Kazakhstan, Astana, Dec. 14 /Trend D. Mukhtarov/
Kazakhs for the revival of the Kazakh language must start with themselves and speak their native language, president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
"If every Kazakh sought to speak their native language, our language would long ago have found a place in accordance with its constitutional status," Nazarbayev said during a solemn meeting devoted to Kazakh Independence Day.
The President noted that the official language will prevail in all spheres of life by 2025 and will be the language of universal communication. According to him, the number of Kazakhs increased by four million over the 20 years since independence. If the number of Kazakhs in the country amounted to 6.8 million people, or 41 percent in the period of gaining independence, then it has now reached 11 million, exceeding 65 percent.
"Speaking of the Kazakh language, we forget that we must start with ourselves," the president said.