Kazakhstan has announced efforts to promote the use of the Kazakh language instead of Russian in the media amid growing skepticism about Moscow’s influence in the former Soviet republic following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The legislation under discussion would increase the share of the state language on television and radio to 70%, AFP reported.

Kazakh is the official language of the former Soviet republic in Central Asia, but Russian is also recognized as an official language and is widely spoken among the roughly 20 million residents of the country with an authoritarian regime, News.ro said with reference to AFP.

“The draft law on mass media envisages an increase in the share of the state language on television and radio from 50% to 70%,” Culture Minister Aida Balayeva told reporters in the capital Astana.

The law is being debated but is likely to pass without a hitch in parliament, which is seen as loyal to President Kassim-Jomart Tokayev.

“This transition will take place at a rate of 5 percent per year starting in 2025,” Balayeva said, referring to the government’s plans to promote the Kazakh language after the collapse of the Soviet Union three decades ago.

Kazakhstan, where ethnic Russians make up about 15% of the population, shares a long border with Russia and maintains close political, economic and military ties with Moscow. The country has also sought to strengthen ties with Western countries and China after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Neighboring Kyrgyzstan, where Russian is also an officially recognized language, passed a similar law earlier this year. The law stipulates that civil servants of the former Soviet republic are fluent in the Kyrgyz language, and mass media produce 60% of their content in the local language.

In Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – other former Soviet countries in Central Asia – Russian does not have official status, but it is used by residents and officials.

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