Kurultai of Kazakhs is taking place in France. Compatriots from different parts of the European Union, as well as Turkey and Kazakhstan, gathered in Paris. There are about a thousand people in total. Kazakh diplomats, the Association of Turkish Kazakhs and the Otandastar Foundation organized a rich program for them, including meetings of representatives of diasporas from different countries, masterclasses by ethno designers and a musical evening. The kurultai participants also visited the monuments to Abai and Mustafa Shokai. According to the Otandastar Foundation, there are up to eight million Kazakhs living outside their historical homeland at present.
“Since we live outside of Kazakhstan, it is important for us to preserve our culture, our traditions. To do this, I would like to have such a kurultai held once a year, so that we can meet each other like this. It is very important for all of us,” shared Ertugrul Sholpan, Chairperson of Kazakh Diaspora Association in Austria.
“Today we are proudly raising the flag of Kazakhstan here in the very heart of Europe, in Paris. We have gathered here today with our entire community, and the purpose of this kurultai is to pass on the customs of our ancestors to the younger generation so that they do not forget their roots, their language and their homeland,” added Yessimkan Nazir, President of the Association of Turkish Kazakhs in France.
“Of course, we are determined to continue organizing such events. We can say that this is necessary both for those Kazakhs who live in Kazakhstan and for those who live outside our country. We want our diasporas around the world not to stand aside. We want to help them become more reputable and more meaningful in the future. We look at the work of our diasporas with great pleasure, and for our part we cooperate a lot with them in all areas,” noted Abzal Saparbekuly, President of Otandastar Foundation.
Translation by Assem Zhanmukhanova
Editing by Galiya Khassenkhanova
