NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev presented awards to prominent public figures and artists for their contribution to the country’s social, economic, and cultural development, strengthening friendship and cooperation between the people of the country as well as their active public lives on the eve of Independence Day which is celebrated Dec. 16 in Kazakhstan, the Akorda press service reported.
Award recipients in a group photo with Tokayev. Photo credit: Akorda press service
Among the winners, an engineer at the Eurasian Energy Corporation from the Pavlodar Region Murat Kaiyrgeldin and the Executive Director at the Temirtau Metallurgy Plant Vadim Basin were both named honored workers of Kazakhstan.
Prominent Kazakh opera singer and Astana Opera leading soloist Maira Mukhamedkyzy both received an Otan (motherland in Kazakh) award.
First President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s “Medal of Kazakhstan” was awarded to Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Askar Mamin, Almaty Region Akim (Governor) Amandyk Batalov; Kazakhmys Holding President Vladimir Kim and President of BSB Financial and Industrial Corporation Rashit Sarsenov.
Among the other awards were the Barys, Parasat (nobleness in Kazakh), Kurmet (respect in Kazakh) and Dostyk (friendship in Kazakh) state awards.
Addressing the award recipients via video, Tokayev noted the importance of the upcoming year, as the country enters the year, when it will mark a milestone in its history – the 30th anniversary of its independence on Dec. 16, 2021.
“It is time to summarize and assess what we have gone through. We will mark this significant date for our people with concrete actions and new projects. We will give up loud actions and pompous events, and make the work as pragmatic and results-oriented as possible. We will continue to implement large scale systemic measures in the economy, social sector and environment. We will pay close attention to the needs and requirements of all segments of the population, especially the youth, women, and people with disabilities. We are determined to continue the political modernization of the country,” said Tokayev.
Tokayev said independence is Kazakhstan’s “most precious treasure.” Though the ongoing coronavirus pandemic disrupted the celebration of the holiday, usually accompanied by large scale festivities across the country, the value and importance of this holiday remain the same.
He also noted the growing political egoism and economic nationalism of countries amid rising geostrategic uncertainty, where a country’s global status is determined by its level of technological development.
“Harmonious combination of internal and external tasks within the country’s development becomes of greater importance. We need to mobilize all our forces and resources to enhance the real competitiveness of Kazakhstan. And the consolidation of the nation and devoted service to the values of independence of every citizen are more important today than ever before. We will continue our foreign policy aimed at strengthening the global security system promoting the role of multilateral institutions and the United Nations. We will firmly defend our national interests and consistently pursue a balanced and constructive foreign policy which has proved its efficiency in today’s multipolar world,” said Tokayev.
