Kazakhstan celebrates Independence Day

Tengrinews.kz - Independence Day is traditionally celebrated on December 16 in Kazakhstan. The holiday date was established 33 years ago.

"The Supreme Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan, expressing the will of the people of Kazakhstan, recognizing the priority of individual rights and freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other universally recognized norms of international law, confirming the right of the Kazakh nation to self-determination, based on the determination to create a civil society and a rule-of-law state, pursuing a peaceful foreign policy, declaring its commitment to the principle of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and the process of disarmament, solemnly proclaims the state independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan," the preamble to the law says.

After the collapse of the USSR, the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic became the last in the post-Soviet space to proclaim state sovereignty.
Turkey was the first to recognize Kazakhstan's independence. This happened a few hours after the announcement of Kazakhstan's withdrawal from the USSR. Then followed the United States, China, Great Britain, Mongolia, France and other countries.
Independence Day - December 16 is a day off in Kazakhstan. Will Kazakhstanis have more days off in December? Click here to see the calendar.
This year, Independence Day falls on Monday, so Kazakhstanis with a five-week workweek have three days off. They also have a short workweek from December 17.