Kazakhstan Forges Nuclear Deals with Russia and China

Kazakhstan has taken the meaning of multi-vector foreign policy into a new dimension: to split atoms, Astana has decided to divide a tender, creating deals to build two nuclear power plants when only one had previously been authorized. With Kazakhstan’s two powerful  neighbors, Russia and China, both vying aggressively to secure the contract to build the planned reactor on the shores of Lake Balkhash, Astana faced a difficult choice. Not wanting to face potential blowback for offending either the Kremlin or Beijing, Kazakh officials…