Before the forum, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev did the exhibition of youth STARTUPs, and also got acquainted with the activities of Kostanay region’s Youth Service Centre.
Welcoming the event participants, the President of Kazakhstan noted that this forum provides an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience, find like-minded people, outline common goals and plans.
- Kazakhstan is a young country and a country of young people! Our youth are the driving force of progress. All state bodies are tasked to create conditions for successful self-realization of young people, to support good undertakings, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
In his speech, the Head of State recalled that growth of the volunteer movement in our country is being given close attention.
- In 2016, we adopted Law On Volunteering, which consolidated the status of volunteers, their rights and obligations, and measures of state support. In 2017, the international specialized exhibition EXPO launched the mass involvement of young people in the volunteer movement. This year will be a new stage in volunteering growth in Kazakhstan, the President said.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev focused on the main events held during the Year of Youth.
- The program of youth business initiatives development Zhas Kіsіpker allows you to support startups in key economic sectors. Problems of unsettled young people who do not have work and education are being solved. Special employment programs are introduced, primarily for young people without work experience. The support of qualified young specialists will be strengthened, the Head of State noted.
The President of Kazakhstan called on the leaders of the volunteer movement to actively participate in solving the large-scale social problems facing the country.
Contribution of young people of Kazakhstan and Russia to strengthening bilateral ties has been highly appreciated.
- I believe that a direct contact of our countries’ young people is an important condition for strengthening the course of strategic partnership, friendship and good neighborliness between Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation. Our countries are united not only by a shared history and the longer frontier, but also by an enormous potential for cooperation. We will continue this policy, the Head of State emphasized.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made a number of proposals aimed at stimulating the partnership of voluntary movements of the two countries.
- Firstly, I propose to establish Volunteer of the Year international prize. It will be awarded for the best volunteer projects and will be a good help for those who generate creative ideas and projects. Secondly, I propose to discuss the possibility of creating a permanent Volunteer Council with participation of Kazakhstan and Russia’s leaders of volunteer organizations. This will strengthen our potential for deepening mutual cooperation, the President of Kazakhstan summed up.
In addition, the Head of State supported the initiative expressed during the forum by youth leaders to declare 2020 the Year of Volunteers, to conduct joint archaeological and exploratory expeditions to historical and cultural sites.
