Addressing the foreign diplomats, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called the meetings with the diplomatic corps as a good tradition aimed at strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation. President said that this dialogue provides an opportunity to discuss the priorities of foreign and domestic policy of our country.
“We will consistently implement a well-balanced, gradual political modernization bearing in mind stability and safety of our country. Our priorities are based on the standards of leading OECD countries. Hence, the government takes bold and solid steps towards these goals. The basic guideline for the state system of Kazakhstan is the following: "strong President - influential Parliament - accountable Government,” the Head of State noted.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told the heads of diplomatic missions about the implementation of the concept “Listening state” and the activities of the National Council of Public Trust.
“We ensure that government efficiently responds to the vital needs of our citizens. As the Head of state, I remain committed to developing political parties to support and encourage pluralism of views in our society. Therefore, legislative norms regulating peaceful rallies are currently being revised. We actively work on upholding the role of civil institutions with the aim to increase accountability of all public authorities,” the President said.
Speaking on reforms in the law enforcement and judicial system, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that the welfare of the state depends on the level of trust of citizens in these institutions.
“We do realize that political stability and effectiveness of the state apparatus are indispensable for economic growth. There are some achievements in this regard. GDP in the 10 months of 2019 grew at 4.4%. In the Doing Business 2020, Kazakhstan secured the 25th position. In the WEF Global Competitiveness Index, our country has earned 55th rank. In the next five years, we plan to essentially improve our positions in international rankings," the Head of State said.
The President stressed that Kazakhstan is still open for international cooperation and will continue the policy of constructive and balanced interaction with strategic partners and all interested states. The focus of foreign policy remains global interfaith harmony, countering the spread of the ideology of intolerance and radicalism.
“We will promote and support constructive initiatives aimed at ensuring regional and global stability. This is, first of all, the strengthening of Asian and Euro-Asian security, the prevention of nuclear and terrorist threats,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
According to the Head of State, the priority areas of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy are relations with the Russian Federation, China, the United States, the European Union and Central Asia. In his speech, it was also noted that Kazakhstan will continue to actively work on the development of multilateral cooperation and interaction within international organizations and financial institutions.
Following the meeting, by tradition, Belarus Ambassador to Kazakhstan Anatoly Nichkasov delivered a speech.
You can read the full speech of the President here.
