[20210125]IF10251_哈萨克斯坦.pdf

https:/crsreports.congress.gov Updated January 25, 2021KazakhstanOverview Kazakhstan, a U.S. partner in areas such as counterterrorism, regional security, and nuclear nonproliferation, is a strategically situated country with significant hydrocarbon and mineral resources. It shares long borders with Russia to the north and China to the east (see Figure 1). Although sparsely populated, Kazakhstan is the worlds ninth largest country by land area. Previously a republic of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan became independent in 1991. Since then, the countrys authoritarian government has introduced significant market reforms, developed the energy sector, and moved to diversify its economy. Kazakhstan pursues a “multi-vector” foreign policy, seeking to balance relations with major powers while actively participating in international organizations. Political Background Government. Since independence, Kazakhstans political system has been dominated by Nursultan Nazarbayev, a former high-level Soviet official who became the countrys first elected president in 1991. He was subsequently reelected four times, most recently in 2015, although none of these elections were deemed free and fair by inte