Kazakhstan

Since the 1990s, Russia and Kazakhstan have established a solid legal framework that covers almost all areas of economic and sociohumanitarian cooperation. Currently, the main areas of cooperation include diversifying the economy, introducing innovative technologies, strengthening sovereignty, utilizing geographical potential, developing tourism, educational programs, and facilitating international exchange of industrial and scientifi c expertise. However, there is still a lack of coordinated socio-humanitarian practices for working with diasporas.

The article contains a comparative analysis of processes and results of formation of political systems of four post-Soviet states of Central Asia: Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Based on the distribution of powers in the triangle of institutions of supreme state power: president – parliament – government, the type of political system of all four countries – electoral autocracy – is determined.

The article contains the results of the opinion polls concerning the way people evaluate public diplomacy potential in Saratov region. The role of mobility of near abroad states’ citizens, as well as networks of personal and kindred contacts in developing public diplomacy practices is defined.