“Kazakhstan does not participate in sanctions against Russia”
Mukhtar Tleuberdi gave interview Japanese television channel NHK shared that in its view, “sanctions against Russia will negatively affect the economy of Kazakhstan”.
“Concerned about the conflict in Ukraine Both Russia and Ukraine have historically been friendly countries for Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan President Tokayev is in regular contact with the presidents of both countries and asked both sides to work to resolve the dispute at the negotiating table. “We call on all parties to find a peaceful and diplomatic way to do this,” he said.
According to the Foreign Minister, Kazakhstan “follows a multifaceted and balanced foreign policy.” The country “aims to develop mutually beneficial and equal relations with major world powers such as Russia, China and its Central Asian neighbors, as well as with Japan, the United States and the EU.”
“The economic relations between Russia and Kazakhstan are deep and in fact the economy of Kazakhstan has been negatively affected by the sanctions against Russia. Kazakhstan does not participate in sanctions against Russia, but adheres to the principle that it is not used by various companies to circumvent sanctions.”
He noted that in Russia “when sanctions forced many foreign companies to cease operations or close their offices”, the Kazakh government invited them to relocate.
“Triple Gas Alliance”
At a meeting in Moscow at the end of November, the Presidents of Kazakhstan and Russia Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Vladimir Putin discussed the creation of a “tripartite gas union”.
“At the talks held in the Kremlin between the Presidents of Kazakhstan and Russia, the issue of the creation of a “tripartite gas union” consisting of Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan was discussed to coordinate actions on the transport of Russian gas through the territory of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. ”said Ruslan, the press secretary of the President of Kazakhstan at the time. Zheldibay.
According to him, as a result of negotiations, the two leaders decided that experts from the three countries should be involved in order to find a rational solution to this issue, taking into account the interests of all parties.
In turn, Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Roman Vasilenko also confirmed that in order to create a gas alliance, it is necessary to first study the project at the expert level. He stressed that it is important for the parties to consider the risks of sanctions.
On December 7, Reuters reported that, citing a statement by Energy Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov, Uzbek authorities had abandoned the idea of forming a tripartite gas union with Russia and Kazakhstan.
“Even if a natural gas agreement is signed with Russia, this does not mean an alliance,” he said.
Mirzamakhmudov noted that Tashkent is in dialogue with Moscow on the supply of Russian fuel through a pipeline passing through the territory of Kazakhstan, but the countries will formalize this agreement as a “technical contract”, not an alliance. The minister also said that Uzbekistan will not accept the political conditions for acquiring natural resources.
On December 9, on Channel One, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Reuters’ information about Uzbekistan’s refusal to join the alliance as an attempt to “politicize these processes.”
“All this requires coordination. And all this, as Reuters wrote, does not require political coordination, there are no political conditions there, but in terms of business interests and business interests of the three countries ”sure.
According to him, Mirzamakhmudov’s words were distorted and “again, it was an attempt by the Reuters agency to connect all these processes with politics.”
On December 16, Russian Ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yuri Sentyurin told RIA Novosti that negotiations on the establishment of a gas union are ongoing and that the media misinterpret the positions of the parties.