American part-
Kazakhstan is a country than 120 different ethnic Central Asian nations are, first ners. We highly appreciate the
five times the size of groups, and many different of all, Eurasian nations. fact that the United States and
religious communities. The European countries, including
France with a population
N.
Switzerland, have made large
President,
Soviet period is called the Our
of 15 million people.
unknown pages of our history. Nazarbayev, was the initiator foreign investments in our
Before His Excellency Mr of the Euro-Asian concept, economy.
It suited the Soviets that we
Abusseitov started his did not know too much about and it is one of the corner-
diplomatic career, he was our past. However, we are stones of our foreign and eco- Q: What are the achieve-
an eminent researcher in currently putting a lot of effort nomic policy. First of all, ments of Kazakhstan in mul-
the field of politics and into finding out about this there are ancient historical tilateral diplomacy and the
history, with a Ph.D. thesis matter. Traditionally, we are ties. We have, as you have major concerns for
said, been an important link
on the Political History of part of Ghengis Khan's family Kazakhstan in the UN?
and that of some of his between East and West. You
the United States from the
descendants, but we have to know that more than seventy Active participation in the
University of Moscow. He years of Cold War did not do system of multilateral diplo-
clarify some of these
headed the Foreign Policy unknown pages. We have set us any favours in terms of macy has always been one of
and National Security up a big programme entitled understanding each other. the priorities of our foreign
Programme at the Centre "Cultural Heritage", where Therefore, it is necessary to policy. The United Nations as
of Strategic Research in our researchers and specialists change our mentalities and an organization of a universal
Kazakhstan and, in 1993, in these fields are currently perceptions about each other, character has an indisputable
he was encouraged to join examining sources located all and we are trying to do so. legitimacy in addressing
over the world to find out Kazakhstan is active in the major political, social and
the Ministry of Foreign
the
of
economic humanitarian chal-
information about our past. framework
Affairs. In 1999 Mr.
of
lenges on a global scale. I
Recently, in the Historical Commonwealth
Abusseitov Independent States and the believe that the UN offers the
became
Museum in Bern a research
Deputy Minister and then team found unique materials Shanghai Organization of Co- optimal conditions for effi-
First Deputy Minister, and, which belong to the founda- operation. As you may cient and fruitful multilateral
since October last year, he tion of the Swiss traveller already know, the idea of cre- co-operation and cannot be
has been the Ambassador Henry Moser. In the late 19th ating a Common Economic replaced by any other interna-
of Kazakhstan to century Mr. Moser undertook Space between Kazakhstan, tional entity.
Russia and the other members
journeys
to
Switzerland. several
Kazakhstan where he gath- of the Commonwealth of These days, we are observing
Q: Your Excellency, I do not ered rich collection of Kazakh Independent States is becom- efforts to reform the United
ing more tangible.
know a lot about your coun- art, jewellery and household Nations. It is a complex
try but from what I under- goods and made photos of Our foreign policy pursues process. Over the sixty years
stand you are the descen- Kazakh aristocracy. We have of its history the United
dants of Ghengis Khan. also found several ancient multiple vectors of influence Nations has been the arena of
books. However, there are and interaction. We are build- heated discussions. However,
Let me first say that my coun- many issues and matters that ing stable relations with our looking back, it is necessary
neighbours, first of all with to give the UN due credit as a
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