In the BIZDIÑ ORTA podcast produced by Qazinform News Agency, Kairat Sarybay, Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), spoke about global politics and the role of Kazakhstan’s diplomacy.
According to him, in international relations theory, neutrality means non-alignment with military or political blocs, and there are many examples of such a policy. For many years, Sweden and Finland pursued neutrality before abandoning that status. In Central Asia, Turkmenistan, as well as Austria and Switzerland, continue to follow neutral policies. However, countries arrive at neutrality in different ways.
“Austria’s neutrality was a forced decision adopted under external influence after World War II. Turkmenistan’s neutrality resulted from its own internal decision. Kazakhstan does not define itself as a neutral state. We are an active and peace-loving country. Thanks to these qualities, our country has been recognized as a platform for international dialogue. Kazakhstan succeeded in bringing opposing sides to the negotiating table during the internal political crisis in Tajikistan because both sides trusted Kazakhstan’s leadership,” the CICA Secretary General said.
The speaker noted that the Almaty-1 and Almaty-2 negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program were also made possible by the trust placed in Kazakhstan.
“There is a high level of trust in Kazakhstan when it comes to nuclear disarmament because everyone knows that our country does not pursue a double standard policy. Moreover, Kazakhstan voluntarily gave up its nuclear arsenal. As a result, our country received international security guarantees. This, in turn, strengthened the confidence of foreign investors and helped attract investment into the national economy. In other words, diplomacy also serves to protect our economic interests,” Kairat Sarybay said.
The Secretary General also stressed that without international law and commonly accepted rules, the international system would descend into instability and chaos. Therefore, adherence to international legal principles and neutrality are typical for middle powers.
“Today, Kazakhstan is known around the world as a middle power, and it is trusted. That is why many difficult international issues are addressed on Kazakh soil. Our country has a strong reputation, and there is complete trust in it. In my view, this does not indicate weakness; on the contrary, it reflects Kazakhstan’s strong position and solid standing on the international stage,” Sarybay concluded.
Last July, the headquarters of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) was opened in Astana.