On Monday, during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said Russia remains a “major strategic partner,” despite opposing its invasion of Ukraine.
“Russia has been and remains a major strategic partner, a state with which we have deep relations in a variety of sectors,” Tokayev emphasised. In this respect, Tokayev and Putin signed a joint declaration calling for the expansion of ties in all major fields to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of ties.
Tokayev, recently re-elected as president, travelled to Moscow to attend the 18th Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Forum for his first foreign trip since his victory, wherein the two presidents addressed Kazakh and Russian business and industry representatives.
⚡️Russia & Kazakhstan proceed from the fact that there can be no winners in a nuclear war, it should never be unleashed - Putin & Tokayev's declaration
— OsintTv📺 (@OsintTv) November 28, 2022
Reportedly Tokayev had a meeting with Putin in Moscow pic.twitter.com/nQxq1CtRRD
The Kazakh President called for “the removal of all restrictions and the creation of mutually beneficial conditions in trade,” saying this is the “key” condition for economic growth in the two countries. Accordingly, he called for significant improvements to export-import ties and energy relations and urged Russian businesspeople to increase investment in Kazakhstan.
Tokayev said Kazakhstan has been creating trade hubs “for the entire Eurasian space” at its borders with neighbouring countries, including Russia and China. He noted that some of these trade hubs would be linked to the Kazakh ports of Aktau and Kuryk in the Caspian Sea and could ensure the transfer of goods to and from Caspian countries and Europe.
Praising Tokayev for choosing Russia for his first foreign trip, Putin said Tokayev’s visit “has a symbolic meaning” and underscores the success of Russia-Kazakhstan relations. Putin promised to “expand” ties in all major areas, especially trade and energy.
Kazakhstan's President Tokayev met with Putin in Moscow
— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) November 28, 2022
Tokayev's choice of Russia as his first foreign trip since his election victory aims to ease tensions over the Ukraine War, Kazakh oil exports to Europe and Kazakhstan's reluctance to deport conscripts
Astana and Moscow have been grappling over differences regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this month, Tokayev said he respects the territorial integrity of all countries, in a reference to the Ukraine war. Kazakhstan has also offered refuge to tens of thousands of Russians fleeing military conscription.
In addition, after Moscow recently announced that it would only accept payment in rubles for energy transactions, Kazakh Energy Minister Bolat Aqsholaqov replied that countries should have freedom of choice in payment methods. Additionally, Kazakhstan’s largest bank, Halyk Bank, suspended the use of Russia’s Mir payment system after the United States warned of sanctions if banks continued accepting Mir cards, which allows Russia to bypass Western sanctions.
Furthermore, in September, Kazakhstan said it would not recognise Russian referendums to annex the Ukrainian territories Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, noting that it violates Ukraine’s territorial integrity. In fact, in June, Tokayev announced that his country has no plans to recognise the independence of the Russian-occupied Luhansk People’s Republic and Donetsk People’s Republic.
Despite these differences, Kazakhstan and Russia consider each other close allies, with experts saying the Central Asian country is Russia’s second closest ally after Belarus. Putin has often called Astana a “strategic partner” and their armed forces regularly conduct joint military exercises. Kazakhstan is also a member of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which approved the deployment of Russian troops to Kazakhstan to quell a nationwide anti-regime uprising in January.