Aida Balayeva has taken on a new senior role. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has appointed her Deputy Chair of the Security Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a body responsible for coordinating state policy on national security and defence, DKNews.kz reports.
The appointment was formalised by presidential decree No. 1419, published by Akorda, the presidential administration, on August 31, 2026.
The decree confirms the appointment but does not specify which areas Balayeva will oversee in her new position.
The appointment comes amid a broader reshuffle in Kazakhstan
Balayeva’s appointment was announced on a day marked by several senior personnel changes at the top of Kazakhstan’s political system.
On August 31, President Tokayev reappointed Olzhas Bektenov as Prime Minister. DKNews.kz previously reported that Bektenov retained the post of head of government following the resignation of the Cabinet before the newly elected Kurultai.
The government had formally resigned on August 28. Under the presidential decree on the government, ministers were instructed to continue performing their duties until a new Cabinet was approved.
Other senior appointments were also announced on August 31. Yerlan Karin was appointed Vice President, while Gizat Nurdauletov was dismissed from the post of Secretary of the Security Council.
Taken together, the decisions point to a wider restructuring of Kazakhstan’s senior political leadership following the launch of the country’s new unicameral Kurultai.
Kazakhstan’s Security Council sits at the centre of national security policy
Balayeva’s new position is fundamentally different from a ministerial portfolio.
The Security Council of Kazakhstan is a constitutional body formed by the President. It coordinates national policy in areas related to security and defence.
Its remit includes domestic political stability, protection of the constitutional order, national independence, territorial integrity and the country’s broader national interests.
The President of Kazakhstan serves as Chair of the Security Council and determines its composition.
Once approved by the Chair, decisions adopted by the Security Council and its operational meetings are binding on state bodies, organisations and public officials.
This means the position of Deputy Chair is not tied to the management of a single sector or ministry. It places Balayeva within one of the key institutions involved in strategic state-level decision-making.
Balayeva brings a background in domestic policy and communications
The significance of the appointment also lies in Balayeva’s career path.
Before the latest reshuffle, she served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information. Her official biography shows extensive experience in domestic policy, government communications and the Presidential Administration.
Balayeva previously held senior positions dealing with domestic policy in Almaty and Astana, served as deputy mayor of the capital, headed the Domestic Policy Department of the Presidential Administration and worked as an aide to the President.
In 2020, she became Minister of Information and Social Development. In 2022, she was appointed Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration.
She returned to the Cabinet in September 2023 as Minister of Culture and Information and later became Deputy Prime Minister while retaining the ministerial portfolio.
Just days before the latest appointment, on August 26, DKNews.kz reported on Balayeva’s talks in Vietnam, where her agenda focused on cultural cooperation, joint film production and tourism projects.
Her move to the Security Council therefore marks a shift from a highly public-facing government portfolio to a position much closer to the strategic national security apparatus.
Her exact responsibilities have not yet been disclosed
One detail remains unresolved.
The presidential decree confirms Balayeva’s appointment but does not state which specific areas she will supervise within the Security Council.
There is therefore no official basis yet to link her new role to a particular field such as information security, domestic policy, economic security or another specific portfolio.
The positions of Deputy Chair of the Security Council and Secretary of the Security Council should also not be confused.
Balayeva has been appointed Deputy Chair, while Gizat Nurdauletov was separately dismissed as Secretary of the Security Council on August 31.
The timing gives the appointment broader political significance. It comes as Kazakhstan reshapes its senior executive leadership following the start of the first Kurultai and the formation of a new government structure.
