Dmitry Frank: Kazakhstan accurately defined the strategic partner. It is Russia!

The director of «PV Society» Public Fund, the senior teacher of Innovative University of Eurasia in Pavlodar (Republic of Kazakhstan) Dmitry Franck has analysed the strategic cooperation of Russia and Kazakhstan today:
- It developed historically that geopolitical situation at which the hundreds of kilometres of frontiers are the general at the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation and also historical links dictate such format at which the equal partnership was a priority in any sphere of interaction including the military-political aspect. There is also a historical basis: when Central Asia was a part of the Russian Empire, so promoted the Central Asia’s withdrawal from economical and geographical isolation and an essential intensification of social and economic development of the region.
If at the end of the XX century there were close integrative connections at a stage of the state sovereignties formation, so the 2000th years are a new stage and strengthening of relationship intensity in this sector of policy.
As the experts note, the feature of the Kazakh-Russian border on its bigger extent is lack of significant natural differentiations on the district that in itself predetermines the mutual aspiration to have stable interaction and strengthening of good-neighbourhood. It is recorded both in various bilateral agreements and in military doctrines of each state.
The additional stabilizing factor is participation both Russia and Kazakhstan in the organizations having economic and military-political components of cooperation, for example, in the Collective Security Treaty Organization which already has more than twenty-year history. It is necessary to mention the Eurasian Economic Union — the new international integration economic association the activity of which begins since January 1, 2015.
As for the CSTO, having undergone the changes in structure (Georgia and Uzbekistan withdrawal), having raised the status as full-fledged international organization with recognition of the UN as the observer in General Assembly, it has quite clear prospects of the future development. It is dictated by new challenges of the modern world: the problems connected with drug trafficking, the international terrorism, crime of transnational character, mass illegal migration. Each of them deserves separate consideration. For example, the drug traffic problem is very sharp for our countries. We know that during USSR existence the control of the Afghan territory was powerful limiting factor in fight against drug trafficking in the Soviet state. Today we have a powerful stream of drugs on so-called «Northern route» passing from Afghanistan to Kazakhstan, Russia and other member countries of the CSTO. And along with it there is a process of markets' «mastering» of Central Asia and Russia by the western drug dealers. In this case quick and preventive actions under the auspices of the CSTO have the real counteracting focus.

Of course, the Eurasian Economic Union has other tasks, in particular, strengthening of economies of its member countries, but after all during its full work we receive a situation of such order when our internal borders become rather transparent in respect of migratory labour streams and commodity turnover. In this case there is actual question connected with strengthening of external borders and the military and technical capacity of Russia is extremely important for Kazakhstan, its support is extremely necessary.
Of course, it is necessary to perceive a situation objectively that Kazakhstan as well as Russia has own strategic interests with those states with which other party of the relation carry competing and it is possible to say intense character. The relations of Russia — the USA, Kazakhstan — the USA can be an example. We know a situation of the last time and see the relations are really intense.
Recently Russia declares itself as the powerful political player who changes the monopolar political world formed with disintegration of the Soviet Union in bipolar and even multipolar if to speak about the amplifying Chinese-South East- Asian conglomerate. Thus rather pragmatic policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in respect of support of stable cooperation with America is traced against competitive political actions of the Russian Federation and the USA. In due time Zbigniew Brzezinski emphasized the interest of the USA concerning Kazakhstan as to «extensive country having huge stocks of natural resources, but with the population almost in 20 million people». It is natural that in this situation, it is important to Kazakhstan to keep balance of partnership both with Russia and with the USA. Having a package of the ratified agreements of military-political and economic character with the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan accurately defined who is the general strategic partner. Naturally, it is the Russian Federation.
Of course, it is impossible to forget about the present situation connected with events in the Southeast of Ukraine which brings a certain dissonance in the relations between Kazakhstan and Russia. In this case, Kazakhstan not in everything supports policy of Russia for the new political leaders of the Ukrainian state, in particular, in a question of input of peacekeeping troops of the CSTO to Ukraine. Besides, Kazakhstan continues to support economic cooperation with Ukraine, though not at such level as before the change of a political regime in Kiev. Kazakhstan, as well as Russia is the sovereign state and, having own vision of a situation in Ukraine, defines the trajectory of relationship in new political realities.
At the same time along with the debatable moments in foreign policy activity of our states the integration processes between Russia and Kazakhstan receive further advance in connection with so-called «Caspian break». In September of this year the leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Iran agreed on the political statement where recorded future arrangements according to the status of the Caspian Sea for the first time. Thus the arrangement connected with military activity which has to be carried out on the principles of «reasonable sufficiency» and providing equal safety conditions for all Caspian states was an important point also. In that case at further realization of the principle «not presence on the Caspian Sea of the armed forces which aren’t belong to the parties» Russia and Kazakhstan along with other participants of the agreement have all bases for maintenance of an order and peaceful co-existence in the Caspian region.
At the present stage the interaction between Russia and Kazakhstan develops, including the military-political aspect. Our states have rather high level of trust in the presence of a strong basis for development of the equal partner, friendly relations. In today’s difficult situation it is necessary to observe harmonious partner balance.