View source for Marat Tazhin

{{Infobox Minister
| name = Marat Mukhanbetqaziuli Tazhin<br><small>Марат Мұханбетқазыұлы Тәжин</small>
| image = Kazakh FM Marat Tazhin.jpg
| office1 = [[Minister of Foreign Affairs]]
| term_start1 = January 10, 2007
| term_end1 = September 4, 2009
| primeminister1 = [[Karim Massimov]]
| predecessor1 = [[Kassym-Jomart Tokayev]]
| successor1 = [[Kanat Saudabayev]]
| office2 = Secretary of the Security Council
| term_start2 = February 1999
| term_end2 = May 2001<br />December 2001{{spaced ndash}}August 2002<ref>[http://www.eurasianet.org/resource/kazakhstan/hypermail/200208/0051.shtml New Security Council Secretary Named in Kazakhstan] Kazakhstan Daily Digest, EurasiaNet</ref><br />April 2006{{spaced ndash}}January 2007
| office3 = Chairman of the National Security Committee
| term_start3 = May 4, 2001<ref>[http://eurasianet.org/resource/kazakhstan/hypermail/200105/0033.html Kazakh paper Karavan analyses recent government reshuffle] Kazakhstan Daily Digest, EurasiaNet</ref> 
| term_end3 = December 2001
| predecessor3 = [[Alnur Mussayev]]
| successor3 = Nurtai Dutbayev
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|04|8|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Aktobe]], [[Kazakhstan]]
| party = [[Nur Otan]]
| alma_mater = Almaty National Economic Institute,<br>Kazakh State University
| religion = [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] [[Islam]]
}}

'''Marat Muhanbetuly Tazhin''' ({{lang-kk|Марат Мұханбетқазыұлы Тәжин}}; born in 1960 in [[Aktobe]]) is a Kazakh politician. He served as the [[Foreign Minister]] in the [[Government of Kazakhstan]] from 2007 to 2009. He previously served as Secretary of the [[National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan|National Security Committee]] (NSC).<ref name=SCS>[http://www.ngowatch.org/articles.php?id=502 Kazakhstan interested in cooperation with US to promote Democracy] NGO Watch</ref> In September 2009 he was named an advisor to President [[Nursultan Nazarbayev]] and secretary of Kazakhstan's Security Council.<ref name=BIO>[http://research.rencap.com/eng/government_kh/government_detail58.asp Biography of Marat Tazhin] Research Portal</ref>. Marat Tazhin was appointed First Deputy Head of the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan in January 2017<ref name="kazworld">[http://kazworld.info/?p=60265 Kazakh Ambassador To Russia Gets New Appointment]</ref>.

==Education and early career==
He graduated from the Almaty National Economic Institute and continued his post-graduate study at Kazakh State University, eventually becoming a senior lecturer there. From 1987 to 1988 he interned in [[London]], [[United Kingdom]]. From 1991 to 1992 he served as a department head at [[Al-Farabi University]] in [[Almaty]].<ref name=BIO/>

==Political career==
Tazhin began his service as chairman of the NSC in May 2001, succeeding [[Alnur Musaev]]. He was replaced shortly thereafter in December 2001 by [[Nartai Dutbayev]].<ref name="Bzglyad">{{citation|url=http://www.respublika-kaz.info/news/politics/6787/|title=Девять жизней Комитета нацбезопасности|first=Николай|last=Кузнецов|date=2009-12-11|accessdate=2010-01-28|periodical=Взгляд|volume=45|number=134}}</ref>

Tazhin replaced [[Kassym-Jomart Tokayev]] as foreign minister on 10 January 2007 during a [[2007 Kazakh political shakeup|government shake-up]]. Tokayev became the Chairman of the [[Senate of Kazakhstan|Senate]].<ref name=APPOINTMENT>[http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/0/28.html?id_issue=11658475 Kazakhstan to remain committed to multifaceted foreign policy - Nazarbayev] Interfax</ref><ref name=SHAKEUP>[http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11146328&PageNum=0 Kazakhstan FM elected as Chairman of the Senate] ITAR-Tass</ref> 

Tazhin assisted President [[Nursultan Nazarbayev]] in writing several books.<ref name=NAZAR>[http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/?p=241 Nazarbayev - The Kazakhstan Way] Neweurasia.net</ref>

Tazhin met with [[United States Senator]] [[Richard Lugar]] in [[Astana]] on 7 February 2006 to discuss biological weapon nonproliferation measures and cooperation with U.S. scientists.<ref name=US>[http://204.71.60.35/d_newswire/issues/2006/8/21/9d2520a6-c935-4ad9-a508-67e392ace280.html Kazakhstan vows continued nonproliferation support] Global Security Newswire</ref>

He has received the [[Order of Kurmet]].

January 2013 Marat Tazhin was relieved of his duties as Aide to the President and Security Council Secretary and appointed Kazakhstan’s Secretary of State, replacing outgoing [[Mukhtar Kul-Mukhammed]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://en.tengrinews.kz/politics_sub/Kazakhstans-Government-sees-a-large-scaled-reshuffle-16069/|title=Kazakhstan’s Government sees a large-scaled reshuffle|work=Tengrinews.kz English|accessdate=17 January 2013}}</ref>

February 2014 Marat Tazhin was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation. 

January 2017 Marat Tazhin was appointed First Deputy Head of the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.<ref name="kazworld"/>

==Perception==
Analysts have described him as a [[:wikt:theoretician|theoretician]]<ref name=THEORY>[http://www.eurasianet.org/resource/kazakhstan/hypermail/200105/0033.html Kazakh paper Karavan analyses recent government Reshuffle] Eurasianet</ref> and as a shadow who prefers to wield power behind the scene.<ref name=SHADOW>[http://dumaem.ru/index.php?iq=st_show&pr_id=0&rm_id=0&tm_id=0&st_id=305&lid=0&page=1 Марат Тажин: стратег, конспиратор и идеолог в одном флаконе] Думаем.ру</ref> President Nazarbayev described him after appointing him foreign minister as a "scholar, a Ph.D., and has been my adviser, including on foreign policy questions. Since the international community attaches great importance to my choice for foreign minister, I appointed the person I know well and believe in. Most importantly, I believe he will succeed in his new job and will bring his own contribution to further foreign policy successes of our country.”<ref name=EMBUS>[http://www.kazakhembus.com/011607.html New Government in Kazakhstan Takes Shape] Embassy of Kazakhstan</ref>

==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tazhin, Marat}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Nur Otan politicians]]
[[Category:Government ministers of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Foreign ministers of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Kurmet]]
[[Category:Kazakhstani Muslims]]
[[Category:Al-Farabi University faculty]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Kazakhstan to Russia]]