ASTANA. December 17. KAZINFORM Kazinform offers to its readers the publication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan dedicated to the Independence Day of Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan celebrates its 18^th Independence Day, a symbolic adulthood, on December 16, two weeks prior to the New Year and the formal beginning of the country's chairmanship in the OSCE.

On this day in 1991, the country's parliament adopted a Constitutional Law on Independence, proclaiming the Republic of Kazakhstan an independent and democratic state, governed by the rule of law.

A young independent Kazakhstan inherited both positive and negative legacies from the former Soviet Union. The positive ones included relatively developed industry and infrastructure, high levels of literacy, skilled and educated labour force.

 The negative ones, however, prevailed and, to name a few, included lack of traditions in democratic governance, no experience in living under market economy, significant risks of domestic confrontations along ethnic, religious or ideological lines, terrible environmental problems brought by the Soviet military programs and careless management of natural resources.

However, the subsequent history proved Kazakhstan to be a nation ready to face tough challenges. In a few years the state managed to carry out a number of significant reforms and introduce large-scale institutional changes into country's economy and public life.

Under President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the first democratically elected leader in Kazakhstan's history, the country has made major strides towards developing a strong market economy, strengthening democratic institutions and encouraging a vibrant civil society.

In political sphere, nine political parties and more than 5,000 non-governmental organizations function in the country, reflecting political plurality and commitment to social stability. People of 140 ethnicities and 46 religious denominations coexist peacefully in Kazakhstan, and none are discriminated or abused.

Located at the confluence of Asia and Europe, having maintained peace and accord in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country, Kazakhstan is eager to promote mutual understanding and respect between the East and the West.