ASTANA. Sept 2 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan does not accept any oppression on ethnic or social grounds, and any individual provocations will be put to a stop, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
"There have been no and cannot be any oppression in Kazakhstan on any grounds, either language, religious, ethnic or social. Of course, individual cases, provocations, happen, but they are rooted in the irresponsible conduct and ignorance of certain citizens, and law enforcement agencies have and will put such instances to a stop in line with the law," Tokayev said in the annual address to the nation at a joint meeting of parliament chambers on Monday.
"It is no secret that biased individuals we know well, including those operating from abroad, are trying to manipulate public opinion and making baseless attacks on our country. All these well-paid attempts to sow discord in Kazakhstan are doomed to fail, because we have never had, do not have and never will have any phobias at either the public or political level. We will continue to build a harmonious, fair and stable society," he said.
Tokayev urged Kazakh citizens to be above provocations and show examples of "prudence, while relying on the force of law."
"Law and order must reign in our society. This is a basic condition for both public and individual security. This is the only way we build a fair, clean and safe Kazakhstan. The achievement of this strategic goal requires favorable external conditions for the peaceful and sustainable development of the country. This is the task of diplomacy, which must be highly professional in today's complex geopolitical realities," Tokayev said.