Marat Yermukanov

A shared opposition to the constant stream of drugs flowing from the poppy fields in Afghanistan is apparently one of the few remaining areas of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia.

The party-list segment of Kazakhstan’s parliamentary elections, set for August 18, will be an uphill battle for opposition political forces in Kazakhstan. For all their irreconcilable differences and divergent policies,

On June 20, speaking to parliamentary faction of his Nur Otan party, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said he had decided to dissolve the lower chamber of parliament, the Majilis. In

In a typical display of loyalty to President Nursultan Nazarbayev, on May 18 Kazakhstan’s parliament almost unanimously approved constitutional amendments proposed by the head of the state at a joint

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Astana on May 10 was widely regarded as the Kremlin’s attempt to regain its political and economic foothold in Central Asia, as Kazakhstan has

In a style reminiscent of a Soviet-era collective accusation campaign, pro-Moscow forces in Kazakhstan have stepped up their propaganda work, mobilizing public organizations and parliament members against an alleged “resurgence

On April 12 dozens of opposition activists picketed the Department of Justice office in Almaty, demanding the immediate registration of Alga (Forward), an opposition party intended as the successor to

Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov visited Baku on April 4, his first foreign tour since being appointed as head of the government in January. The trip followed the “EU Troika–Central

The widespread fighting between Chechens and Kazakhs that erupted in Almaty's Enbekshiqazaq district on March 18 were the latest in a long string of ethnic-based conflicts upsetting the densely populated

Kazakhstan’s military has been plagued by financial mismanagement, corruption and bribery, a lack of professionalism, and poor housing conditions for military officers. The recent Kazakh air force fighter jet crash

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has invited Turkmenistan’s newly elected President Gurbanguly Berdimukhamedov to visit Kazakhstan. While the new Turkmen leader undoubtedly could learn a great deal from Astana in terms

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s February 2 visit to Ukraine appeared to be an ill-timed event that triggered controversial speculations in light of the recent gas row between Belarus and Russia

One of the more puzzling turns in Kazakhstan’s recent cabinet reshuffle was the replacement of Foreign Minister Kasymzhomart Tokayev, a professionally trained and skilled diplomat, by the dark horse Marat

The resignation of Kazakh Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov caused little public reaction when it was announced on January 8. The demise of the Akhmetov era had been rumored throughout 2006,

On December 23 Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev wrapped up his first three-day visit to Beijing since his reelection in December 2005. The trip, characterized as “a breakthrough” in bilateral relations

At least three people died and dozens of Turkish and Kazakh workers were badly injured when a fight erupted at a construction firm in Atyrau (West Kazakhstan) on October 20.

Given the tense international atmosphere surrounding Iran, Astana has prudently declined to publicize its expanding ties with Tehran and depicts bilateral relations almost exclusively in economic terms. For example, official

The most productive part of Kazakh Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov’s October 26 journey to Moscow appears to be his talks with Sergei Kiriyenko, head of the Russian Federal Atomic Energy

Astana played host to the Commonwealth of Independent States Energy Council on October 13, a meeting that triggered mixed emotions in Kazakhstan. The session was orchestrated by the head of

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s three-day visit to the United States was a well-planned event. Foreign Minister Kasymzhomart Tokayev did his best to create a favorable climate for the visit long

Initial reports say at least 32 miners were killed by a methane gas explosion in the Lenin coal mine, near the town of Shakhtinsk in Central Kazakhstan’s Qaraghandy region. The

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s upcoming official visit to the United States will be his sixth summit meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush. As the trip approaches, more questions arise

When Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev visited Riga on July 18, the overriding topic of discussion was how best to send Kazakh oil to energy-hungry markets in Europe and Scandinavian via

This year Kazakhstan's Journalists Day was marked by a massive protest rally in Almaty on June 24. The rally was unprecedented in scale and united almost all media outlets regardless

During his June 6 visit to Tehran Kazakh Foreign Minister Kasymzhomart Tokayev extended a message of friendship from President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In the letter the

