President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev recently shared his thoughts in an interview with the Turkistan newspaper about the meeting between the first president Nursultan Nazarbayev and Vladimir Putin, which took place in the Kremlin just before the New Year.
During the conversation, the journalist noted that there are many rumors surrounding this meeting, including versions about a possible power transition in Kazakhstan in 2029, where Nazarbayev allegedly intends to play a significant role with Putin's support.
“These meetings occur regularly, but they are not official in nature. Putin himself emphasizes this: at a recent meeting in St. Petersburg, he noted that he received Nazarbayev at his request,” Tokayev said.
According to the president, Putin has a good attitude towards his friends and colleagues.
“Despite his busy schedule, he found time for a calm conversation with the first president of Kazakhstan on Saturday. Putin highly values Nazarbayev as an experienced politician who played a key role in Eurasian integration, where Russia holds leading positions. This meeting demonstrates the high human qualities of Vladimir Putin,” Tokayev noted.
The head of state also emphasized that he is not concerned about the content of such conversations and never asks questions about them.
“As for Nursultan Nazarbayev, I have repeatedly emphasized that he is the founder of modern Kazakh statehood. His achievements in creating state structures, market mechanisms, and building a new capital are evident. We strive to turn Kazakhstan into a territory of Justice, Law, and Order. Therefore, it is important to assess the work of every citizen fairly, without bias, including Nursultan Nazarbayev, the first president of our country,” the president added.
At the end of December, a meeting took place in Moscow between Putin and Nazarbayev. Over the past year, they have met in person twice, and prior to that, their communication occurred in May.
