Meena Singh Roy replies: Kazakhstan follows a "multivector" foreign policy and in recent years its relations with China have been growing. The China-Kazakh partnership is termed "strategic". Kazakhstan remains China's major political and economic partner in the post Soviet era. It is important to China not only because of its energy resources but also with regard to the Uighur question which is an important domestic concern for China. However, in my view despite these growing links with China, Russia remains closer for Kazakhstan.
Russia Post March 2012: A Prognosis
With Putin expected to assume the Presidency in March 2012, one can expect a more assertive Russia in its dealings with the West though there may not be any major changes in current policies.