The gathering saw the participation of distinguished members of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, including Olga Perepechina and Zhanna Asanova, alongside their counterparts from the European PACE.
Noteworthy attendees comprised Ambassadors and Deputy Permanent Representatives from Austria, the Netherlands, France, Croatia, Slovakia, San Marino, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and various other states.
Inaugurating the event, Vice-Speaker of the Senate of Kazakhstan, O. Perepechina, underscored the significance of fostering partnership relations with the Council of Europe, which stands as a cornerstone of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy priorities.
“We esteem our collaboration with the Council of Europe and its invaluable expertise in democratization, rule of law, and human rights. Over our years of engagement, we have effectively executed two programs on priorities of neighborly cooperation.
This summer heralds the launch of a new Priorities for Neighborly Cooperation with Kazakhstan for 2024-2027. We envisage this program to further enhance our national legislation in alignment with European norms,” articulated the Kazakh senator.
Furthermore, O. Perepechina highlighted Kazakhstan’s full membership in the Venice Commission and its observer status in the advisory councils of European prosecutors and judges, the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice, and the Medicrime Convention.
Concurrently, senators convened with PACE President Theodoros Roussopoulos, deliberating on the evolution of partnership relations between Kazakhstan and the Council of Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly, alongside pertinent topics concerning human rights protection, democracy, and the rule of law.
Vice-Speaker of the Senate, and head of the parliamentary delegation of Kazakhstan, Olga Perepechina, elucidated on the burgeoning cooperation between the Parliament of Kazakhstan and the Parliamentary Assembly, stressing its nurturing within an environment of mutual understanding and trust. She also elaborated on the ongoing reforms within the country.
“In 2022, President K. Tokayev initiated a program of political and economic transformations, propounding an agenda for constructing a Just Kazakhstan. These reforms are geared towards fortifying the system of checks and balances between branches of government, decentralizing governance, fostering a multi-party system, and augmenting political competition.
Over the past two years, we have overseen early presidential elections, as well as elections to both chambers of Parliament and local representative bodies, marking a comprehensive overhaul of key state institutions,” expounded Perepechina during the meeting.
The leadership of PACE reaffirmed their commitment to extending comprehensive support to Kazakhstan in its continued endeavour towards building a democratic state, pledging to uphold regular contacts with the Parliament of Kazakhstan.
