Society 379

SOCIETY
revival of this historic trade route has
been a long discussed topic. What is
the current status in this regard?
Undoubtedly, the Silk Road is a crucial
part of our past and future as a country.
However, we started streamlining
our transit capacities even before the
belt initiative. The transport of goods
from China to Europe takes forty to
sixty days by sea, but just seven by
land, which is why we are currently
working on expanding and digitalizing
our railway and highway systems. We
are closely connected to the rapidly
growing free trade zone on the border
to China and have easy access to
Europe by way of the Caspian Sea.
Due to this geographical advantage
Kazakhstan is considered to be the
buckle on the belt from China to Europe.
At this point I would like to add
that Austria is a historical gateway to
Europe as well: If we can join hands on
our transit potentials, something really
meaningful can be created. Anyway,
it must be mentioned that the Silk
Road is not only limited to trade, but
also promotes interchange of knowledge,
education and culture. As an
Embassy, we are keen on indulging in
this spirit, broadcasting our country’s
rich and diverse culture and creating
opportunities for cultural and artistical
exchange: Over the past years, we
have organized days of Kazakhstan
in Austria and vice versa, for November
we are planning a concert of a
traditional Kazakhstani symphonic
orchestra in Vienna.
This year, Kazakhstan is celebrating
its 30th anniversary of independence.
Which transformations has the country
undergone since then and what
are the visions of the future of the
country?
The last 30 years have been quite a
journey for us. After the collapse of
the Soviet Union we found ourselves
disconnected from the rest of the
world, with an inflation rate of 2000%
and many nuclear testing grounds and
military installations on our soils. What
came next were extensive reforms and
a colossal overall transformation. The
first President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan
Nazarbayev’s vision on transforming
the country into a modern state with a
peaceful and predictable foreign policy
was crucial. After we stirred the planning
economy into a market system, in
not even one generation, Kazakhstan
managed to become an upper-middle
income country and one of the most
advanced territories in the area. Under
the main principle of mutual beneficence
we attracted more international
investments than all our neighbouring
areas combined. Our new president
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is very active
on youth and women’s empowerment
issues; moving the country further
towards a functioning democracy.
Hand in hand with our independence,
we celebrate the 30th anniversary
of the closure of the nuclear testing
ground Semipalatinsk. One and a half
million people are still suffering from
the nuclear exposure, which is why the
topic of non-proliferation of nuclear
weapons is very dear to us. Kazakhstan
is the country that most successfully
voluntarily got rid of nuclear weapons
and Austria is an important ally in upkeeping
this vision.
KAZAKHSTAN
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