There is every reason to believe that Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev's talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian resort town of Sochi on May 20 were highly successful

Following the example set by officials in Astana, leaders of the two main religions in Kazakhstan, Islam and the Russian Orthodox Church, sporadically sound alarm bells to alert the population

U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney praised Kazakhstan as "a good friend and important strategic partner," particularly in fighting international terrorism, as he wrapped up his two-day visit to Kazakhstan on

Unlike Kazakhstan's Russian-language papers, the Kazakh-language media are full of frightening stories of frequent attacks by Russian extremists in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other locales. The complacent attitude of the

Kazakh Foreign Minister Kasymzhomart Tokayev traveled to Beijing April 11-13 for a wide range of talks with top Chinese officials on energy, transportation, communications, trade, and trans-border rivers issues, a

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev received a warm welcome during his April 3 visit to Moscow. Friendly relations were emphasized when Nazarbayev dedicated a new monument to the 19th-century Kazakh poet

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev's March 19 visit to Uzbekistan was one of his first foreign trips after his reelection as president in December. This priority stresses the political importance of

In a televised address to the nation on March 1, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev elaborated at great length on the country's economic priorities, promising a solid package of social benefits

More and more active opponents of the current regime in Kazakhstan are dying in mysterious deaths. The latest victim is Altynbek Sarsenbayev, the 43-year-old co-chairman of the Naghyz Ak Zhol

Over the last decade Kazakhstan and China have conducted a wide range of talks on the environmental safety of shared rivers and the use of joint water resources. Beijing took

The recent government reshuffle in Astana disappointed analysts who expected major changes. Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov had a rough 2005; he was strongly criticized for the scandalous takeover of PetroKazakhstan

The inauguration ceremony in Astana on January 11 for Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev was a widely trumpeted political event conceived to attract international attention and world leaders to Kazakhstan. Yet

Officials in Astana followed the New Year's gas dispute between Moscow and Kyiv with an air of detachment, but the compromise solution reached between Ukraine and Russia runs counter to

At a solemn ceremony on December 15, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev pressed the button to officially begin pumping oil at the Atasu terminal along the new Atasu-Alashankou pipeline. The ceremony

The sudden thaw between Tashkent and Moscow after the Andijan bloodbath and the withdrawal of the U.S. air base from Uzbekistan left Astana guessing about the true intentions of the

Kazakhstan's December 4 presidential election gave both the opposition and the ruling establishment an opportunity to test the popular theory of democratic "color revolutions." Could a popular uprising after a

On Sunday December 4, citizens of Kazakhstan went to the polls to elect their president. While the incumbent, Nursultan Nazarbayev was expected to win, his principal challenger, Zharmakhan Tuyakbay of

The sudden death of Zamanbek Nurkadilov, a prominent opposition activist in Kazakhstan, has triggered a flurry of speculation that is raising the tension level ahead of the December 4 presidential

Mesmerized by the huge hydrocarbon export opportunities offered by China's rapidly developing Xinjiang province, last year Kazakhstan began building the Atasu-Alashankou oil pipeline to connect western China with oilfields in

With less than a month remaining before election day, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and his advisors are certainly following the November 6 parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. While separated geographically by

Critics of the ruling regime in Kazakhstan were visibly disappointed by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who paid a two-day visit to Astana on October 12-13. She did not

As protests mount, members of the Kazakh government are finding it harder and harder to hide their bitter disappointment over the backdoor-deal between the Canadian-listed PetroKazakhstan and the China National

In addition to developing the Aktau seaport on the Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan is also putting more emphasis on developing domestic and international rail lines. In recent years the government has

On September 29 around 300 ethnic Kazakhs from 32 countries gathered in Astana for the Third World Congress of Kazakhs. For many participants this was their first time to see

Kazakhstan hopes to use its privileged position as the largest oil producing state in Central Asia to foster good relations with key members of the international community. This tactic is

