Ermurat Bapi proposed to legally restrict travel abroad for former high-ranking officials with access to state secrets, including the first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. This was reported by Orda.kz.
The initiative was prompted by a recent meeting between Nazarbayev and Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin. According to Bapi, such trips may pose a threat to national security.
The deputy emphasized that state secrets held by ex-presidents and other high-ranking officials continue to be an important security factor for the country. He believes it is necessary to establish a legal mechanism that would limit the travel of such individuals abroad, referring to international experience, particularly the restrictions that exist in China.
"To ensure the country's security, a law is required that would regulate the ability of individuals with access to state secrets to travel abroad," Bapi noted.
He suggested implementing a preliminary "border control" or a "red flag" system for such individuals as Nazarbayev and Kairat Kozhamzharov. The deputy also expressed the opinion that the ex-president's trip to Moscow could be perceived as pressure on the state authorities and society of Kazakhstan. In response to journalists' questions, Bapi added that he does not see any political benefit for his country in this situation.
"I feel sorry for a person who could not find support in his own country and among his own people. Now he has to seek support outside Kazakhstan. This is a tragedy for the ex-president," the deputy concluded.
This is already the second meeting of the Elbasy with Putin in 2025; the first took place in May of this year.
