In Praise Of Kazakhstan

KAZAKHSTAN

The Land of the Wanderers

Kazakhstan is vying for a seat at the table with global power brokers.

To get it, Central Asia’s largest economy faces a decision, the Economist notes: Open its markets and modernize, or stagnate.

That’s not the easiest choice for the “land of the wanderers” in the Great Steppe.

Here’s why: Kazakhs are a bit averse to foreign influence – to put it mildly – given their brutal history with the Soviets. Shortly after the founding of the USSR, Kazakhstan was annexed, hyper-industrialized and collectivized, resulting in millions of deaths, the BBC notes.

Kazakhstan also served as a guinea pig for the Soviets’ nuclear program during the Cold War. Nuclear tests left behind a legacy of death and destruction, birth defects and environmental degradation.

Nobody expected an independent Kazakhstan to be a significant player in foreign affairs once it gained independence in 1991.

But the discovery of the giant Kashagan oil field in the Caspian Sea spurred economic confidence and led to Kazakhstan solidifying energy deals with China. It’s now included Kazakhstan in its “Belt and Road” program of modernizing transportation links between Asia, Europe and Africa.

A nexus of sorts between all regions, Kazakhstan’s surprisingly futuristic capital Astana, with its intriguing architecture and foreign expos, could very well become the transit hub of Eurasia.

Kazakhstan utilizes its geography to make up in international influence what it lacks in other sectors. Many Kazakh enterprises are still partially state-run, for example, and stagnant oil priceshave hurt its economy, which relies on oil and energy exports, Stratfor noted.

But with its strategic global address, Astana often plays negotiator in international conflicts. It’s active in talks on the Syrian civil war and helped to broker the Iran nuclear deal. It will likely also mediate discussions regarding the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, Euractiv notes.

Despite its troubled history with Russia, Astana has promoted nuclear non-proliferation with its northern neighbor, boosting investor confidence in the country’s economic potential. It could soon have the funds to back up its soft power on the global stage.

Also, Kazakhstan’s trajectory toward global prominence could serve as an example to struggling states like North Korea, the Washington Times reports.

Instead of stiff-arming its way to significance, Astana chose a conciliatory approach with its powerful neighbors.

It’s a bet that looks likely to continue paying off.