Kazakhstan plays down Borat row

Kazakhstan's ambassador to Britain has denied recent media reports that the Kazakh government is engaging in litigation and a PR campaign against Sacha Baron Cohen and his forthcoming Borat movie. Erlan Idrissov acknowledges that the character has offended some people in Kazakhstan, but adds that public opinion is split between those who find Mr Cohen "very funny and those who think he is deeply offensive."

The film, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, hits UK cinemas in early November. Kazakhstan's largest chain of cinemas, Otau, has banned the movie, calling it "a complete lie and nonsense." Yet Mr Idrissov stresses that, "however offensive many individual Kazakhs may find Mr Cohen’s references to anti-semitism, child sex, misogyny and other repellent activities as being essential features of the Kazakh character, I would point out that the government of Kazakhstan, like in any civilised country, is committed to free speech and we uphold the right of any satirist to say what he wishes, however unfounded or tasteless the material."

“As many of our British friends know from personal experience, Kazakhstanis are a tolerant, decent and welcoming people from more than 100 different faiths and ethnic backgrounds. Given the astonishing diversity of our culture and ethnicity, I believe it is a shame that our character should be traduced in this way for commercial benefit and a laugh," he continues. "I believe the public are able to make up their own mind as to whether this sort of comedy is tasteful or appropriate in this day and age, or whether it merely exploits ordinary people’s ignorance. Whatever the verdict of the public, my sincere personal wish is that out of this bizarre affair there may emerge a truer understanding of Kazakhstan, and greater opportunities for the British and Kazakh people to get to know each other as friends.”