Tokaev explained why he prefers to give interviews in print format.

A journalist asked the president why he prefers printed interviews over other formats of communication with the press.

"Reading periodicals is a habit that has been part of my life since my youth. I constantly read the newspaper 'Ana tili'. My sources of information are quite broad – they include television, the internet, social media, not to mention the materials I receive daily from various agencies. I closely monitor all trends in the information space. One cannot underestimate the importance of written texts; they remain a crucial source of information about state policy.

"By nature, I am an analyst, and I personally work on the texts of speeches, statements, letters, and even telegrams. The staff has already gotten used to the fact that after my editorial intervention, there is hardly any 'live space' left in the texts.

"However, there are also other types of leaders who initiate communication with journalists themselves, eagerly grant interviews to television reporters, and then enjoy watching the news featuring themselves. To each their own," the president explained.

He added that by giving an interview to the newspaper "Ana tili," he wanted to support Kazakh-language media, which form the core of domestic journalism. On March 22 of this year, the newspaper "Ana tili" will celebrate its 35th anniversary, which Tokayev congratulated the interviewer and the editorial team on.

"In my opinion, we had a useful and candid conversation today about the most pressing issues. Such extensive interviews contain carefully considered nuances and important aspects concerning the state's activities. Moreover, this interview summarizes the past year and sets the agenda for the current year.

"Essentially, this is my special address to my compatriots; it is intended to provide food for serious reflection and to set the tone for our work this year," noted Tokayev.

You can read the extensive interview with the head of state, which he referred to as a special address to the Kazakhs, here.

Let us remind you that at the end of December, the president's press secretary, Berik Uali, summarizing the year, stated that in 2024, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev published a series of articles and gave several interviews to domestic and foreign media. In particular, in the first days of 2024, the newspaper Egemen Qazaqstan published a comprehensive interview that highlighted the prospects for the country's development and provided a clear assessment of the January events.

Interviews with the news agencies ARA (Azerbaijan), "Armenpress" (Armenia), "Xinhua" (China), and articles in the newspapers "Renmin Ribao" (China), Le Figaro (France), and "Izvestia" (Russia) were also published.