On September 7 the lower house of Kazakhstan's parliament put an end to months of speculation and scheduled presidential elections for December 4. Members of parliament and the Constitutional Court

When the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) agreed to pay $4.18 billion to buy the Canadian-listed PetroKazakhstan oil company, the deal triggered a flood of controversial comments in Kazakhstan. What

Kazakhstan's ongoing oil saga has experienced an unexpected turn of events in recent weeks. First, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Vladimir Shkolnik broke the news that Kazakhstan would sign

Kazakhstan's border delimitation process has always been an issue shrouded in mystery, even for residents of the border areas. The authorities have previously accused journalists in South Kazakhstan of issuing

Kazakhstan's border delimitation process has always been an issue shrouded in mystery, even for residents of the border areas. The authorities have previously accused journalists in South Kazakhstan of issuing

On July 8 Rakhat Aliev, the son-in-law of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, was promoted from Kazakhstan's ambassador to Austria to first deputy foreign minister. The move left analysts guessing about

In a seemingly democratic gesture, Kazakh authorities handed over prominent Uzbek human rights activist Lutfulla Shamsuddinov to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on July 1. With this

Rumors of the impending dismissal of Kazakhstan's current government, headed by Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov, have circulated since September 2004, when President Nursultan Nazarbayev criticized the government for distorting administrative

Chinese President Hu Jintao made his second visit to Kazakhstan July 3-6, ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit and after a visit to Moscow. The high point of the

Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev is gaining moral support for his initiative to form a union of Central Asian states, as declared in his annual address to the nation in February.

During the last two months, Kazakh state officials have made an unprecedented number of "working trips" to remote regions of the country. In what was widely perceived as a pre-election

One of the uneasy topics discussed during Nursultan Nazarbayev's May meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Chelyabinsk, but overshadowed by other issues, was the long-standing row between Russia's Magnitogorsk

On June 7 the prominent opposition journalist Batyrkhan Darimbet died in Taraz, southern Kazakhstan. He had been hospitalized since June 2 after a car accident near Taraz city, where he

Despite considerable public interest, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's first visit to Kazakhstan was rather anti-climactic. Official media sources in Kazakhstan did not go beyond the set pattern for covering state

The meeting between Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Chelyabinsk on May 17, and the subsequent arrival of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenka for a two-day

While there seems to be no connection between Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev's unusually extensive tours to southern and western Kazakhstan in recent days and the riots in Andijan of Uzbekistan,

In the early 1990s, many policymakers in Kazakhstan and in Turkey were euphoric about the prospects of intense cooperation between ethnically related nations that had for decades been divided by

Around 500 policymakers and journalists from across the globe gathered in Almaty on April 21 for the Eurasian Media Forum. Kazakhstan's state officials tout the annual event as a unique

On April 14 Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a new presidential decree on stepping up the fight against corruption and strengthening discipline in state bodies. However, even the president's own

With its already enormous resources in the Caspian region, Kazakhstan's oil and gas sector has begun to turns its attention toward China's rapidly developing Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. On April

In the last days of March, members of the banned Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DCK) opposition party announced that they intended to establish a new party, "Alga, Democratic Choice of

In the wake of last week's democratic revolution in Kyrgyzstan, top officials in Kazakhstan have launched what appears to be a wave of spectacular political reforms, at least on the

In the wake of last week's democratic revolution in Kyrgyzstan, top officials in Kazakhstan have launched what appears to be a wave of spectacular political reforms, at least on the

Incredible as it may sound, the majority of Kazakhstan's population has no idea about recent events in the country next door, Kyrgyzstan. Long after the "governable democracy" of Kyrgyzstan had

Emotions are running high in Kazakhstan as miners protest anticipated wage cuts and layoffs at the Indian–owned Mittal Steel Company. In the past two weeks a series of rallies and

Kazakhstan's citizens have become accustomed to broken promises of radical political reform since the country became independent in 1991. Even members of Kazakhstan's "pocket parliament" admit that public confidence in

