He added that such a union would be based on the principles of "voluntarism, pragmatism, and social support" for the integration process, and would also lead to the formation of a "free-trade zone" in the region.

During his recent state visit to Kazakhstan, Uzbek President Islam Karimov expressed his opposition to the proposed union of Central Asian states, while Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has expressed support for the plan.

Tazhin further hailed on 25 April the bilingual nature of the media in Kazakhstan, noting that Russian-language media outlets face no obstacles.