Brazil Foreign Ministry releases book “The Era of Independence"

The Brazilian Foreign Ministry and the Kazakh Embassy, in cooperation with the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Elbasy, on Friday (Mar. 15) launched the book written by Kazakh President  Nursultan Nazarbayev, A Era da Independência, ("The Era of Independence" in English). It was the first journalistic work from Kazakhstan to be published in Portuguese. The launch ceremony was held at the Paulo Nogueira Batista lecture hall, in the seat of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, in Brasília.

The launch ceremony was held at the Paulo Nogueira Batista lecture hall, in the seat of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, in Brasília. – Marcello Casal Jr. / Agência Brasil

During the launch, Kazakh Ambassador to Brazil Kairat Sarzhanov said the work “reflects the vision of President Nursultan Nazarbayer on the our country’s new history and future.”

In attendance were Senator Chico Rodrigues, former Brazilian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Marcia Donner, Elbasy head Alkey Margululanuly, Ary Norton de Murat Quintella, head of the Foreign Ministry department for Russia and Central Asia, and several other Brasília-based ambassadors.

The ceremony was accompanied by Kazakh instrumental music and a photo exhibition. Renowned Kazakh musician Almat Saizhan conducted a concert featuring traditional instruments kobyz, sybyzgy, and shankobyz, evoking Kazakhstan’s millennia-old culture.

According to Ary Norton de Murat Quintella, President Nazarbayev's book offers a window into the modern history and challenges of Kazakhstan. "By conveying this message in Portuguese, it is sure to reach a wider audience and foster discussions on Kazakhstan among academics in our country."

He added that the fact that this event took place at the auditorium of Funag, in the seat of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, "honors Funag's long-standing commitment to developing the study of a wide range of topics in the field of foreign affairs."

Ary Quintella said that "Central Asia is a region that, in our imagination, is more commonly associated with a long past of trade and riches crossing the ancient silk roads". "Nowadays," he added, "it is not only regaining its vocation as a link between East and West, but also rising as a place full of potential, an emerging region not to be ignored by any informed policy maker."

As the head of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry department for Russia and Central Asia said, Brazil has in Astana its sole embassy in Central Asia, the first of a Latin American country, which was opened in 2006. Kazakhstan raised its flag in Brasilia in 2013, the only Central Asian country so far to have done so, with an embassy responsible for relations with most South American countries.