Kazakhstan is a country rich in resources, with a relatively small population and a huge territory, and keen to attract foreign investment.

In that regard, Kazakh government under the leadership of Kazakhstan’s new president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is ready to assist any supports for foreign invesrors in Kazakhsan including Korean enterprises, said Kazakhstan Amb. Bakyt Dyussenbayer in a diplomatic reception to mark The 28th Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan held at a downtown hotel in central Seoul last Friday on Dec. 13th evening.

In conjunction with such foreign investment attraction policies by Kazakhstan new government, Dyussenbayer introduced: “Kazakhstan is ranked 25 among 190 economies in the ease of doing business, according to the latest World Bank annual ratings. The rank of Kazakhstan improved to 25 in 2019 from 28 in 2018. Ease of Doing Business in Kazakhstan averaged 46.92 from 2008 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 64 in 2008 and a record low of 25 in 2019.”

For reference, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the political “child” of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev who ruled Kazakhstan since Soviet times, was overwhelmingly elected as the new leader of the country on Sunday (9 June), in a vote closely watched by international observers.

Quoting Kazakhstan’s new president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s first major speech following his election last June delivered on Monday (2 September) which defines his policies in all fields of the economy and society, Kazakhstan Amb. Dyussenbayer conveyed Kazakhstan President’s messages as follows: “We have entered a new stage in the reform of the country. We must fulfill the assigned tasks in a quality manner. Every resident of our country should feel positive changes”.

The Kazakhs today are much more prosperous than in the defunct Soviet Union, but the goal set by Nursultan Nazarayev is to transform the country in one of the world’s 30 most developed countries by 2030, with the corresponding living standards. Nazarbayev left power to allow a younger politician to attain this goal, added Kazakhstan envoy Dyussenbayer.

In terms of relations with Korea for Kazakhstan, President Moon visited Kazakhstan April 21-23 and met with its recently sworn-in leader, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, as part of efforts to build trust with the new Kazakh administration and engage in discussions on how to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

Three countries trip including Turkmenistan & Uzbekistan by President Moon last April, this year is expected to serve as an opportunity to establish a foundation for future cooperation with the three Central Asian nations by further strengthening traditional, friendly and cooperative relations and promoting understanding of Korea’s New Northern Policy in the region.

In addition, these visits contributed to developing long-term sustainable relations by reinforcing historical and cultural bonds with the countries, which have sizeable populations of ethnic Koreans – the descendants of the Korean enclaves forcibly relocated from the Russian Far East to Central Asia by the Soviet Union in the 1930s.

Touching upon such two Heads of States Summit, Kazakhstan envoy Bakyt Dyussenbayer in Seoul paid his keen attention in continued National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang’s Kazakhstan visit on Sep., MOFAT Minister Kang Kyung-hwa’s Kazakhstan visit on Oct. 15-16 as well as the 8th Korea-Kazakhstan Economic Consultation Committee’s activities while Korea rose as the 4th largest trade partner for Kazakhstan currently. Dyussenbayer added he expects for more substantial cooperations between the two nations to be continued in 2020 as well.

According to MOFAT, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha visited Nur-Sultan, the Republic of Kazakhstan on October 15-16, and attended the 12th Republic of Korea (ROK)-Central Asia Cooperation Forum, an annual consultative mechanism for promoting comprehensive exchanges and cooperation, as well as enhancing friendship between the ROK and five Central Asian countries.

Following her attendance in the 12th Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum held in Nur-Sultan, the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan, on October 16, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha paid a courtesy call on President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Minister Kang highlighted the importance of cooperation with Kazakhstan, the Republic of Korea (ROK)’s top trading and investment partner in Central Asia as well as a core partner of its New Northern Policy. She went on to voice hope that bilateral cooperation would continue to increase mainly in the diverse areas discussed by the Presidents of the two countries during President Moon Jae-in’s state visit to Kazakhstan in April 2019.

President Tokayev took note of the dynamic development of the ROK-Kazakhstan relations in various sectors, including economy, trade, culture and people-to-people exchanges. He expressed hope that the two countries would further step up substantive bilateral cooperation by faithfully implementing the “Fresh Wind,” a new economic cooperation program adopted during President Moon Jae-in’s state visit to Kazakhstan in April, according to MOFAT.