"I would like to express my support for Pavel Durov and the Telegram team in connection with recent events. On Saturday, Pavel was detained by the French authorities on charges of lack of content moderation and refusal to cooperate with law enforcement agencies," Madiyev said on his Facebook page.
On behalf of the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan, the minister emphasized that they had a positive experience of interacting with the Telegram team.
"We have repeatedly successfully and promptly resolved issues related to the leakage of personal data, the fight against drug trafficking and the suppression of other illegal activities in the messenger. The Telegram team has always demonstrated a willingness to cooperate to ensure the safety of citizens, while remaining true to its principles of protecting privacy and freedom of speech," said the statement.
The minister also noted that Telegram is the most popular messenger in Kazakhstan.
"In Kazakhstan, Telegram is the most popular messenger, used by more than 12 million people, which emphasizes its importance for our society. We understand the importance of maintaining a balance between security and freedom in the digital space and are ready to continue constructive cooperation with Telegram," said the statement.
At the same time, he thanked Durov's team for their sincere interest in the development of children.
"In addition, during his last visit to Kazakhstan, Pavel Durov became one of the trustees of the IQanat project, aimed at supporting Kazakhstani rural children, having allocated 12 grants totaling $365 thousand. He not only allocated money, but also personally participated in studying the educational process, selecting children, familiarized himself with their biographies and the academic performance of schoolchildren. I am grateful to Pavel's team for their concern and sincere interest in the development of children. We hope for a speedy resolution of this situation," concluded Madiyev.
Photo source: Facebook/ @Zhaslan Madiyev