NUR-SULTAN, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan has celebrated its 28th Independence Day with fireworks and cultural events across the country, and received congratulatory letters from a number of heads of states and international organizations.
"December 16, 1991 opened a new era in the history of Kazakhstan, bringing unprecedented opportunities for progress and innovation. Our country has gained international recognition, built an effective management system and a strong economy," Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev tweeted on Monday.
Nursultan Nazarbayev, the first president of Kazakhstan, said earlier that his country has completed, in just 28 years, the journey of development which took other countries several centuries.
"Since independence, we have built an open market economy. Kazakhstan becomes an absolute leader in Central Asia in attracting investment. We have realized the geopolitical potential by creating a transport corridor connecting the East and West of the continent," Nazarbayev said.
On Dec. 16, 1991, Kazakhstan adopted a special constitutional law and declared independence, and since then, the day has been considered a national holiday.
