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Updated January 25, 2021
Kazakhstan
Overview
Kazakhstan consistently fail to meet international standards
Kazakhstan, a U.S. partner in areas such as
of impartiality, integrity, and transparency.
counterterrorism, regional security, and nuclear
nonproliferation, is a strategically situated country with
Figure 1. Map of Kazakhstan
significant hydrocarbon and mineral resources. It shares
long borders with Russia to the north and China to the east
(see Figure 1). Although sparsely populated, Kazakhstan is
the world’s ninth largest country by land area. Previously a
republic of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan became
independent in 1991. Since then, the country’s authoritarian
government has introduced significant market reforms,
developed the energy sector, and moved to diversify its
economy. Kazakhstan pursues a “multi-vector” foreign
policy, seeking to balance relations with major powers
while actively participating in international organizations.
Political Background
Government. Since independence, Kazakhstan’s political
Source: CRS
system has been dominated by Nursultan Nazarbayev, a
former high-level Soviet official who became the country’s
Human Rights and Civil Society. According to the U.S.
first elected president in 1991. He was subsequently
State Department, serious human rights issues present in
reelected four times, most recently in 2015, although none
Kazakhstan include restrictions on freedoms of expression,
of these elections were deemed free and fair by
religion, assembly, and association; restrictions on political
international observers. Nazarbayev resigned as president in
participation; the absence of an independent judiciary and
March 2019, but he maintains significant powers as head of
Kazakhstan’s
due process; and torture by police and prison officials. The
influential Security Council and chairman of
nongovernmental organization Human Rights Watch
the ruling Nur Otan party. He was succeeded by a hand-
assesses that Kazakhstan’s government actively persecutes
picked successor, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. As First
real or perceived political opponents, especially those
President and Elbasy (Leader of the Nation), Nazarbayev
associated with Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan, an
enjoys constitutionally protected status, including lifelong
opposition movement banned as “extremist” since 2018.
immunity from prosecution. The former president’s family
Corruption is pervasive, and media independence is limited.
also dominates significant sectors of the economy.
Reporters Without Borders ranks Kazakhstan 157th out of
180 countries in its 2020 World Press Freedom Index.
Tokayev, an experienced politician and diplomat who
previously served as U.N. Deputy Secretary-General,
became acting president upon Nazarbayev’s resignation and
Economic inequality and a perceived lack of government
accountability have fueled grassroots discontent in the past
subsequently won a snap presidential election in June 2019
decade. In 2011, protests by oil workers in the western town
with 71% of the vote, although independent observers
of Zhanaozen turned violent, leaving at least 15
questioned the integrity of this result. While Tokayev has
demonstrators dead and dozens injured after police opened
promised political reforms aimed at improving government
fire. In 2016, large-scale protests broke out against
openness and accountability, some analysts contend that
proposed changes to the country’s land code, which critics
major changes are unlikely as long as Nazarbayev remains
feared would lead to a Chinese takeover of Kazakhstan’s
entrenched in the political system.
agricultural land. Since 2018, there have been multiple
Kazakhstan’s
demonstrations by women protesting a perceived lack of
bicameral parliament is dominated by
support from the state for single mothers and families with
Nazarbayev’s Nur Otan party. In March 2017, a series of
many children. Nazarbayev’s resignation and the June 2019
constitutional amendments devolved some powers from the
snap presidential election catalyzed further protests and
executive to the legislature. Legislation passed in 2020
calls for transition to a parliamentary system.
formalized the concept of a parliamentary opposition, but
critics contend that real opposition groups have no chance
Kazakhstan at a Glance
of entering parliament. The most recent parliamentary
elections, held in January 2021, reaffirmed Nur Otan’s
Land area: 2,699,700 sq. km.; 1.6 times the size of Alaska
commanding majority. According to the Organization for
Population: 18.8 mil ion (2020 est.)
Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), elections in
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Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan at a Glance
Joseph L. Votel, then Commander of U.S. Central
Command, described U.S. relations with Kazakhstan as
Ethnicities: 67% Kazakh, 20% Russian, 3% Uzbek, 1.6%
“the most mature and forward-thinking in Central Asia.”
Ukrainian, 1.5% Uyghur, 6.9% Other (2017)
GDP/GNI per capita (2019): $180.2 bil ion/$8,810
Kazakhstan maintains close economic, political, and
military ties with Russia, with which it shares the world’s
Data from World Bank and Kazakhstan’s Ministry of National Economy
longest continuous land border. Kazakhstan has, however,
pushed back against Moscow’s attempts to develop the
Economy
Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union into more of a
Kazakhstan is Central Asia’s most economically developed
political union.
country. Its major exports include oil, coal, natural gas,
uranium, and wheat. After a period of falling oil prices and
Kazakhstan is developing close economic ties with China,
currency devaluation tied to international sanctions on
which is now Kazakhstan’s second largest trading partner.
