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Launched in 2014, the contest celebrates outstanding text and video materials from foreign media outlets globally. The contest, now in its ninth year, has gathered media representatives covering diverse themes about Kazakhstan, from history, culture, and education to tourism, national cuisine, international relations, and Kazakhstan\u2019s investment potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko congratulated winners on the occasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI remember when we first launched the \u2018Kazakhstan through the Eyes of Foreign Media\u2019 contest in 2014, the excitement was undeniable. Each year, as we read the submissions, we are reminded of how much there is to discover about Kazakhstan. The eight journalists and content creators who have emerged as winners have brought fresh perspectives on our country, covering a wide array of topics ranging from Kazakhstan\u2019s expanding global engagement and development of strategic bilateral relations to our rich cultural heritage in national sports and tourism,\u201d said Vassilenko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With around 80 journalists from 30 countries, the contest has seen a significant rise in the number of entries compared to previous years, according to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe rise reflects the growing global interests of mass media in Kazakhstan and our expanding role on the world stage. This growing attention is a testament to President Tokayev\u2019s effective foreign policy, which is grounded in the principles of peaceful, balanced and pragmatic diplomacy,\u201d added Vassilenko.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Katsuhiro Asagiri, a Japanese journalist and President of INPS Japan who is an awardee from the Asia-Pacific region, stated that his interest in Kazakhstan stems from two important themes his news agency has been pursuing in collaboration with Soka Gakkai International\uff08SGI\uff09<\/a> since 2009: (1) the significant role Kazakhstan plays in international nuclear disarmament, and (2) the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including interfaith dialogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “These two themes prompted me to visit Kazakhstan for the first time in August 2016 to cover events related to the commemoration of the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site on the 29th. Since then, except during the COVID-19 period, the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs and SGI have co-hosted side events related to nuclear disarmament\u2014such as those concerning the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Humanitarian Aspects of the use of Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear Weapon Free Zones, and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons\u2014almost every year in Astana, at the United Nations, in Vienna, and other locations. As a result, the number of articles INPS Japan has distributed about Kazakhstan has exceeded 100 in total,” said President Asagiri.<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cThrough my reports on these two important initiatives, at least 10% of Japanese people have become more aware of the very significant initiative led by Kazakhstan to aim for a world without nuclear weapons, as well as another highly important initiative\u2014the \u2018Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions<\/a>,\u2019 which is held in Astana every three years (the next one is in 2025),\u201d said Asagiri. Soka Gakkai, as one of the largest faith based organizations in Japan has been participating in the congress since 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Egyptian journalist Fatma Badawy won as a representative from the Middle East and Africa region for her article on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. She expressed gratitude for the recognition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/INPSJ_SGI-Logo.jpg\"){kind=logo}
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