Experts in Kazakhstan had wondered if economic and political relations between Kazakhstan and Ukraine would diminish after Viktor Yushchenko became president of Ukraine. But Ukrainian State Secretary Alexander Zinchenko's March

On March 1, non-governmental activists staged two simultaneous demonstrations in Kyzylorda and Shymkent, crisis-ridden cities in south Kazakhstan, to call attention to the environmental threat allegedly posed by projects of

In his annual message to the nation, delivered on February 18, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev made yet another well-calculated move to polish his personal image as an ardent supporter of

In his annual message to the nation last April, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev expressed concerns about the worsening demographic situation in the country. He challenged government agencies to boost population

Recently police in the small town of Kentai, Kazakhstan, discovered a cache of books and leaflets propagating the ideas of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, an Islamist radical organization. The extremist literature, hidden in

At a press conference held on February 2, the chairman of the Almaty-based Russian Observer Research Center, Fedor Miroglov, revealed that ethnic Russians living in Kazakhstan are being illegally recruited

Last month the government of Kazakhstan approved a new strategy for developing the country's hydroelectric energy resources. Kazakhstan plans to build 20 power stations, with a total capacity of 4.8

The Russia-Kazakhstan border delimitation agreement concluded during President Nursultan Nazarbayev's January 17 visit to Moscow was heralded as an historic accord. It was the first such agreement ever signed between

On January 12 Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Almaty for a two-day official visit, his first foreign trip of the new year. Abandoning the usual practice of announcing upcoming

Days before New Year 2005 began, leaders of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan, and Ak Zhol Democratic Party paid a visit to Kyiv to congratulate Viktor

The government of Kazakhstan, true to its tradition of international solidarity, was quick to offer a helping hand to tsunami-affected areas of Southeast Asia. On January 3 a cargo plane

Summing up the main events of the widely hyped "Year of Russia in Kazakhstan," policymakers on both sides of the border have good reason to be disappointed. Even on the

To an outside observer, the December 6 presidential decree on electing of village governors (akims) and experimental elections of local leaders in several districts, including the cities of Astana and

During the first days of December, Kazakhstan was hit with several crises that deeply shook the state's belief in smooth, trouble-free development. Just as the investigations began into the causes

With their own presidential election drawing nearer, officials in Astana might prefer to turn off all television channels broadcasting the contentious presidential election events in Ukraine. Instead, state-run media in

Two powerful blasts rocked Almaty on Sunday, November 28, around 7 pm. The explosions caused serious damage to an agricultural library and triggered a flood of rumors and speculation. While

Visiting Astana on November 16, World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn praised Kazakhstan for its recent economic performance and stressed that the poverty rate in the country has decreased from

On November 16 the Senate (upper) chamber of Kazakhstan's parliament held a round-table debate that focused on the problems of terrorism and protecting human rights in conflict situations. Most of

During the last week of October, about 400 local workers employed by Punj Lloyd Kazakhstan to construct a $40 million sulfur and gas-separating facility for TengizChevroil went on strike to

Appearing on national television recently, Deputy Interior Minister Anatoly Vyborov stated that over the last ten months, the amount of drugs seized in Kazakhstan from traffickers increased by 25%, compared

On October 28 the president of Tatarstan, Mintimir Shaimiev, met in Astana with Kazakhstan's president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, and prime minister, Danial Akhmetov. The leaders discussed ways to deepen bilateral trade

On October 27 Kazakhstan officials announced plans to turn Almaty into an international financial center. The proclamation came as no surprise to anyone familiar with the decision-making process within the

Almaty, Kazakhstan's former capital city, has been drawn into the bitter debates between Kazakh nationalists and the Russian-speaking community. Recently a resident of Almaty sued the popular Russian newspaper Argumenty

On October 15 the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan banned activities by al-Qaeda, the Islamic Party of East Turkestan, the Kurdish People's Congress, and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Law enforcement

Recent developments clearly indicate that China and Russia are stepping up their efforts to claim a larger share of Kazakhstan's energy sector. The growing appetite of Kazakhstan's giant neighbors comes

