Last week in Astana, I asked Roman Vassilenko, deputy foreign secretary, what Kazakhstan means by its so-called “multi-vector” international policy , – a word often bandied about in scientific circles.
Vassilenko said that Kazakhstan has been able to secure and advertise its national passions because , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ‘ diplomatic , reach has been , intelligent and versatile rather than silly, aggressive, and intellectual. He said this without a sign of arrogance to be found.
Vassilenko put it this way:” Our diplomatic abilities are rooted in the Kazakh people’s traditional world view, which has for thousands of years protected their interests through diplomacy, not through war. Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev carries , on , in the same history. We are sandwiched between great power and societies, and, for this reason, we have constantly strived to develop constructive, mutually polite, mutually beneficial relationships with neighboring nations”.
What’s more, Kazakhstan does not see itself as , a pawn , in someone else’s” Great Game”, and rejects any attempt to be treated as such. Rather, Kazakhstan , maintains that it , has chosen its own path of socio-political development. Like India,  , Kazakhstan, always alert to outside pressures,  , has no desire to buy into whatever web any great power may be spinning at any given time.  ,  , It remains to be seen how well Kazakhstan can withstand great power arm-twisting when it happens.
Vassilenko , insists that the proof is in the pudding:” We are a nation at peace with ourselves, at peace with our neighbors, and at peace with the rest of the world”, he said. ” And despite a difficult and tense geopolitical environment, we are able to maintain and develop relations with Russia,  , China , and the West, not to mention the Arab, Turkic and broader Muslim world”.
Vassilenko is saying that the most rational path for Kazakhstan is to engage in commonsense, pragmatic , realpolitik , that observes international law and pursues humanitarian concerns. For this reason, Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, he says,  , is neither ideological nor dogmatic but seeks mainly to further the public good.
On a diplomatic roll
During our conversation, Vassilenko left no room for doubt that Kazakhstan, despite living in a world gone mad, has been on a , diplomatic roll , since the failed , coup d’etat , against President Tokayev in 2022.  , Kazakhstan has managed relations with its near neighbors with savvy and skill, and the country is, after all, stable.
Vassilenko said that Kazakhstan ] and “its foreign partners, including the West, must continue to seize the moment,  , carpe diem, i. e., do things as soon as possible because time is of the essence. We need to advance in three areas without hesitation – transport and logistics, rare earth metals and green energy, including green hydrogen”.
He thinks that” the moment is favorable to entice significant sums of long-term investment in the region.” When asked why the interest in Central Asia has soared, he responded that “governments and investors see that the process of , Central Asian cooperation has gained momentum and is here to say. Additionally, Kazakhstan has implemented internal political and economic reforms to address sovereign risks.
Vassilenko refutes accusations that its neighbors are threatening its sovereign independence by engaging with its neighbors in the development sector. As long as the conditions are clear, favorable, and in the people’s interests,” we are not afraid to take investment capital from China, Russia, the US, or Europe.” Stated differently, Kazakhstan’s well-wishers should give it more credit when it engages its neighbors because it knows its neighbors better than anyone , else.  ,
Concerning debt traps – an issue often raised by Western media– Vassilenko said:  ,” Yes, the Chinese have made loans to finance projects in Kazakhstan but]these loans ] are at very, very manageable levels. We are aware of the idea of ‘ debt traps’ but we are nowhere near the situation where we should be worried about ]over-indebtedness ] as a threat to our national sovereignty. You can be sure that Kazakhstan will not overload its sovereign balance sheet with debt , that is unpayable by , future generations”.
Bakhty-Tacheng border crossing
Vassilenko confirmed that Kazakhstan will build a third rail and road , border crossing , between Kazakhstan and China. In addition to crossings at Khorgos and Dostyk on the China-Kazakhstan border, we will proceed to build the third at Bakhty, in the north-east of Kazakhstan, adjacent to Tacheng, China. It will also be useful for Russia and the northeastern region of Kazakhstan. This is what I mean by’ carpe diem ‘ – Kazakhstan will seize opportunities , on its terms , when they arise.”
‘ Central Asia plus China ‘ format
” Central Asian countries,” Vassilenko emphasized”, have had very high-level cooperation with Beijing through the’ Central Asia Plus China ‘ format – and these are not simply beautiful words. This multilateral arrangement with China has been more productive and fruitful than many of the twelve other formats ]such as with the United States, the EU, South Korea, Japan, Gulf Cooperation Council, etc. ]. The five regional nations and China have established a permanent” Central Asia Plus China” secretariat, with President Xi Jinping himself serving as the president of Xi’an. We are unanimous in developing fruitful multifaceted cooperation that , meets , the fundamental interests of all countries and their peoples. This is a concrete expression of multilateralism.”
Kazakhstan has n’t  , buckled under pressure , to take sides in one or another of the great powers’ ideologically motivated projects”. What does it mean to take sides? ” Vassilenko asks, adding :” We , believe grand initiatives such as China’s Belt and Road Initiative, EU’s Global Gateway or G7’s Program for Global Infrastructure and Investment ( PGII ) are complementary as far as Kazakhstan is concerned as they help achieve , our , goal of turning , Kazakhstan , into a connecting hub in the center , of this , huge continent.”
He concludes:  ”, We’re not looking to irk anyone but rather further our interests peacefully. And we think there is enough room for everyone to work together in a good way.
The deputy minister finished by , quoting Tokayev‘s recent address to foreign diplomatic missions accredited in Astana:” Kazakhstan ‘s]diplomacy ] is very simple and clear – we do not believe in zero-sum games. We wish to replace the’ Great Game ‘ with Great Gain for , all in the heart of Eurasia. We are interested in sustaining and growing trust, friendship, and strategic partnership with our neighbors as well as with all nations who are actively interested in expanding Kazakhstan’s cooperation.