[lg policy] Nazarbayev Defends Social Initiatives to Promote National Unity

[Harold Schiffman]

 Nazarbayev Defends Social Initiatives to Promote National Unity

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev defended on Saturday
before the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan (APK) his proposal of five
initiatives that aim to promote social unity within the country.

“As the global regional experience shows, strong states are those in which
the platform of national unity is consciously strengthened,” Nazarbayev
said at the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation in Astana.

Nazarbayev said that 2.6 trillion tenge ($7.9 billion) would be allocated
to implement his social initiatives which, among other measures, promote
access to housing.

“We are all aware of the importance of housing for a happy life, and it is
especially important that all working Kazakhs have the possibility of
securing a mortgage under the new conditions,” Nazarbayev said.

Housing reform centers on a reduction in mortgage interest, which may not
exceed 7 percent (currently 16 percent), and the life of the loan may be
extended up to 25 years.

“This will benefit millions of citizens, especially young people, who will
be able to buy homes through this program when they start working,”
Nazarbayev explained.

The leader of the Central Asian nation also addressed the ethno-social
policy of Kazakhstan, a multicultural country that is home to more than 130
ethnic groups.

“The language policy of the State, of which there has been much talk both
positive and negative, allows for an optimal balance of interests,”
Nazarbayev said.

“Trilingualism (Kazakh, Russian and English) satisfies the fundamental
interests of people and does not infringe upon the interests of anyone in
our country. I am deeply convinced that the linguistic agreement reached in
Kazakhstan is a golden decision,” he added.

In addition, the Kazakh president noted the importance of the country’s
foreign policy and praised relations with its large neighbors.

“We have a friendly environment around the perimeter of our external
borders, our great neighbors are Russia and China, we will live in
friendship and harmony and we must comply with these principles, because
they fit our national interests,” he said.

More than 1,500 people participated in the 26th session of the APK, among
which were deputies, representatives of political parties, religious
societies, ethnic groups, NGOs and heads of central executive bodies.

The APK, created in 1995 by Nazarbayev, is a representative body of more
than 100 ethnic groups and 40 religions that coexist in the Eurasian
country and its purpose is to give voice to the multiple ethnic groups and
religions nationwide.


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 Harold F. Schiffman

Professor Emeritus of
 Dravidian Linguistics and Culture
Dept. of South Asia Studies
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305

Phone:  (215) 898-7475
Fax:  (215) 573-2138

Email:  haroldfs at gmail.com
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/

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