The government of Kazakhstan is targeting the three Baltic states as possible avenues for closer relations with the European Union. In the first years of Baltic-Kazakhstan relations, the Kazakh side

Iran has never ranked as a top priority for Kazakhstan's foreign policy. On the contrary, Kazakhstan has adopted a remarkably reserved stance towards Iran, so as not to irritate the

Last week Kazakhstan began construction of a 962-km oil pipeline from the Atasu settlement in Karagandy region of Kazakhstan to Chinese Alashankou. Although Kazakhstan's huge oil and gas reserves have

As part of their efforts to increase security in the aftermath of the recent wave of terrorist attacks in Russia, Kazakhstan's law enforcement and border authorities have cracked down on

On September 22, Zagipa Balieva, chair of Kazakhstan's Central Election Commission, announced preliminary results for the September 19 elections to the lower chamber of Parliament, the majilis. In general, the

Since the Eurasian Economic Community emerged in October 2000, Kazakhstan has earned an ambiguous reputation as a force driving CIS integration. Speaking at the September 15 mini-summit of the Single

On August 18 the newly appointed Kazakhstan Information Minister, Altynbek Sarsenbayev, the co-chairman of the pro-democratic Ak Zhol party, presented a new draft law that is promisingly titled, "On Guarantees

Speaking at a joint session of parliament on September 1, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbaev recognized the looming threat of terrorism for his country. He expressed a serious concern over the

The Secretary-General of the World Trade Organization, Supachai Panitchpakdi, made a landmark visit to Kazakhstan on August 25. Panitchpakdi hailed Kazakhstan's efforts to join the WTO and positively evaluated the

"An Uzbek is my near-brother" runs a common Kazakh saying, which has lost its original implications since the July bombings in Tashkent. The ever-worsening relations between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are

With its vast arable land, Kazakhstan sees grain production as more than a matter of food security. It is also increasingly becoming an effective tool in shaping its economic and

On August 11, a Russian RS-18 (Stiletto) inter-continental ballistic missile was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kyzylorda region, symbolizing the expanding Russian-Kazakh cooperation in space exploration. In recent years

With elections to Majilis (lower chamber of parliament) just a few weeks away, calls for genuine democracy in Kazakhstan ring louder than ever before. On July 21 leaders of the

The flurry of speculations around the July 20 death of well-known journalist Askhat Sharipzhanov does not seem likely to subside in the coming weeks. Sharipzhanov, the 40-year old editor of

After a yearlong standoff between democratic organizations and the governor of Aktobe region in western Kazakhstan, Yermek Imantayev was relieved of his post by presidential decree. He was replaced by

On July 14 cultural ministers from 12 Turkic countries gathered at the Okan Intercontinental hotel in Astana for the 21st session of Turksoy, the international organization of Turkic-language nations set

In the first years of independence, ethnic Kazakhs barely made up 40% of the population of Kazakhstan. In a bid to regulate the ethnic balance, particularly in the heavily Russian-populated

According to Kazakhstan's influential youth paper Express K, the Saryarka district court in Astana is investigating an unprecedented case. For the first time in Kazakhstan's history, a member of a

On July 2 two members of the Islamic extremist organization Hizb-ut-Tahrir (Islamic Party of Liberation) were given two-year prison terms by authorities in Pavlodar, Northern Kazakhstan. Security forces had detained

Since Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev made an official visit to China in May, the number of exchanges between the two countries has increased remarkably. Never have bilateral relations been so

Journalists in Kazakhstan had little reason to celebrate during this year's national "Journalism Day" on June 28. Traditionally a joyous event, this year the festivities were spoiled by recent attempts

Squeezed uncomfortably between China and Russia, Kazakhstan has always stressed the importance of the so-called "multi-vector" in its relations with its large neighbors. This approach allows Kazakhstan to strike the

After more than a decade of independence, the majority of Kazakhs feel deeply disillusioned with post-Soviet development of their country. Many are tormented with gnawing doubts whether Kazakhstan has really