ASTANA—Since gaining independence, Kazakhstan has pursued a multivector, pragmatic, and balanced foreign policy, Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko said at the 17th annual World Policy Conference (WPC), organized by the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), on Dec. 13-15 in Abu Dhabi, according to the ministry’s press service.
Roman Vassilenko during the 17th annual World Policy Conference. Photo credit: Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
The distinguished French scholar Thierry de Montbrial, founder and long-standing president of IFRI, highlighted Kazakhstan’s diplomatic course as a model for multivector diplomacy, which has earned the country a recognition as a responsible partner in the international community. According to him, Kazakhstan has not only refined its approach to foreign policy but is also increasingly active in addressing global challenges as a middle power.
During the subsequent discussion, Vassilenko used the metaphor of the traditional Kazakh round felt house, the yurt, to explain the country’s balanced and pragmatic foreign policy. “In the traditional Kazakh home, there are no corners,” he said. “Therefore, the need to take sides or choose a corner, as one might in a boxing ring, runs contrary to our national mentality.”
“The only side we should be all taking is the side of cooperation, not rivalry; engagement rather than isolation, the rule of law rather than lawlessness; mutual benefit and the concept of win-win outcome rather than mutual exclusion and zero-sum games. That is the approach we have been pursuing over the past 30 years,” he said.
Photo credit: Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
Speaking of the role of middle powers amid the international security crisis, Vassilenko reiterated Astana’s commitment to strengthening the UN as the sole global body addressing security and development challenges. He emphasized President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s call for long-overdue reforms of the UN Security Council to make it more representative and reflective of current global realities.
“What we can do as a middle power – and we take this designation very seriously – is to collaborate with like-minded nations, in a network of such countries in searching for collective solutions and in persuading global superpowers to prioritize the interests of humanity as a whole and urgently address critical global issues, such as climate change, inequality, and poverty,” he noted.
Responding to the moderator’s question on Kazakhstan’s stance toward the conflict in Ukraine, Vassilenko reiterated that “President Tokayev has consistently emphasized that the resolution of this problem can only be achieved through diplomacy. We advocate for the swift cessation of the conflict and the resolution of differences at the negotiating table. Kazakhstan is ready to fully support efforts in this direction.”
Highlighting Kazakhstan’s neutral position and constructive ties with all sides, Vassilenko added, “We are prepared to play our role as a neutral host country if needed, maintaining good positive relations with Russia, Ukraine, and the West.”
