ASTANA, Kazakhstan – A shepherd’s son who counts former British prime minister Tony Blair and Russian President Vladimir Putin among his admirers, Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Nazarbayev has overseen two decades of change in his Central Asia country, while remaining entrenched himself.Under Nazarbayev, the sprawling country of 27 million has parlayed its energy resources and strategic location into influence, emerging from ex-Soviet obscurity to host Iranian nuclear talks and chair the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe.The gleaming futuristic new capital Astana, built in the years since independence, symbolises Nazarbayev’s drive to put the country on the map.Nazarbayev, re-elected in a …read more
Source: AsiaOne
