OF THE STEPPES AND THE CERRADO (visiting Kazakhstan)

In the middle of steppes, where 30 years ago horses grazed, today there is a very modern capital, of the ninth largest country in the world, larger than all of Europe. Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan. One million inhabitants, with a 22 km monorail being built 20 years ago, which still doesn't work, wide avenues, buildings looking more like New York than Brasilia, but deep down one, capital in the steppes, another in the cerrado. And from what it seems, if there was inspiration in JK and Brasília and their brilliant architects, no one mentions it. And Astana, a clean city, with the largest mosque in Central Asia, has low temperatures in winter, a strong wind all year round, and left behind the country's former economic capital, Almaty.

For 20 million inhabitants, in 36 years of independence from the USSR they had only two presidents, wealth comes from oil, minerals and wheat. Even though Yuri Gagarin was launched into space from Kazakhstan, then one of the Soviet republics, the effort to modernize the country in the technological and post-industrial area is going well, but oil is oil and still produces a lot of money.

The population is composed of several ethnic groups. In addition to the casacs, which predominate, there are almost 40% of Russians, since with Russia it has the largest land border in the world, 7,644 km. Almost the size of the Brazilian coast. Russia is its largest economic partner, followed by China. Two neighbors with nuclear weapons and powerful armies. So, the diplomacy of Kazakhstan is extremely competent to balance these relations and keep the country on the route of independence and development. The President of Israel has just visited Astana and the country will join the Abraham Agreements, in addition to already being an associate member of the Brics.

Brazil is the only Latin American country that has an Embassy in Astana. There are some soccer players, and an exchange between universities. But a cooperation project in the agricultural area can expand the possibilities. Today Brazil exports 90 million dollars of agricultural products, but the potential is totally despised by Brazilian companies. Embraer has already been more present. And as a comparison, Austria, much smaller than Brazil, has the presence of 400 companies in Kazakhstan and less than 100 in Brazil.

Kazakhstan is part of the Silk Road, millennial, a country best known by us for the comedy of Borat, for the world exhibition in Astana in 2017, but essentially unknown. With the ease of getting there, via Istanbul and with not only an interesting life and history, but with a future that refers us to reflect, and we, where are we going?