Azerbaijan welcomes Kazakhstan's transition to the Latin alphabet

The Latin alphabet will help Kazakhstan to improve understanding with other Turkic peoples, Azerbaijani ambassador Zakir Hashimov said today.

"Among the CIS countries Azerbaijan was one of the first to change from the Cyrillic alphabet to the Latin. Naturally, at first it was difficult. At the present time, all citizens can freely write and read in Latin characters," Gashimov described the situation in Azerbaijan.

The Ambassador expressed his hope for a more rapid transition from the Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet in Kazakhstan. "I am confident that in Kazakhstan this transition can be realized more quickly. Azerbaijan is ready to share its experience with Kazakhstan," Hashimov said.

"I am very happy and proud when I hear how Azerbaijanis living in Kazakhstan speak the Kazakh language. This shows that they love and respect the country where they were born and live," the diplomat said, adding that there are 130 thousand ethnic Azeris living in Kazakhstan.

Adapted from: Vestnik Kavkaza