President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, urging citizens to observe their ancestral traditions, pointed out that even "people in military uniform" had forgotten them — "generals started hugging" instead of shaking hands.
"Observing the behavior of young people, and even elderly people, I came to the conclusion that we still need to remember our ancestral traditions. It's not the case when men start hugging each other <>. It has never been in our customs. Especially people in military uniform. The generals start hugging each other. What is it?" — he told reporters after voting in the parliamentary elections in Astana.
He noted that the marshals of the Soviet Union, who are the winners of the World War, cannot be imagined in such a situation.
"Men should shake hands with each other, shake it firmly, <> but no more than that. It's always been that way. In the end, you can put your right hand to your heart if you are happy to see this person, really happy, and this often happens in life. Therefore, I myself initiated a new code of conduct, in particular," the President of Kazakhstan said, quoted by TASS.