Social tension is the main reason behind the Arab Spring: Nazarbayev

Social tension is the main reason for the Arab Spring, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev told RIA Novosti. “We are seeing anti-government protests in North Africa, the U.S., Great Britain and European Union. All this is part of a quest for justice. Two words are buzzing in the air: freedom and justice. It is understandable that freedom is necessary, we will not infringe on it, but right now the fighting is for the justice cause,” Nazarbayev said and added that “the gap between very rich and very poor is getting bigger”. According to him, “the crisis has created even greater discrepandices between the rich and the poor”. Deterioration of the quality of life after the crisis in Western countries and North Africa had touched up these protests, Nazarbayev said. “That's why I consider the observance of social justice, improvement of the life quality and turning the economy in this particular direction especially important,” Kazakhstan President added.