ASTANA, May 26. /TASS/. Kazakh President Nursulan Nazarbayev said on Tuesday that sanctions imposed on Russia over Ukraine were "anti-economic policy", harming all players in the market.
Sanctions are also affecting the economy of Kazakhstan, for which Russia is a vast market, the president told Rossiya 24 television. He said, however, the effect was ambivalent - negative because of price fluctuations caused by the depreciating rouble, but at the same time giving Kazakhstan a chance to "export more products to Russia".
The sanctions affect all, he said. "One should not think that only Russia is suffering. Not everybody in Europe appreciates reciprocal sanctions," Nazarbayev said.
"Business people there have lost a vast market in Russia, where they could invest and earn their capitals," he said, adding that nobody was the winner.
"Any world war ends in talks in the long run. This crisis will also end, and the sooner the better," he said, pledging that he personally would do everything possible for that.
"When I am asked to act as intermediary, I spare neither time nor effort, I go and meet. In this situation, only the leaders can find a common language when they meet on conditions of a compromise," the Kazakh leader said.
"Now both Russian and Ukrainian sides have approached the period when the problem must be solved and this deadlock untangled. European leaders also want this. The time for this is very good. Sanctions are harmful, this is anti-economic policy," he summed up.