- I am very pleased to be in my alma mater, and it is especially pleasant that last year, together with your respected rector, we marked 50 years since we entered this university. Therefore, Zhanseit Kanseitovich and I have known each other for 50 years,” Konstantin Zhigalov began his speech. Expressing gratitude for the warm reception, he noted that he and the rector of KazNU are connected by bonds of friendship, a shared student youth, and work in an international construction brigade. In a lively and engaging manner, the lecturer spoke about his professional path spanning more than four decades.
- We live at the junction of eras, which is always associated with responsibility and difficulties. Recall the Chinese proverb: ‘May you not live in a time of change.’ In our country, such a period began in the late 1980s and continued into the 1990s. From 1988 to 1991, I worked in the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan. It was a difficult time when new paths had to be sought. Even then it became clear that the one-party system could not cope with its tasks.
In September 1991, the last congress of the ruling party of the country took place. It was decided there to introduce changes. Nine young people entered the organizing committee, among whom was I, holding the position of deputy chairman. I had the honor to chair the last congress of the Communist Party, which became the final chord of that era. We had to withdraw the Communist Party of Kazakhstan from the CPSU, which was accompanied by applause in the hall. We were creating a new party of a social-democratic orientation, with a charter and program, which at that time was a real revolution. Holding this congress was an extremely difficult task. It was the moment of gaining our independence, when we moved away from the Communist Party of the USSR and began forming our own political structures.
At the beginning of independence, I worked as an Assistant to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. I was fortunate to participate in the first major international events of our independent country. These were the first visits of our President to the United Kingdom, where he met world leaders such as Margaret Thatcher, Helmut Kohl, François Mitterrand, and others. I was also present at these meetings. It was incredibly interesting. Our first trip to Europe took place in July 1992, when we participated in the Conference on Security and Cooperation. Our delegation consisted of only six people”,- Konstantin Zhigalov recounted the historical events of those years.
He shared unique experience of participation in the most important international events, such as the Davos Economic Forum in January 1992, the first speeches of the President of independent Kazakhstan at the UN, and the opening of embassies in various countries, including the United Kingdom. The diplomat also spoke about the specifics of representing Kazakhstan’s interests in the European Union and NATO.
-After that, we established the diplomatic service. In 1993, from the position of Assistant to the President, I was entrusted to become Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. From our small team, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs grew. At that time, we had two small buildings on Mira Street, as it was then called; we were cramped in those buildings, but it was very interesting. The first visits of the President abroad, when there were no accompanying groups — one person would go, then two, three, or five people. And we prepared diplomatic visas for them. This was very responsible, as these were the first steps on the international stage; we had to prove ourselves.
Then we began opening embassies in different countries. I had the opportunity to participate in opening the embassy in the United Kingdom and to work there for five years. Then there was a long biography abroad as ambassador in Poland, in Brussels — a point where I was not only an ambassador on a bilateral basis, but also to international organizations such as the European Union and NATO. Then there was a six-year assignment as ambassador to Canada. Before that, I had always been responsible for the European direction and for the first time encountered the American direction. Canada, as you know, is the second-largest country in the world by territory — three Kazakhstans in size. At that time, we did not have ambassadors everywhere; we served concurrently as ambassadors to multiple countries. Along with Canada, I was also ambassador to Cuba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, essentially overseeing the entire Caribbean region, especially at a time when we were striving to become members of the UN Security Council. It was an enormous amount of work.
Between Brussels and Canada, I again had great responsibility — I became Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and was responsible for our chairmanship in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). I must tell you that the first and only summit in this century was held in Kazakhstan, and the only document of such a level was adopted at that summit in Kazakhstan. You have something to be proud of when speaking about our foreign policy.
I can share specific episodes about the OSCE. In this organization, when there were 56 members and 12 observers, everything is adopted by consensus. This is not when a decision is taken by a majority. All countries must vote for the document. If you recall 2010, after 2008 there were sharply deteriorated relations between Russia and Georgia. At that time, relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia were very difficult. At that time, on human rights issues, all Central Asian and many Caucasian states were sharply criticized. And we managed to adopt a document that is accepted by consensus. Here it was necessary to find a point of support when you are a diplomat.
To adopt such a large and multifaceted document, one must have points of support that help achieve this. We were supposed to adopt it at 12 noon, but adopted it at 1:00 a.m. the next day. That is, discussions lasted 13 hours. It was necessary to identify key figures who could help. For me, these were Hill Gordon, who at that time was the right hand of Hillary Clinton, Americans, Europeans. That direction was then led by Helga Schmid, whom I knew well from Brussels because we met very often. Therefore, it was easy for me to work with her at our summit. These were also the Russians represented by Grushko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, who still holds that position, and Vladimir Voronkov, who was then head of the respective department and is now an Under-Secretary-General of the UN. I had known him for a long time, and having such points of support, we were able to coordinate everything as required. As a result, the document was adopted unanimously. It was a stunning success,” the diplomat who stood at the origins of Kazakhstan’s foreign service shared his experience.
Konstantin Vasilyevich addressed the youth with guidance, emphasizing the importance of contacts for a diplomat and their role in resolving complex international issues, where it is necessary to find points of convergence. He also shared stories from his diplomatic practice.
-I want to tell you, as future diplomats, that any diplomat, especially an ambassador, is defined by contacts. If you have no contacts, you have not succeeded as a diplomat. I can give one example. In 2006, when I was ambassador in Brussels, I met the plane with the President. When I received a call from the plane, I was at the airport. At that time, we already had communication facilities on board. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, called and said: ‘The President and I have reviewed the document with fresh eyes and believe that this point we cannot accept’.
And this was a key document that we were signing with the European Union. What do contacts mean? Having worked there for four years, I knew a person in the leadership structures of the European Union, whom I immediately called and informed that I had just spoken with the leadership, and if you do not remove or revise this point in the wording we need, we will not sign the document. He asked for 5–10 minutes. And by the time our delegation arrived, he reported that the document would be adopted in the form approved by the leadership of Kazakhstan. Do you understand, such moments, such results in work correspond to the level a person builds over time. Such things are not done in five minutes; they are built over years.
For me, it is a great honor to return to my alma mater and share knowledge with future specialists. Diplomacy is the art of finding compromises and building bridges even in the most difficult situations. With the arrival of the new minister, a graduate of our university, Yermek Kosherbayev, artificial intelligence is being very actively introduced into the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is now indispensable in many areas. However, I would like to caution you as students against failing to think independently when using AI, and against always believing what AI tells you. Remember that modern information is drawn by AI from the internet, so answers are often incorrect. But this is already a global trend in AI development, and we must extract the maximum possible benefit from using AI in the service of the state, including in the system of international relations,” the well-known diplomat concluded his leadership lecture.
The meeting concluded with a substantive discussion in a question-and-answer format, in which students and faculty of the Faculty of International Relations actively participated.
Kairzhan TUREZHANOV
