Parade has military-mobilizing meaning for population and Armed Forces - Major-General
Why is it important to hold a military parade on the Day of the Kazakhstan Constitution?
Constitution is a fundamental law of our country. Birth of a young state is marked by adoption of its own Constitution in accordance with which Kazakhstani people live. Therefore holding the parade on this day is a natural phenomenon. Let us remember the standards of the Soviet Union when the parades were held on the Victory Day. Kazakhstan with its peaceful and multi-vector foreign policy does not strive for demonstration of its power and Armed Forces on the final day of that bloody war. The oncoming parade will mark the day of creation of the Constitution, the day of adoption of one of attributes of the independent Kazakhstan. It is no wonder that we will witness such event on August 30.
Why is this parade so important for you? What place does it hold in the life of our compatriots?
Holding the parade as well as keeping the Armed Forces in combat readiness and ensuring the army's combat effectiveness are of great importance for me. I would like also to note moral side of the parade - its military-patriotic meaning. Besides, any parade is a tribute to the older generation, a demonstration of the country's military power to the youth and popularization of military service. Our people, tax payers, will see how the funds allotted for army support are spent.
We showcase the best units of our army, the best military equipment. This mobilizes the members of the Armed forces; this is a great responsibility for them. They usually ask what such parades are needed for. We have no wars but the slogan "Remember the war" was born long ago. The army's role is not normally praised in peaceful time. We often see activity of the law-enforcement bodies, to which people apply with everyday requests.
The Armed Forces are organized for protection of our country in most responsible periods. I mean the cases when the country faces external threats, infringement from the side of other states. On the other hand, law enforcement bodies do not always have the situation with terror attacks in hand. Let us remember Chechnya and other local conflicts! It should be noted that armed forces are needed in such circumstances as a last extreme measure. For instance, coalition forces were introduced in Afghanistan for fighting with terrorism.
How does the military parade impact on patriotic education, especially the younger generation of Kazakhstan?
The parade has a deep military-mobilizing meaning both for the population and the Armed Forces. In particular, it is important for the youth. Probably looking at the marching soldiers, many young people will connect their future profession with military service. I would like to highlight that any parade is an ideological event. We do not often hold the parades and do not demonstrate our power. Kazakhstan is a peaceful country supporting good-neighbor relations with other countries.
I am always asked what the army is needed for: we are not going to fight either with our neighbors or any other country. But we need army for another purposes even in peaceful time - for ensuring integrity of our territory, prevention of foreign and internal destructive actions and guaranteeing independence and sovereignty of Kazakhstan.
Thank you for the interview.