Madina Nurgalieva noted that President K.K. Tokayev's interview was announced on December 30, 2024, and its content has been closely examined since the morning, literally "under a magnifying glass," analyzing and contemplating each sentence. In her view, the media and social networks are actively discussing it and will continue to do so for a long time.
She believes that a lot has been said in this extensive interview.
“A thoughtful reader will find answers to almost all the complex, sensitive, and ambiguous questions of the current agenda. The situations are unconventional, the problems are diverse, but one thing remains unchanged – clarity and consistency in actions. De facto, the president persistently implements a new culture and model of behavior for politicians, officials, experts, and citizens by his own example. Honestly and sincerely, at times even sharply, boldly, yet unequivocally and directly addressing what is happening in the country and how we should move forward,” — she writes.
Abdulla Tokenov believes that traditions are important — both personal ones and those that pertain to the life of the country. In his opinion, traditions have their strength — they create continuity and provide confidence.
“In politics, traditions do not form quickly, but in recent years we have observed the emergence of new forms of communication between the authorities and society. For example, the president's address before the opening of a new parliamentary session, where important strategic issues are discussed, or meetings of the National Kurultai dedicated to ideological themes. Now, another event has been added to these — the president's interview at the beginning of the new year. This is the second consecutive year that the head of state has given an interview to address all the important questions that concern the public,” — he noted.
As the expert emphasized, it is important not to leave people alone with their pressing questions, and this interview offers comprehensive answers to many of them.
Nurjan Nurkasym believes that the interview with President K.K. Tokayev touched upon a relevant topic — the promotion of the values of hard work and professionalism among youth.
“This issue is of great importance for modern society not only in Kazakhstan but around the world. Unfortunately, today the global media and cultural space is filled with the demonstration of a leisurely lifestyle and the cult of 'easy' money. It is no secret that the algorithm and recommendation systems in social networks work in such a way as to further promote these false 'values' among interested masses. This creates a distorted perception of real life for the younger generation, fosters dependency, and encourages the search for quick and 'easy' ways to earn money,” — he believes.
In his opinion, this negative phenomenon leads to youth trying to orient themselves less towards employment related to physical labor. According to youth employment statistics, this trend is indeed confirmed. For example, while 650,000 people are employed in agriculture and construction, nearly twice as many (1,293,000 people) work in various financial, administrative, and other professional services.
“Despite this, I believe that the government apparatus and, primarily, the President, have provided a timely and effective response to this phenomenon, as ideological work in this direction was announced back in the 2022 Address,” — he says.
Starting from 2023, a Comprehensive Plan for promoting the ideology of labor value in society is being implemented in the country. During the program's implementation, both ideological (over a thousand materials in the media) and organizational work (campaigns and contests, career guidance activities, meetings with labor dynasties, etc.) have been carried out. In our country, through the media and other visual images, the image of a working person, respected and holding a special status in society, is actively promoted. For instance, in July 2024, a mural depicting a miner being seen off to work by his wife and son was unveiled at the administrative building of the Kostyanko mine in Karaganda. Such art objects will serve as a source of strength and inspiration for every simple worker and recognition of their contributions to society.
“In his interview, the president once again emphasized that all representatives of working professions will be in demand and have a special status in our society. I am confident that the current year 2025, declared by the head of state as the Year of Working Professions, will give an additional impetus to strengthening labor values in society and attracting the interest of modern youth to the production sectors of the country's economy,” — concluded Nurkasym.
The tradition of summarizing the year through an extensive interview at the beginning of the new year, as was done last year in the newspaper “Egemen Qazaqstan,” is becoming an important element of political practice, believes Serik Akhmetzhanov.
He confessed that he read it with great interest and is glad that the interview not only addresses key questions regarding the country's development but also dispels various rumors and insinuations that often arise in the information space.
In the political block, it is especially important that the reforms mentioned by the President are of a fundamental nature. This position is significant, especially against the backdrop of rumors about possible early parliamentary elections. The president clearly stated: “In my opinion, there are currently no prerequisites for early parliamentary elections. Elections will be held within the timeframe stipulated by law. The parliament is oriented towards long-term work.”
In the economic block, the President emphasized that the assessment of the government's work will now be based not only on economic growth indicators but also on the real improvement of citizens' well-being. This is an important shift in the management approach, where the old model of “economy for the sake of economy” is beginning to recede, and the focus is shifting to the individual and their needs.
At the same time, the head of state indicated that certain economist leaders, accustomed to outdated working methods, should seriously reconsider their effectiveness: “To be honest, I assess the current work of the economist leaders as mediocre. There is too much rhetoric from the lexicon of international financial institutions, and not enough concrete action.”
Serik Akhmetzhanov encourages everyone to familiarize themselves with K.K. Tokayev's interview. There is much of interest to read: “In essence, this is my special address to my compatriots, aimed at providing food for serious reflection and setting the tone for our work this year.”
Altai Dyusekeev also shared his opinion regarding the interview of the head of state with the newspaper “Ana tili.” He believes that the president interestingly conveyed the direction in which our state is moving. This is, first and foremost, Law and Order. What everyone needs.
“I am also very pleased that Tokayev keeps his finger on the pulse and does not overlook important events, tracking everything. This includes Talgar, floods, and the exchange rate of the tenge. In short, this is what I want to see in a president. Responsiveness, honesty, and sincerity,” — he emphasized.
Altai Dyusekeev notes that the President's ideology runs like a red thread throughout everything.
“The head of state essentially seeks to instill in Kazakhstani people qualities such as ecological awareness, honesty, integrity, justice, and many others. This is a long and complex process but very important for us. Without this, the transformation into a nation of the future does not seem feasible to me. It is a very difficult but crucial task,” — he added.
In summary, he noted that such year-end reviews are important as they concern each of us. In his opinion, this should be closely monitored, and modesty is unnecessary; results of one's work should be shown, which is essentially what Tokayev does.
Ekaterina Berkutova writes that the tone for 2025 in Kazakhstan has been set by the interview of the head of state with the newspaper “Ana tili.” This is one of the methods of direct communication and planning practiced by the president.
The results of the past year have been summarized, and the guidelines and vectors for development in the near future and medium-term perspective have been defined.
According to her, the president once again outlined the logic of transformations, delineated the course of socio-political and socio-economic development of the state, and also expressed his views on domestic and foreign policy.
She noted that the vision for the development of artificial intelligence in the country, as well as the continuation of the ‘Taza Kazakhstan’ initiative, is particularly interesting.
“The latter concerns our ecological awareness, the evolution of behavioral culture, and public attitudes. At the very least, I hope that sorting waste will become a nationwide practice in the near future, rather than just among a group of responsible citizens,” — she remarked.