As the world becomes increasingly polarized and the authority of multilateral international institutions weakens, the role of middle powers is increasingly growing, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on October 17 at the plenary session of the Astana Think Tank Forum, entitled “Middle Powers in a Changing Global Order”.
“While major powers are consumed by rivalry or simply cannot reach a compromise, it is the middle powers that often become mediators in resolving disputes, thus supporting the fundamental foundations of global cooperation,” Tokayev said.
The president said that the key elements of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy are independence, multilateralism, regional stability and diplomacy. “Therefore, we strongly support the role of the United Nations as the only universal organization, the driving force of global cooperation and progress. We believe that constructive engagement with all key partners is essential to strengthening long-term peace and prosperity both in our region and beyond.”
Tokayev spoke about the issue of resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
“As I already said during the talks with [German] Chancellor Scholz, Russia is militarily invincible. This is a fact confirmed by Russia’s military potential, and the support of the population of this country for the policy of President Putin, and history itself. Therefore, we consider it necessary to look for options for a peaceful settlement and support the realistic plans of all states, including China and Brazil. There is no other way. The alternative is a war of mutual extermination. Perhaps some world powers are interested in this, but this is a path to the abyss. The desire for peace through constructive negotiations is not a sign of weakness, but an expression of strategic prudence,” Tokayev said.
Tokayev also stressed that Kazakhstan is absolutely committed to close cooperation with all its immediate neighbors in Central Asia.
“The more we cooperate, the better for the interests of Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries. The current situation is very different from what it was, say, 10 years ago. Now we have active cooperation, multifaceted ties have been established on a wide range of issues. … I think that Central Asia is becoming increasingly visible on the world map. I hope that my colleagues in Central Asia will agree with this. We will do everything possible to strengthen the potential of this very important region.”
Photo: akorda.kz
