Transformation of Kazakhstan’s Foreign Policy priorities in the annual messages of President N. Nazarbayev from 1997 to 2017

Abstract

Throughout the period of independence, the Republic of Kazakhstan forms its strategic foreign policy
strategy that meets today’s geopolitical realities, international standards, requirements and conditions of the developing Kazakhstani society. This article is aimed at a theoretical interpretation of the foreign policy aspect of the
Addresses of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, describing the mechanisms by which Kazakhstan is trying
to project its soft power. Balancing five main vectors of foreign policy, initiatives on disarmament and conflict resolution, as well as the prioritization of the economy form the core of the state policy of the Republic for 27 years of
Independence. The article allows to trace the essence of the ‘Kazakhstani model’ of development: the main stages
of formation, the evolution of priorities and driving forces. This pathway can be extrapolated in other developing
countries.