Page 17 - DIVA_3_2019

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Landlocked Kazakhstan reaches

acr cc b rders to the w rid

Ycrzhan Ashikbayev, Kazakhstan's Deputy Minister of Foreign

Affairs, speaks with "Diva" on being landlocked, international

cooperation, stability and peace.

By Annegret Mathari, Almaty (Text), Peter Kenny (Photos)

Kazakhstan is the world's ninth largest country. But it is also With Kazakhstan wanting more trade it has almost doubled
the biggest landlocked country. "Therefore, to be part of global the transit of cargo containers each year. And to help it with
processes, we need to reach out to immediate neighbours international communications the country has introduced
and the global world. Being landlocked means dependence English as the third language in the educational system.
on your neighbours:' says Yerzhan Ashikbayev, Kazakhstan's
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Contributing to international stability
Kazakhstan also wants to be part of global development by
China's Belt and Road Initiative was announced by President contributing to international peace. "This is evident from our
Xi Jinping back in 2013 in the capital city of Kazakhstan, then history:' emphasized Ashikbayev. "Kazakhstan has been one
Astana and now Nur-Sultan. Kazakhstan is seen as part of of the countries that got rid of nuclear weapons:' while noting
that belt and it is neutral. "We look very much forward to that Central Asia has been stable in the last 25 years.
continue that cooperation:' Ashikbayev told Diva magazine
on the margins of the Eurasian Media Forum at the end of International stability is important to Kazakhstan and that
May in Almaty. includes the Iran issue. The country was instrumental in
Kazakhstan has invested heavily in infrastructure, both resuming the talks on the Iranian atomic programme in
railroads and roads. Transportation of goods through the 2013, which took place in Almaty, Ashikbayev said. And
territory is according to Ashikbayev a driver of Kazakh when the Iran nuclear deal was brokered in Vienna in 2015
economy. "Our estimates show that if we attract only 2 per by the permanent member of the UN Security Council --
cent of the trade flows between the European Union and Britain, China, France, Russia and United States, all with veto
China or South East Asia, that will be very significant for the powers, -- and Germany "Kazakhstan again played a crucial
Kazakh economy" role" It did this by agreeing to deliver natural uranium to Iran

18 DIVA - INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMAT