History of Kazakhstan
A week after the election, Nazarbayev became the president of an independent state when the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus signed documents dissolving the Soviet Union. He quickly convened a meeting of the leaders of the five Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), raising the possibility of a Turkic confederation of former republics as a counterweight to the Slavic states of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus in whatever federation might succeed the Soviet Union. This move persuaded the three Slavic presidents to include Kazakhstan among the signatories of a recast document of dissolution. Kazakhstan's capital lent its name to the Alma-Ata Protocol, the declaration of principles of the Commonwealth of Independent States. On 16 December 1991, five days before the declaration, Kazakhstan became the last of the republics to proclaim its independence.
Azerbaijan–Kazakhstan relations
Azerbaijanis and Kazakhs are both Turkic-speaking people and share close historical, religious and cultural ties. Both are littoral states of the Caspian Sea and possess a common maritime border. During the Great Purge in the Soviet Union, more than 150.000 Azerbaijanis immigrated to Kazakhstan and the current Azeri population reaches 85,000. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan see each other as main allies and partners in Central Asia and Transcaucasia.
Both countries are members of Turkic Council and Joint Administration of Turkic Arts and Culture. Famous Azerbaijani singer-songwriter and diplomat/politician Polad Bülbüloğlu was awarded with National Award of Peace and Progress for his special contribution to peace and friendship and resolution of cultural problems in the Turkic-speaking world. Ilham Aliyev was awarded with being Honorary Professor of L.N.Gumilev Eurasian National University while his father Heydar Aliyev was named as an honorary doctor of Kazakh National University (which was named after Al-Farabi). Nursultan Nazarbayev was presenting in the celebration of "One thousand three hundredth anniversary of the epic Azerbaijani legend Book of Dede Korkut".