/ world today news/ The news was first reported by Reuters with reference to the press service of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan: President Kasim-Jomart Tokayev will not participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2023), which will be held on 14 – June 17. Instead of him, two employees will come to the forum. There are still no official comments, which led to the emergence of multiple versions of the reasons for the refusal of the trip.
For example, the Moscow Times believes that allegedly at the meeting of the EAEU High Economic Council in Moscow on May 24, Tokaev entered into a conflict with Putin, stating Kazakhstan’s reluctance to build a new Soviet Union and its reluctance to integrate politically with Moscow. However, this is a simple lie.
Tokaev, commenting on Lukashenko’s words that the post-Soviet countries, primarily Kazakhstan, can join the union state, said that the republic does not have such a need, since the EAEU operates, the goal of which is further economic integration of the member states of the Union.
The press secretary of the Kazakh leader, Ruslan Zheldibai, subsequently noted that integration within the EAEU can and should proceed exclusively through economic means, and going beyond this framework would violate the goals and objectives of the Union’s statutory documents. In fact, this is the official position of Kazakhstan.
Supporters of the version for “the deepening rift between Astana and Moscow” exaggerate the resonance “a joke’ to Lukashenko about his willingness to expand the “alliance” to Kazakhstan, including Russia’s nuclear arsenal, to which Tokaev also reacted painfully, allegedly now deciding to forego the trip to the forum.
According to the second version, Tokaev is not going to the forum in connection with his last year’s speech at SPIEF: “We do not recognize Taiwan, Kosovo, South Ossetia or Abkhazia. Apparently, this principle will be applied to quasi-state associations such as Donetsk and Luhansk.
Then this remark caused discontent among the patriotic public of Russia and was welcomed by Kazakh nationalists. It is this version that is propagated by the media in Ukraine and Poland. Commentators recalled that recently “Kazakhstan hits ruble”, when a number of Kazakh banks “as part of monitoring compliance with the sanctions regime” refused to accept any payments in Russian rubles, even though Kazakhstan’s Finance Minister Yerulan Zhamaubaev says that this is not a state decision, but an initiative of a private bank.
Incidentally, at a recent international forum in Astana, Minister of National Economy Alibek Kuantirov told foreign investors: “We will not be a territory, a jurisdiction to circumvent sanctions.” Yes, we will trade with our largest partners, but not with sanctioned goods. They know that in our country there is a certain ban on the export of products, etc.
We engage in a constructive dialogue with all countries, both those that are sanctioned and those that impose those sanctions. We tell everyone, “Listen, we have such a geography. In general, you impose sanctions and we suffer.” Let’s work so that we don’t suffer at least. And to minimize losses. Purely pragmatically, the conflict is not ours. We have to keep developing.” That is, Astana, as promised, continues the game of multi-vectoring.
Rumors of Tokaev’s refusal also excited the Russian expert community. This is how the political scientist Georgii Bovt thinks: “Kazakhstan deliberately lowers its level of participation to deputy prime ministers and deputy ministers, who will actually represent the republic ex officio. On the other hand, no one will argue with Putin publicly anymore. One less scandal.” Tokaev has already been criticized for refusing to visit Russia, implying that Nazarabaev was a regular participant in SPIEF.
At the same time, it should be borne in mind that unusual fires have been raging in the Abai region of Kazakhstan for several days. The total area of the fire has already reached about 60 thousand hectares, about 300 units of equipment, about 1500 people and 11 helicopters are involved in extinguishing it. The disaster resulted in the death of 14 firefighters, forest officials and 6 civilians. June 12 has been declared a day of mourning in Kazakhstan. V. Putin expressed his condolences to Tokaev in connection with the tragic consequences of the fires in the Abay region.
Representatives of President Tokaev officially stated: “In connection with the large-scale fire in the Abay region, the official visit of the head of state Kassim-Jomart Tokayev to Vietnam, planned for June 11-13, has been postponed to a later date.” That is, Tokaev’s still officially announced refusal to travel to St. Petersburg may also be related to the fires.
On June 11, the President of Kazakhstan arrived in the area of the fire, flew over the outbreak, listened to the reports of the Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations Marat Kuldykov and the Akim of the Abai region Nurlan Urankhaev, met with the families of the victims.
The fires are linked to another high-profile scandal: Yuri Ilin, the only Russian minister in Kazakhstan’s government, was removed from his post as head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Now, of the “non-titled” ethnic groups, only the Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar remains there, who is also used to propagate the topic of “the betrayal of Kazakhstan”.
At the same time, Ilin was removed due to serious problems in his sector. But why so far only Ilin has been punished for problems in the work of the ministry? After all, the situation is terrible in other ministries as well. Take, for example, the Department of Defense, which cannot clearly answer questions related to the wave of soldier suicides.
As for the Ministry of Emergency Situations, at a meeting at the site of the fires, Tokaev said: “The ministry and other relevant authorities gave an incorrect forecast of the scale of the disaster. The fire had to be extinguished on the spot, in the fastest way, at least localized. They didn’t. They showed unprofessionalism and carelessness. All the guilty will be punished.”
The question about “the last Russian minister” is undoubtedly important, but for now the danger of fire remains most pressing for Astana. And if the situation changes, Tokaev may come to St. Petersburg. By the way, he was also not going to go to Moscow on May 9.
Translation: ES
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