CCTV News:China — The Central Asia Summit will be held in Xi ‘an, Shaanxi Province from May 18th to 19th, and the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will be invited to attend. Recently, Kazakh President Nursultan Tokayev accepted an exclusive interview with the program "High-end Interview" of the main station. Tokayev said that Kazakhstan has always advocated peace and friendship, hoping to bring together all those who are committed to promoting peace and build a bridge of peace between countries in conflict.
General Desk reporter Wang Guan:President Tokayev, Kazakhstan has a unique geographical position and has been given many different titles for many years. Some scholars believe that Kazakhstan is "the key to the new geopolitical balance between Europe and Asia", while others call it a "diplomatic bridge" between East and West. How do you evaluate Kazakhstan’s role in today’s geopolitical landscape?
Kazakh President Tokayev:Kazakhstan has always advocated peace and friendship. At the diplomatic level, this means that we hope to host international forums and conferences, so that all those who are committed to promoting peace can get together and build a bridge of peace between countries in conflict. Therefore, the development of Kazakhstan is becoming more and more important to the world today.
General Desk reporter Wang Guan:Mr. President, you have repeatedly expressed your hope to build a pluralistic and balanced foreign policy. The first thing I want to ask is, how do you define the concept of "multiple balance"?
Kazakh President Tokayev:This policy means that we want to have as many friends as possible all over the world. On the international stage, we have shown a high sense of responsibility in the field of security. I believe Kazakhstan can successfully implement this kind of foreign policy. It is our historical mission to establish peaceful and friendly diplomatic relations with other countries. Among them, it is particularly important to maintain friendly relations with neighboring countries. In this regard, China plays a crucial role.
General Desk reporter Wang Guan:However, there are some practical factors. Mr. President, Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world and is adjacent to many big countries. Moreover, Kazakhstan has complicated relations with some countries facing geopolitical tensions. Will this make it more and more difficult for Kazakhstan to pursue a pluralistic and balanced foreign policy?
Kazakh President Tokayev:Yes, sometimes it becomes more and more difficult. But even so, we have always adhered to and pursued this pluralistic and balanced foreign policy. You’re right, Kazakhstan is a vast country, so we should ensure that the overall environment, especially the political environment, is friendly to meet the needs of economic development.
Tokayev: Kazakhstan and China maintain close ties in many fields.
Tokayev said in an exclusive interview that Kazakhstan and China have maintained very close ties in many fields. China is a very reliable partner and is ready to expand cooperation in as many fields as possible in the future.
General Desk reporter Wang Guan:In the economic field, China has been one of Kazakhstan’s largest trading partners for many years. You expressed the hope that economic and trade relations will continue to deepen. What industries or fields do you include?
Kazakh President Tokayev:I think Kazakhstan and China maintain very close ties in many fields, and the total bilateral trade has reached 31 billion US dollars. China is a very reliable partner. In the future, we are ready to expand cooperation in as many fields as possible. We welcome investment from China and entrepreneurs from China, and we will warmly welcome them to invest in Kazakhstan. Personally and as president of Kazakhstan, I firmly believe that China investors are great.
General Desk reporter Wang Guan:China and Kazakhstan have set up an international cooperation project in vocational education to jointly cultivate vocational and technical talents and promote Kazakhstan’s economic development. This project is called Luban Workshop. On the basis of such cooperation, how do you hope to promote the development of bilateral economic relations?
Kazakh President Tokayev:Kazakhstan and China have made outstanding achievements in the field of economic cooperation, and we need to make persistent efforts. I am looking forward to my next visit to Xi ‘an, the cradle of Chinese civilization. I believe that Kazakhstan and China need to reach a new agreement and establish new areas of cooperation. We cannot stand still and wait for results. I believe that in this complicated world, we need to work hard to promote economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and China. In addition, I strongly support the development of friendly and cooperative relations between the young people of the two countries. The younger generation of the two countries should fully understand each other, so we should encourage them to have more exchanges. You just mentioned luban.
