DUSHANBE, December 17, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, who is currently on an official visit to Turkey, yesterday congratulated Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev on the occasion of Kazakhstan’s Independence Day.

In his message, Emomali Rahmon stressed that “Tajikistan values good traditions of friendly relations between our countries and peoples and intends to make every effort to provide further strengthening and development of them.”

Rahmon also wished good health, happiness and success to President Nazarbayev and peace and wellbeing to the people of Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan declared its sovereignty as a republic within the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in October 1990.  Following the August 1991 aborted coup attempt in Moscow and the subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan declared independence on December 16, 1991.  It was the last of the Soviet republics to declare independence.

The years following independence have been marked by significant reforms to the Soviet-style economy.  Under Nurusultan Nazarbayev, who initially came to power in 1989 as the head of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan and was eventually elected President in 1991, Kazakhstan has made significant progress toward developing a market economy.