European parliamentarians praise open and constructive dialogue with #Kazakhstan

The 16th meeting of the Kazakhstan-European Union Parliamentary Cooperation Committee (PCC) was held in the spirit of constructive dialogue and open exchange of views on a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation in the political, economic and humanitarian fields.

The Kazakh delegation, which included representatives of the Senate and the Mazhilis, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prosecutor General's Office, was headed by the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security of the Lower Chamber, Mukhtar Yerman, while the European side was led by the Chair of the Delegation of the European Parliament (EP) for Relations with Central Asia and Mongolia, Iveta Grigule-Peterse (Latvia).

Before the meeting of the committee, the Kazakh delegation was welcomed by the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Pavel Telicka (Czech Republic), on behalf of the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani. Mr. Telicka noted that he highly appreciates Kazakhstan's contribution to strengthening stability in the region and the world, and expressed the European Parliament's strong intention to expand cooperation with Kazakhstan, which, according to him, never ceases to amaze with its achievements such as EXPO 2017 and effective membership in the UN Security Council.

During the PCC meeting, the parties noted that after the previous meeting of the Committee in Astana in 2018, a lot of work has been done to implement the agreements reached, and the Parliamentary Cooperation Committee has become an effective discussion platform.

The rich agenda of the meeting covered cooperation in education, environment and water resources, regional security, the fight against terrorism and extremism, the rule of law and human rights.

M. Yerman stated that relations with the European Union, which is the largest trade, economic and investment partner of Kazakhstan, are one of the strategic vectors of Kazakhstan's foreign policy.

It was noted that the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) between Kazakhstan and the European Union and its Member States, signed on December 21, 2015, reflects qualitatively new relations and opens up new horizons of cooperation. Therefore, it is particularly important to ensure that the remaining three countries ratify the EPCA for its full entry into force.

Kazakh and European parliamentarians discussed the concept of a new European Union Strategy for Central Asia. Representative of the European External Action Service, Boris Yaroshevich, said that this will be an extensive document for 10 years and its development will be completed by May 15 this year. It was stressed that the new Strategy is aimed at deepening the inter-regional cooperation for sustainable development and well-being of the peoples of Central Asia.

The parties further welcomed the upcoming launch of a joint program in September 2019 to train Afghan girls in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. This is intended to be one of the best examples of successful inter-regional cooperation. Brussels will allocate 2 million euros for the implementation of the program.

The European side highlighted the contribution of Kazakhstan to the settlement of the Syrian crisis in the framework of the Astana process. MEP Andrejs Mamikins (Latvia) pointed out that Kazakhstan's diplomats directly contributed to the establishment of a dialogue between the Syrian government and the armed Syrian opposition.

Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko noted that the Kazakh side focuses on ensuring the most favorable conditions for such a dialogue, and the Astana platform is designed to be an effective accompaniment for the Geneva negotiation process. The next round of talks on strengthening the cease-fire and other practical issues is scheduled for February this year.

In this regard, Senator Byrganym Aitimova provided a briefing about the special operation “Zhusan”, as a result of which 47 citizens of Kazakhstan were successfully evacuated from Syria recently.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on protecting and ensuring freedoms and human rights in Kazakhstan. The Kazakh delegation informed about recent developments in this area. The European side reaffirmed support for legislative initiatives to reform the judicial and legal system of Kazakhstan.

MEP Helga Stevens (Belgium) stressed that Kazakhstan and the European Union are working hard to protect the rights of people with disabilities. The legal framework for this interaction has been the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which Kazakhstan ratified three years ago, committing to implement relevant international standards.

The parliamentarians also discussed the main provisions of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, the challenges of the Aral Sea and the development of renewable energy sources.

This PCC meeting was the last one before the European Parliament elections, which will be held on May 23-26, 2019.