An influential regional power: analysts have ciphered the image of Kazakhstan

The positive image of Kazakhstan abroad for the last year has improved. And in many ways we should thank for that… the bicycle team “Astana” which won in 2009 the most prestigious race of the world “Le Tour De France”. According to the recently published index of countries’ brands of the American company “East West Global Nation Branding Index 200” for the last year, Kazakhstan got 28th place out of 200 countries of the world and improved its indicators in comparison with the years 2008 by 3 points. More considerable is the breakthrough in the number of articles and references to Kazakhstan in the global mass media from 8 thousand to more than 10,000

As it was earlier mentioned in “Argumenty i Facty”, such ratings started to be made in 2008 by the branding company “East West” in association with one of the leading computer companies in the sphere of word analysis “Perception Matrix”. The index prepared on the basis of quantitative and qualitative context analysis of the world media coverage of countries is based on the assessment of millions of references to countries and regions in the 40 leading mass media agencies, mainly English-speaking ones. With the use of a special algorithm its takes into account not only the number of references but also the positive or negative context on the basis of analysis of 16,000 words or sayings reflecting some orientation of the saying. While calculating the rating of the country also there is also taken into account the total number of publications and its importance in the country which is defined by the number of references to its name. With the account of these all factors the rating is calculated from the average indicator of 50 points to a less or greater extent.
Having gained more than 56 points, Kazakhstan acquired 28th place; this is the evidence of rather positive than negative perception of the republic.
According to the rating, Kazakhstan takes the 1st place among the CIS states with the favorable international image leaving behind Belarus which takes the 2nd place in the regional rating (88th place) by 55 points. Kyrgyzstan occupies the 99th line, Azerbaijan is on the 101st place, Uzbekistan is on the 126th place, Ukraine is on the 175th and Russia only on the 187th. Georgia which is no more the CIS country also cannot boast of the favorable perception by the world occupying the 186th line neighboring Russia what is caused by the unsettled conflict because of Southern Osetia.
With a certain stretch one can say that Kazakhstan has really succeeded in the international perception from its brothers by the ex-USSR and plays in a completely different league. Our country is in the company of such states as India (25th place), China (26th), Spain (27th), the UAE (29th) and the Netherlands (30th).
By the way, in the rating for the year 2009 Kazakhstan has outstripped not only its neighbors by the CIS, but also the USA (36th place), Austria (41st), and Germany (64th). The most often met positively charged words in terms of Kazakhstan in the global mass media are to win, champion, support, agreement, victory, sponsor, cooperation. And victories mentioned have been the victories of the bicycle team sponsored by Kazakhstan. Even the external analysis of these words speaks of the great role of sport and sportsmen in creating a positive perception of one or another state in the world, what is naturally does not belittle the significance of the constructive foreign policy and economic cooperation. Very often, by the way, regarding Kazakhstan words like “energy” (no comments) and “organization of events” are met.
Among negatively charged words used for Kazakhstan in the last year were crisis, fire, ban, to lose, doping and failure. Of these all words a separate explanation is deserved by the word “fire” since, as the company “East West” has informed, it is the fire in the narcodispensary in Taldykorgan having taken the lives of dozens of people that found itself in the limelight of the global mass media to the extent enough to negatively influence the image of the country. Quite informing are the lists of leaders and outsiders of this rating. Thus, already during the long time the palm of supremacy is occupied by Singapore. Among the first 10 countries – another three Asian states – are Southern Korea (the 3rd place), Hong-Kong (5th) and Malaysia (8th). New Zealand found itself on the second place, Ireland – on the forth, Hanna – on the sixth, South Africa – on the seventh, and Great Britain – on the ninth. This list ends with Canada. The ten countries with the worst perception by the world are Pakistan (200th place out of 200), Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexico, Palestine, Somali, Iran, Sudan, Israel, and Yemen.
Some separate events have greater impact on short-term swing changes of the rating, more long-term events influence the perception by the states. Thus, for example, Thailand has sharply improved its positions having risen by 163 points after the stabilization of the political situation in the country, while the rating of Georgia has fallen by 143 points in the light of the growing political crisis and the threat of the default in the country by it own financial bonds. At the same time, as statistics shows, longstanding conflicts in such countries as Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Palestine, Somali, Sudan, , and Yemen are by explainable reasons the factors of formation of sustainable negative image of these countries.
The qualitative statistics rating is interesting, as it is can be regarded as a certain reflection of the weight of the country in the world table of ranks or the interest towards events occurring there. The first place here is occupied by the USA (about 3.5 million of references), then goes the great Britain (1.3 m), India (800,000) and China (570,000). Among the first 10 countries by this indicator are France, Canada, Israel, Ireland, and Japan. The list ends with Russia (245,000 references). Having acquired more than 10,000 references, Kazakhstan got the 8th line out of two hundred states. “The image of the country for us if not everything then something very and very important, – having paraphrased the famous slogan, said in the interview in the “Argumenty i Facty” Roman Vasilenko, the chairman of the Committee of International Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, whose functions include also promotion of the positive perception of the country in the world. – We always assume that the mosaic of the international image of Kazakhstan comes from the myriads of factors, history, culture, everyday life and efforts of many people, first of all, within our own country. In association with our embassies abroad we just act as translators of those positive changes that occur in our country, if you mind – postmen that want to bring positive news to the consumers of information”.
Today already we can say that Kazakhstan is becoming more and more recognizable and positively perceptible state, in many ways thanks to the unique experience of international and interconfessional concord and historical contribution to the nuclear disarmament. In addition, in the opinion of many experts, the chairmanship of Kazakhstan in the OSCE this year, the active foreign policy of the president Nursultan Nazarbayev and realization of his important international initiatives, including the organization of the OSCE summit, can lead to the further growth of interest and respect to our country.
“We expect that this year will become a token one, if you mind – a breakthrough for Kazakhstan and in the view of perception abroad, – said Vasilenko. – As well as the chairmanship знаменует собой a qualitatively new stage in the life our country in all dimensions, we consider that in the international image Kazakhstan will make a strongest qualitative breakthrough and will be absolutely grounded widely recognized and respected in the world as a country of peaceful and hospitable people, the land of interethnic and interregional concord, an influential regional power, economically profitable and worth partner of the world community in solution of cute problems of the modernity”.
Specialists agree in general with such views, however point at the challenges in this sphere as well. As the president of “East West” Thomas Cromwell said in the interview in “Argumenty I Facty”, “I will not be surprised if Kazakhstan’s chairmanship in the OSCE leads to a broader освещению of Kazakhstan in the world mass media. This can become useful for Kazakhstan in the index of countries’ brands since your country is often discussed in a quite positive tone; the problem is not that it is mentioned rarely enough”.
According to the facts presented in the Committee of International Information of the MFA, the frequency of references to Kazakhstan in the world mass media since the beginning of the year have already risen in comparison with the previous one. Now little things left to do – not to slow down the pace and provide further qualitative strengthening of the image of the country, whose benefits are versatile and obvious. And by the experience of other states it is clear that success in this case will be achieved only if it is the work of all image-makers of the country – from the ordinary citizens to the authorities.

Alisher Nuraliyev, “Argumenty i facty”