President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will not attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which will be held in mid-June. This is reported by Reuters with reference to the statement of the Kazakh Cabinet.
The press service of the government of Kazakhstan told the agency that only two representatives from the republic will go to SPIEF this year: First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar and Deputy Minister of National Economy Timur Zhaksylykov.
At the forum in 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin mangled the name of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich, causing Tokayev to be puzzled. Putin said something similar to "Kemezham Ishemilevich".
Before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia annually hosted world leaders and business giants at the forum, but now Western officials and businessmen avoid contact with Russia, Reuters notes.
Tokayev drew national attention last year when he said that his country did not recognize the state sovereignty of the "DNR" and "LNR", calling these territories quasi-state. According to Tokayev, if "the nation's right to self-determination is realized" everywhere, chaos will ensue.
SPIEF will take place on June 14–17, 2023. The heads of the "DPR" and "LPR", delegations from Turkey, Egypt, Afghanistan and Syria, participants from Ethiopia and Mali should come to the forum. A meeting of leaders of African countries with Putin is scheduled for June 17 in St. Petersburg.