Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev (born 17 May 1953) is a Kazakh politician and diplomat who has served as the second president of Kazakhstan since 2019. He previously served as Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 and as Chairman of the Senate from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2013 to 2019. Tokayev also held the position of Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva from 2011 to 2013.
Born in Alma-Ata (now Almaty), Tokayev studied at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and later trained at diplomatic institutions in China. He began his career in the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs before joining Kazakhstan's foreign service after independence in 1991. Tokayev twice served as foreign minister, from 1994 to 1999 and 2002 to 2007, as well as state secretary from 2002 to 2003, playing a key role in shaping Kazakhstan's foreign policy and its nuclear disarmament policies.
In March 2019, Tokayev became acting president following the resignation of Nursultan Nazarbayev. In June that year, he won the first round of a snap presidential election as the candidate of the ruling Nur Otan party. Initially aligned with Nazarbayev, Tokayev gradually consolidated power by removing key figures associated with the former president. His presidency has included various economic initiatives and a shift toward political reforms. In January 2022, large-scale protests over fuel prices escalated into violent unrest, prompting Tokayev to declare a state of emergency and request peacekeeping assistance from the CSTO. The subsequent crackdown resulted in casualties and mass arrests. Following the crisis, he distanced himself from Nazarbayev, removed key figures associated with the former leader, and implemented constitutional changes, including reducing presidential terms. In 2022, Tokayev was re-elected in a snap presidential election, winning 81% of the vote in the first round. He ran as an independent candidate with the support of People's Coalition after leaving the Amanat (formerly Nur Otan) party, positioning himself as a reformist. His administration has focused on political restructuring, economic modernization, and maintaining a multi-vector foreign policy, balancing relations with Russia, China, and the West.
Despite advocating political modernization, Tokayev's government has faced criticism for restricting opposition parties, limiting press freedoms, and suppressing protests. In 2022, leaked financial records revealed that his family had held offshore assets since at least 1998.
Tokayev () was born into a prominent Kazakh family in the city of Alma-Ata (now Almaty). His father, Kemel Tokayev (1923–1986), a World War II veteran and renowned writer, is considered the founder of Kazakh detective fiction. His mother, Turar Shabarbayeva (1931–2000), worked at the Alma-Ata Institute of Foreign Languages. Kemel Tokayev later received a medal for his contributions to the development of the Virgin Lands campaign after the war.
Tokayev spent part of his childhood in the village of Kälpe, Karatal District, in the Jetisu Region, where his family had deep roots. In 1970, Tokayev enrolled in the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, where he studied Mandarin. During his fifth year, he was sent to the Soviet embassy in China for a six-month training course.
Upon graduating from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1975, Tokayev joined the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was posted to the Soviet Embassy in Singapore.
In 1979, Tokayev returned to the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1983, he attended training courses at the Beijing Language Institute in China. From 1984 to 1991, he served in various diplomatic roles at the Soviet embassy in Beijing, including Second Secretary, First Secretary, and Counsellor. In 1991, he enrolled at the Soviet Diplomatic Academy in Moscow to further his diplomatic training.
Deputy foreign minister (1992–1994)
In March 1992, Tokayev was appointed a deputy foreign minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan. From there, he briefly took stance against nuclear disarmament in the former Soviet republics of Belarus and Ukraine under pressure by Russia, letting negotiations to be held under the United Nations Security Council, writing it as "a significant success of Kazakh diplomacy, which was taking its first steps in the international arena, opened the way for further negotiations with all influential states at the highest level."
In 1993, he became the first deputy foreign minister and on 13 October 1994, Tokayev was appointed to the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs.
In March 1999, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan.
Prime Minister of Kazakhstan (1999–2002)
On 12 October 1999, with the endorsement of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, he was appointed Prime Minister of Kazakhstan by decree of President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Upon assuming office, Tokayev's government placed a strong emphasis on the agricultural sector. He cautioned against introducing legislation on land privatization too early. Additionally, Tokayev outlined several key areas of focus for the government, including the development of sports, the timely payment of pensions, and providing support for domestic producers.
Under Tokayev's leadership, Kazakhstan's economy showed significant growth, with GDP expanding by 13.5% in 2001, while inflation was successfully reduced by 11.2%. However, in November 2001, during an interview with Khabar Agency, Tokayev threatened to resign unless Nazarbayev took action against certain government officials whom he accused of undermining the executive branch and obstructing necessary democratic reforms. As a result of this pressure, six cabinet members were dismissed, including Deputy Prime Minister Oraz Jandosov, Minister of Labour and Social Protection Alikhan Baimenov, Pavlodar Region akim Galymzhan Zhakiyanov, and Deputy Defense Minister Janat Ertlesova.
On 28 January 2002, Tokayev resigned as prime minister, citing the centralization of power under the strong presidential system as the reason for his resignation. He was subsequently appointed as State Secretary and Minister of Foreign Affairs, where he continued to play a key role in shaping Kazakhstan's foreign policy.
Foreign minister and state secretary (1994–1999, 2002–2007)
As a minister of foreign affairs, Tokayev played an active role in nuclear non-proliferation. In 1995 and 2005, he participated in the Review Conferences for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in New York City. In 1996, he signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in New York, and in 2005 the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone in Central Asia (CANWFZ) in Semipalatinsk.