NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM - Kazakhstan is in the state of third modernization. This was stated by the expert of the Center for Research And Consulting (CRC) Anuar Buranbayev during an online presentation of the results of a series of analytical studies on modernization and system reforms in Kazakhstan, the correspondent of "Kazinform" INA reports.

"We are in the state of third modernization. Why the third modernization? If you look at the history of independent Kazakhstan, it is possible to distinguish two major stages. This is the stage of the roaring nineties or the first modernization, when the aim was to preserve the sovereignty, to build a state, to fix Kazakhstan on the world map. Anyway, we understand that any changes must have sources of funding. The main driver of this stage was privatization. At that time, we experienced quite a serious drop in the new economic indicators, and there was quite a large outflow of population from the country," Anuar Buranbayev said.

The expert added that at the same time, it was a time of freedom and the fastest structural reforms.

"Then the two thousands came, after the Asian crisis of 1998 in the two thousands prices for hydrocarbons began to rise, the state succeeded and it has resources and in fact, the stage of second modernization was launched , which was aimed at the development of the country, its main driver were natural resources. The average annual growth rate of the economy was quite high and we confidently entered the number of countries with an average level of development," Anuar Buranbayev said.

However, as the speaker noted, this model has exhausted itself and the question came up, what will happen next?

"If you remember, this question has been raised during the two thousands. Many of our state documents say that we want to build a knowledge-based economy, an economy of people, where value is created with no loss in natural resources, but at the expense of the creativity of knowledge and skills of people. From this point of view, the key driver should be human capital," Anuar Buranbayev concluded.