This name may have no meaning for many European readers while Kazakhstan itself means a lot to Europe due to enormous fossil fuel and oil reserves and plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals that the EU is in great need of.

You see, oppositional leaders of Sarsenbaev’s caliber can’t be killed just for no reason. There is always a reason and it’s always of the utmost importance. The inner political landscape means a lot and in this case it reminded me greatly of what Paul Klebnikov described in his bestseller “Godgather of the Kremlin: Boris Berezovski”. I mean there are lots of parallels with the present day misfortunes in Kazakstan and that of Russia’s in president Eltsin time. And I hate such parallels occur one day in Europe or elsewhere. That’s what made me come out here on this forum and comment on the death in far away Kazakstan where I have sort of business.

Matter of fact such people as Berezovski and his devotee Mashkevich in Kazakstan don’t let honest rightful business go. They don’t let normal market relations develop for they are criminals using political intrigues and criminal elements as tools to do business. In Russia Berezovski draw Eltsin into series of economic and political ventures making him tame. And then he eliminated his own the then rival in media-market business Vladislav Lst’ev by hand of state structures subordinate to president Eltsin. More Berezovski got enough power to weigh with displacement and appointment of heads of regions, directors of national departments and special services. He also was able to manipulate public opinion through mass media outlets that belonged to him. All this allowed Berezovski to obtain operating control over numerous state enterprises, knock up a huge fortune that makes it easier to interfere in international socio-political developments today.


That is exactly what Mashkevich is presently doing in Khazahstan. For those living or working in the country it’s plain fact that actually there rules Mashkevich not president Nazarbaev. Both president and his top officials are dependent greatly on Mashkevich and his “gang”. Why gang? Actually they rob all the businessmen here by forcing them into sharing profits. Mashkevich who is of Jewish origin like Berezovski calls this “tzedaka”= “justice” or “donation”, “charity”. I am interested where really this money goes. Some say it’s meant to sponsor radicals or even terrorists in Kazakhstan and other countries.
Of course, European Union has its own designs for Central Asian states. But if Berezovski and his follower Mashkevich get enough strength in Kazakhstan and form new regime there, only God knows what effect it will have and in what relations it will be with Europe.