Kazakhstan says "no plans" to join any union states

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that the integration within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) should be purely economic. His words were quoted by Ruslan Zheldibay, the press secretary of the republic's leader, in his Facebook.

"During the event (II Eurasian Economic Forum in Moscow), the president made a number of statements, which are now quite widely discussed by the expert community. In this regard, I would like to note that the key message of the head of state was that the integration within the EAEU can and should go exclusively along the economic track," Zheldibay wrote, Gazeta.ru reports.

Tokayev's press secretary stressed that going beyond this framework would violate the goals and objectives of the EAEU charter documents.

Tokayev also emphasised that Kazakhstan does not intend and does not plan to create or join any union states, and said that economic integration within the EAEU was in a “delicate spot,” with the union effectively divided into two parts.

“We have a Union State in the EAEU,” he said, referring to Russia and Belarus, according to The Moscow Times.

“The creation of a state according to the formula ‘Two countries, one state,’ with a single political, legal, military, economic, monetary, cultural and humanitarian space, with a single union government and a single union parliament."

“I apologize, but even nuclear weapons are one for two now," Tokayev said, referring to Russia’s recent deployment of nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus.

The countries in the second part — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia — share a different level of integration, he said.

“We have to deal with this reality. How will we work in these conditions? This is a conceptual issue. We need, I think, to discuss this problem at this economic forum,” he said.

Tokayev then said that economic integration within the EAEU is taking place in contradiction to the bloc’s founding agreements and goals. 

In 2022, Russia repeatedly suspended the transit of Kazakh oil through its terminal in Novorossiysk, which compelled Kazakh authorities to seek alternative routes. 

In the first quarter of 2023, Kazakh oil exports bypassing Russia through the Trans-Caspian sea route increased sixfold, reaching 163,400 tons.

Kazakh officials have reportedly grown increasingly wary of the Kremlin’s growing ambitions in the former Soviet space following its military offensive against Ukraine.

Kazakhstan has also moved closer toward countries like the United States, China and NATO member Turkey since the invasion of Ukraine.

Tokayev reportedly upset the Kremlin in June 2022 when, speaking alongside Putin at an economic forum in St. Petersburg, he rejected Russian calls to recognize the sovereignty of eastern Ukraine’s pro-Moscow separatists. 

He also vowed to ensure the safety of Russians fleeing their country’s military mobilization for the war.