ASTANA. Feb 5 (Interfax) - The latest events in Ukraine have harmed the national economy, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
"You be the judge: no matter what experts may say about the current complications, for instance, the situation in Ukraine, social problems are the root," the president told diplomats accredited in Kazakhstan in Astana on Wednesday.
"Whoever of you is aware of the Soviet Union's economy must remember that Ukraine was the first runner-up republic to Russia. Currently the Ukrainian economy is almost 25% smaller than the economy of Kazakhstan. That was not supposed to happen. A powerful economy, a population of almost 50 million; they should deal with the economy before dealing with politics," he said.
"Outstanding social problems in a number of Old and New World countries keep the threat of domestic conflicts on a high level. Especially the problems of unemployment, especially amongst the younger generation," Nazarbayev said.