Kazakhstan ‘won’t blindly follow’ sanctions against Russia, deputy PM says

Kazakhstan will review its approach to enforcing sanctions against Russia, prioritizing its own economic interests, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Serik Zhumangarin said in an interview with Bloomberg on Aug. 16.
According to Zhumangarin, Kazakhstan will not “blindly follow the sanctions” if they affect domestic Kazakh companies that are the leading employers in their areas.
“We will not allow our own producers to be banned from trade,” he said in an interview with Bloomberg.
The change in rhetoric underscores the Central Asian nation’s maneuvering to access the global markets for exporting Kazakh-made commodities and agricultural goods.
Russia was Kazakhstan’s main trade partner before the outbreak of the full-scale war against Ukraine. The Central Asian state’s economy heavily relied on Russia, so the sanctions imposed by the West significantly impacted Kazakhstan’s economic situation.
Sanctions against Russia complicate the logistics of Kazakh exports, forcing them to detour via the Caspian Sea and then Georgia. Shipments through Russia are no longer possible since Russian ports are too preoccupied with domestic cargo.
The Kazakh government has sought concessions from Western nations to allow it to sell goods to Iran or use the country for transit but has been unsuccessful. According to Zhumangarin, Kazakhstan does not acknowledge any unilateral sanctions and intends to move forward regardless.
While visiting Germany in October 2023, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that Kazakhstan would continue its economic cooperation with Russia while promising to adhere to the sanctions imposed on its northern neighbor.