Foreign relations of Kazakhstan are primarily based on economic and political security consideration. The Nazarbayev administration has tried to balance relations with Russia and the United States by sending petroleum and natural gas to its northern neighbor at artificially low prices while assisting the U.S. in the War on Terror. Kazakhstan is a member of the United Nations, Collective Security Treaty Organization, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, North Atlantic Cooperation Council, Commonwealth of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and NATO's Partnership for Peace program. Kazakhstan established a customs union with Russia and Belarus which eventually became the Eurasian Economic Union. President Nazarbayev has prioritized economic diplomacy into Kazakhstan's foreign policy.
Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev is a Kazakh politician who served as the first President of Kazakhstan, from the country's independence in 1991 until his formal resignation in 2019, and as the Chairman of the Security Council of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2022.
Daniyal Kenjetaiuly Akhmetov is a Kazakh politician who was the 6th Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from 13 June 2003 to 9 January 2007.
A snap election is an election that is called earlier than the one that has been scheduled. Generally, a snap election in a parliamentary system is called to capitalize on an unusual electoral opportunity or to decide a pressing issue, under circumstances when an election is not required by law or convention. A snap election differs from a recall election in that it is initiated by politicians rather than voters, and from a by-election in that a completely new parliament is chosen as opposed to merely filling vacancies in an already established assembly. Early elections can also be called in certain jurisdictions after a ruling coalition is dissolved if a replacement coalition cannot be formed within a constitutionally set time limit.
Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev is a Kazakh politician and diplomat who has served as the President of Kazakhstan since 2019. Between 20 March and 12 June 2019, he served as acting president after the resignation of Nursultan Nazarbayev, who had been president for nearly three decades.
Imangali Nurgaliuly Tasmagambetov is a Kazakh politician and diplomat, who is the current Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization since January 2023. He was the Kazakh Ambassador to Russia from 2017 to 2019. He was Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from 2016 to 2017 and Minister of Defense of Kazakhstan from 2014 to 2016. He was the akim of Astana from 2008 to 2014 and from 2004 to 2008, as akim of Almaty. Before that, from 2002 to 2003, he was the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan.
Nurlan Utebovich Balgimbayev was a Kazakh politician who served as Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from 10 October 1997 to 1 October 1999.
Serik Nyghmetuly Akhmetov was a Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from 2012 to 2014. He served as the Minister of Defense from April to October 2014.
Asqar Uzaqbaiuly Mamin is a Kazakh politician and economist who served as the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from 2019 to 2022, resigning due to pressure from the 2022 Kazakh unrest. He served as First Deputy Prime Minister from 9 September 2016 to 21 February 2019. Previously, he was the president of the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the national railway company of Kazakhstan. He also serves as the president of the Kazakhstan Ice Hockey Federation, a position he assumed in 2008.
Mukhtar Qapashuly Altynbayev served as the Minister of Defense and General of the Army of Kazakhstan twice, most recently from December 2001 to 10 January 2007. Prime Minister Karim Massimov replaced him with former Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov in a political shakeup.
Karim Qajymqanuly Massimov is a Kazakh politician who served as Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from 2007 to 2012 and again from 2014 to 2016. He was Deputy Prime Minister from 2006 to 2007 and held the positions of Minister of Economy and Budget Planning and Minister of Transport and Communications in 2001. He served as chairman of the National Security Committee from 2016 to 2022.
Bakhyt Turlykhanuly Sultanov is a Kazakh statesman, Deputy Prime Minister — Minister of Trade and Integration from January 11 to August 15, 2022, and Minister of Trade and Integration on June 17, 2019. Former Finance Minister, former Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, former deputy prime minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, former Äkim of Astana.
Nurtai Abykayev is a Kazakh politician who was the chairman of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan from August 2010 to December 2015 and from September 1998 to August 1999.
Asset Orentaiuly Issekeshev is a Kazakh politician and public figure, currently the Chairman of the higher council of the Alliance of technological companies "Qaztech" since 2024. He previously served as an aide to the President of Kazakhstan and the Secretary of the Security Council since January 2020. Before that, he served as the executive director of the Fund of the First President of Kazakhstan from March 2019 to January 2020, head of the Presidential Administration from September 2018 to March 2019, äkim of Nur-Sultan from June 2016 to September 2018, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and New Technologies from March 2010 to August 2014, and Minister of Investments and Development from August 2014 to June 2016.
Bakhytzhan Abdiruly Sagintayev is a Kazakh politician who was a Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, from 9 September 2016 until his resignation on 21 February 2019. He served as the Äkim of Almaty from 28 June 2019 until he was replaced by Erbolat Dosaev on 31 January 2022 following the 2022 Kazakh unrest which greatly affected the city.
Jenis Mahmuduly Qasymbek is a Kazakh politician who is currently serving as the Äkim of Astana since December 2022.
Events in the year 1999 in Kazakhstan.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Kazakhstan was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached Kazakhstan on 13 March 2020 after two Kazakh citizens in Almaty returned from Germany. That same day, two more cases were confirmed, with one female arriving from Italy in Astana and the other from Germany in Almaty as well. Following the outbreak, on 15 March 2020, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared a state of emergency that was set to last until 15 April 2020. However, measures were prolonged in order to curb the transmission of the virus, leading to many notable holidays such as Nowruz and the Victory Day being cancelled. On 19 March 2020, a strict quarantine was placed on the cities of Astana and Almaty, where the most cases were occurring. On 30 March 2020, Atyrau and five cities in Karaganda Region went under a lockdown.
The Tokayev Government was the 5th government of Kazakhstan under the leadership of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. It was formed shortly after Prime Minister Nurlan Balgimbayev resigned from his post on 1 October 1999 shortly before the legislative election to become the president of Kazakhoil. President Nursultan Nazarbayev named Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as the Acting Prime Minister, who, prior to that, served as the Deputy Prime Minister as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs under Balgimbayev's cabinet. On 12 October, the Parliament approved Tokayev's nomination to the post of the PM.
The First Balgimbayev Government was the third government of Kazakhstan, led by Prime Minister Nurlan Balgimbayev. The government was formed after Prime Minister Akezhan Kazhegeldin resigned on 10 October 1997 due to apparent health reasons. That same day, President Nursultan Nazarbayev appointed Balgimbayev as Prime Minister, and he was promptly approved by the Parliament.