General Desk reporter Wang Guan:He is a very famous craftsman.
Kazakh President Tokayev:Yes, I know his story quite well, and we will actively build Luban Workshop in Kazakhstan.
General Desk reporter Wang Guan:What enlightenment do you think Luban can bring to the workers of the two countries? How do you think this will help the further development of bilateral relations?
Kazakh President Tokayev:This is like a bridge, which encourages the deepening of cooperation between the two sides. I just mentioned the exchange of knowledge and views. In addition, we should attach importance to the exchanges between the cultural and sports circles of the two countries.
General Desk reporter Wang Guan:Like table tennis?
Kazakh President Tokayev:Yes, we welcome the famous table tennis players from China to participate. About three or four years ago, the final of the ITTF World Tour was held in Kazakhstan, and outstanding players including Ding Ning came to show their superb skills. We appreciated them very much.
Tokayev: The Belt and Road Initiative will benefit many countries.
When talking about the "Belt and Road Initiative", Tokayev said that the "Belt and Road Initiative" will bring many benefits to many countries, provide a solid foundation for mutually beneficial cooperation among countries, and is also one of the important platforms for making a voice to the international community.
General Desk reporter Wang Guan:How do you evaluate the value of the Belt and Road Initiative and what changes it has brought to Kazakhstan?
Kazakh President Tokayev:This is a grand project with great prospects, and Kazakhstan is very supportive of the concept expounded here by the Chairman of the Supreme Leader ten years ago. This project will bring many benefits to many countries. Kazakhstan plays an important role in the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative.
General Desk reporter Wang Guan:Indeed, two of the six economic corridors pass through Kazakhstan.
Kazakh President Tokayev:Yes With regard to the implementation of this initiative, Kazakhstan and China have a high degree of consensus, which not only provides a solid foundation for our mutually beneficial cooperation, but also serves as one of the important platforms for us to speak to the international community.
General Desk reporter Wang Guan:Indeed, the Central European train that crossed Kazakhstan played a key role during the COVID-19 epidemic, and it was one of the few passages that could transport medicines, masks and ventilators at that time, which helped people in trouble and saved their lives.
Kazakh President Tokayev:Indeed, during the epidemic, we were almost isolated. I am very grateful to China for his support and help us tide over the difficulties. As the saying goes, a friend in need is a friend indeed. After the epidemic, I am full of expectations for the future trade between the two countries. I think we have many opportunities and potentials to further develop bilateral trade.
General Desk reporter Wang Guan:The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a regional organization with global influence. Kazakhstan will assume the rotating presidency of the SCO this year. How do you evaluate the role of the SCO in the evolving geopolitical landscape? In your opinion, what changes will Kazakhstan bring to this organization after becoming the rotating presidency?
Kazakh President Tokayev:Facts have proved that the SCO is a very promising and influential organization. This is due to China, because China strongly supported the development of the SCO from the beginning. The SCO originated from the Shanghai five-nation meeting mechanism established in 1996. At that time, as the foreign minister of Kazakhstan, I attended the inauguration ceremony. So I was very honored to participate in the activities of the SCO from the beginning. Of course, as the rotating presidency of the SCO and the host country of the meeting of the Council of Heads of State, Kazakhstan will do its utmost to enhance the potential of the SCO. I believe that the SCO is now very famous and influential in the world. As I said at the Bishkek Summit, the SCO has become one of the most mature and successful organizations in the world.
General Desk reporter Wang Guan:Some western friends will ask me curiously what kind of organization the SCO is. They will ask, is this the "Oriental version of NATO"? How do you respond to this doubt and curiosity?
Kazakh President Tokayev:The uniqueness of the SCO is that we have a very diversified agenda. We not only discuss and take actions in the security and military fields, but also make decisions in economic and trade cooperation, investment cooperation and cultural exchanges. This is a fact, not an exaggeration of the organization’s potential. I believe that the SCO still has many opportunities in the future. Crucially, we should work together to make this organization, by going up one flight of stairs, benefit from its potential and create well-being for our people.