The fictional comic character Borat Sagdiyev has finally been adopted as a cultural ambassador for Kazakhstan, in spite resisting the embrace of the mustachioed reporter for years.
The central Asian country's tourism board has used the catchphrase "very nice" as a slogan for an advertising campaign. However, it has taken over a decade for Kazakhstan to warm to the films.
The creation of UK comic Sacha Baron Cohen, Kazakhstan initially threatened the actor with legal action over Borat. The fictional character from the former Soviet republic played on the general lack of awareness surrounding the country to dupe celebrities into interviews. In 2006 the original "Moviefilm" was banned from Kazakhstan's cinemas.
Titled "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," Baron Cohen's portrayal of the TV documentarian was not flattering. Many Kazakhs felt they were the butt of a joke.
14 years on, the comic has raised awareness for the country, if not in the way the national tourism board would have hoped. Few people have not heard of either Borat, or the Republic of Kazakhstan.