KAZAKHSTAN…

Kazakhstan formally presented its new capital, Astana, to an audience of 1,500 guests and foreign dignitaries on June 10. There are many reasons given for the decision to relocate the capital from Almaty to Astana, which is considerably to the north but the most persuasive appear to be political. The government fears that the Russian-dominated regions of north Kazakhstan may someday seek to secede from Kazakhstan and join Russia. To forestall that possibility, it may be prudent to create opportunities for ethnic Kazakhs to move north and assure an even ethnic mix throughout the country.