On Tuesday (1 March), Kazakhstan became the first Central Asian country to make an official statement regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict when the Kazakh President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, called for peace and offered support to this end.
President Tokayev of Kazakhstan released a statement on Twitter at 20:30 local time on 1 March, saying “We call on both states to make utmost efforts to pursue a dialogue and work on a peaceful settlement. There is no other way. «A bad peace is better than a good war.» Without peace, there will be no development.” The President then offered Kazakhstan’s “good office” if necessary. The Akorda press service reported today (2 March) that Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Tokayev talked over the phone. According to the report, President Tokayev stressed the “exceptional importance of reaching compromise agreements during negotiations.”
Countries in the Central Asian region have been reluctant to comment on the ongoing situation between Russia and Ukraine as they attempt to find a balance between not upsetting Russia due to their close economic and political ties and their own discomfort with Russian actions in Ukraine in both an international and domestic context. This diplomatic balance was evident in President Tokayev’s carefully worded statement which avoided placing blame on either side. Kazakhstan, a member of the Eurasian Economic Union and a country that relies heavily on remittances from Russia, is suffering heavy economic consequences from international sanctions. The Kazakhstani Tenge has fallen in value to an all-time low against the U.S. Dollar.
Other Central Asian countries are expected to remain silent or follow in Kazakhstan’s footsteps on account of having to contend with similar international forces.
