Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev celebrates his 76th birthday today.
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated his Kazakh counterpart on his birthday and discussed with him the schedule of upcoming contacts, the Kremlin press service said following the telephone conversation between the two leaders, held at the initiative of the Russian side.
"Vladimir Putin expressed his warm wishes on the occasion of the Kazakh President's birthday," the statement says. The Russian head of state congratulated Nazarbayev on Kazakhstan's election as the non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2017-2018 years.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, in turn, said that Nursultan Nazarbayev'se selfless service to the people of Kazakhstan is the key to success of the large-scale reforms carried out in the country. Lukashenko wished Nazarbayev good health, happiness and realization of all his plans.
Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev noted in his congratulatory message that Kyrgyzstan highly appreciates Nazarbayev's contribution to the strengthening of allied relations and strategic partnership. Atambayev wished Nazarbayev good health, prosperity and success in state activities.
President of Tajikistan Emomali Rakhmon sent best wishes to his Kazakh counterpart, stressing that Kazakhstan has made significant strides in socio-economic development and strengthening of international prestige under his leadership.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev congratulated Nursultan Nazarbayev, noting his significant contribution to the development of relations of alliance and the strategic partnership linking Russia and Kazakhstan. Medvedev wished Nazarbayev well-being and prosperity.
The head of the Republic of Dagestan, Ramazan Abdulatipov, stressed in his congratulatory message that Nazarbayev's activity as the President of Kazakhstan, his hard work for the general welfare have earned well-deserved authority and respect. Abdulatipov wished Nazarbayev good health, happiness and future success in the multifaceted activities for the welfare of the people of Kazakhstan.
The head of Ingushetia, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, draws attention to the fact that the outstanding quality of Nursultan Nazarbayev and his creative energy are clearly expressed in concrete actions aimed at the development and prosperity of Kazakhstan.
The head of Bashkiria Rustem Khamitov expressed confidence that the centuries-old friendship between the peoples of the two countries will further contribute to strengthening of the Russian-Kazakh cooperation. He wished the Kazakh president the successful implementation of large-scale initiatives and new achievements for the benefit of the people.
A senior scientist at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Stanislav Pritchin, speaking with a correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza reminded that Nursultan Nazarbayev was at the origin of the idea of integration in the former Soviet Union.
"Let me remind you that the first sentence of the integration was done by Nazarbayev in 1994 during a lecture at the Moscow State University, since the idea was fundamental for all integration projects, which have been formed outside the CIS: the Eurasian Economic Union, the Customs Union, the single economic space," he noted.
"Nazarbayev was one of the initiators of the political integration of leaders at all the stages. We have the Eurasian Economic Union in the current form largely due to his efforts," Stanislav Pritchin stressed.
The director of the EurAsEC Institute, a member of the Zinoviev Club of ‘Rossiya Segodnya’ news agency, Vladimir Lepekhin, also drew attention to the crucial role of the President of Kazakhstan in the integration processes in the former Soviet Union. "He is not just the initiator and ideologist of this process, but also a man who realizes in practice more than anyone else. Nazarbayev has set an example of the state building its policy in difficult conditions, on the one hand, preserving and developing national traditions, on the other hand, maintaining good neighborly relations with neighboring countries. I think Kazakhstan is the only country in the former Soviet Union, which has real elements of modernization, along with respect for the history and national culture," the expert believes.
"Of course, these modernization processes depend on the presence of the strategy, which is developed and approved by a president. In the SCO terms, Kazakhstan is a bridge between the two major powers - China and Russia. It's unlikely that the SCO was successful without Kazakhstan's mediation, its flexible and competent position and its leadership," Vladimir Lepekhin said.
"It is clear that the catalysts of the integration process are needed for this very complex issue, and Kazakhstan is playing this catalytic role. The integration between the post-Soviet countries would not have been possible without the guiding role of the president of Kazakhstan. So once again I emphasize the exceptional role of the President of Kazakhstan and his actual leadership in integration processes," the director of the EurAsEC Institute concluded.
