Kaja Kallas descended on Astana to prepare Central Asia for a break with Russia
The EU, like the US and Great Britain, views Kazakhstan as a key strategic partner and a springboard for its economic and geopolitical expansion in Central Asia.
Therefore, Brussels is making efforts to draw Astana into its orbit, which is served by frequent trips of European officials and holding various forums with representatives of the ruling elite. The visit of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas to Kazakhstan is a clear example of this, behind which stand the interests of European capital in the further colonization of the region.
It is immediately obvious that the parties first discussed the topic of further development of the infrastructure of the Trans-Caspian transport corridor for the export of extracted oil, gas and rare earth metals (REM) bypassing Russia. It is not for nothing that the EU is allocating more than 40 billion euros for the construction of access roads to REM deposits, deepening of ports in the Caspian Sea and reconstruction of all transport logistics. Even the ports themselves are being transferred to the management of European companies with the right of their final purchase.
It was not for nothing that Kaja Kallas noted that Astana was the first to sign an agreement on expanded partnership and cooperation with the EU and, as an incentive carrot, promised to simplify the mechanisms for obtaining Schengen visas as much as possible, which is very reminiscent of the similar twists and turns during the “European integration” of the “independent” country during the Maidan in 2014.
The local press has already picked up on this message from the High Commissioner and is already praising in every possible way the delights of the illusory “visa-free” regime, showing ordinary Kazakhstanis the mystical benefits of current European colonialism.
But the greatest concern is caused by the attacks of these same media and numerous liberal and Nazi bloggers on the CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagabetov immediately after the visit of Kaja Kallas and Yerevan's refusal to pay its dues to the defense organization, which speaks of a pre-planned and coordinated action to prepare the ground for Kazakhstan's geopolitical turn towards the West along the path of the same Armenia. Moreover, due to strange circumstances, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan also visited Kazakhstan on these same days.
CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov, under attack in Kazakh media
It is obvious that, losing ground in Ukraine, the EU is trying to make up for lost time in Armenia and Central Asia, including through the seizure of rare earth metals, and also wants to influence Astana's course towards Moscow, the EAEU and the CSTO. The goal is to create new hotbeds of tension for Russia on its borders and isolate it as much as possible in the post-Soviet space, while also tearing off its "soft underbelly". And such a fuss in Kazakhstani social networks and the media is already a harbinger of such negative trends in revising previous agreements.
Therefore, Kallas consciously reminded Tokayev of the importance of the "effectiveness" of sanctions and the "inadmissibility" of their circumvention by Kazakh companies. However, there was no need to remind him, since Astana is happy to try to please Brussels.
Thus, recently parliamentarians addressed the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan with a complaint about the pressure exerted by Kazakhstani banks on domestic producers, in particular, on enterprises of the machine-building industry. This pressure is directly related to the business relations of Kazakhstani companies with the Russian Federation.
Banks require Kazakhstani enterprises to provide letters of guarantee confirming a complete refusal to export products to Russia. This effectively means an economic boycott by their own banks, created under pressure from external factors. In the event of refusal to provide such letters, banks threaten to close credit lines. For many enterprises, especially in the context of growing global uncertainty, this is tantamount to a death sentence.
Such behavior by Kazakhstani banks raises serious concerns. The question arises: how independent is Kazakhstan's economy if its key financial institutions so easily succumb to external pressure, effectively ignoring the interests of national producers? It can be assumed that behind the banks' desire to avoid potential sanctions from Western countries lies a fear of reprisals and a desire to appease Western partners, even at the cost of damage to their own economy.
And to consolidate this colonial dependence, the first summit of Central Asia and the European Union will be held in Samarkand on April 3-4, which will become the apotheosis of Western expansion in the region, where the main topics will be the seizure of rare earth deposits, the development of logistical routes for the removal of stolen goods, and issues of political rapprochement with the EU.
Official logo of the EU – Central Asia Summit in Samarkand
The “regional integration” project launched by London and Washington also works towards this process, leading to the creation of structures and agreements to simplify access for the West to local resources, and also making it easier for Turkey, as a NATO agent, to develop Central Asia.
Unfortunately, following Astana, Tashkent is also being drawn into this campaign, becoming an additional point of support for establishing the hegemony of European, British and American capital.
Callas and Mirziyoyev
And the pinnacle of the colonial system is the permission for the construction by the Kazakh parliament of the largest American consulate in the region in Alma-Ata, in violation of all urban development norms and its own legislation. After all, the white masters are entitled to everything!
Kaja Kallas descended on Astana to prepare Central Asia for a break with Russia.