Russia, the country’s largest trading partner, Kazakhstan’s
Bilateral trade amounted to $11.1 billion in 2017, and
real GDP growth accelerated from an annual average of
Chinese companies reportedly own about 25% of the assets
slightly above 1% in 2015-2016 to over 4% in 2017-2019.
in Kazakhstan’s oil and gas sectors. In some segments of
Nevertheless, dependence on oil exports renders the country
Kazakhstani society, there is resentment of Chinese migrant
vulnerable to external shocks. The ongoing Coronavirus
laborers as well as China’s repression of Muslims—
Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the related fall in
including ethnic Kazakhs—in Xinjiang.
oil prices are causing significant economic pressure. The
World Bank projected a 3% contraction in Kazakhstan’s
Kazakhstan served as a non-permanent member of the U.N.
GDP in 2020 as a result of the pandemic.
Security Council in 2017-2018. Since 2017, the country’s
capital has hosted the Astana Process Syrian peace talks.
Energy. Kazakhstan is a major energy exporter, producing
Kazakhstan actively participates in NATO’s Partnership for
significant volumes of crude oil, natural gas, and coal. The
Peace and is also a member of the OSCE, the World Trade
country is estimated to have the 12th-largest reserves of oil
Organization, the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty
and 15th-largest reserves of natural gas in the world.
Organization, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Kazakhstan’s oil and gas resources attract significant
investment from U.S., European, Russian, and Chinese
Counterterrorism and Security. An estimated 150-600
partners. According to the U.N. Trade Statistics Database,
Kazakh citizens reportedly fought for the Islamic State (IS)
in 2019 crude oil accounted for about 58% of Kazakhstan’s
in Syria and Iraq, but because many of them traveled to IS-
exports by value.
controlled territories with their families, the estimated total
number of IS-associated Kazakhs is closer to 1,000. In
Kazakhstan holds 12% of the world’s uranium resources
2019, Kazakhstan repatriated several hundred of its citizens
and has led world uranium production since 2009.
from Syria, primarily women and children, with logistical
According to the World Nuclear Association, the country
support from the United States. Kazakhstan also
accounted for 43% of world production in 2019. In 2016,
participates in the U.S.-led C5+1 regional initiative, which
Kazakhstan’s state-owned nuclear energy company
has a counterterrorism component.
Kazatomprom and China General Nuclear Power
Corporation agreed to a joint venture to build a fuel
During Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan,
fabrication plant, with production slated to begin in 2020.
Kazakhstan granted coalition aircraft overflight rights, and
in 2010 agreed to allow NATO to ship supplies through its
Diversification. Kazakhstan’s government seeks to
territory. In 2018, Kazakhstan’s government approved an
promote non-oil exports through ongoing structural and
agreement allowing the United States to transport non-
institutional reforms. The Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy,
military supplies through two ports on the Caspian Sea.
promulgated by Nazarbayev in 2012, aims to position
Kazakhstan as one of the world’s top 30 most developed
Nonproliferation. When the Soviet Union collapsed in
economies by 2050, and officials are prioritizing transport
1991, Kazakhstan was left with 1,410 nuclear warheads on
and logistics development and modernization projects with
its territory, but by 1995 it had transferred them all to
neighboring countries, mainly aligned with China’s Belt
Russia. Kazakhstan also dismantled Soviet nuclear testing
and Road Initiative. The government seeks to turn
infrastructure. The United States provided $240 million in
Kazakhstan into a regional financial hub with the creation
assistance to Kazakhstan’s denuclearization efforts through
of the Astana International Finance Center and the Astana
the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program,
International Exchange, a joint project with China. The
and the two countries continue to cooperate on nuclear
U.S. Department of Commerce has also identified the
security. Kazakhstan hosts a low-enriched uranium bank
agricultural sector as an area of opportunity for U.S. firms
owned by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
as Kazakhstan seeks to reduce its dependence on extractive
industries.
U.S. Foreign Assistance. The primary focus of U.S. aid to
Kazakhstan is security cooperation, particularly
Foreign Policy and U.S. Relations
strengthening military partnerships and combatting
Multi-Vector Foreign Policy. Although Kazakhstan seeks
weapons of mass destruction. The State Department
to avoid alignment with any one power, the United States
requested $1.7 million in appropriations for aid to
and Kazakhstan have a strong and wide-ranging
Kazakhstan for FY2021, as compared to $10.6 million and
relationship. In February 2019 Senate testimony, General
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Kazakhstan
$9.7 million allocated for FY2020 and FY2019,
Maria A. Blackwood, Analyst in Asian Policy
respectively.
IF10251
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