Kazakhstan’s Presidential Address to the Nation Discussed in Moscow

A roundtable discussion dedicated to President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s Address to the Nation, entitled “Current Priorities of Kazakhstan in a New Historical Cycle,” was held at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Moscow.

Opening the meeting, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Russia Dauren Abayev noted that this year’s Address had been delivered amid a far-reaching political transformation initiated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. He also recalled that the Address carried symbolic significance, as it was delivered in the year marking the 35th anniversary of the country’s Independence. The Ambassador emphasized that the key provisions of the Address would shape the framework and directions of Kazakhstan’s further development, as well as define its next tactical objectives and strategic priorities.

Anton Rybakov, Deputy Head of the Presidential Directorate for Strategic Partnership and Cooperation of the Russian Federation, noted that the adoption of the new Constitution through a nationwide referendum demonstrated the people’s support for the President’s ambitious reform agenda. Commenting on the Address, he highlighted its constructive agenda, which encompasses not only the development of political and public institutions but also the construction of roads and social infrastructure, with these priorities set to shape the coming years.

Alexander Sternik, Director of the Third CIS Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, described the current year as historic for Kazakhstan. “This year has witnessed a landmark referendum, constitutional reform, the formation of a new Parliament, and the reorganization of all levels of government based on the Head of State’s carefully calibrated strategy. In his Address, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined the Republic’s further development trajectory under the leadership of an authoritative Head of State, with a consolidated Parliament and an effective system of executive power,” the diplomat said.

In this context, Dmitry Birichevsky, Director of the Department of Economic Cooperation at the Russian Foreign Ministry, focused on the common trends, achievements and challenges facing Kazakhstan and Russia. “Our geographical location, shared border, and close partnership and allied relations create an opportunity for a win-win situation in which both countries stand to benefit,” he said. Addressing the global competition for investment resources mentioned in the Address, the diplomat highly praised the efforts of his Kazakh counterparts in this area. According to him, statistics demonstrate Kazakhstan’s considerable success in attracting more than USD 150–160 billion in foreign investment in recent years.

Alexey Vlasov, Director of the Department for Expert Support of International Projects and Programmes at the Expert Institute for Social Research, identified “the people, justice and realism” as key elements of the Address. “The realism of the goals and objectives set for the state and society is what distinguishes the 2026 Address from many other strategic documents,” the expert said. He noted that the Kazakh authorities closely monitor public sentiment and respond to emerging challenges, as evidenced by the document’s social policy provisions aimed at improving citizens’ quality of life.

Continuing this discussion, journalist and writer Leonid Mlechin expressed the view that Kassym-Jomart Tokayev draws information about the situation in the Republic not only from official reports and briefings, but also from other sources, which enables him to understand the everyday difficulties faced by ordinary people.

Andrey Margolin, Vice-Rector of the Presidential Academy (RANEPA), added that the current Address was distinguished by its balanced approach. “This is particularly important, since achieving significant results without maintaining a proper balance would be difficult,” the scholar explained. He also emphasized the importance of the Address beginning with the principle of strengthening sovereignty, which is understood not as autarky, but as Kazakhstan’s integration into mutually beneficial international economic relations while safeguarding its national interests. He further noted that, as highlighted in the Address, improving the quality of public administration is essential to ensuring sustainable socio-economic development.

Alexandra Perminova, Head of the Central Asian Studies Centre at the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences, described the emphasis placed on socio-economic issues in the Address as the right approach. In her view, the effectiveness of government institutions and the level of public trust in them will depend on how successfully the authorities address the challenges facing the population. She pointed out that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev not only put forward initiatives and outlined future prospects in his Address, but also spoke about specific challenges and existing problems.

Boris Martsinkevich, Editor-in-Chief of the analytical online journal Geoenergetika, highlighted the comprehensive scope and ambitious scale of the current Address. In his opinion, particular respect is due to the fact that Kazakhstan, a country well aware of the legacy of nuclear weapons, is taking a balanced approach to the question of developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Vyacheslav Ivanov, Chief Expert at the Centre for Civil Society and Non-Profit Sector Studies of the Higher School of Economics, expressed confidence that the Address would attract considerable international attention. In support of this view, he noted that the provisions of this historic document would be taken into account in academic dissertations and studied at universities, including his own.

Summing up the roundtable discussion, participants noted that the Address had brought to a close a year-long cycle encompassing the adoption of the new Constitution, elections to the Kurultai, the establishment of the Khalyk Kenesi, structural changes in the public administration system, and personnel renewal across key government institutions.

The experts also emphasized that, at the same time, the document opens a new stage of development focused on implementing the objectives set out therein. In their view, the measures outlined by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to advance the economy and social sector will help improve the quality of life and enhance the social well-being of citizens.