11 Facts About Nurlan Yermekbayev

Nurlan Baiuzakuly Yermekbayev is a Kazakh politician, diplomat and Lieutenant General in the Ground Forces who had been the Minister of Defense of Kazakhstan from 7 August 2018 to 31 August 2021.

Nurlan Yermekbayev was born on New Year's Day in 1963 in the city of Shymkent in the Kazakh SSR.

Nurlan Yermekbayev graduated with honors from the Military Institute of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR in the late 1980's, specializing in knowledge of Chinese and English.

Between 2007 and 2012, Nurlan Yermekbayev worked in his position as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and Assistant to the President of Kazakhstan.

Nurlan Yermekbayev was recalled in November 2014 to be appointed Secretary of the Security Council.

Nurlan Yermekbayev's tenure was marked with the management of the trend of Islamic extremists in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

In May 2017, Nurlan Yermekbayev said that despite his efforts, "no state enjoys absolute protection" against radicalism.

Nurlan Yermekbayev acknowledged that because of the attacks, he ordered a moderate terrorist alert be put in place and then deactivated after the situation was stabilized, which he said "did not require much time".

Nurlan Yermekbayev was appointed as a Defense Minister on 7 August 2018 by Nazarbayev, succeeding Colonel General Saken Zhasuzakov.

Nurlan Yermekbayev later visited Beirut to meet with members of the battalion and the joint-Indian Army contingent.

Nurlan Yermekbayev is fluent in English, Russian, Chinese, apart from his native Kazakh.