Kazakhstan does not list Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham as a terrorist organization

Kazakhstan has not designated the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham group, which fought against former government forces in Syria, as a terrorist organization, Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Bakayev said in an interview with BES.media.

Bakayev said that such decisions made in Kazakhstan are based on national analyses and decisions within the UN framework.

"We are in the process of studying the situation in Syria and the situation in the Middle East in general," he said.

Bakayev noted that there is no information about Kazakh citizens joining the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham movement. At the same time, he stressed the importance of being cautious in dealing with organizations in Syria.

He added that at the end of 2023, Kazakhstan also removed the Afghan Taliban movement from its list of national terrorist organizations.

"We will first of all pay attention to the decisions of the United Nations. Because the decision to remove the Taliban from the list of terrorists was made in accordance with UN documents," he said.

Kazakhstan's attitude towards the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and Taliban movements demonstrates its balanced approach to foreign policy. These decisions are aimed at ensuring security in the region, strengthening international cooperation, and maintaining internal stability. However, the analysis of the situation in Syria and the Middle East is still ongoing, and new political steps are expected in the future.