In December 11, 2020, the presentation of the book "Auganstan tarikhy" was held at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This book is a reprint in the state language of the monograph "History of Afghanistan" by the famous Kazakh political scientist, orientalist, specialist in Afghanistan Sultan Magrupovich Akimbekov, published in 2015. Translation and publication in the Kazakh language was implemented by the KazISS under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan within the framework of the project for the publication of books in the state language. Open book
The book "Auganstan tarikhy" is devoted to the history of Afghanistan, which comprehensively examines the key moments in the history of this important country located at the crossroads between India, Iran and Central Asia. Throughout its history, Afghanistan has always been at the epicenter of the most important events, between the great and regional powers that fought for their interests. The English version of the book "History of Afghanistan" in 2019 was highly appreciated and a letter of thanks from the Prime Minister of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah.
The director of the KazISS under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Zarema Shaukenova and the author of the book Sultan Akimbekov addressed the audience with a welcoming speech.
Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs, Defense and Security of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Yerman noted that Kazakhstani historiography is now being replenished with one more important scientific research that concerns the history of Afghanistan and gives Kazakhstani readers food for thought. In his opinion, Afghanistan is a country with a very long history, which was at the intersection of the interests of large empires. It is important that this monograph does not confine itself only to Afghan problems, but also goes out into the outer contour and shows an excellent balance of how the situation is developing in and around Afghanistan.
Chairman of the Kazakh-Afghan Association “AFG-QAZ”, ex-Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Afghanistan Omirtai Bitimov: “The author made a very good, in-depth analysis of the events of those times on the basis of many documentary materials. It is very useful even now for assessing the current situation, since without an objective understanding of the immediate history, specifics and nuances of internal contradictions, it is difficult to determine the future of Afghanistan. I believe that the translation of the book into the state language by the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan clearly demonstrates to readers in Central Asia our country's interest in better understanding the causes of the processes and events taking place in neighboring Afghanistan. "
Director of the Department of Near, Middle East and Africa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Mukash expressed confidence that the book will be useful for all students, diplomats, and all those who are interested in the history of Afghanistan. It is also gratifying that the book has been republished in the state language. It was noted that since different ethnic groups from Central Asia live in Afghanistan, their state building is a mirror image of the development of our region. E. Mukash recalled that diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan have been developing since the 1990s. Meetings are actively held at different levels. The leadership of our country pays great attention to the Afghan direction and provides systematic humanitarian assistance. Also, the speaker noted that this year the position of the Special Representative of Kazakhstan for Afghanistan was approved, and Afghanistan is one of the important directions in the Department of the Near, Middle East and Africa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
KazISS Chief Research fellow Murat Laumulin spoke in detail about how Afghan research developed in Kazakhstan in the late Soviet period and during the years of independence. He called the book of S. Akimbekov the most important work not only for Kazakhstani science, but also a contribution to world oriental studies: “Sultan Akimbekov gave both us and the Afghans their story, described by his words, his views and experience. For most of its history, Afghanistan has been a platform where different worlds - Persian-speaking, Turkic - Turan and Iran, speaking Ferdowsi's language, met. The experience of Afghanistan is interesting for research in order to understand the mechanisms of interaction between traditional, modernist and postmodern societies. This publication allows you to understand the essence, the nature of Afghanistan as a historical phenomenon. "
Acting Director-General of "Gylym Ordasy" Nurlan Seidin: “Afghanistan is a country located in the Central Asian region, therefore its history and current situation are very important for us. This book is also an invaluable work in training young specialists for the humanitarian sphere and the diplomatic service, and it is gratifying that it has been published in the Kazakh language. The complexity, scale, deep analysis of the book requires careful and comprehensive consideration of the issues raised in it. "
Head of the Department of International Relations, ENU after L.N. Gumilyov Dana Akhmedyanova emphasized the importance of the monograph for the academic community, noting: “The book examines the development of Afghanistan in different historical periods as a set of different determinants. The author offers a multivariate analysis that includes elements such as history, domestic and foreign policy, and internal development. In addition, the research is based on multilevel analysis. At the state level, the peculiarities of internal political, social and economic development, problems of modernization, change of government regimes are reflected. Relations with other countries, geopolitical and geo-economic interests of external actors, security issues are being studied at the regional and global levels. "
Representatives of the academic community took part in the subsequent discussion online, including the Institute of Oriental Studies of the CS MES RK, KazNU named after al-Farabi, ENU after. L.N. Gumilyov.
The Second Secretary of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Nur-Sultan, Tsamkani Amanulla thanked the KazISS under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the publication and presentation of the book, and the author for the monograph, first published in 2015, and now translated into Kazakh language as a contribution to the development of bilateral relations ... He noted: “There are very close relations between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani refers to Kazakhstan as a neighboring country. The people of Afghanistan are grateful for the continued support provided by the Republic of Kazakhstan in various fields, for humanitarian assistance. Thanks to colleagues for the organized event! "
The event ended with the solemn cutting of the ribbon on the books.
