NUR-SULTAN. Sept 3 (Interfax) - Afghanistan will continue to have a strong impact on U.S. policy, despite the pullout of U.S. forces from the country, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
"Some people have told me that the Americans couldn't care less about what's happening outside America, overseas, and that life will go on in the United States. I disagree. No matter what happens, there will be consequences for the domestic and foreign policy of the U.S., because Afghanistan is a very serious country, and it will have a strong, indirect impact on policy, including that of such a country as the United States," Tokayev said in a virtual speech at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum on Friday.
"I have no intention of guessing what will happen in Washington, at the White House, and so on, this isn't something to be discussed, but I still expect very serious implications," Tokayev said.
It is necessary "put all heads together" and think about future interaction with Afghanistan, he said.
"Speaking of the United States, I am far from gloating over what has happened. True, there is a big difference between how the Soviet Union pulled out its forces and what's happened now. What once was is now gone," Tokayev said.