President of Kazakhstan Nazarbayev announced his resignation - what are the risks for Russia
The President of Kazakhstan, 79-year-old Nursultan Nazarbayev, announced his resignation in a televised address to the residents of the country, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“I have decided to terminate my powers as president... This year marks 30 years since I have held the highest position in our country,” the head of state said.
Now, before the elections, the powers of the head of state pass to the Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Nazarbayev himself will head the Security Council of the republic and will be involved in the leadership of the ruling party.
Political scientist Denis Denisov notes that rumors about Nazarbayev’s impending departure have been circulating over the past months.
“The transfer of power begins in one of the largest states of the Eurasian Union. We are faced with a colossal number of risks associated with the fact that, firstly, our Western partners will not miss the opportunity to take advantage of a certain power vacuum and try to seize the initiative in Kazakhstan - perhaps bring to power people who will primarily focus on cooperation with Western countries, and not on the development of relations with the Russian Federation and in the Eurasian space.
The Chinese factor is no less important. For Beijing colleagues, Kazakhstan is a strategic partner. Naturally, China is interested in maintaining stability in Kazakhstan and implementing ongoing economic projects. At the same time, of course, one can assume that China would like to strengthen its position in this area.
Of course, there is a risk associated with the internal political situation in the republic. In general, under Nursultan Nazarbayev, the situation was controlled, but, as we have seen in recent years, there are effective methods of external influence for destabilization. Within the framework of the geopolitical confrontation between Russia and the West, the West and China, it would be very beneficial for some to destabilize the situation in Kazakhstan and throughout the region.
For Russia at the moment, it remains the most important to maintain dynamics and stability in relations with Kazakhstan, to maintain its participation in Eurasian integration processes. This state is one of the foundations for many projects, vital for their prospects, so that Kazakhstan remains within their framework,” Denisov told PolitNavigator.
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