ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the importance of the Kazakh language as a factor of national unity, calling for stronger efforts to expand its use in education, culture and digital technologies, during the 10th congress of the International Kazakh Language Society on Nov. 10.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivers a speech at the 10th congress of the International Kazakh Language Society, held ahead of the 35th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence. Photo credit: Akorda.
The congress is taking place ahead of the 35th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence. Tokayev described the occasion as a historic milestone, noting that the country had made significant progress in strengthening the country since gaining independence.
“We have established ourselves as a united nation, laid the foundations of our country and continued to strengthen them,” he said.
President Tokayev also cautioned against assuming that all challenges related to safeguarding independence had been resolved. Amid growing political, economic and ideological tensions worldwide, he said Kazakhstan’s response should be to strengthen unity and focus on shared national interests.
Kazakh language as a Constitutional priority
He said the new Constitution clearly defines the country’s historical roots, national identity and future direction, while firmly establishing the constitutional status of Kazakh as the state language.
“Therefore, treating the Kazakh language with respect is a civic and moral duty,” he said.
Tokayev stressed that the development of the Kazakh language is closely linked to the country’s broader economic and technological progress.
“If we become a strong, civilized state with a developed economy, leading innovations and technologies, and international recognition, the Kazakh language will also become a strong language,” he said. “As the country’s standing grows, so does the prestige of its state language. This is a fact.”
Kazakh-language education and cultural production expand
Tokayev also highlighted progress in education and cultural production. This year, 71% of children entering school were enrolled in Kazakh-language classes, while the number of Kazakh-language departments in colleges and universities has also increased.
He noted that more books, songs and films in Kazakh are reaching audiences. Of the more than 6,000 books published in Kazakhstan last year, 70% were in Kazakh. This year, 63 of the 71 films produced in the country were released in the state language.
“These figures show that there is strong demand for the Kazakh language among our people. This is a very encouraging development, and we must continue to strengthen this work,” Tokayev said.
Digital resources and AI
He added that the language’s future is not under threat and pointed to its growing presence on digital platforms and in advanced technologies. According to research conducted by OpenAI, Kazakh is among the languages whose use in artificial intelligence systems has expanded rapidly over the past three years.
At the same time, Tokayev identified the creation of a national digital database of Kazakh-language resources as a key priority.
“We often say that the Kazakh language has an exceptionally rich vocabulary. There is no doubt that this is true. Our literary and cultural heritage is also vast. However, it is difficult to say that much of this wealth has been fully and accurately transferred into digital systems,” he said.
Tokayev reiterated that promoting Kazakh should not come at the expense of other languages spoken in the country.
“Developing the Kazakh language does not mean hindering the development of other languages in our country. In other words, we must never pit our native language against other languages,” he said.
Tokayev warned against attempts to use language issues to provoke social tensions and conflict, saying those responsible should be held accountable under the principle of Law and Order.
