Newly appointed Belarusian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Alexey Bogdanov found himself confronted with an unexpected question from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The «comrade president» asked whether Bogdanov was «heading to Kazakhstan of his own free will or being squeezed out.» As it turned out, Lukashenko’s question was an attempt to get to know about the new ambassador’s plans for the work.
«Alexey, once again, are you heading to Kazakhstan of your own free will, or are you being squeezed out? What will your duties be there? Well, it’s obvious that the economy is the main concern for us when it comes to interactions with the Kazakhs, and not just them,» Lukashenko said.
In response, Bogdanov emphasized that he had not been forced out and had made the decision voluntarily. He added that, as an ambassador, he wants to increase trade turnover between the countries.
«I intend to boost trade turnover, with particular focus on streamlining the export of products made in Belarus. The current turnover stands at $1.1 billion, while exports have stalled between $800 million and $900 million. I should clarify that the key objective is to expand exports of halal products to Kazakhstan,» Bogdanov said.
Last October, Lukashenko described Kazakhstan as an ally, a strategic partner and a friend of Belarus. This statement came after Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry summoned then-Ambassador of Belarus to Kazakhstan Pavel Utupin to «explain the foreign policy course of Kazakhstan.» The move followed Lukashenko’s harsh rhetoric against Kazakhstan, during which he claimed that «some nations always want something from Russia without offering anything in return.»
