Statement from the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Chairman of the Board of the Netherlands Kazakh Business Association Henk Nieboer.
Today, 10 January 2022, is a day of national mourning in Kazakhstan. We commemorate the victims of last week’s troubles, and our thoughts are with everybody who was affected by the widespread arson and looting that occurred especially in Almaty after the initial protests were taken over by violent actors.
As a member of the community of people in the Netherlands with close ties with Kazakhstan, I was shocked and abhorred by the events of last week and I feel with everybody who is affected in one way or another by the tragic events. If you want to share your feeling, the Embassy of Kazakhstan has opened an online condolence book; condolence messages can be send to hague@mfa.kz.
Kazakhstan and its peoples always have been open and welcoming to the Dutch business community. Many companies have built close ties with the country or have started operations in the country. Deep personal relations and ties of friendship have developed between citizens of our countries as a result. It is therefore important that in recent statements by Kazakh authorities, the commitment was expressed to continue an open stance towards foreign companies. Kazakh Invest has opened a 24/7 call center at +7 7172 620 620 which is available to assist companies facing problems with operational activities or implementation of investment projects.
We hope that the Kazakh people will be able to turn the tragedy of the last week into something positive for themselves, however difficult that may seem at this moment. In the meantime, we remain committed to building ever close ties between our two countries.