Zulfiya Suleimenova Appointed Special Envoy at the Foreign Ministry

The Foreign Ministry confirmed to Orda.kz that Zulfiya Suleimenova has been appointed as a special envoy at the Foreign Ministry.

In late September, President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev reshuffled several of his advisers and assistants, including Suleimenova. For two years, she served as an adviser and special representative for international environmental cooperation in the Presidential Administration.

Earlier, since 2020, Suleimenova held the position of Deputy Director of the Department of Climate Policy, and in 2023, she headed the Ministry of Ecology, Geology, and Natural Resources.

Her tenure as minister lasted only nine months. At the time of her appointment, she was 32 years old.

During her short term, Kazakhstan faced several environmental crises — wildfires in the Abay region, oil leaks in Mangystau, and the Caspian Sea’s shallowing.

These events made her a prominent public figure but also sparked criticism.

I fundamentally don’t wear fur or eat meat. I believe humane treatment of animals begins with people themselves. I don’t use cosmetics tested on animals and don’t visit zoos or dolphinariums. That’s my personal choice,  she said in an interview with Khabar TV.

Original Author: Ruslan Loginov