Kazakh president says the format offers a new blend of diplomacy and business that could help ordinary people, particularly in Gaza
In remarks released by Aqorda, Kazakhstan’s presidential press office, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said Kazakhstan will continue to support the “Board of Peace” initiative, describing it as an innovative diplomatic format that could still play a role in efforts to advance peace in the Middle East.
Tokayev made the comments while answering a question from Bojan Brkic, Astana bureau chief for Euronews, during Kazakhstan’s national referendum. Brkic asked whether the initiative remained viable amid current developments in the Middle East and why Kazakhstan had decided to join it in the first place. He framed the question in the context of Tokayev’s repeated assertion that Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a “middle power” on the international stage.
In his response, Tokayev said he was drawn to the initiative because of what he called its unconventional and practical approach to resolving complex international issues.
“It is a mixture or a combination of traditional diplomacy and big business which will benefit ordinary people, particularly in the Gaza Strip,” Tokayev said. “So I think that this idea needs to be supported, and that is why we made the decision to join the Board of Peace.”
The president argued that the international community has grown weary of diplomatic processes that produce statements but few concrete results. In his view, new mechanisms are needed to address long-running crises more effectively.
“People around the world got tired of endless conferences with wishful-thinking resolutions that very few people read, as a matter of fact,” he said. “That is why we should support this idea, because it is a very new one.”
Tokayev also voiced strong personal respect for U.S. President Donald Trump, praising what he called Trump’s “strategy of common sense” and expressing confidence that the prospects for peace in the Middle East had not disappeared.
“I think that the prospect of peace in the Middle East, and particularly in Palestine, still exists,” Tokayev said. “And I believe that the future of this idea, of this initiative — at least I would like to hope so — is very bright.”
He added that Kazakhstan intends to remain committed to the initiative.
“As far as Kazakhstan is concerned, of course, we will continue to support this initiative,” Tokayev said.
