The President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev

Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev, born on 6th July 1940 in Chemolgan, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union, has served as the President of Kazakhstan since the fall of the Soviet Union and the nation's independence in 1991.

His sixteen year rule as President of Kazakhstan has seen the country’s gradual transformation from a Soviet republic to an independent market-oriented state, for which Nazarbayev can take much of the credit.

Under his guidance, the country has launched its first space satellites, retrieved the north Aral Sea from ecological disaster and created the shining new capital of Astana out of the arid steppe. Thanks to him, the country has learned how to exploit global demand for its oil and gas to enhance its relations with the world’s great superpowers.

President Nazarbayev’s political career began In 1984 when he became the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, working under Dinmukhamed Kunayev, the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan. He then served as First Secretary of the Kazakh Communist Party from 1989 to 1991.

President Nazarbayev has long claimed to be an atheist but ever since the late 1990s he has drawn strategic attention to his Muslim heritage while trying to combat Islamic terrorism in Kazakhstan. Opinions on Nazarbayev and modern Kazakhstan

KEY DATES

6 July 1940: Born in the village of Chemolgan, Kaskelen district, Almaty
1967: Graduates from the technical higher education institution of Karaganda metallurgical industrial complex with a Doctor in Economic Sciences
1960 – 1969: Metallurgical engineer at Karaganda metallurgical industrial complex.
1973 – 1977: Party Committee Secretary of Karaganda metallurgical industrial complex.
1977 – 1979: Secretary of Karaganda regional party committee.
1979 – 1984: Communist party secretary, Kazakhstan’s central committee.
1984 – 1989: Chairman of the council of ministers, working under Dinmukhamed Kunayev, the first secretary of the communist party of Kazakhstan.
1989 – 1991: First secretary of the communist party of Kazakhstan
Feb-April 1990: Chairman of the high council of Kazakhstan.
April 1990:President of Kazakhstan.
1 December 1991: First nation-wide presidential elections take place. Nursultan Nazarbayev re-elected president with 98.7% of votes.
29 April 1995: Presidential powers extended until 2000 following nation-wide referendum.
10 Jan 1999: Re- elected President of Kazakhstan with 79.78% of votes.
4 December 2005: Re-elected President of Kazakhstan with 91.15% of votes.

TITLES

Academician of the National Science Academy of Kazakhstan and the International Engineer Academy
Academician of the Social Sciences Academy of the Russian Federation.
Honorary professor of Kazakh state university named after Al- Farabi
Honorary member of Belarusse Science Academy
Honorary professor of Moscow state university named after Lomonosov.
Chairman of the Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan
Supreme Commander in Chief of Military Forces of Kazakhstan
Chairman of World Association of Kazakhs.

FAMILY

The president is married to Nazarbayeva Sara Alpisovna, head of the international children’s charity fund Bobek, with whom he has had three daughters: Dariga (former Deputy of the Majilis, Kazakh lower house of parliament, doctor of political sciences), Dinara (head of the education fund of N.A.Nazarbayev) and Aliya (CEO of Elitstroy construction company).