Kazakhstan's President Tokayev names senior adviser Erlan Karin as vice president

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev named his longtime adviser Erlan Karin as vice president, an office instituted by the constitution adopted earlier this year, thereby placing him first in the line of succession. Tokayev praised Karin as a seasoned public servant with a counter-terrorism background and a strong proponent of his "New Kazakhstan" agenda. In the same session, Tokayev proposed retaining Olzhas Bektenov as prime minister, a role he has held since 2024.

Both nominations were quickly ratified by a parliament dominated by the pro-Tokayev Adilet party. The 73-year-old president remains eligible for another seven-year term, with his current mandate ending in 2029. Tokayev, a former Soviet diplomat and UN official, succeeded founding president Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2019 and has since distanced himself from his predecessor after the 2022 unrest. Kazakhstan continues to be a major exporter of energy and minerals, maintaining balanced ties with Russia, the West and China.