The FBRK editorial team has previously reported that the upcoming referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant (NPP) in Kazakhstan is among the most discussed topics, against which certain interested parties, posing as experts, are trying in every way to influence public opinion.
For context, we previously reported that one of the most active public opponents of the NPP is the former head of KEGOC, Asset Nauryzbayev, who previously stated that Kazakhstan is ready to develop nuclear energy. Read about whose interests Asset Nauryzbayev may be pursuing at this link.
In this article, we will continue to analyse who else benefits from the failure of the upcoming referendum. According to insider information, one of the coalitions protesting against the construction of the NPP in Kazakhstan includes individuals receiving funding from the United States. It is assumed that these include well-known journalists Nazira Darimbet, Tatiana Golubtsova and Vadim Boreyko.
As we have already noted, some experts suggest that the fierce struggle surrounding nuclear projects in Central Asia is the result of competition between Russia's Rosatom and the American Westinghouse for contracts to build nuclear power plants in third countries.
There is a prevailing opinion that the Americans fear Russia will win the tender for the construction of the NPP in Kazakhstan. Westinghouse has been eliminated from the list of candidates for implementing this large-scale project, and Rosatom has already become a contractor in Uzbekistan, which has likely caused certain displeasure in Washington.
FBRK insiders suspect that the aforementioned Kazakhstani journalists are covertly serving the organisation Internews Kazakhstan. For example, it is known that back in 2021, Vadim Boreyko's team received a grant from Internews to carry out environmental journalistic investigations entitled "EcoEcho".
In September 2023, the Ministry of Finance published the so-called "register of foreign agents" - a list of individuals receiving money or other property from foreign states and international organisations. The register included well-known Kazakhstani media outlets, journalists, public figures and non-governmental organisations, including Internews Kazakhstan.
Furthermore, the list also included little-known environmental organisations. At that time, the FBRK editorial team suggested that Kazakhstan is of particular interest to the US representation, and that civil activists and environmentalists paid for by foreigners are not a random coincidence but harbingers of some kind of public uproar in the field of ecology.
Another, more dangerous category of opponents to the construction of the NPP are representatives of the "Old Kazakhstan" elite. These include the previously mentioned Asset Nauryzbayev, Vadim Boreyko, and Almas Chukin, whose profile we will examine in more detail.
One of the most influential businessmen in Kazakhstan, economist Almas Chukin is the managing partner of the investment company Visor Kazakhstan. The majority owner of Visor is another millionaire, Aidan Karibzhanov, who was once dubbed the "favourite blogger" of ex-president Nazarbayev.
It is known that Visor Holding has assets in the construction, telecommunications, pharmaceutical and financial sectors in the CIS countries and Southeast Asia. Furthermore, insiders report that a substantial part of Visor's business is linked to renewable energy sources (RES).
It is assumed that if an NPP is built in Kazakhstan, RES activities will take a back seat, and Visor risks losing a significant portion of its profit, which is likely disadvantageous for both Chukin and Karibzhanov.
There is another version of why the "Old Kazakhstan" elite is conducting an active campaign against the construction of the NPP. For those whose positions have recently been seriously shaken, the referendum is an excellent opportunity to sow discord in society in an attempt to regain their influence.
Be that as it may, the citizens of Kazakhstan face a difficult and very responsible decision. And we sincerely hope that amid the dense flow of information noise, the public will listen to the arguments of qualified experts, rather than the propaganda of unknown ecologists and activists.