Vladimir Zhirinovsky

Zhirinovsky, notorious Russian right-winger, caused some heated controversy in Kazakhstan, "stirring national strife", reports Pravda.

The story started on January 17th, when Zhirinovsky appeared on the air of a Moscow-based radio station. The program was devoted to relations between Russia and Kazakhstan. (...) It would be simply enough to say that Zhirinovsky was very emphatic and outspoken about the Kazakh language: "There is no Kazakh language. There is no Kazakh written language. There is nothing in Kazakhstan at all!" said he. This sentence was enough to insult the republic and provoke a reaction from the authorities of Kazakhstan.

(T)he above-mentioned statement from the Russian politician has caused an anti-Russian campaign in Kazakh press. It is a rather relevant issue, taking into consideration the fact that it is hard for Russia to maintain its influence in the countries of the former USSR. Just one interview may cause a lot more damage than George Soros, the USA and the EU altogether.

Poor George Soros, being mentioned even BEFORE the US and the EU...

Nevertheless, the Kazakh media should avoid stirring 'national strife'. 30 percent of the population is still Russian, absolutely essential for the Kazakh economy. The Kazakhs, titular ethnic group, became the absolute majority only in the first half of the nineties, while thousands of Russians, Germans, and even Koreans moved back to their countries (which they hadn't seen for generations). Peace in Kazakhstan crucially depends on the peace between the main ethnic groups.

Thanks to David for this link.

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