Kazakh President Decries Western Influence

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev

Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbaev has criticized Western countries for what he says are attempts to impose Western values on the rest of the world.

In an interview with Russian state Rossia-24 television, Nazarbaev said the use of modern mass media to influence internal political developments in certain countries created security risks.

"Western culture, which is propagandized by the U.S., cannot simply be transplanted" to different nations with "varying mentalities, histories and traditions," he said.

Nazarbaev said economic development in Arab countries that had had uprisings since the start of last year had been set back 15 years.

Nazarbaev also expressed concern that "governments more inclined to Shari'a law" are coming to power after uprisings in some Arab countries.

Based on reporting by AP and Tengrinews.kz