Anis H. Bajrektarevic is a Professor and a Chairperson for International Law and Global

STRATEgIC PERSPECTIvES
Regional stability and security are key elements
in Kazakhstan’s foreign policy and domestic
policy respectively. Kazakhstan’s diplomatic ef-
forts are also a focus as Nazarbayev continues
to execute his “multi-vector foreign policy.”
Nazarbayev has been able to strike the balance
between his Western-oriented pursuits and his
regional pursuits which include relations be-
tween Russia and China. To avoid another
Crimea-like situation, Nazarbayev has focused
on its regional relationship more to execute
Nazarbayev’s vision of an integrated regional
economic space through the Customs Union
(which Kazakhstan joined in 2010) and finally
through the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).
Furthermore, after the OSCE Chairmanship in
2010, President Nazarbayev said it has been an
“historic event for the entire OSCE commu-
nity”[49] that had been characterized by “the
spirit of Astana.” Kazakhstan still aims to join the
World Trade Organization (WTO) as soon as
possible. Kazakhstan also seeks closer ties to
the U.S. security-political pact, the North At-
lantic Treaty Organization (NATO). 
Kazakhstan and NATO signed an Individual
Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) in 2006 and Kaza-
khstan is a member of the NATO Partnership for
Peace (PfP) Program. Talks between NATO and
Kazakhstan take place with the European Euro-
Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC). The key
areas of cooperation between the two are po-
litical, military, and security-sector reforms, and
counter terrorism efforts. According to United
Nations mandates, there is a readily deployable
infantry battalion called KAZBAT to participate
in NATO-led peace keeping operations.[50]
Through the Planning and Review Process, a
brigade called KAZBRIG “is a major project
aimed to give Kazakhstan the rotational capa-
bility to continuously sustain a battalion-sized
contribution.”[51]