Afghanistan has suffered from numerous challenges as it has been grappling with incessant wars and poverty in past three decades. However, the country has come a long way to overcome those challenges and rebuild itself anew. This last over-a-decade has been different for Afghanistan. In this junction of its history, Afghanistan fought against terrorism alongside the international community. This period is characterized with the backing of the international community to Afghanistan, of which the presence of the regional countries in this effort has been significant. Kazakhstan is one the regional countries that has provided unwavering support to Afghanistan to help the country’s efforts for development and progress.
Kazakhstan’s commitment to Afghanistan’s reconstruction is proved by its role in international conferences on the country such as the Bonn Conference, Istanbul Process, Regional Economic Cooperation Conference for Afghanistan (RECCA), NATO Summit in Chicago, Tokyo conference, Istanbul Process Ministerial Conference in Almaty and other international events on Afghanistan.
As part of Astana’s policies to play a constructive role in the region and the world, Kazakhstan has made all efforts possible to help resolve the Afghan conflict so to help the people of Afghanistan to build and represent a stable and prosperous nation in the region and the world.
Having historic ties and long-standing relations with Afghanistan, Kazakhstan has always made efforts to help Afghanistan overcome the challenges. It has provided continued supports to Afghanistan in economic, political and cultural areas.
Each year, the Republic of Kazakhstan provides assistance to Afghanistan in different areas and in response to unfavorable climate and social situations. For instance, an ongoing humanitarian aid of 16 train cars (food, warm clothes, etc) from the Republic of Kazakhstan will be delivered to Afghanistan on 24-25 September to help Jawozjan and Badakhshan residents who have been seriously affected by the recent natural disasters. This is also while the Republic of Kazakhstan is considering a $1.5 million donation to Afghanistan for construction of four bridges and reinforcement of watersides of the Aibak river of Smanagan province.
Kazakhstan provided 2,000 tons of wheat in October 2008; 1,300 tons of powdered milk in April 2009; and 6,000 tons of rice in April 2010 as humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. In April 2011, the Republic of Kazakhstan delivered 60 tons of buckwheat and 160,000 liters of oil to Afghanistan. In November 2013, the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan decided to provide $6 million humanitarian aid in form of food for to the people of Afghanistan. This assistance arrived in Afghanistan in March and May of this year, which consisted of 71,266 tons of wheat flour, 1,000 tons of sugar and 9,189 tons butter.
Regarding mutual ties between Kabul and Astana, relations between the parliaments of the two countries are expanding. On 11-12 May 2013, a Kazakh parliamentary delegation headed by M. Ashimbayev, Chairman of Kazakh Parliament’s Committee on International Affairs, Defense and Security, traveled to Kabul and met Afghan officials including Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, the speaker of the lower house of Parliament, or Wolesi Jirga, Dr. Dadfar Spanta, Afghan President’s national security adviser, Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul as well as representatives from the Ministries of Interior Affairs, Defense, Agriculture, Narcotics, Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority, National Directorate of Security and foreign diplomats serving in Afghanistan. The core issue in the talks was to strengthen ties between the parliaments of the two countries. The Kazakh delegation and Afghan defense and national security officials also discussed military cooperation between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan.
On 9-13 of December 2013, a delegation of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan's lower house of parliament headed by Mohamed Saleh Saljoqi, the Deputy Speaker of the Lower House, traveled to Kazakhstan on invitation of the leadership of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan. During the visit, the Afghan Parliament delegation visited cities of Almaty and Astana and met with Kazakh senior government officials including Parliament Speaker Mr. Nigmatulin, Aslan Sarinzhipov, Minister of Education and Science of Kazakhstan, A. Baymenov, head of Department of Government Services, Marat Azilkhanov, head of State Agency for Religious Affairs, R. Zhoshibayev, First Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan and head of Almaty’s local council M.Mukashev.
One of the other key areas where Kazakhstan has rightly made investments for the Afghan people is the education and higher education sector. In every country, the purpose of higher education is to train professional and skilled workforce for running the states’ affairs. The people who obtain knowledge through higher education become efficient leaders in the future and lead the economic, political and cultural affairs of their countries.
As an initiative by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, a $50 million government-funded educational program grants scholarship opportunities to 1,000 Afghan students to study in Kazakh higher education institutions. Currently about 800 Afghan students are studying in Kazakhstan’s higher education institutions. In May this year, the application and admission processes for selecting students for the 2014-2015 program was held in which 189 people were accepted for studying at the educational institutions of Kazakhstan.
Regarding business and trade, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan have good and progressive relations. Kazakhstan has made efforts to make the relationship further better. For instance, an inter-governmental commission for trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan was seven years ago. The latest meeting of the commission was held in Kabul on 16-17 of September 2013 in which the participants made decisions to promote cooperation in various areas and considered signing of agreements and memorandums of agreements in different areas between the two countries.
On 2-3 July 2013, Afghanistan-Kazakhstan business-to-business (B2B) meeting was held in Kabul. The meeting was jointly organized by Kazakhstan National Export and Investment Agency (Kaznex INVEST), Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with USAID and the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Kabul. During this B2B meeting in Kabul contracts worth 8 million dollars were signed between businessmen from the two countries in the meeting. Also on 24-25 February, the Kazakh consular in Balkh province in collaboration with Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries and the USAID held a conference in Mazar-e Sharif in which a number of representatives from the Republic Islamic of Afghanistan, Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan participated.
Kazakhstan assistances for Afghanistan include other notable donations for the country’s reconstruction. These contributions are an example of determination and cooperation of Kazakhstan to help the Afghan people to build a prosperous Afghanistan. As part of Astana’s efforts for supporting the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan donated some $2,380,000 in aid for construction of Kunduz-Taleqan highway, school in Samangan and hospital in Bamiyan province of Afghanistan.
In the end, it is worth to mention that the Republic of Kazakhstan has always been a friend to the people of Afghanistan as its contributions to Afghanistan’s reconstruction was described above.
Afghanistan needs friendly countries such as Kazakhstan in all areas of political, social and economic life. It is hoped that the countries neighboring Afghanistan continue their assistance to Afghanistan and play role in Afghanistan’s development in the future so that Afghans would have a prosperous and bright future.