Kazakhstan not planning to join sanctions pressure on Russia - FM

NUR-SULTAN. April 7 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan does not intend to join the sanctions pressure on Russia and take steps that might infringe upon Russia's interests, Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi said.

"Our country is historically opposed to applying sanctions as an instrument of pressure in relations between states, certainly except for sanctions imposed by UN Security Council resolutions. As the record shows, the application of any economic or political sanctions is not the most efficient way of resolving international disputes and conflicts, and therefore, Kazakhstan does not intend to join the sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation and take any steps that would somehow infringe upon Russia's interests and would be in conflict with the spirit of our partnership," Tleuberdi said in an interview shown on the Khabar 24 television channel on Thursday.

"Defending its own national interests, Kazakhstan is making efforts to prevent these sanctions from seriously affecting the development of our economy. The Kazakh government is currently holding consultations on these matters with Western partners," he said.

"To avoid secondary sanctions and minimize negative effects on our population, manufacturers, and exporters, Kazakhstan does not intend to take any purposeful steps to circumvent the sanctions," he said.

At the same time, as a full member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), Kazakhstan will continue to develop trade relations with Russia and other countries, he said.