Norsultan, until recently Astana, the grandiose capital of Kazakhstan, was covered in unusual first snow in early October.
Convoys of black survival vehicles and important people in suits filled the pretty boulevards and luxurious hotels in the center of town.
"Because of the Corona, for two years now there has not been a big international event here and there are no tourists, so it's quite exciting to see the city so bustling with foreign visitors," explains our lender from the local Foreign Office.
The hectic activity of the local hosts focused on two international conferences scheduled week after week. The first of the Congress of Leaders of Traditional Religions, one of the largest interfaith conferences in the world. The second is a conference of the Organization for the Cooperation and Building of Trust in Asia (Sika) - a huge organization that produces cooperation between dozens of countries in Asia and its members include China, Japan, South Korea, Israel and Iran.
Norsultan was elected the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997, less than seven years after the country became independent following the collapse of the USSR. Enabled on a huge scale, and the new city earned the nickname "Central Asia 'Dubai", after impressive skyscrapers and public buildings were erected where previously there were exposed steppes.
The spectacle of a city built almost from scratch in an area where the USSR has previously conducted nuclear tests and set up Gulag camps, is impressive and quaint. Norsultan is not a frozen showcase city like Pyongyang in North Korea, or other capitals built to serve the needs of the government only. , And are a center of attraction for young local elites, journalists and foreign delegations.
Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world in terms of area. Without real access to the sea it is located between Russia, China, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Its population is relatively small for the country in size and stands at about 18 million people, and most of it is concentrated in the mountainous and agricultural south.
It is difficult for an Israeli to imagine what causes a vast Asian country with a vast territory, few inhabitants, a large Muslim majority and no territorial or ethnic conflicts - to jump headlong into the international diplomatic arena, but that is exactly what Kazakhstan has been doing for the past two decades.
Along with trying to foster international institutions that would enable dialogue on a troubled continent, Norsultan hosted the preliminary talks between the six powers and Iran ahead of the 2015 nuclear deal, as well as peace talks between the Syrian regime, the rebels, Russia, Turkey and Iran.
The diplomatic efforts are part of Nazarbayev's vision. The first president held the concerns of those who grew up into the realities of the Cold War and feared the possibility that humanity would put an end to itself. The desire to avoid another global conflict is repeated in his writings, and is probably part of the motivation to turn his country into a kind of regional mediator. Nazarbayev retired in 2018, but it seems that his successor, who has been a right-hand man for years, Kesim Jumrat Tokiev, is determined to continue his legacy.
"From the first day of our independence, we had to think about how to pursue a balanced foreign policy," said Yarzen Mukesh, general ambassador to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, an experienced diplomat in the Arab world and who took an important part in diplomatic initiatives such as talks between Syrian factions. "We are a relatively small country in terms of population, which is close to powers like China and Russia. Along with good relations with them, which we have worked to build over the years, we have also managed to maintain good relations with Western countries, and this has given us a certain advantage.
Along with the major events, talks between the warring parties in Syria are also expected to resume. "We mainly provide the platform for talks," says Mukesh. Russian-speaking. Each side has a point of connection to us.
" This is our policy. We will be happy to offer all countries in conflict a neutral platform for their talks. In fact, we will be happy to hold talks between the Palestinians and Israel as well, if you succeed in starting the talks again, and both parties agree to accept the mediation. "
The building where the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of Traditional Religions takes place perfectly testifies to the commitment of former President Nazarbayev to his vision of peace.
The structure is actually a huge pyramid in the heart of a sprawling park on the Ishim River, flowing in the heart of the capital.
A huge hall, special elevators that operate on an axis along the sloping walls of the building and an impressive entrance lobby, complete the picture inside.
The diplomatic efforts are part of the vision of the first president.
Conference Table // Photos: GettyImages,
A lesson from Israel in forestry
The variety of colorful costumes of the conference attendees evokes a kind of cognitive dissonance, as the eye is not used to seeing rabbis in ultra-Orthodox attire alongside Buddhist monks, Muslim imams and Catholic priests, walking side by side. The appearance of representatives of Israel's chief rabbis alongside clerics from Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia is also not a common sight.
The purpose of the conference is to prepare the ground for a much larger event that will take place next year and bring some of the major traditional religions to the Kazakh capital, with the aim of discussing cooperation and tolerance. The conference attendees' speeches focus primarily on the damage caused by the corona plague to discourse between religions and the world of faith itself, as well as, surprisingly, the need to combat religious extremism and terrorism. Along with the usual lip service, there are also brave voices that resonate with mental calculation. A cleric from Saudi Arabia admits that even in his country there have been complacents in the past regarding the threat posed by radical Islam.
The most interesting scenes take place behind the scenes, and between sessions I am invited, along with two other journalists from countries whose oil begins with the letter I, to a meeting with the head of the Kazakh organization behind the conference, Bolat Sarasnabe.
We are quickly led to a large room where the Kazakh senior sits and looks at the guests with a smile.
"Who's the Israeli journalist here?" He asks in a tone that sounds official.
I raise my hand.
"How are you?", The Kazakh asks in Hebrew.
He is quick to explain that he served as deputy consul in Tel Aviv for nearly four years.
And not a word about Borat
To my right sits a journalist from Iran.
He opens a diary with a portrait of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on it, and begins to scribble vigorously.
It is clear that he is not satisfied with the demonstration of friendship towards Israel.
The Kazakh official goes on to explain the reasons that led his country to hold the convention, including the multicultural nature of Kazakhstan, a country inhabited by dozens of ethnic minority groups, and the secularist conception of the regime.
"We have chosen to separate religion and state. We give a place of honor to clerics and religious studies, but we do not accept extremist influences from outside," Sarasnayev explains to the overt displeasure of the Iranian colleague. He tells of the effort to make Norsultan a pleasant city to live in and describes how millions of trees were planted as a checkpoint in front of the open prairie. "You could say that we learned something from Israel's great attempt to withstand the phenomenon of desertification by planting forests," says the Kazakh official with a smile. The Iranian's face is really squinting. Finally the conversation ends, and the parties stand up for a handshake. I reach for the Iranian and he casts a cold look and says "no". The hosts look on in amazement and disappointment. A diplomatic summit meeting will not take place this time.
The most obvious comparison to Kazakhstan's peaceful neighborly efforts and positive foreign policy is provided to me by a senior member of the local tourism promotion system. "Just like Switzerland" I say, as I flip through a chrome booklet with beautiful pictures of the mountains in southern Kazakhstan. Indeed, the neutrality adopted by Kazakhstan under Nazareth's rule allows it to act as an island of diplomatic efforts.
The old Kazakh political guard, educated on the knees of the USSR - is on its way out, and a new generation of young elites, many of whom were educated in the West, are eager to take a bigger role in running the country. "Everything here is state-owned.
Especially the media.
It's a restrictive and stifling situation, "complains to me with obvious sincerity a young man I knew at a bar in the city.
" There is no restriction on freedom of expression.
I'm asked about the opposition press, so I explain that the internet here is completely open, there is no blockage.
"We can hear the young people who see the problems, and I tell them - if you are so interested, please, take responsibility and aim for senior positions."
Do not interfere.
Mine // Photo: Courtesy of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry,
Many young people are trying their luck in the free market and entrepreneurship, the same Kazakh young man I met at a bar explains to me.
He works for a Russian company, after studying business administration in the US. "What did you know about Kazakhstan before you came here?", He asks me. , Who can not be further from the people I met in Kazakhstan. Fortunately my conversation partner laughs and says "try not to mention him too much here", adding with a smile: "But I must admit that in the end, there is no such thing as bad public relations".